Welcome to July in the Tetons!
We hope you are out playing on the trails. So many amazing places, so much sunshine. And when you are not outside, consider sharing what’s important to you about the Bridger-Teton National Forest, supporting your local trails with donations at Tin Cup or sweat equity at the next Habitat Hero day, or perusing the new offerings at Skinny Skis just because you can.
Go Hike!
Find summer hiking and running trails on the searchable Nordic trails map.
Go to jhnordic.com/trails, click on the “summer hiking” and/or the “trail running” icon, plus any other icons relevant to your search, like dog-friendly. If you would like to search within a specific distance, you can specify that too. And if you pull the trail up on your phone, and click to “Allow this site to access your location” the blue GPS locator will show you where you are on (or in relation to) the trail.
Head over to Friends of the Bridger-Teton or the GTNP Foundation for summer-specific trail habits. Recreating responsibly is a year-round good idea.
Go Bike!
From mountain bike trails to gravel rides, the Tetons serve up excellent summer biking.
Cross-country and downhill biking are lots of fun at Grand Targhee and JHMR. New to biking or looking for a guided biking experience? Head over to Teton Mountain Bike Tours to find half-day, full-day or multi-day options.
Bike Events & Rides
Check out all the fun ways you can get out on bikes in groups at Velo22!
Follow them on social media or go to the website to find bikepacking, mountain bike, and road/gravel routes as well as information for local bike organizations in Teton Counties, WY and ID.
Trail Etiquette
Trails and pathways are busy with bikers and walkers. Here are tips from Friends of Pathways on sharing multi-use trails and pathways.
Rentals, Shops & Demos
These guys don’t just like fat biking in winter… they love biking all year round!
If you need a rental, some wrench work, a guided tour or want to demo the next bike to fall in love with, these shops are happy to help!
The Bridger-Teton is in its Forest Planning Era!
Help shape the future of the third largest forest in the lower 48.
On July 11, the Forest released its Draft Assessment for public review and comment on the Bridger-Teton planning webpage. The Draft Assessment is the first step in the planning process and presents a summary or “State of the Forest.” Fire, range, recreation, Tribal connection, water, wildlife, and more are covered. The assessment is not a decision document. However, it does inform the focus for the direction of the Bridger-Teton Forest Plan.
- Attend an open house to learn more and discuss the Draft Assessment.
- Submit your comments.
- Encourage your friends, neighbors, parents, children to engage with the planning process.
Great ski trails take more than great grooming.
Left to right. The groomed track in Teton Canyon, WY. Caitie Quinn and Dan Verbeten of TVTAP standing in appreciation of their Partners at the farmer’s market. Small skiers checking out the new Rabbit in 2024.
Teton Valley Trails and Pathways, a non-profit organization based in Driggs, ID, provides grooming for seven venues in Teton Valley, Idaho, and Alta and Teton Canyon, Wyoming. In the 2024/25 season, all counted, their groomers passed over 7,569 mile of track!
We skate the corduroy, stride in the classic tracks and buy trail stickers each winter to support the 1,395 hours of grooming trails around Teton Valley. What we may not see is the behind the scenes work that lays the foundation to access and maintain these places we love to ski. From thoughtfully shepherding relationships with 50 landowners who have generously agreed to allow for groomed trails and public use of those trails on their private property, to negotiating for and providing co-insurance for all of that use, these folks are hard at work all year round. Whether their days are spent mowing and staking in the fall to prepare the trails, or managing the asset rotation on a half-million worth of equipment, the team at TVTAP is working hard to keep us skiing happy.
The Tin Cup Challenge is an opportunity to help support TVTAP, and dozens of other non-profits, in generating operating funds for the coming year. On Saturday, July 19, you can run, learn about local nonprofits, engage with the community, donate, and celebrate philanthropy. Or give online.
Newsflash: Skinny Skis has skis on their floor all summer long.
While I guarantee the crew at Skinny Skis can be found running and playing in the wildflowers of the summer Tetons, they are also always excited about skis. A big change for them is that they will have XC skis on the sales floor all summer long, as well as the rest of the year. New equipment from Madshus has already arrived. They expect to see Fischer and maybe some Rossi before the end of the month.
Co-owner Scott O’Brien also highlighted that a lot of new equipment is coming in a variety of Nordic categories. One is a dog-friendly “edgeless” BC ski — no metal edge to cut dogs pads or paws if they get too close to the ski.
New for Skinny Skis this season is the Madshus Panorama SF 62, a BC touring ski without a metal edge. This is the ideal off-track ski to use when skiing with dogs. Because there is no metal edge, the ski is safer for paws in case of accidental contact. The shovel is 83mm, so this ski not suitable for machine groomed double track but good to go just about anywhere else. Cost is $300 without binding and is available for purchase now.
New for the 25/26 season is Rossignol’s XP 105. Ski dimensions are 105-70-93 (tip-waist-tail) which give the ski the greatest sidecut of any ski in our selection. Ideal pairing of an Xplore binding (sold separately) would make this a super fun off-track ski in just about any terrain. Two climbing skin options: a “kicker” skin which is great for short challenging uphills or a full-length skin for longer sustained climbs (both skin options sold separately). Cost is $429.95 and we should have sufficient inventory within a month.
Drop by Skinny Skis, say hi, and start thinking about skis for this winter!
July Nature Notes from the Trails
Excerpts from The Hole Hiking Experience July Nature News
Flowers in June have been spectacular! This year, recent warm temperatures have allowed plants to flourish. The valley is lush and green, pulsing with the summer rhythm of visitors, wildlife, and natural beauty.
By the start of July, fire danger is already high. We recently saw a firefighting team on Teton Pass suppressing a blaze caused by a lightning strike. Deep gratitude to the Bridger-Teton National Forest wildland firefighters—hardworking individuals who often hike through tough terrain to reach a fire. With the arrival of afternoon thunderstorms, lightning-triggered fires become more likely. It’s early in the season for such high fire danger. Let’s all do our part to prevent any human-caused fires.
Here’s a big SHOUT OUT to Habitat Heroes, a fantastic program run by the Teton County Weed and Pest Department. You can find the volunteer calendar here. The Hole Hiking Experience will be on Shadow Mountain on July 27 for another musk thistle day.
Events & Tips
Be Bold
The Half Boulder at the legendary Boulder Mountain Tour has already filled up! Join the waitlist for juniors or adults, or get fired up and register for the Full Boulder!
Registration is live as of July 1.
We are all guests here: on this land, in this community, and in wild spaces we love to explore.
Respect fellow adventurers, be patient, and lead with kindness, on and off the trail. Stay Wild.
Be Generous
There are two great events to celebrate community and support the really terrific work of non-profits in the Tetons.
First up, Tin Cup.
Saturday, July 19, 9am until noon. Driggs City Park.
