Partners

The National Elk Refuge

Grand Teton Association

Bridger-Teton National Forest

Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce

Wyoming Game & Fish Department

Grand Teton National Park

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

 

One-Stop Visitor Services

The Jackson Hole and Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center is nestled in the heart of the Yellowstone Ecosystem in Jackson, Wyoming. The interagency facility is staffed by multiple organizations, including the National Elk Refuge, Bridger-Teton National Forest, Jackson Chamber of Commerce, Grand Teton Association, and Grand Teton National Park (seasonally), making it a convenient location to take care of all of your visitor service needs.

Winter hours are currently in effect; hours of operation are from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

The Visitor Center is located at 532 N. Cache Street in Jackson.

• Interpretive displays
• Educational programs
• Extensive book and gift store
• America the Beautiful Federal Lands Pass
• Trip planning assistance
• Lodging and camping information
• Jackson Hole/Yellowstone Travel Map
• Yellowstone National Park fishing permits
• Wyoming hunting and fishing licenses
• Area business & service brochures
• Courtesy phones for local calls
• Firewood permits
• Christmas tree permits
• Road conditions
• U.S mail pickup
• Community events

 

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Winter Activities

Regularly scheduled winter programs begin on Monday, December 17 and run through early April. They include:

Horse-Drawn Rides
The sleigh ride program on the National Elk Refuge is an exciting, popular adventure that takes visitors out onto the refuge among the elk for a unique wildlife viewing and photographic experience. In addition to elk, passengers routinely see coyotes, bald eagles, trumpeter swans, ravens, magpies, and other wildlife. Rides operate from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm daily except for Christmas Day. Click here to view additional information on the sleigh ride program including fees.

Wildlife Excursions
Naturalists offer a wildlife excursion four days per week to persons interested in a guided tour along the Refuge Road where elk, bighorn sheep, waterfowl, and other animals can frequently be seen close to the roadway. Participants enjoy accompanying a naturalist to learn more about refuge history and wildlife management other than in a tradtional visitor center setting. Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, 1:30 - 4:00 pm. Group size is limited; reservations are required. Call 307.734.9378 or stop in the visitor center to reserve a seat. The program is free of charge.

"Home on the Refuge" Daily Program
A daily 15-minute program at 11:30 am gives visitors an opportunity to learn about the lives and homes of some of the resident wildlife as well as aspects of refuge history and management. A different theme is featured each day. Presentations are given in the upstairs of the visitor center, offering visitors a chance to learn more about the refuge while they wait for or return from a sleigh ride. The programs are free of charge; reservations are not required.

Special Event

February 18, 2013
The National Elk Refuge is pleased to again partner with the Jackson Hole Historical Society & Museum (JHHS&M) to sponsor a free, family event on Monday, February 18 at the Jackson Hole & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center. The event, titled “Wild About Wildlife,” will celebrate the abundance of wildlife that winters on the refuge. A variety of activities are planned from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

In January, the two organizations teamed up to offer a host of games and activities that focused on homesteading in the Jackson Hole valley. This month, the two groups have developed several activities that will help participants learn about adaptations that animals must make in order to survive the long, cold winters in the valley.

From 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, Brenda Roberts from the JHHS&M will introduce the concept of story hides, an ancestral tradition of painting bison hides with geometic forms or pictures to depict important events in a person’s life. Supplies will be available for participants to create their own small story hide. Winter naturalists from the National Elk Refuge will also be on hand to display hides and explain how an animal’s fur can differ from summer to winter as animals adapt to the change in seasons.

Following the daily 11:30 am visitor center program, visitors can join a naturalist for a talk about winter adaptations and migration habits of some of the refuge animals and others within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Afternoon activiities will move outdoors as staff will lead an interactive program on the visitor center lawn at 12:30, 1:00, 1:30 and 2:00 pm. Visitors can join a naturalist to learn how changes and adaptations in animals’ feet, fur, and sources of food change or are adapted to the seasons. Participants can enjoy the presentation on snowshoes, provided free of charge for persons of all sizes and ages.

A craft activity will wrap up the day, giving visitors an opportunity to make a pine cone bird feeder from 2:00 to 4:00 pm while learning about energy conservation and winter food sources.

All activities are family–friendly, free of charge, and enjoyable for a wide range of audiences. With school out of session for the President’s Day holiday, local families are encouraged to bring children to the visitor center to take advantage of the fun, educational programming.

For more information on the February 18 event, please call 307.734.9378.

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Jackson Hole Information

• Welcome to Jackson Hole
• Jackson Hole Weather
• Family Activities in Jackson Hole
• The Visitor Center Grass Roof
• Bridger Teton National Forest Recreation and Dispersed Camping