National Elk Refuge

A lovely place to spend an hour, very educational and entertaining.
We booked the sleigh ride at the visitor’s center and 30min later we boarded a shuttle from the visitors center to the elk reserve entrance down the road. Due to lack of snow on the ground we got horse carts instead of sleighs to ride around in. Our tour guide was very nice and gave us all sorts of information about the elks, moose. He basically talked nonstop for an hour and answered all our questions.
The cart ride was a bit bumpy and rough at times since there are no roads on the refuge. We learned about migration patterns, history and scientific facts about the land and then more about behaviors and lifestyles of the elks. Very interesting information.
The weather is pretty cold, we were given large blankets that are slightly smelly, do dress appropriately. I had 3 layers on and was still cold.

Loved this little gem of a place especially since we have 2 large German Shepherds. So many places do not allow dogs or you have to keep them on tight little leashes. So this place was a God send while we were visiting the Tetons/​Yellowstone. There were a few others with dogs off leash hiking and climbing. Not many people and the views are amazing!

This place is really nice — the elk come here to graze in the winter. Depending on where they aregrazing, you may or may not be able to snap pictures of them. We were too far to take pictures but we did come across some other wildlife. A lot of people hike or jog on this trail too.
Great free stop on your way in or out from Jackson!

A wonderful place in Jackson Hole, WY. that is dedicated to protecting the elk herds in winter is the Elk Refuge, which is part of the National Wildlife Refuge system.
It was in 1912, after the photography of Stephen Leek inspired public interest in preserving a part of the traditional winter range of the area elk population, that the Reserve idea was born.
«Today almost 10,000 elk winter in the refuge, which is located just north of the town of Jackson. The elk begin their migration out of the high meadows in the fall, usually after the first snow storm. They stay in the refuge through the spring, when food becomes more abundant,» according to www,
.
The 25,000 acres of open fields, streams, ponds, and marshes make it a perfect spot for elk to winter at. While driving to Yellowstone along the highway, I saw the (empty) Elk Reserve this past summer but the tour guide told us that in the winter, the fenced in reserve is brimming full of thousands of Jackson Hole elk.
The winter season is the only time of year you will be able to observe the animals at their temporary home. During the summer months, the elk disappear into the mountains. But the refuge is still a popular place to observe bighorn sheep, deer, bison and moose. 5 Unilocal STARS for this great Reserve that has helped to reintroduce elk, which had disappeared from over 90 percent of their original range in the United States by the early 1900’s. At that time, northwest Wyoming and the Jackson area was one of the last strongholds of elk. This area also boasted a perfect blend of habitats that suit elk: open, grassy meadows, marshes, timbered areas, sagebrush, and rocky outcroppings.
Thus was born the National Elk Refuge – located with the dramatic Grand Teton Mountains in the background and Yellowstone National Park nearby. According to the
website, the Jackson Elk Reserve was «one of the first big game refuges established and is managed to provide winter habitat for approximately half of the nearly 14,000 elk in the Jackson elk herd. Refuge grasslands are managed to produce as much natural forage for elk as possible through irrigation, seeding, prescribed burning, and other management activities. These management practices enhance winter elk habitat and reduce the need for supplemental feeding. The number of elk wintering on the Refuge is limited to avoid overuse of the range and to avoid the potential spread of diseases common when herd animals are crowded.»
Perhaps the only bump in the road here? There is some contretemps about a wintering bison herd in the Elk Reserve. Some environmentalists have complained that the growing bison herd wintering on the Refuge is competing with elk for winter range and supplemental feeding. As of now, the FEDS who manage the Reserve note, in their best government-​speak, that «Currently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service are preparing a Bison and Elk Management Plan/​Environmental Impact Statement which will help to develop the future management plan of these animals on the National Elk Refuge.» (
.)

If you are in Jackson, this is an easy visit. They provide a sanctuary to help maintain the Elk herd population through the winters. This is an important component of protecting this wonderful group of animals.

So quiet a place, it’s scary.
This might not be a place for everyone. Visitors are restricted to the road (for good reason) and depending on the time of year you might not see anything other than a few elk (shocker, right?). During our visit we were fortunate enough to see not only elk, but plenty of elk carcasses, all torn apart. One was so fresh it was still wet!
We also saw some big horn sheep, but they weren’t as exciting as the carcasses.
If you visit be sure to travel up the mountain for a great view of the refuge and the Teton’s. Oh yeah – it’s free and only 30 seconds from downtown Jackson.