Wyoming · Hiking · Near Jackson

Approaching the Bar BC

Approaching the Bar BCPhoto: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA — Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Jun–Sep
best months

Is Approaching the Bar BC open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Grand Teton National Park. It doesn't name Approaching the Bar BC, so check the source for the area it covers.

  • Death Canyon Trailhead Construction Closure

    Park closure covering Grand Teton National Park · NPS · Grand Teton National Park

  • Construction in the South End of the Park

    Park alert covering Grand Teton National Park · NPS · Grand Teton National Park

  • Construction on HWY 26/89/191

    Park alert covering Grand Teton National Park · NPS · Grand Teton National Park

As of · Source: NPS · Grand Teton National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

The Bar BC was one of the first dude ranches in Jackson Hole, and perhaps the most iconic. Today, it's the oldest one still standing. It was founded in 1912 by Struthers Burt and Harold Carncross, Easterners who emigrated to Wyoming. Burt and his wife, Katharine Newlin Burt, were prolific writers, so their ranch attracted a more artistic and literary set. The clientele tended to be wealthy Easterners who wanted a rustic vacation experience, away from the constraints of high society. Many former guests bought ranches in the area, and some of their families are still in the valley today. During the heyday of dude ranching in the 1910s and 20s, many other ranches operated in Jackson Hole and throughout the West. At its height in the 1920s, the Bar BC was actually one of the valley's largest employers, hiring over fifty people to help run the ranch each summer. The industry declined as tourism dropped during the Great Depression and World War II, though there are still some dude ranches in Jackson Hole today.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Shadow Lower 1

    Campground

    Campground · 3.7 mi from the trail
  • If it rains

    Kelly Warm Springs

    Hot spring

    On your way back · 6 mi

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors

More in Jackson

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Jun–Sep

    Best time to visit Approaching the Bar BC

    Best months: June–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      24° / 2°

      17 wet

    2. Feb

      28° / 7°

      16 wet

    3. Mar

      38° / 15°

      15 wet

    4. Apr

      47° / 24°

      14 wet

    5. May

      60° / 32°

      14 wet

    6. Jun

      69° / 37°

      11 wet

    7. Jul

      79° / 43°

      10 wet

    8. Aug

      78° / 41°

      8 wet

    9. Sep

      68° / 35°

      9 wet

    10. Oct

      53° / 25°

      11 wet

    11. Nov

      36° / 15°

      13 wet

    12. Dec

      25° / 3°

      17 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Moose 1 Nne, WY, 2.6 mi away at 6,466 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

HIKE

A Slower Pace of Life

Next door

Many Bar BC guests of the 1920s and 30s came on vacation to Jackson Hole seeking some of the same things that visitors hope to find today-the peace of being in nature, the splendor of the mountain scenery, and the appreciation of a slower pace of life. Struthers Burt and…

HIKE

Cottonwood Creek Overlook

~3 min drive

A popular fall photograph captures the Jimmy Manges cabin, the park stock used by the summer trial crew, the aspens turning golden and the Grand Teton towering above. A corral is a classic buck and rail fence used by the early homesteaders. Enjoy the view of the horses and…

Blacktail Butte TrailPhoto: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Blacktail Butte Trail

~4 min drive

Short out-and-back hike to butte summit with expansive views.

HIKE

Apex Trail

~6 min drive

4.84-mile out-and-back hike in Wyoming with 3,787 ft elevation gain and loss.

HIKE

Saddle Up

Next door

Trail rides were a popular pastime on the ranch, much as they still are in the park today. The tack room was a hub of activity. Wranglers would catch the horses each morning on their pasture and bring them down to the ranch. When guests were ready to go on a trail ride, the…

HIKE

Taggart Lake Trailhead

~3 min drive

Location: Access the Taggart Lake trailhead from the Teton Park Road three and a half miles northwest from Moose Junction. Notes: Visitor services include a modest-sized parking lot, a vault toilet, map brochure box, bike rack and a trailhead sign. Remember to bring water…

Teton Park RdPhoto: InSapphoWeTrust from Los Angeles, California, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Teton Park Rd

~5 min drive

Moderate out-and-back hike along Teton Park Rd with mountain views.

HIKE

Millionaires and Poets

Next door

The BarBC regularly hosted celebrity visitors, including the Rockefeller family, William Faulkner, and Ernest Hemingway, who supposedly stayed in this cabin. Struthers Burt's friendship with Horace Albright, the superintendent of Yellowstone National Park, gradually brought…

Moose Jct to Antelope Flats RdPhoto: InSapphoWeTrust from Los Angeles, California, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Moose Jct to Antelope Flats Rd

~6 min drive

Easy out-and-back walk from Moose Jct to Antelope Flats Rd in Wyoming.

HIKE

Taggart Lake Trail

~3 min drive

7.26-mile out-and-back hike in Wyoming with 231 ft gain.