Bridger-Teton National Forest spans 3.4 million acres across western Wyoming, making it the second-largest national forest in the Lower 48.
For decades, backcountry access meant horseback or hiking; utility task vehicles arrived in the 1990s as ranching tools, then evolved into recreation machines capable of negotiating 11,000-foot passes and creek crossings that turn sedans around. Jackson Hole sits at the forest's eastern threshold, where the Gros Ventre Range rises abruptly from the valley floor and Curtis Canyon cuts a roadless corridor into peaks still snow-capped in July.
Side-by-side rentals in Jackson Hole grant immediate access to trails the Park Service restricts inside Grand Teton National Park. Togwotee Pass, 48 miles northwest of town, opens each May to a lattice of fire roads and elk migration routes that climb through lodgepole pine stands and subalpine fir. The Can-Am Maverick—a 1,000cc machine with selectable four-wheel drive and 14 inches of suspension travel—handles the scree slopes and washboard descents that define the Gros Ventre Wilderness boundary. Curtis Canyon Road threads south from the National Elk Refuge into aspen groves where mule deer browse at dawn; private expeditions follow spur trails to overlooks facing the Tetons' western escarpment, a granite wall that drops 7,000 vertical feet in under four miles.
Rental operations run daily from 09:00 to 17:00, with half-day and full-day windows anchored to trailhead logistics. Afternoon thunderstorms build over the range between June and August, making morning departures the standard recommendation. The vehicles seat two to four, with roll cages, harness systems, and communication radios standard across fleets. Guides brief drivers on throttle modulation and descent braking before departure; most routes permit solo operation after the safety orientation. Bridger-Teton's trail network exceeds 3,000 miles, but Jackson Hole UTV rentals concentrate on corridors within 60 miles of town—Togwotee Mountain Lodge serves as a staging point for northern routes, while Curtis Canyon and Gros Ventre trailheads anchor southern access. The terrain ranges from groomed forest roads to Class 4 jeep trails requiring low-range gearing and spotter navigation through boulder fields.
2 hr
