Winter wildlife closures ends May 1

From Bridger-Teton National Forest
Posted 4/19/19

Winter wildlife restrictions will lift on the Bridger-Teton National Forest on May 1.

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Winter wildlife closures ends May 1

Posted

Winter wildlife restrictions

will lift on the Bridger-Teton National Forest

on May 1.

There is a significant snowpack across

the forest this year and it has been melting

off slowly and steadily. However, roads may

still be drifted, flooded or impassable due

to lingering snowpack after May 1. Visitors

should be prepared to walk into areas or take

their horses. While there won’t be any restrictions

to human presence, some roads may not

be drivable. The forest patrollers will be assessing

the roads and trailheads in the days

leading up to May 1 and the conditions will

be updated regularly as spring melt off continues.

Areas that are popular in the spring but as

of today are still drifted with snow include

Horse Creek, Wilson Creek, Josie’s Ridge,

Adam’s Canyon and Leeks Canyon. These

areas are popular for visitors wanting to look

for antler sheds but with predicted weather,

it isn’t possible to forecast if the roads are

going to be passable with vehicles. Additionally

all of the areas of the forest around Hoback

Junction including the south slopes of

Munger Mountain, the area near Camp Creek

and the hillsides east of Hoback Junction are

still under a deep lingering snowpack.

People come to the Bridger-Teton from

long distances to look for antlers that have

been dropped as wildlife moves from the

winter ranges to higher ground. The forest

reminds all recreationists that antlers are not

available for gathering on this side of the

Continental Divide until May 1 each year.

The status of roads on the Jackson Ranger

District for those planning to venture out on

May 1 is the following:

• Gros Ventre road – lower gate opens

at approximately 6 a.m.; road open to Slate

Creek; upper road closed to motorized vehicles

until June 1; non-motorized use is

allowed. Several landslides near Atherton

Creek are being repaired this week.

• Flat Creek road – the gate on the National

Elk Refuge opens at 8 a.m. and people will be

able to drive to the forest trailhead. The road

is closed past trailhead due to snow

• Curtis Canyon road – the gate on the National

Elk Refuge opens at 8 a.m. and people

will be able to drive up Curtis to the campground/

overlook area. The upper part of the

road will likely be closed due to snow

• Shadow Mountain north and south roads

– likely closed due to snow

From Bridger-Teton

National Forest

• Ditch Creek road – likely closed due to

snow

• Fall Creek road – likely closed due to

snow

• Granite Creek road – likely closed due

to snow

• Mosquito Creek road – likely closed due

to snow

• North Fork Fall Creek – likely closed due

to snow

Visitors to the Bridger-Teton National

Forest can obtain free copies of motor vehicle

use map by visiting http://www.fs.usda.

gov/main/btnf/maps-pubs. No wheeled motor

vehicle travel is permitted off of designated

roads. The higher elevation roads take a long

time to dry out after the winter. Even at lower

elevations, pockets of wet areas can keep an

entire road closed.

Depending on spring warmup and drier

weather, the Bridger-Teton may be able to

report the opening of some lower elevation

roads by May 1, but some years the wet conditions

prevent that from happening. When

roads are wet, vehicle travel can cause considerable

resource damage by creating deep

ruts. Road widening can also occur when vehicles

drive around deep pools of water. The

chances of getting stuck are higher earlier in

the season.

Once roads open, remember to not attempt

routes above your skill level and be prepared

in case you get stuck. Be aware of damage

driving on wet roads can cause, including

deep ruts and unauthorized routes. Changes

in weather can result in impassable conditions

even when roads are open. To learn if

a road is open, visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/

recmain/btnf/recreation for the latest in trail,

road and campground conditions.