Consider exploring the White Grass Dude Ranch Nordic Trail this winter in Grand Teton National Park. You can access by entering the inner GTNP Park road. Just past the Craig Thomas Visitor Center, turn left onto the Moose-Wilson Road. Drive south for approx. 4 miles to the end of the plowed road at the Death Canyon trail head turnoff and park.
Length: 2.7 miles (5.4 miles full loop)
Terrain: Medium
Difficulty: Easy
Snow Type: Snowmobile Tracked, Untracked, Skier Tracked, Snowshoe Friendly
Trail: Loop, Out and Back
From the Death Canyon turnoff on the Moose-Wilson Road (end of plowed road in winter), begin skiing on the snow-covered road, heading west – north-west. The road will likely have skier tracks or snowmobile tracks, as the winter trailhead gives access to AT skiers that will access Albright Peak and Stewart’s Draw.
Continue up the gently winding Death Canyon Trail road, approximately 3/4 mile to a buckrail fence and gate on the right. Turn right through the gate, and follow service road 1/2 mile out to the historic White Grass Dude Ranch. The road trail is wide and well marked with 7 ft. Bamboo poles ski all along the trail to the ranch. Striking views of Stewarts Draw, the major canyon below the east face of Buck Mountain, rise beyond.
You can also access White Grass Ranch from the Valley Trail. From the north, start at Taggart trailhead. From the south, start at Granite Canyon trailhead.
When you are out on the trail and accessing our trail map on your phone as long as you allow for you “allow” jhnordic.com to use your current location you will see a Live Locator appear to show you were you on our trail map real-time. Enjoy your exploration, wherever that may be.
The White Grass Ranch Heritage Project
The White Grass Ranch was established in 1913 by Harold Hammond and Tucker Bispham, the third oldest dude ranch in Jackson Hole. In 2003, the National Park Service and National Trust for Historic Preservation partnered to rehabilitate the ranch and find a new use for the remaining 13 historic structures. The National Trust leveraged private philanthropy in order to fund the rehabilitation project while the National Park Service formed the Western Center for Historic Preservation (WCHP) to complete the preservation work and create a training and education center.
Today, the Western Center for Historic Preservation operates the White Grass Ranch as a training facility for National Park Service and other federal, state and local government staff, historians, preservationists, architects, anthropologists, contractors, students, and volunteers. WCHP provides classroom and field instruction in historic preservation, focusing on traditional building trades and preservation management skills required to maintain the vernacular architecture prevalent throughout our western National Parks.
For the full history of the White Grass Dude Ranch click here.
The White Grass Heritage Project is in partnership with the Jackson Hole Historical Society, the Western Center for Historic Preservation, and Grand Teton National Park.
