Public Land Expands Possibilities Throughout Region

by Staff Writers

In a part of the country renown for it’s iconic landscapes, the greater Yellowstone region is truly defined by its expansive public land. Whether via national parks, national forests, or other federal or state protected lands—the vastness of the west is epitomized within these public lands.

While Jackson Hole, Teton Valley and the surrounding counties offer incredible access to vast tracts of public lands, there is substantial value afforded to private offerings that border these public spaces. Direct access to public lands can provide enhanced recreational opportunities, wildlife viewing or habitat enhancement opportunities,  preserved viewsheds, and so much more.

In the ranching and sportsman’s paradise of nearby Sublette County, an almost-540-acre ranch parcel abuts and provides unfettered access to thousands of acres of the Bridger National Forest. With Beaver and Chall Creeks, eight springs, and a variety of rolling topography and vegetation within its borders, the ranch is ideally suited to grazing stock or as a recreational ranch and launching point into the national forest beyond. With a multitude of potential uses and building sites available, this Merna ranch is unencumbered by easements and offers the additional opportunity to subdivide into multiple 35-40-acre parcels.

The ability to own adjacent to the area’s public lands is not exclusively the purview of large ranch or agricultural parcels alone. In Teton County, increasingly rare ownership opportunities still exist for homesites adjoining public land. Just south of Jackson, a forty-acre parcel on the plateau in Game Creek provides end-of-the-road privacy and gently rolling terrain above the Porcupine Creek drainage. The property adjoins Bridger-Teton National Forest lands along its north and eastern boundaries and offers panoramic views of Teton Pass, the broad flanks of Munger Mountain and the distant Wyoming Range and Snake River Range peaks to the south. Zoning for this unique rural property allows for horses to be kept. It is not within a subdivision and is free of any  covenants, conditions and restrictions.

A newly-listed parcel just north of Hoback Junction at the top of Horse Creek Canyon is conveniently accessed, yet privately located at the end of Rodeo Road. The Bridger-Teton National Forest adjoins the lot’s eastern and southern boundaries and provides for several potential building sites within a variety of terrain among meadows and aspen stands. This property’s twenty acres are not constrained by subdivision CC&Rs and rural zoning also permits horses.

Not all access to public land in Teton County is rural, however. The private subdivision of Sublette Woods in Teton Village includes just four individual lots surrounded by a 53-acre open space parcel. This parcel, in turn, abuts Bridger-Teton National Forest lands that incorporate the Rendezvous Mountain massif, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and the southern portions of the Teton Range. Summer hiking is accessible directly from these homesites—two of which are currently available on the market. During the winter, ski-in/ski-out access is facilitated via the resort’s Union Pass Traverse at the bottom of the Hobacks. Lot 3, a private, treed 3.76-acre offering, has received preliminary site work that includes a thoughtfully cleared and established building site. A paved road with utilities and water in place helps expedite your construction timeline while convenient access to Teton Village and flexible resort zoning set the groundwork for an ideal year-round mountain home.

In the southern end of Teton Valley, Idaho, a 59-acre property available on the market directly borders the Targhee National Forest in the foothills below Pine Creek pass. The elevated and wooded lot is home to mature stands of aspen and pine, and is preserved via a conservation easement with provision for a generous 2.5-acre building site. A gravel road, existing well and fire suppression infrastructure complete this offering.

Properties throughout the region offer access to thousands of acres or public land, and provide substantial value enhancements and a multitude of potential uses. Whether through ranching, hiking, hunting, horseback riding, skiing, or any number of other pursuits—these public land adjacent parcels expand the possibilities of ownership.