Southern Tetons

The backcountry terrain that can be accessed from Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is incredibly difficult and dangerous, and should never be taken lightly or attempted without proper avalanche gear and training. There are numerous deadly threats to anyone who doesn’t know exactly where they are going. You could end up going over a huge cliff, getting stuck in a couloir with no exit, buried in a slide, or lost out in the middle of nowhere. Many of the zones will force you to exit under numerous other slide paths, endangering your life multiple times in one trip. Do not venture out of a backcountry gate armed only with the information you found on this website!

There’s no ski patrol out in the backcountry to mitigate avalanche risk or to come help you if you get in trouble. Check the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center’s daily forecast, and remember that low-danger days can still produce deadly slides.

All Mapped Areas are Approximations

People call it sidecountry. There are a lot of tracks in it already. You already skied it once last year on vacation. It didn’t snow last night. These are all ways that people talk themselves into doing something incredibly dangerous and putting their lives on the line for a trip out-of-bounds. None of those things make the backcountry safe. Tourists and experienced local skiers alike have been found wounded or dead in the terrain outside of the backcountry gates. Respect your fellow skiers who have died and be safe out there. Respect the mountains and the deadly power of nature. Never go into the backcountry alone or without safety gear or during times of avalanche threat. Never treat the terrain outside of the backcountry gates any less serious than you would the terrain in Grand Teton National Park.