Wyoming enacted its first off-highway vehicle statute in 1971, three years after the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act designated portions of the Snake River corridor.
Today, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem encompasses 34,000 square miles of high-altitude terrain, and Jackson Hole serves as the southern gateway to trails that ascend from 6,200 feet in the valley floor to alpine passes above 10,000 feet. Side-by-side utility terrain vehicles entered commercial recreation in the early 2000s, replacing older open-cab ATVs with roll cages, bucket seats, and side-by-side seating that gave the category its name.
The Bridger-Teton National Forest, which surrounds Jackson on three sides, permits motorized recreation on designated routes totaling more than 400 miles. Köprülü Canyon and Green Canyon tours transport riders south toward the high desert of the Wyoming Range, where limestone outcrops frame seasonal waterways. Pine forests at mid-elevation transition to aspen groves in late September, when Jackson Hole side by side rentals see peak demand from riders seeking fall color along the Gros Ventre Range. Multi-activity itineraries combine trail time with river rafting on the Snake or Hoback, reflecting the valley's dual identity as both ranching corridor and adventure hub.
Modern UTVs deliver 50 to 90 horsepower through automatic transmissions and four-wheel drive, handling switchbacks and loose scree that once restricted access to horseback or foot travel. Outfitters operate under U.S. Forest Service permits that limit group size and require certified guides on public land. Private ranches near Wilson and Teton Village offer alternative routes crossing sagebrush flats with direct views of the Cathedral Group peaks. Off-road vehicle tours in Jackson balance mechanized access with conservation mandates, a tension that dates to the 1960s when the National Elk Refuge restricted motorized winter use to protect ungulate migration corridors.
The town of Jackson itself, incorporated in 1914, retains wooden boardwalks on its central square, a nod to the ranching economy that predated the ski industry by five decades. Visitors today arrive through Jackson Hole Airport, the only commercial airfield inside a U.S. national park boundary, and find a valley that oscillates between wilderness preservation and recreational intensity. Side-by-side rentals offer a middle path: engine noise and dust, yes, but also access to ridgelines and river benches that remain beyond casual reach, places where the Teton Range asserts its verticality and the high desert imposes its terms.
7 hr
