JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — A sufficient number of elk have migrated out of the National Elk Refuge to allow the North Pathway along U.S. Highway 89 to open for bicyclists, walkers, runners and other non-motorized users.
National Elk Refuge officials and Jackson Hole Community Pathways staff have agreed to open the North Pathway between the Town of Jackson and Gros Ventre Junction, beginning Tuesday, April 26, several days ahead of the regularly scheduled May 1 date.
The seasonal closure of the five-mile segment of pathway along Highway 89 between the Town of Jackson and the Gros Ventre River Bridge is a condition of the agreement between Teton County, Wyoming and the National Elk Refuge to maintain the pathway and offer recreational activities on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service property. The seasonal closure reduces the likelihood of conflicts between elk and pathway users and ensures the pathway is compatible with the agency’s “wildlife first” mission.
Refuge managers have defined criteria to determine when the pathway may open earlier than May 1, using the number of animals remaining on the Refuge and the potential for conflicts with migration as the basis for an annual decision to open the pathway early. The pathway can open as early as April 15 when the number of remaining elk on the Refuge drops below the May 1 long-term average of approximately 2,500 animals.
Even when elk are not immediately adjacent to the pathway, wildlife managers may keep the pathway closed to encourage dispersal of the animals and not inhibit or discourage migration. The presence of humans on foot or bicycles can discourage animals from using areas on the western edge of the refuge, increase elk density in other locations, deter migration, and cause conflicts with migrating animals.
GPS collar data shows that peak spring elk movements often occur during the second and third weeks of April.
The opening and closing of the pathway is coordinated with Jackson Hole Community Pathways and the Jackson/Teton County Parks & Recreation Department. Parks and Recreation crews will open the closure gates and sweep the pathway starting Tuesday.
