JACKSON, Wyo. – Bridger-Teton National Forest (BTNF) announced that a long-awaited project to seal coat the parking areas at the West Table and Sheep Gulch boat ramps in the Snake River Canyon began on Wednesday, Sept. 4.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, seal coating is necessary to preserve the life of existing asphalt. While the project is underway, people can expect to encounter temporary closures. The Forest Service will have river rangers on-site to answer questions and help people navigate the closures while still accessing the river.

“Temporary closures are inconvenient but necessary to protect the investment made years ago to pave these important river access points that thousands of people enjoy annually,” BTNF Ranger Todd Stiles said in the announcement.

The contractor has started working on the public side of the West Table boat ramp and will be continuing work through Friday, Sept. 6. During this time, non-commercial boaters are encouraged to avoid West Table and launch from alternate access points such as East Table or Elbow boat ramps. The West Table launch will be available to boaters over the weekend.

Work on the commercial side of the West Table launch is expected to begin on Monday, Sept. 9. Scheduled outfitted trips will need to launch from the East Table access.

When the seal coating at the West Table area is complete, the contractor will move to Sheep Gulch. As part of the contract, closures cannot occur on weekends and must occur early in the week. A specific plan for conducting work at this take-out location is being developed by the contractor in conjunction with the Forest Service.    

This project is funded through the Great American Outdoors Act to address maintenance backlog needs.

Leigh Reagan Smith is a wildlife and community news reporter. Originally a documentary filmmaker, she has lived in the valley since 1997. Leigh enjoys skiing, horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking and interviewing interesting people for her podcast, SoulRise.