Pedal Powered Tetons

JACKSON’S FAVORITE ROAD AND MOUNTAIN BIKING

As the season’s snowfall fades away, the paths and trails of the Tetons come alive with bikes. In a bike seat at this slower cyclical pace the landscape unfolds intimately. Free from a vehicle windshield it’s all right there: the views, smells, sounds, even the tumultuous climate. Whether deep in the forest on twisted singletrack or out of town on the bike paths that line Jackson Hole, biking in the Tetons does not disappoint. The area’s riding and the culture that sustains it continues to grow. Advocacy, passion, planning, and a remarkable landscape help steer it all. Here’s a brief look at the dirt and paved possibilities the area has to offer.

Roads

The constant buzz of ratcheting freewheels and laughter rolls down the road. Kids, couples, and characters in costumes carve across the two lanes of open asphalt. A carefree calm carries on, as there are no vehicles for miles. Cruisers, carbon fiber rigs, trailers, and townies roll along this snow-banked path as the Tetons loom overhead. For a few sweet weeks in early spring Grand Teton National Park (Bronze–Best Biking pg. 14) is a haven for cycling as roads are cleared of snow and open only to bikes. The weather, however, can be fierce. Yet even when cars begin filling the road, GTNP boasts more separated cycling paths than any other national park in the country.

Road riding is not the usual asphalt-only affair here in the Tetons. Car-less bike paths, old railroad grade, dirt roads, and pavement make up the hard surface riding options around the valley. What this rural nook of the mountain west might lack in traditional road riding it makes up for in miles of paved paths, varied routes, and lonely country roads. A lot has changed since Jackson’s first fourmile bike path was built in 1996. The Jackson area now boasts 67 miles of car-less pathways and has garnered national attention and recognition for its two-wheeled infrastructure.

Those individuals timid of tackling too many miles can utilize the one-way bike rentals from Hoback Sports (Silver–Best Bike Shop pg. 16) to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, which is an easy 12 mile ride. While you’re out in the Village, Teton Thai (Gold– Best Asian Cuisine pg. 44) or The Handle Bar at the Four Seasons (Bronze–Best Après Scene pg. 58) are well worth a stop for fuel and relaxation.

On the west side of Teton Pass, the path from Victor, Idaho, to Driggs is made up of quiet farm roads and the old Union Pacific Railway gravel route. Another choice ride is Ski Hill Road, which climbs from Driggs up to Grand Targhee Resort under striking views of the western flank of the Grand Teton. More options are in store with a paved bike path from Victor to the top of Teton Pass in the works, alongside many more connections to fulfill the 180-mile Greater Yellowstone Trail. From Fall Creek Road to Ski Hill Road, Antelope Flats and the old rail gravel grind, there’s no shortage of twowheeled tours around the Tetons.

Photo: Ben Gavelda

Dirt

Aspens creak and sway in the strong spring winds while a faint crackling of pine needles under our knobby tires keeps rhythm. Glacial gray-blue water rushes under the bridge as we rumble over the boards. Traversing the Aspen Trail from Teton Canyon to Darby Canyon delivers widespread views of the Teton Valley in Idaho, and a short singletrack solace in early spring. It’s just a taste of what the region has to offer though. One drainage to the south sits a web of 70 miles of singletrack at the famed Grand Targhee Bike Park (Gold– Best Biking pg. 14), rated one of the top-five bike parks in the Northwest. For more of the gravity-fed, Teton Pass on the border of Idaho and Wyoming delivers easy shuttle access to some of the only Forest Service-sanctioned downhill trails in the valley. A bit further north you’ll find the bike park at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, which delivers loads of lift-accessed trail. Beyond the resorts, miles and miles of trail can be found in the forests on each side of the Pass.

Mountain biking is barely forty years old, and it’s finally coming of age here in the Tetons. With growing trail organizations and support, events like Targhee’s Wydaho Bike Festival, and a blooming base of passionate mountain bikers, the Tetons are becoming an established mountain bike hub. Backcountry epics and mellow beginner loops can be found on both the east and west side. In Jackson, the Cache Creek Trailhead (Silver–Best Biking) provides an easy jump off point for in-town trails. Some of those can be linked with Snow King Mountain’s (Bronze–Best Family-Friendly Activity pg. 22) trail network.

Photo: Ben Gavelda

From tubes to tunes, professional suspension service, and basic rentals, Jackson Hole has a number of full service bike shops. Hoback Sports or Hoff’s Bikesmith (Gold–Best Bike Shop pg. 16) in Jackson and Fitzgerald’s (Bronze–Best Bike Shop) in both Jackson and Victor are go-tos for gear, service, rentals and trail beta. Whatever kind of bike or adventure lay on your horizon, these shops will help you reach it. Be it smooth and bermed, chunky and challenging, or fast and loamy there’s trail for all in the Tetons. - Ben Gavelda

- Ben Gavelda