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National Elk Refuge (Sleigh Ride)

Posted on November 18, 2008 by: Traveler

  • Visitor Centor just north of the city of Jackson, WY. tickets for the sleigh tour and a souvenir shop are inside.
  • Two massive Clydesdale Horses will pull the sleigh through the Elk Refuge
  • There is seating on both sides of the sleigh and has a capacity for up to 18 people.
  • The sleigh will cross over Flat Creek and then mingle between all the Elk. This is looking south toward the city of Jackson and Snow King Ski Resort can be seen on the far mountainside..
  • Flat Creek looking north toward Grand Teton National Park up and over the rise of the hill in the distance..
  • The two elk in the foreground were having a little joust.
  • Some of the shoulders of these ungulates reached six feet high.
  • looking south toward Jackson, WY.
  • In the morning to early afternoon, the mountains to the east will cast the refuge in shadow due to the lower trajectory of the sun.
  • Just one of the many locations which comprise the National Wildlife Refuge system, the Elk Refuge provides a protected zone at the southern corridor of the Teton Valley of Wyoming.
  • Hoof tracks in the snow.
  • If the ground becomes frozen to the point where foraging becomes life threatening, money collected and donated from the antler auctions by the Boy Scouts helps to feed and manage the herd.
  • In the background, you can see Highway 89 as it rises up the incline. At the top, the classic Teton Mountains profile (weather permitting) will unfold.
  • The building in the background is a museum and it is possible to drive up to the parking lot and have a vantage looking down on the Elk Refuge.
  • The Elk Refuge is so large that it could appear there are not actually 7,500 members (on average) that have migrated down from the higher altitudes of Yellowstone N.P.
  • The sleigh tour as seen from the museum on the western side of Highway 89.
  • The Clydesdale drawn sleighs seem tiny from the parking lot of the museum up above.
  • Flat Creek continues flowing south through the Elk Refuge. A Bald Eagle stands along the frozen edge of the creek just south of the visitor center heading back into the town of Jackson. Members of the elk herd can be seen in the background.
  • The Elk Refuge encompasses some of the southern portion of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem- the Serengeti of the Lower 48.
  • Two Trumpeter Swans swim in Flat Creek looking for a meal.
  • Swan butt.
  • Just north of the Elk Refuge will be a thick stand of Cottonwood Trees, just before the sign of Grand Teton Park. Look left and like clockwork, a moose... or five, might be foraging for food.
  • If visiting in the months of January or February, do expect to get snow but don't expect the Teton Crest to reveal itself. This is more likely the view you will have travelled for!
  • Y'all come back now! Ya hear?

Best Time To Visit: Winter
Closest City: Jackson
State: 64
Country: 209

DIRECTIONS: From the city of Jackson, WY: (also called Jackson Hole... but, that's a ski resort). Find your way to Jackson Park in the center of town. It's the one with the famous antler arches at each of the parks four corners. Coincidentally, the antlers forming the four arches come from the migrating elk to the refuge. Head due north on Highway 89, which is the same route you would take if driving to Grand Teton National Park or the Jackson Airport (the only airport within the boundary of a U.S. national park). So.... while traveling north along Highway 89, just on the outskirts of town, you will see the visitor center on the right side of the road. NOTE: if you are driving and you see a very large meadow surrounded by hills with a lot ungulates (elk and their ilk), turn around and look for the visitor center (to the left now).  

From the Jackson Airport: (within the boundary of Grand Teton N.P., in case you didn't read the above). Head out to Highway 89, which is the main road traveling north / south through Grand Teton Park. Turn right onto said road (traveling south). After just a couple minutes of driving, you will have left the boundaries of Grand Teton Park and will be heading down a decent slope. Up ahead and to the left side will be the elk refuge and the town of Jackson, WY off in the distance. You will first see where the sleigh rides depart from. Park here if you would like to, but you still have to go to the visitor center (just ahead and to the left side of the roadway) to pay for the sleigh ride. There is plenty of parking at the visitor center and transportation will be provided to / from the sleigh ride parking area.

DESCRIPTION: The city of Jackson, the National Elk Refuge, Grand Teton Park / Jackson Airport and farther north to Yellowstone Park all lie within the Teton Valley of Wyoming. On the opposite (west) side of the Teton Mountain Range, lies the Teton Valley of Idaho with the quaint little towns of Victor, Driggs and Ashton. First off, there is only one word that describes winter in the either Teton Valley - FREEZING!!! Approximately 650 inches of fluffy powder fell on these valleys during the winter of 2007 / 2008. You would be very wise to have proper protection from the elements here. With an approximately 45 minute sleigh ride, the combination of the slightest breeze and sub-zero temps could be enough to freeze those digits.

At the Jackson Hole and Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center (open daily 9AM to 5PM, closed Christmas day), will be the ticket area (obviously) and a pretty decent souvenir shop. So after paying for the tour tickets, look around a bit to see what goodies to purchase after returning back from the sleigh ride. The sleigh tours depart three to four times per hour during the hours of 10AM and 4PM. The season usually begins in early December and lasts sometime through March. Check the direct link below but the website currently states sleigh tours begin Dec. 8th 2008 for the 08 /09 season. Ticket prices are as follows: Adults (ages 13 and up) $18, Children (Ages 5-12) $14, Children (Under 5) Free. Each sleigh can carry 16-18 people. Private sleigh rides can be booked at $300.

At the parking area for the sleigh tour, your friendly guide from the Double H Bar Ranch will give a brief period of instruction and then the massive Clydesdale Horses (from the Budweiser Beer commercials) will whisk the sleigh away.

The Greater Yellowstone Area is pretty much the serengeti of the lower 48 states. The National Elk Refuge is toward the southern portion of this large swath of land and is the winter grounds for the largest migrating elk herd in the world. The average number of ungulates wintering in the refuge is around 7,500 members. The Elk Refuge also has one of the largest migrating herds of buffalo (American Bison) numbering around 1000 members. The bison that remain up high will be seen in the Yellowstone area cogregating around the fumuroles and geysers for warmth. In lamens terms, think of the Teton Valley as a natural wildlife corridor, surrounded on the east / west flanks by mountains. From Yellowstone Park in the north, the Teton Valley gradually loses elevation as it winds south through Teton Park and then into the National Elk Refuge on the northern edge of the city of Jackson. That's not to say that everything is hunky-dory once in the refuge. There is a certain attrition rate of the herd due to freezing temperatures

Likewise, when it gets too cold, the ground frreeeezzes too much for the elk and buffalo to even forage for food. That's where the Boy Scouts of America come to save the day! The antler arches at the Jackson Park that I mentioned earlier are from the antlers of the elk, right? Don't worry, the male's antlers are naturally shed after they have impressed the ladies with the spread of their racks :) So, the Boy Scouts go through the refuge and collect all the discarded antlers and auction them off. 80% of the auctioned proceeds gets re-invested back into the Elk Refuge in the form of research, feeding for those cold days and just minor intervention to ensure the health and survival of the herd.

After the Clydesdale Horse drawn sleigh crosses over Flat Creek, viewers will be given one of the most intimate and closest experiences possible with the wild creatures of the refuge. Some of the shoulders of male elk reach six feet high. Look around, if you see a bunch of elk parting the brown sea, it probably means a bison is sauntering along. Although rare in the winter, Grizzly bears have also been spotted roaming the refuge.

There is so much to see and do in the area of Jackson, WY. Winter options become limited for Grand Teton and Yellowstone Parks but their breathtaking beauty during this time is unsurpassed. Three ski resorts are within spitting distance of downtown Jackson (Snow King and Jackson Hole resorts within the city limits and Grand Targhee accessed through the Teton Valley of Idaho). And shopping... Oh boy! There are so many choices for shopping (western decor and the likes) and eating (all flavors) in the city of Jackson (courtesy of a thriving tourist economy) that the possibilities could become a trip in and of itself.

More than likely, you didn't travel here to just ride a sleigh through the National Elk Refuge, but it's just one more piece to the puzzle of a memorable stay in the Jackson, WY area.     

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National Elk Refuge, National Wildlife Refuge, migration corridor, Grand Teton National Park, Jackson Airport, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Yellowstone National Park, Bridger-Teton National Forest, sleigh ride, sleigh tour, Double H Bar Ranch, wildlife viewing

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