A cattle drive like this one from 2018 is coming to Grand Teton National Park on Saturday/NPS

A cattle drive set to take place early Saturday morning in Grand Teton National Park will require the temporary closure of U.S. Highway 26/89/191 between Moran Junction and Elk Ranch Flats.

Motorists should expect a travel delay between approximately 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. as cattle are herded from their summer pasture at Elk Ranch Flats to their pastures east of Moran. Park rangers will provide traffic control on the highway during this cattle drive. 

Ranch wranglers will drive a herd of approximately 300 cattle eastward from the Elk Ranch Flats summer pasture to the private ranch using a right-of-way along U.S. Highway 26/287. As the cattle are herded towards Moran Junction, the animals must cross the Buffalo Fork Bridge on the highway.

To avoid the travel delay, motorists may choose to use an alternate route and drive the Teton Park Road between Jackson Lake Junction and Moose Junction.

In accordance with the 1950 Grand Teton National Park enabling legislation, certain historic grazing privileges were retained. Since that time, the fenced and irrigated Elk Ranch Flats pastures have been used for grazing each summer season.