A visit to Wyoming’s wild forests

I recently learned about the USDA’s proposal to revoke the Roadless Areas Conservation Rule, a policy that protects wild areas in our national forests from new development, such as road building, logging, and mining, and the ecological harm that these activities can cause. These wild forests have iconic views and scenic areas that hold incredible beauty and importance for outdoor recreationists, nature enthusiasts and everyone who appreciates wild places. 

I explored Roadless Areas near Jackson, Wyoming to put a face to some of these places.

The first area I discovered was off the back side of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, including the peaks pictured above. This ski mountain hosts over 500,000 visitors per year, who come to experience this beautiful, wild, and roadless landscape. 

I am an avid backcountry skier, and one of my recent trips to Jackson took me beyond the ski area boundary and into the Roadless Area beyond. The views from this trip are pictured on the left, and I am pictured hiking with my skis to the right. Roadless Areas are truly critical recreational areas, and hold special views and memories for me and so many others. 

The next area I found was once again just beyond the boundaries of a ski area. This time I hiked to the top of Snow King Resort in Jackson, WY, and into the Roadless Area beyond. 

This journey offered more classic views of what I thought a Roadless Area might look like, with vast forests of pine trees and sprawling expanses of wild high-country peaks. This beautiful and pristine place was both highly-accessible due to its proximity to the ski resort, and incredibly wild. I watched deer families with newborn babies skirt through the trees, and birds fly through the unending blue sky.

This exploration taught me that Roadless Areas are not just another land designation, they are iconic pieces of public land. They encompass and surround critical outdoor recreation spaces, from ski areas to hiking trails. They serve as habitat for thousands of species, and while no two Roadless Areas look the same, they all are wild areas that are worth protecting.