JACKSON, Wyo. — Good morning Jackson Hole, it’s spring knocking at the door.
The North Pathway along U.S. Highway 89 is now open for bicyclists, walkers, runners and other non-motorized users.
A sufficient number of elk have migrated out of the National Elk Refuge, allowing for an earlier opening date. 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, several days ahead of the regularly scheduled May 1, date.
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.
