JACKSON, Wyo. — A recently formed alliance of outdoor advocacy groups spanning two counties in different states has organized a fundraising campaign that hopes to secure $5 million by the end of the year to complete the Teton Pass Trail on the west side of Teton Pass.
In September, the Teton County Board of County Commissioners contemplated pulling the plug on the final connecting pathway between Victor, Idaho, and Jackson due to cost. Numerous people gave public comment in support of continuing work on the nonmotorized pathway, including many Idaho residents who felt like their end of the bargain had been upheld. Ultimately the County Commissioners in Wyoming passed a motion that utilizes a combination of federal grants and about $1.5 million in local funds to continue work on the last link between Trail Creek Campground and Coal Creek trailhead. The Commissioners also set a Dec. 31 deadline to raise $5 million in private philanthropic contributions.
The two Teton Counties have a history of collaborating on pathways. Tim Young, a volunteer with the new coalition Save Teton Pass Trail (STPT), told Buckrail that in 1999, the counties worked together to build the Old Jackson Highway in Victor and the pathway from Stagecoach Bar to Trail Creek trailhead in Wilson. In the mid-2010s, both sides of Teton Pass won grants from the Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP) to build a pathway from Moose Creek trailhead to Trail Creek Campground.
“Our communities are just so intertwined, with our work force and accessing the public lands,” Young said. “The Teton Pass Trail is a vital connection between our two Teton valleys: Teton Valley, Idaho, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It spans our two communities, over the pass.”
The STPT team driving the fundraiser consists of volunteers; Teton County governments in both Wyoming and Idaho; local businesses including Open Range Cycles and The Hub Bicycles Jackson Hole; and nonprofits like Friends of Pathways, Mountain Bike the Tetons, Teton Valley Trails and Pathways, Teton Backcountry Alliance and more.
If the $5 million is raised by the end of the year, the project will move forward with the original design, which includes a pedestrian underpass at Coal Creek and 3.6 miles of pathway toward Idaho. If the project is completed in full, a $1 million FLAP grant will be unlocked and available to use.
“If we were to fall short, we would still build absolutely as much as that money will build,” said Young. “We hope that doesn’t happen, but if it does, then whatever is left would be prioritized for the next grant opportunity.”
As it stands, the current funding will cover a partial section of the trail without an underpass at Coal Creek. According to Teton County, Wyoming, the original federal share for this project is about $5.1 million, with another $1 million coming from the Idaho Transportation Department through redistributed BUILD grant funds. With this grant, the local share must reach 20% of the total, so Teton County will contribute about $1.5 million. In order to access the $1 million FLAP grant, the entire project must be completed, which would cost an additional $5 million. The total cost comes in at $13.5 million.
STPT has two fundraising events in the works, one on each side of the Pass. Its website is up and running, though not yet complete. Donations are currently accepted online and there will soon be a tracker for how much money has been raised.
“Everyone is collaborating; this is a big goal in a short time,” said Young. “We’re grateful that there is so much support from the communities so far. We’re just getting it going.”
