Road closure: Pack your patience if visiting Grand Teton & Jackson this season

When we were in Jackson last year, I asked a couple of guides and workers if they had a problem with homeless people there. They all said basically the same thing: the homeless are all workers in the service industry who sleep in their cars because they cant afford to live there. The ones who could afford to, lived in Idaho where it was slightly more affordable. So the closure of that road impacts the whole area, even if tourists can get to the parks.

I saw a photo of this this weekend. That is going to be a big problem for quite a while. Thank you for thinking to alert people to it.

Yes Kathy, I have been wondering whether Forum Member Pam will be impacted since I believe she visits Yellowstone every year.

I saw a news program not long ago about that issue, Stan. Jackson is also not the only location with the problem: Sedona, Aspen, Steamboat Springs, Vail, Park City, Moab... The list goes on. Some of it is sheer housing prices, and other times it's that combined with a severe shortage of rental units as too many have converted to short-term holiday rentals.

I read that there are workers in Sedona sleeping the national forest, their cars, city parks and anywhere else they can find to bed down. Sad.

Yes, our Pam!!! I'm thinking the same thing, Linda, and hope she pops in shortly with how/if this will affect her. What I've read seems to imply that it's not going to be quite as nasty a problem for Yellowstone as for Jackson but those of you living closer to the area will know better than I do. ????

Greetings from Yellowstone and thank you Katja for pointing this out to me!

The Pass collapse will affect anyone trying to get to Jackson or Grand Teton NP from Idaho. The pictures of the area are shocking. Truly amazing no one was going across when it let loose.

It does not affect any of the 5 entrances to Yellowstone so my trip is not impacted. I don’t have time planned in Grand Tetons over my 12 nights here although I may head down for a day trip one day this week.

The situation for workers was already awful for Jackson/Grand Tetons/Jackson Hole. A good number of permanent residents do live on the Idaho side of the mountains as it’s a good deal less expensive. Their commute will be pretty bad for months.

Thanks so much for thinking of me! Having a wonderful time - lots of bear sightings, badger, Golden Eagle on a nest with a white fuzzy chick, several Sandhill Crane pairs with colts, too many birds to name!

Hi Sweetie! Good to hear that your trip won't be affected, and that you're having a FAB-ulous time!

I feel for the people hit hard by this unfortunate event. The much longer commutes are going to take a toll on them in umpty different ways. :O(

The Wyoming Dept of Transportation just released a statement that they expect to have a detour built within a couple weeks. Until then it's such a long way around:(

Well. that's what I call can-do spirit!
It'll be interesting to see where they'll build it.

Pam, happy to hear you didn’t have to navigate around the closure and it sounds like you have already encountered some fabulous wildlife.

WYDOT crews have been working closely with other agencies and partners to secure the area and explore potential interim access, as well as long term reconstruction options. Currently, WYDOT geologists and engineers are confident they can build a safe, temporary detour around the slide area using local fill material and paving two temporary lanes. They are hoping to have a temporary detour open to the public, likely with some strict weight and width restrictions, in a few weeks.
https://www.dot.state.wy.us/news/teton-pass-road-closure-continues-interim-detour-planned

Sounds like more than two weeks to me

@Joe, yes that sounds optimistic to me too! I am not familiar with the forest roads in the area and not sure if there is any kind of reroute they can cobble together that way.

I skimmed an interesting article this morning comparing this loss of a commuter route to loss of wildlife migration routes due to habitat destruction.