Jedediah Smith Wilderness
The Jedediah Smith Wilderness was designated because of the unique karst limestone features, including numerous caves and outstanding scenery. It was named after Jedediah Strong Smith, a well-educated and energetic mountain man from New York who explored the West in the early 1800's. Long and narrow, the Wilderness lies on the west slope of the Teton Range in western Wyoming and stretches from Yellowstone National Park south to Teton Pass. The Jedediah Smith Wilderness is part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and home to a variety of wildlife including black and grizzly bear, big horn sheep, wolverine, moose and elk. The Forest Service and Park Service are working together to return fire to the ecosystem.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Wyoming |
| Size | 123,896 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 43.83° N, 110.92° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 17) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
None of the 13 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Show 4 moreHide
1 more within ten miles is not listed here.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 dispersed camping. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 10 miAlaska Basin ↗Dispersed camping
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
40 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 225 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Teton Crest ↗ | 16 | |
| Bitch Creek ↗ | 14.5 | |
| Moose Creek ↗ | 14 | |
| Teton Crest North ↗ | 12.2 | |
| Teton Crest South ↗ | 10.6 | |
| Conant Basin ↗ | 10.3 | |
| South Teton /Buck Mt. Pass ↗ | 9.4 | |
| Fox Creek ↗ | 7.5 | |
| South Leigh ↗ | 7.5 | |
| South Boone ↗ | 7.1 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 1.1 miCascade Canyon Barn ↗Moose, WY
- 1.2 miUpper Granite Canyon Patrol Cabin ↗Moose, WY
- 1.4 miDeath Canyon Barn ↗Moose, WY
- 1.4 miMoran Bay Patrol Cabin ↗Moose, WY
- 3.2 mi
- 3.3 miJohn Clymer Residence ↗Teton Village, WY
- 3.7 miAlpenhof Lodge ↗Teton Village, WY
- 4.3 miHardeman Barns ↗Wilson, WY
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Wyoming
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Jedediah Smith Wilderness?
123,896 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Jedediah Smith Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Jedediah Smith Wilderness in?
Wyoming.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Jedediah Smith Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Jedediah Smith Wilderness?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Jedediah Smith Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 43.826° N, 110.916° W. Grand Teton National Park is 8 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Which national parks are near Jedediah Smith Wilderness?
Grand Teton National Park (8 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Jedediah Smith Wilderness?
The National Register has 40 listings within 15 miles, including Cascade Canyon Barn and Upper Granite Canyon Patrol Cabin.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.