A place like no other near Jackson in Wyoming
The National Elk Refuge is a spectacular 24,700-acre wildlife preserve located just northeast of Jackson, Wyoming, providing critical winter habitat for the largest elk herd in North America against the dramatic backdrop of the Teton Mountain Range and the Gros Ventre Wilderness. Established by an act of Congress in 1912, the refuge was created in response to the declining elk population that had been devastated by overhunting and the encroachment of ranching settlements that blocked traditional migration routes across the Jackson Hole valley floor.
The story of the refuge begins with the disappearance of the historic Jackson Hole elk herd migration corridors during the late nineteenth century, when homesteaders and ranchers built fences, cultivated fields, and diverted water across the Snake River Valley floor. By the winter of 1910, an estimated twenty thousand elk were stranded without access to their traditional low-elevation wintering grounds, leading to mass starvation that shocked the national conscience. Stephen Leek, a local photographer whose haunting images of starving elk galvanized public support, and Charles Sheldon, a prominent naturalist, led the campaign that persuaded President Woodrow Wilson to support the refuge designation as one of America’s earliest wildlife conservation victories.
The cultural significance of the refuge extends deeply into the fabric of Jackson Hole identity, where the annual return of the elk herd each autumn is celebrated as one of Wyoming’s most cherished natural spectacles. For the Shoshone, Bannock, and other Indigenous peoples who traversed this valley for thousands of years, elk represented more than sustenance, embodying spiritual significance as creatures that provided food, clothing, tools, and ceremonial materials essential to traditional lifeways. The refuge maintains a government-to-government relationship with tribes holding treaty rights in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, ensuring that traditional practices continue alongside modern wildlife management efforts.
The world-famous Jackson Hole Boy Scout Elk Antler Auction represents one of the most distinctive cultural traditions associated with the refuge, attracting thousands of visitors each May to the Jackson Town Square for an event like no other in the American West. Each spring, refuge staff and volunteers collect thousands of pounds of naturally shed elk antlers from the refuge grounds, preventing visitors from disturbing wintering wildlife in their search for these prized natural treasures. The auction raises substantial funds for the refuge while providing scouting organizations with meaningful community service opportunities that connect young people with conservation heritage.
The signature experience at the refuge is the horse-drawn sleigh ride, operating from mid-December through early April, which carries visitors across snow-covered winter pastures to witness the breathtaking spectacle of thousands of elk congregated on the valley floor within close viewing distance. Knowledgeable interpreters accompany each sleigh, sharing insights about elk behavior, the history of the refuge, and the complex management challenges that wildlife biologists face in balancing the needs of wildlife with public access. The sleigh rides begin at the Jackson Hole and Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center on North Cache Street and provide some of the most extraordinary wildlife photography opportunities available anywhere in the Rocky Mountain West.
During the snow-free months from May through October, the refuge transforms into a paradise for hiking enthusiasts and wildlife watchers who explore the multi-use pathway that parallels Highway 89, offering panoramic views of the refuge with the towering Teton Range rising sharply in the background. The pathway connects to the extensive Jackson Hole Community Pathway System, allowing cyclists and pedestrians to explore miles of scenic terrain while keeping a respectful distance from wildlife using the refuge during spring calving and summer grazing seasons. Pronghorn antelope, which undertake one of the longest remaining terrestrial migrations in North America, can often be spotted crossing the refuge during their remarkable seasonal movements between the Green River Basin and Grand Teton National Park.
The refuge offers outstanding catch-and-release fishing opportunities during designated seasons, with Flat Creek winding through the southern portion of the property and providing habitat for the native Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout, a prized species among Wyoming anglers. Anglers must consult current refuge regulations, as fishing access is managed carefully to minimize disturbance to wildlife and protect sensitive riparian habitat during critical periods of the year. The creek’s crystal-clear water and the stunning mountain scenery create a fly-fishing experience that ranks among the most beautiful in the American West, with careful anglers often spotting moose browsing in nearby willows while they cast to rising trout.
The primary spectacle visitors come to witness is the elk herd itself, which numbers between five thousand and eight thousand animals during an average winter, creating a living tableau of wildlife against a mountain backdrop featured in countless films, photographs, and paintings. The sight of massive bull elk with towering six-point antlers standing sentinel over their harems, while calves born the previous spring huddle together for warmth, creates an emotional connection with the natural world that few other wildlife experiences can match. The elk are most active during the early morning and late afternoon hours, when they move between feeding areas and the higher-elevation bedding grounds where they rest during the middle of the day in the shadow of Miller Butte.
The refuge harbors a resident herd of approximately one thousand bison, descendants of animals that reclaimed the valley floor decades ago and now constitute one of the few truly wild, free-ranging bison populations remaining in the American West. The Jackson bison herd represents a remarkable conservation success story, as these magnificent animals were nearly extinct at the turn of the twentieth century before concerted recovery efforts brought them back from the brink of annihilation. Visitors often encounter bison along the refuge road near Miller Butte, where they graze on native grasses and occasionally create magnificent traffic jams that serve as impromptu wildlife viewing opportunities for delighted tourists from around the world.
The avian diversity of the refuge rivals its mammalian richness, with trumpeter swans, the largest native waterfowl species in North America, wintering in ice-free springs and thermal areas that dot the refuge landscape throughout the cold season. Bald eagles perch in cottonwood trees along Flat Creek, watching for opportunities to scavenge carrion or capture waterfowl, while sandhill cranes perform their ancient and haunting courtship dances in the wet meadows each spring. Birders visiting during spring migration, from March through May, may record more than one hundred species in a single day along the refuge boundaries and adjacent waterways of the Snake River corridor.
The Teton Range forms an inescapable and utterly magnificent visual backdrop to every vista on the refuge, with the iconic peaks of Grand Teton, Mount Moran, and Mount Owen rising nearly seven thousand feet above the valley floor in one of the most dramatic topographic transitions in North America. The interplay of light on these peaks creates constantly shifting visual drama throughout the day, with sunrise illuminating the summits in brilliant alpenglow and sunset painting the entire range in shades of gold, rose, and purple that reflect in the still waters of Flat Creek. Photographers consider the view across the refuge toward the Tetons to be among the most beautiful landscape compositions available anywhere in the American national park system.
The winter season, from December through March, delivers the quintessential elk refuge experience when thousands of elk descend from the high country to winter on the valley floor and the sleigh ride operation is in full swing. Winter visitors should prepare for subzero temperatures and significant snowfall, dressing in multiple insulating layers with insulated boots, gloves, hats, and chemical hand warmers essential for comfort during sleigh rides lasting approximately one hour. The extraordinary wildlife concentrations of winter make the cold thoroughly worthwhile, and the snow-covered landscape beneath the Tetons creates scenes of pristine beauty that define the visual identity of Jackson Hole.
Spring brings dramatic transitions to the refuge during April and May, as snow begins melting from the valley floor and elk start their gradual migration back toward summer ranges in Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. This is the season of the Jackson Hole Boy Scout Elk Antler Auction, when the town square fills with tens of thousands of pounds of shed antlers and visitors can witness one of Jackson’s quirkiest and most beloved annual traditions. Birdwatchers flock to the refuge during spring migration, when waterfowl and shorebirds pause on their northward journey and the first wildflowers begin blooming on south-facing slopes throughout the valley floor.
Summer, from June through August, transforms the refuge into a verdant green landscape where elk have largely departed for higher elevations but bison, pronghorn, moose, and abundant birdlife remain to reward visitors who explore the refuge pathway and observation areas. The Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center serves as an excellent air-conditioned starting point for summer explorations, with informative exhibits that contextualize the refuge within the broader ecosystem and staff who can direct visitors to current wildlife hotspots. Summer mornings offer the best wildlife viewing, as animals are most active during the cool hours before the afternoon heat settles across the valley floor and drives them into shaded resting areas beneath cottonwood groves.
Fall, from September through November, brings the dramatic return of the elk herd from their summer ranges, with the haunting sound of bugling bull elk echoing across the refuge as the annual rut reaches its peak activity during September and October. The autumn transformation of cottonwood and aspen trees into brilliant shades of gold, orange, and crimson adds a layer of chromatic splendor to an already magnificent landscape beneath the Teton Range. The white snow dusting of early peaks on the Grand Teton contrasts powerfully against the autumn foliage below, and fall is arguably the most beautiful season on the refuge with active wildlife, spectacular scenery, and pleasantly cool temperatures ideal for extended outdoor exploration.