Gros Ventre Mountain Range

Overview

While the neighboring Wind River Range offers incredible backcountry hiking and backpacking, and the Wyoming Range provides beautiful slices of solitude, the Gros Ventre Range delivers true isolation to those up to the effort. Without major trailheads and easy access, you need to want to go there — and if you do, you will find what you’re looking for – wildness.

Popular Activities

Gros Ventre Wildlife

The Gros Ventre Range is home to elk, moose, deer, black and grizzly bear, and many other species of wildlife and is an essential calving ground for the Jackson Hole elk herd. There are a variety of trails through the area that offer an exceptional backcountry experience in the unspoiled, pristine country.

Path of the Pronghorn

A True Wyoming Wilderness

The 300,000 acres of the Gros Ventre Wilderness, on the Bridger-Teton National Forest, is composed of high craggy peaks, glacier-scoured valleys, and rolling sagebrush foothills.

The name “Gros Ventre” is from the French word for “big belly,” and originated from Indian sign language meant to convey the idea of “always hungry.”

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Before You Go

Accessing The Gros Ventre Range

The Gros Ventre Wilderness area can be accessed from Highway 189/191 in the Hoback Canyon near Granite Hot Springs to the south and from the Upper Green River to the east. Access to the northern portion is via Jackson and the Gros Ventre River Road.

Outfitters & Guides

Licensed outfitters and guides offer summer pack trips, hiking, backpacking, llama tours, and full-service hunting trips. The area has hunting seasons for elk, mule deer, grouse, mountain goat, and bighorn sheep. For more information, see the wildlife page.

Mountain Conditions

The higher elevations are usually free of snow around mid-July and open until mid-September. Elevations range from 7,000 to over 11,000 feet. Expect summertime temperatures to reach from highs in the 70s-80s during the day to lows of around 30 at night. Afternoon thunderstorms with lightning and rain showers are frequent in the summer. It can snow any day of the year, so visitors should come prepared for a wide variety of weather and temperature conditions.