Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has operated on the BTNF for more than 60 years under a special use permit from the U.S. Forest Service. Thanks to the Ski Conservation Fund, lift tickets at JHMR help support the BTNF. Since 2025, the Ski Conservation Fund has directed more than $150,000 in funds from JHMR lift tickets and lodging to projects that help steward the BTNF, protecting the forest’s resources and improving outdoor recreation for generations to come.
The Ski Conservation Fund is a National Forest Foundation program that turns lift ticket and lodging purchases into conservation work. JHMR, and other ski resorts across the country, take part, and the money raised goes toward forest health, trails, and recreation projects on the national forests those resorts call home.
How does it work?
A small voluntary conservation contribution is included with lift tickets and/or lodging stays. These contributions go to the National Forest Foundation, which then adds its own match of 50 cents for every dollar guests give. From there, the National Forest Foundation works with the U.S. Forest Service and JHMR to decide which projects to support. NFF then works with local non-profit partners, including Friends of the Bridger-Teton, to get those funds on-the-ground, where they make a real difference.
These projects reach well beyond JHMR’s boundary, to trails, overlooks, and historic sites used by both locals and visitors. To date, these JHMR/NFF-funded projects include:
Wedding Tree Day-Use Site—Helping with improvements like a graded and widened access trail and stone work at and around the gathering area.
Gros Ventre Slide—In recognition of the 100th Anniversary of the massive landslide that dammed the Gros Ventre River and forever reshaped the valley below, funding helped update the interpretive signs at the site and supported a public event marking the historic anniversary, keeping this piece of Jackson Hole’s history accessible to visitors.
Granite Creek and Willow Creek Trails—Maintenance included clearing fallen trees, repairing drainage, and building raised sections through boggy areas, helping keep the trails safe and passable.
Granite Falls Accessibility Improvements—Constructing a more accessible trail to this iconic and popular waterfall, and improvements to the parking lot.
Fuels Reduction Along the Resort Boundary—Working with the Wind River Reservation Tribal Youth Fire and Fuels Crew, this project cleared dead trees and thinned overgrown areas along JHMR’s permit boundary, lowering wildfire risk near the base area and giving crew members hands-on training in natural resource management and firefighting.
Curtis Canyon Overlook—Replacing a patchwork of informal trails with a single, durable, and accessible route to one of the best views of the valley and the Teton Range.
