Traditional cattle drive underway in Grand Teton National Park

A traditional cattle drive is underway in Grand Teton National Park this weekend. Cattle are being moved from their pastures on the Pinto Ranch east of Moran to summer pasture at Elk Ranch Flats.

A two-mile stretch of US Highway 26/89/191 will be temporarily closed to vehicle traffic on Saturday morning from Moran Junction to the Elk Ranch Flats area. Park Rangers will provide traffic control during the annual drive.

Grand Teton Park officials asked the Pinto Ranch to shift its cattle from a historic, free-range grazing allotment in the Pacific Creek area north of Moran to the fenced Elk Ranch Flats pastures. The request was aimed at minimizing potential conflicts with predators.

As part of the 1950 Grand Teton National Park enabling legislation, some historic grazing privileges were retained. Since then, the fenced and irrigated Elk Ranch Flats pastures have been used for grazing each summer.