Gros Ventre
Three million some visitors pass through Jackson Hole every year, and yet only a minute fraction of this number ever venture into the wilds of the Gros Ventre Wilderness. Few who neighbor this beautiful wild land can claim any real familiarity with it. The land is steep and rugged, offset by its softly rolling meadows. more info
Alpine Lake
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The 287,000 acre Gros Ventre Wilderness lies just east of Jackson Hole. The designated wilderness comprises roughly 34% of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, an area known nationally for its outstanding habitat for important game species, including big horn sheep, elk, deer and bear. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department noted that this area is "perhaps the finest remaining unprotected wildlife habitat in Wyoming".
The Gros Ventre Wilderness is a youngster in the legal sense, officially incorporating the area into the National Wilderness Preservation System in 1984. Geologically speaking, the mountains are relatively new. The land is dynamic and earthquakes are felt in the wilderness throughout the year, leaving several slumps present. In 1925, a major slump broke off and resulted in the Gros Ventre Slide, daming the river and creating a lake. Two years later, a major flood washed out part of this natural dam and destroyed the nearby town of Kelly.
The natural wonders of this spectacular and unique wilderness offer impressive geological features, including the Gros Ventre Slide. The collage of colorful rocks of bright reds, pinks, purples, grays and browns are so vastly different from the granite rock visible in the Teton Range, separated by the glacially carved valley of Jackson Hole. This is a land for all to admire and to experience.
Some say Gros Ventre, meaning "big belly" in French, refers to the Nez Perce Indians who once inhabited the area. Others say that it comes from the long round belly of Sleeping Indian Mountain. The Indian is in full warbonnet, lying on his back visible from the Jackson Hole valley. The sun rises above the Indian and beautiful alpenglows ascend him with each setting. Behind the Sleeping Indian hides this wild and vast wilderness that offers its open arena for exploration.
There is 10,000 years of human history in this region. Evidence of past uses can still be found in the wilderness. Hunting camps, old cabins, ranch cabins, drift fences and other structures give traces to the human uses revolved around hunting and ranching. Today, history continues with the presence of hunters and ranchers in the Gros Ventre Wilderness.
With over 200 miles of trails, the opportunities are great for the avid outdoor enthusiast. The Gros Ventre River is a pristine water system with healthy and vibrant cutthroat trout. Great fishing can also be found in a half-dozen alpine lakes and miles of streams. The colorful wildflowers that bloom in the meadows peak in July and August. Camping sites, dude ranches and guest ranches give the outside world a taste of the life in this wild land, and experience of a lifetime.
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