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Bridger-Teton National Forest Wilderness
"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves."
~John Muir~
Wilderness is the land that was - wild land beyond the frontier...land that shaped the growth of our nation and the character of its people.
Wilderness is the land that is - rare, wild places where one can retreat from civilization, reconnect with the Earth, and find healing, meaning and significance.
(From www.wilderness.net)
The Bridger-Teton National Forest holds within it's boundaries three Wilderness Areas. These are the Gros Ventre Wilderness, the Bridger Wilderness and the Teton Wilderness. In addition, the Forest hosts two Wilderness Study Areas, Palisades and Shoal Creek.
The Bridger Wilderness was designated in 1964 and memorializes the famous Jim Bridger. This Wilderness lies within the Wind River Mountains and offers 428,087 acres and more than 600 miles of trails for the adventurous of spirit to explore over a lifetime. This Wilderness extends 80 miles along the Continental Divide and holds the headwaters of the Green River. Home to 7 out of 10 of the world's largest glaciers, the landscape is continuously breathtaking with hundreds of high alpine lakes, glacial cirques and wide sweeping valleys. The highest point in Wyoming, Gannett Peak rests on the shared boundary with Fitzpatrick Wilderness offering mountaineers a great and memorable challenge. With elevations ranging above 13,000 feet, winter weather is always just a breath away, the combination of elevation and potential cold working together to create a truly wild feeling throughout the Wilderness.
The Teton Wilderness lies to the south of famous Yellowstone National Park and boasts 585,238 acres of wildland to explore. The Wilderness provides critical habitat to grizzlies, wolves and bison as well as the smaller creatures like beaver, mink and coyote. The Teton Wilderness is the state of Wyoming’s second largest Wilderness Area and rests at the heart of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. With landscapes ranging from mountain meadows and timbered slopes to high alpine plateaus, 450 miles of trails provide access to a large variety of hunting and fishing opportunities. The Teton Wilderness is home to the famous Two Ocean Creek which splits along the Continental Divide, where it’s waters rush from here through the mountains and eventually contribute to both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Also within this critical watershed lie the headwaters of several Wild and Scenic Rivers; Snake River, North and South Buffalo Fork Rivers, the Soda Fork River and Pacific Creek.
The Gros Ventre Wilderness rests to the north and east of Jackson Hole Wyoming, holds 317,784 acres of wild lands and waters, and was designated in 1984. This Wilderness provides critical habitat and travel corridors to a multitude of wildlife species ranging from pronghorn to elk and bison as well as wolves, grizzlies, mountain lions and many others. The Gros Ventre Wilderness Area is well known for its varied and numerous geological features, hosting a colorful collage of lavenders and oranges on its rocky slopes as well as being one of the world’s largest concentrations of landslides. In 1925 the Gros Ventre Slide was formed from rock and debris rushing down the north slope of Sheep Mountain, creating Lower Slide Lake below and later being established as a National Geological Area. More recently the Crystal Creek landslide has challenged the Gros Ventre Slide’s ferocity, forever changing the path of Wild and Scenic Crystal Creek and the mountains and meadows surrounding it. In addition to wildlife and geology, the Gros Ventre Wilderness was also designated for its watershed values, providing a home to the headwaters of three Wild and Scenic Rivers; the Gros Ventre River, Crystal Creek and Granite Creek, which flows south into the Hoback River. 10,000 years of human history and evidence of human presence can be found in the Gros Ventre Wilderness from Native American travel corridors to fur trappers and early settlers. Today, the Gros Ventre Wilderness hosts 250 miles of trails for backpackers and hunters to explore to their heart’s content.
Select each of the Wilderness Areas below to learn more about rules and regulations, trails, and much more.
Related Websites
Go to http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm, where you can find more in-depth information about these specific Wilderness Areas, the Wilderness Act and much more.
For the National Forest Service Wilderness website go to, http://www.fs.usda.gov/recreation/programs/cda/wilderness.shtml
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