Quick Tips
- Pan-size cutthroat trout in Packsaddle Lake
- Buy a deer tag
- Bring a dirt bike for motorcycle trails
On The Ground
Terrain
Vegetation
Access
Camping and Lodging
Historical Temperatures
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Moose thrive in this unit which includes part of the Teton Basin west of the Teton Mountains in Wyoming and much of the Big Hole Mountains west of Driggs and Victor.
Hunters want moose tags in Unit 65 because most hunters tag bulls with antlers averaging about 40”. A lot of private property is on the valley floor
This unit includes Driggs and part of the Teton Basin around town as well as some of the Big Hole Mountains in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. The western three-fourths of the unit is flat or slightly hilly with some foothills of the Teton Mountains east of Victor. The mountainous part in the west is mild in elevation change, but there is steep terrain on Thunder Mountain, Henderson Peak and in Mahogany Creek Canyon. High points in this area are Squirrel Mountain, Henderson Peak and Ryan Peak. The main ridgeline of the Big Hole Mountains runs for many miles from 7,500 to more than 8,500 feet. The valley is full of hay fields and pastures and is between 6,000 and 6,200 feet above sea level.
The lowlands are made up of grassy pastures, alfalfa fields, some marshy areas and creek bottoms full of cottonwoods, willows and sagebrush flats. The foothills of the Teton Mountains and the Big Hole Mountains are covered with spruces, aspens, firs and pines with some ridges and south slopes covered with sagebrush, grass, maple brush, mahoganies, service berries and other shrubs. None of the land is above timberline, but many of the higher ridges and peaks are open with forbs, grasses, wildflowers and low brush.
Roughly 223 square miles
28.5% public land
Elevations from 6,000-8,500 feet
Almost all the lowlands are private. The foothills of the Teton Mountains are mostly BLM land. The Big Hole Mountains are in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest except for some mining land near Ryan Peak and some lower foothills. Forest roads open to all vehicles provide access to the north part of the Big Hole Mountains and are mostly in the Packsaddle Lake and the mining area. An ATV trail snakes along below Packsaddle Peak. Miles of motorcycle trails are in the south part of the unit leading from trailheads close to the eastern border of the national forest. There are trailheads at Long Ridge, Nickerson Grove, Mahogany, Wet Henderson, Grove Creek, Drake Creek, Rocky Creek and Pine Creek Pass. Hunters can legally drive dirt bikes on trails designated for them in Unit 65.
ATVs are handy on some roads and trails
Some trails are restricted to motorcycles
Four-wheel-drive vehicles are recommended
Vehicle use map is available online
Hunters can camp along dirt roads. The south edge has Mike Harris Campground, Teton Valley Campground with 85 sites and Pine Creek Campground south of Rocky Peak. Teton Mountain View RV Park is in Tetonia on the northern edge, and Teton Valley RV Park is in Victor. Some lodging options in Victor include Fox Creek Inn Bed & Breakfast, Moose Creek Ranch, Cowboy Roadhouse Lodge, Trails End Motel and Teton Springs Lodge & Spa. Hunters can rent cabins or condos through Grand Valley Lodging and Teton Valley Cabins.