On Sunday, November 1, Grand Teton National Park closes the Teton Park Road to cars between Taggart Lake Trailhead and Signal Mountain Lodge. Until snow covers it, the road is open to walking, running and biking, and pets are allowed after November 1. The same day, the Grand Teton Pathway segment along the National Elk Refuge, from Jackson to Gros Ventre Road, closes for elk migration and stays closed through April 30.
Put those two closures on a map and the separated route into the park now starts at the Gros Ventre roundabout. As of this summer, Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis connects directly to that point.
The Closure Line Sits North of Town
For most of the year, the Grand Teton Pathway runs from the town of Jackson north to Antelope Flats Road. At Moose Junction it follows the Teton Park Road on to Jenny Lake. The park lists six hubs with parking and bike racks along the way: Gros Ventre Roundabout, Blacktail Butte, Dornans, Moose, Taggart Lake and Jenny Lake.
The November closure removes the southern end of that system, the stretch beside the refuge. People riding from town lose their separated link into the park until spring. The in-park section north of Gros Ventre Road has no fixed closing date. The park opens it after the snow has melted and crews have swept it, so it stays usable on the same terms.
Until this year, Golf & Tennis had a gap of its own. The neighborhood's pathway on North Spring Gulch Road stopped short of the roundabout. Getting to the park pathway meant using Sagebrush Drive, a stretch with no shoulders and a 35 mph speed limit.
Eight-Tenths of a Mile, Planned Since 2007
The Sagebrush Connector closes that gap. It's 0.8 miles of new pavement running from the Gros Ventre roundabout to the area near Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis Club, Buckrail reported ahead of the August 30 ribbon cutting at the corner of Sagebrush Drive and North Spring Gulch Road. The park's construction page now lists the project as complete.
The connection took a long time. According to Buckrail, the project first appeared in Grand Teton's 2007 Transportation Plan and Teton County's 2007 Pathways Master Plan. Funding came from a Federal Lands Access Program grant, a $370,000 local match from Teton County and an $80,000 donation from Friends of Pathways. Friends of Pathways described it as a connection that "will give hundreds of residents in nearby neighborhoods safer access to Grand Teton's pathway network."
Friends of Pathways Executive Director Katherine Dowson put it this way in a statement Buckrail published:
"The Sagebrush Pathway shows why persistence matters. Slowly but surely our schools, neighborhoods, businesses and public land areas are being connected to our county-wide pathway network, making it more enjoyable and safer for everyone — walkers, bikers and drivers alike — to move around our community."
This is the connector's first November. It opened in late summer, when the refuge segment was still open and riders from town had their own way in. Starting Sunday, the people who can reach the park pathway from home without a car or a road shoulder mostly live near North Spring Gulch Road.
From the Connector to the Car-Free Road, Stage by Stage
The route from the neighborhood to the closed stretch of the Teton Park Road is simple on a map. This fall it runs through two active construction zones, so here is what each stage looks like through mid-November 2026.
- North Spring Gulch pathway to the Gros Ventre roundabout. This is the new Sagebrush Connector, 0.8 miles of fresh pavement.
- Gros Ventre roundabout north toward Moose. This is the in-park Grand Teton Pathway, open while it's swept and clear and closed from dusk to dawn for wildlife and public safety.
- Through Moose. Construction on the future Teton Park Road roundabout near the Moose Entrance Station is still underway. The park's delay schedule runs through November 15, with waits of up to 20 minutes for vehicles. When the bypass work began in August, the park told pathway cyclists to follow posted signs and expect to use the road shoulder through the work zone, including some temporarily unpaved sections.
- Moose to Taggart Lake Trailhead. The pathway follows the Teton Park Road to the Taggart Lake hub. The trailhead is under reconstruction. The finished project adds a larger parking lot, restrooms, a water bottle filling station and a redesigned trailhead, built in partnership with the Grand Teton National Park Foundation. The park's construction page lists the trailhead as partially open and says it will stay open through the winter for over-snow recreation.
- Taggart Lake Trailhead to Signal Mountain Lodge. This is the stretch closed to cars from November 1. Biking is allowed until the road is snow-covered.
Two other things matter for anyone who rides into the park. The park charges a fee for biking in. E-bikes count as bicycles if they have fully working pedals and a motor under 750 watts.
Dogs Change the Route
The pathway and the closed road have different rules, and the biggest difference involves dogs. Pets aren't allowed on the park pathway, though guide dogs for people with physical disabilities are. On the Teton Park Road, the park allows pets after November 1. Once the road is snow-covered, leashed pets use the multi-use lane.
That means the Sagebrush Connector and the pathway north are a route for bikes and people on foot. Anyone bringing a dog onto the car-free road has to start at Taggart Lake Trailhead.
| Surface | Bikes | Dogs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sagebrush Connector and park pathway | Yes, when clear and swept | Not permitted | Closed dusk to dawn |
| Elk refuge pathway, Jackson to Gros Ventre Road | Closed November 1 to April 30 | Closed | Elk migration closure |
| Teton Park Road, Taggart Lake to Signal Mountain | Yes, until snow-covered | Yes, after November 1 | Leashed pets use multi-use lane after snow |
| Moose-Wilson Road, Moose to LSRP | No, through November 15 | Not addressed in the closure notice | Shifts to winter use after November 15 as conditions allow |
The Moose-Wilson Road isn't an option this fall. The section between Moose and the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve is closed to motor vehicles and bicycles through November 15 for construction. After that, the corridor shifts to seasonal winter recreation as conditions allow. Death Canyon Road and Death Canyon Trailhead stay closed for the full 2026 season.
November's Dates
Snow decides how long the car-free road stays rideable, and the park doesn't publish a date for that. The rest of the season runs on dates the park and the club have already set.
| Date | What changes |
|---|---|
| November 1 | Teton Park Road closes to cars, Taggart Lake to Signal Mountain. Elk refuge pathway segment closes. |
| November 15 | Moose roundabout delay schedule ends. Moose-Wilson construction closure ends and winter use begins as conditions allow. |
| Snow cover, no fixed date | Bikes, fat bikes and rollerblades are no longer allowed on the Teton Park Road. |
| Mid-December | Grooming for skiing, snowshoeing and hiking typically begins on the Teton Park Road. |
| December 17 | North Grille reopens for winter dinner. |
The window between snow cover and grooming is when bikes have to come off the road and skis aren't yet practical. Grooming runs from mid-December to mid-March. The park's current conditions page is where it posts the condition-based changes in the meantime.
Drives farther north will be slower too. Erosion-control work on US 26/89/191 just south of Moran Junction runs from October through December 2026. Traffic is down to one lane, controlled by lights or flaggers, with delays of up to 20 minutes. Closer in, Mormon Row is open, but some historic buildings are still closed to visitors. The park reported in late September that the new parking lot was nearly paved, with pedestrian bridges, paths and viewing areas still in progress. Antelope Flats Road closes seasonally based on conditions, so November access depends on the weather.
Between Golf Season and Ski Season
The club's own calendar has a gap here as well. Golf at Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis runs from early May to mid-October. The North Grille closed October 12 and stays closed until December 17. It then reopens for winter dinner Thursday through Saturday, 5 to 8 p.m., through March 27, and it's closed Christmas Day.
That leaves about seven weeks with the course closed and no dinner service at the clubhouse. They are also the weeks when the Teton Park Road is free of cars and, as long as the snow holds off, open to bikes. This is the first fall the neighborhood has had a separated route all the way to the Gros Ventre roundabout. From there, the park pathway runs north to Moose and the Taggart Lake hub.
We live and work in this valley, and we follow what changes on the ground each season, from the new Sagebrush Connector to the dates that open and close the park's roads. If you'd like to talk about how changes like these shape daily life around Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis, the team at JH Property Group is glad to share what we know. Start Your Jackson Hole Search.
