It is one of the lowest peaks in Grand Teton National Park and the views are not much different from the Park Highway. What it offers is a destination you are not likely to be alone and even more likely to see some big game or even a pack of wolves. So I was told by the dozens of wildlife viewers in the area who were out driving around at the crack of dawn in the blowing snow.
Blacktail Butte, Former Fire Lookout
Route:
Access:
Take 26/89 north out of Jackson Hole to the Gros Ventre Junction, which is shortly after a bridge crossing of the Gros Ventre River. Turn right at the junction and drive 5 miles to the Gros Ventre Campground. Go another half mile and turn left onto Mormon Row. Shortly up Mormon Row is parking which was plowed to this point in mid-winter.
This was a good route up Blacktail Butte because it had some nice ridge walking. In summer, a trail exists up the first half as shown on the map. I could occasionally see it where the wind had exposed the ground. Trail or no trail, this route was a decent snowshoe trip. The prominent ridge that starts near Mormon Row trailhead is like a ramp leading you on up to the summit, in a round about way. Little elevation is lost, as long as you traverse below the eastern lesser summit. Before reaching the highest point, the route does pass some fairly gentle viewless wooded terrain. In summer, there is a hiking trail on the north ridge.
WillhiteWeb.com
Summit Elevations: 7,688 feet
Distance: 1.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,000 feet
Access: Paved
Along the first ridge
Along the first ridge
Photo by Bob Sihler
Photo by Bob Sihler
The SW ridge of Blacktail Butte with what the views would look like on a good day
In the woods near the summit
The flats on the summit ridge
The lesser east peak
The first ridge from the trailhead
Without snow, the first ridge on right with summit in center
Blacktail Butte from Jackson
Blacktail Butte from the elk winter grounds north of Jackson
If you have an image of the former lookout structure, please contact me.
Lookout History:
The Blacktail Butte Lookout was a simple frame building with windows on three sides, bult by the forest service in the 1930s.
An article in late August, 1951 said, "the life of a park service lookout may be lonely, but not dull. Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Frieberg, National Park Service lookouts on Blacktail Butte in Jackson Hole, will attest to that. Mrs. Frieberg started down the butte, when three elk ran out of the timber, frightening her. She ran, stumbled and skinned her knee. Back on top of the mountain, she lay down in the sun to rest. A squirrel ran across her face, leaving scratches in its wake. Soon a mother bear came along with two cubs, which did not add to Mrs. Frieberg's security. And then, to top it off, lightning danced up and down the valley Wednesday and bounced off the lookout cabin, shocking her husband.
Picture of fire lookout to go here when found. If you have pictures of the footings, please email them to me.
Older USGS map showing the Tower on the summit