Bull Elk
Bull elk at the National Elk Refuge. File photo by Pam McCulloch (2007).
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Elk Refuge
Start at the Visitor Center. File photo by Pam McCulloch.
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Sleigh Rides on the National Elk Refuge to begin on December 8
by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - National Elk Refuge
November 28, 2008
National Elk Refuge Manager Steve Kallin has announced that the 2008–09 sleigh ride season will start on Monday, December 8, beginning the refuge’s popular wildlife viewing program that runs through the end of March.
Sleigh rides operate daily from 10 am to 4 pm at the Jackson Hole & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center, located at 532 N. Cache Street in Jackson. Passengers purchase tickets at the Visitor Center, open 9 am to 5 pm daily, and take a shuttle to the sleigh boarding area two miles north of Jackson on Highway 26/89/191. Wagons can be substituted for sleighs if there is a lack of substantial snow coverage.
Last winter, over 25,000 visitors took the educational sleigh rides, operated under contract by Double H Bar, Inc.
Rates are $18 for adults, $14 for children ages 5 through 12, with children under age 5 riding for free. Reservations are required for private tours and groups of 20 people or more. Smaller groups may make reservations, but advanced booking is not necessary. Pulled by draft horses, sleighs depart three to four times each hour throughout the day. Rides typically last 45 minutes to one hour depending on the location of the elk and weather conditions.
Passengers should dress warmly in layers to accommodate wind and cold temperatures.
Sleigh rides are a unique way to observe and photograph wildlife on the refuge. The National Elk Refuge is operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and was established in 1912 for winter range and care of the Jackson elk herd. It provides habitat for up to 175 bird species and 47 mammal species. Sleigh ride passengers frequently can observe coyotes, bald eagles, trumpeter swans, bison, wolves, ravens, magpies or other wildlife in addition to elk. The Jackson Hole & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center offers additional information on wildlife through interpretive programs, exhibits, hands-on materials, and items sold through the Grand Teton Association’s bookstore.
To inquire about group or private tours, or for further information about the sleigh rides, please call the sleigh ride contractor at 1-800-772-5386 or 307-733-0277 or visit the National Elk Refuge’s web link at www.fws.gov/nationalelkrefuge/NERSleighRides.htm
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