Support the volunteers who maintain these trails: Star Valley Ranch Trail Crew!
The Star Valley Ranch Trail Crew is an all Volunteer organization dedicated to improving recreational trails on the Bridger-Teton National Forest and within our community. Our organization started work in 2015 and continues to grow and expand as we start our 10th year of operations. We currently have 87 volunteers who donate 1500 hours annually to build and maintain 12.5 miles of trail and 7 trailheads. Our crews work tirelessly to remove downed trees, add water bars for erosion control, brush, and limb to widen trail access, and improve trail/trailhead signage. In addition, we partner with AllTrails to help verify and improve the information provided on the App for the trails we maintain. Enjoy your hike!
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Use hashtag #bffofthebtnf
@bridgertetonfriends
The BTNF's Kemmerer Ranger District is sometimes overlooked but we think it's a hidden gem.
A few fun facts: The district’s Elk Creek Guard Station was built in 1914 to allow forest staff in this area to oversee livestock, regulate timber activities, and do fire control. Today it is the oldest administrative/interpretive site in its original location on the BTNF. Visit this historic site as you drive the 68-mile Big Spring Scenic Backway, which also follows part of the Oregon Trail—you can still see ruts in some places—and has opportunities for fishing and hiking.
The tallest peak in the district is Bald Knoll, 10,315 feet, in the Wyoming Range in the district’s northwest corner.
This summer the district is getting to work on a flagship flagship trail system. Its Commissary Ridge Trail System is vast—it includes more than 180 miles of trails for non-motorized BTNF users—but most of it hasn’t seen a trails crew in 10 to 20 years. This summer the district is starting an inventory of the entire system; over the next several years, this inventory will serve as a guide to rehabilitating the system, which the district will do with the help of partners including us, Wyoming Pathways, and Tread Lightly! Fifteen of the district’s 20 trailheads connect to this system, which provides access to Lake Alice and Hobble and Poker Creeks. This trail system provides access to a lot of areas that have high percentages of native cutthroat trout and also includes some of southwest Wyoming’s prime elk hunting areas. “Hunters won’t have to climb over deadfall any more,” says district ranger Adam Calkins.
#bridgertetonnationalforest #bridgertetonfriends #nationalforests #nationalforest #publiclands #publicland #btnfkemmererdistrict #lakealicewyoming #hikewyoming #responsiblerecreation #wyomingrange #kemmererdistrict #wyomingfishing #wyominghunting @treadlightlyteam #commisaryridgetrailsystem
This month contractors are working on restoration and major improvements at Granite Falls, including a re-do of the day-use parking area and creating a turn-around for vehicles with horse trailers. One HUGE improvement has already happened, though: the entirety of the Granite Creek Road was regraded. How and why did this happen? The specialized road crew from the regional USDA FS office that was already here working on Curtis Canyon Road (which we helped to fund) had some extra time. According to our ED Scott Kosiba, driving it now is like butter.
#wyomingbackroads #bridgertetonnationalforest #bridgertetonfriends #granitecreekwyoming #btnf #nationalforest #nationalforests #publiclands #publicland #getoutside #explorewyoming
Wondering where the smoke is coming from?
The AirNow Fire and Smoke Map—find it at https://fire.airnow.gov/— provides info on levels of particle pollution (aka smoke) in the air during fires and shows where smoke is being blown. You can see we've got smoke covering most of Wyoming from fires burning in eastern Oregon, Montana, and Idaho.
Currently AirNow rates Wyoming's air quality as “moderate,” meaning anyone "unusually sensitive to particle pollution" should avoid going outdoors for prolonged periods."
#airnow #bridgertetonnationalforest #forestfires #preventforestfires #bridgertetonfriends
BTNF wildlife technician Jackie Arnal is a BFF of the BTNF by monitoring threatened and sensitive wildlife species and, when recreating on the forest, making sure to store food properly to help keep bears wild.
#bridgertetonnationalforest #bridgertetonfriends #bffofthebtnf #beabffofthebtnf #publiclands #nationalforest #nationalforests #wildlifetechnician #responsiblerecreation #keepwildlifewild
Always wanted to learn more about identifying birds, plants, and animal signs on the BTNF? Join Greys River/Kemmerer wildlife biologists Taelyn Cathcart and/or Don DeLong on a guided nature walks focused on identifying the flora and fauna of the BTNF. The walk is July 24 and starts at 7 a.m. Expect to walk between 1 and 2 miles. Meet at Green Canyon Trail in Star Valley Ranch. No RSVP is necessary, but bring binoculars if you have them. Also water, snacks, comfortable shoes, and warm layers.
#bridgertetonnationalforest #bridgertetonfriends #btnfgreysriverdistrict #wyomingwildlife #starvalleyranch #greysriver #guidednaturewalk #wyominghiking
The BTNF's Kemmerer Ranger District is sometimes overlooked but we think it's a hidden gem.
A few fun facts: The district’s Elk Creek Guard Station was built in 1914 to allow forest staff in this area to oversee livestock, regulate timber activities, and do fire control. Today it is the oldest administrative/interpretive site in its original location on the BTNF. Visit this historic site as you drive the 68-mile Big Spring Scenic Backway, which also follows part of the Oregon Trail—you can still see ruts in some places—and has opportunities for fishing and hiking.
The tallest peak in the district is Bald Knoll, 10,315 feet, in the Wyoming Range in the district’s northwest corner.
This summer the district is getting to work on a flagship flagship trail system. Its Commissary Ridge Trail System is vast—it includes more than 180 miles of trails for non-motorized BTNF users—but most of it hasn’t seen a trails crew in 10 to 20 years. This summer the district is starting an inventory of the entire system; over the next several years, this inventory will serve as a guide to rehabilitating the system, which the district will do with the help of partners including us, Wyoming Pathways, and Tread Lightly! Fifteen of the district’s 20 trailheads connect to this system, which provides access to Lake Alice and Hobble and Poker Creeks. This trail system provides access to a lot of areas that have high percentages of native cutthroat trout and also includes some of southwest Wyoming’s prime elk hunting areas. “Hunters won’t have to climb over deadfall any more,” says district ranger Adam Calkins.
#bridgertetonnationalforest #bridgertetonfriends #nationalforests #nationalforest #publiclands #publicland #btnfkemmererdistrict #lakealicewyoming #hikewyoming #responsiblerecreation #wyomingrange #kemmererdistrict #wyomingfishing #wyominghunting @treadlightlyteam #commisaryridgetrailsystem
This month contractors are working on restoration and major improvements at Granite Falls, including a re-do of the day-use parking area and creating a turn-around for vehicles with horse trailers. One HUGE improvement has already happened, though: the entirety of the Granite Creek Road was regraded. How and why did this happen? The specialized road crew from the regional USDA FS office that was already here working on Curtis Canyon Road (which we helped to fund) had some extra time. According to our ED Scott Kosiba, driving it now is like butter.
#wyomingbackroads #bridgertetonnationalforest #bridgertetonfriends #granitecreekwyoming #btnf #nationalforest #nationalforests #publiclands #publicland #getoutside #explorewyoming
Wondering where the smoke is coming from?
The AirNow Fire and Smoke Map—find it at https://fire.airnow.gov/— provides info on levels of particle pollution (aka smoke) in the air during fires and shows where smoke is being blown. You can see we've got smoke covering most of Wyoming from fires burning in eastern Oregon, Montana, and Idaho.
Currently AirNow rates Wyoming's air quality as “moderate,” meaning anyone "unusually sensitive to particle pollution" should avoid going outdoors for prolonged periods."
#airnow #bridgertetonnationalforest #forestfires #preventforestfires #bridgertetonfriends
BTNF wildlife technician Jackie Arnal is a BFF of the BTNF by monitoring threatened and sensitive wildlife species and, when recreating on the forest, making sure to store food properly to help keep bears wild.
#bridgertetonnationalforest #bridgertetonfriends #bffofthebtnf #beabffofthebtnf #publiclands #nationalforest #nationalforests #wildlifetechnician #responsiblerecreation #keepwildlifewild
Always wanted to learn more about identifying birds, plants, and animal signs on the BTNF? Join Greys River/Kemmerer wildlife biologists Taelyn Cathcart and/or Don DeLong on a guided nature walks focused on identifying the flora and fauna of the BTNF. The walk is July 24 and starts at 7 a.m. Expect to walk between 1 and 2 miles. Meet at Green Canyon Trail in Star Valley Ranch. No RSVP is necessary, but bring binoculars if you have them. Also water, snacks, comfortable shoes, and warm layers.
#bridgertetonnationalforest #bridgertetonfriends #btnfgreysriverdistrict #wyomingwildlife #starvalleyranch #greysriver #guidednaturewalk #wyominghiking