Unit 2

Major peaks including Rendezvous Mountain, Mount Bannon, and Hominy Peak serve as primary landmarks for navigation in open country. Taylor Mountain and Red Mountain provide additional orientation points. Multiple named passes—Gunsight Pass, Mount Hunt Divide, Conant Pass—offer established travel corridors between basins.

Jackson Lake dominates the northern portion and serves as a major reference feature. The Wall, Inspiration Point, and other cliff features mark terrain boundaries. Granite Basin Lakes, Marion Lake, and other alpine lakes are reliable water and camp location references throughout the high country.

Terrain is dominated by alpine and subalpine forest, with most country above 8,000 feet and extensive acreage above 9,500 feet. The Teton Range and its satellite ridges form the spine, with elevations pushing toward 13,000 feet. Lower-elevation approaches use moderate forest coverage to access the higher basins.

Vegetation transitions from timbered lower valleys through spruce-fir forests into true alpine meadows and talus slopes at the highest elevations. Glaciers persist on high peaks. This is genuine alpine country—hunters should expect thin air, early season snow, and terrain that demands fitness and experience.

Approximately 2,400 miles of road total, but density is spread across vast acreage, keeping road-based access limited and concentrated. Major access points cluster near Jackson to the south and Moran to the east, with USFS roads penetrating via Union Pass and Darwin Ranch approaches from the northeast. Most hunting occurs via foot travel from established trailheads; the steep terrain and elevation gain naturally spread hunters across multiple basins.

Solitude is achievable for hunters willing to move into the deeper basins early and stay mobile. Tourist pressure from Jackson and surrounding towns affects lower approaches but diminishes rapidly with elevation gain.

Unit 2 occupies the vast terrain surrounding the Teton Range in northwest Wyoming, anchored by the Continental Divide to the north and east, the Idaho state line to the west, and Highway 26-89-191 near Jackson to the south. The unit excludes Grand Teton National Park and the National Elk Refuge but includes most of the high country between these boundaries. The Bridger-Teton National Forest dominates the landscape.

Scale here is significant—this is one of Wyoming's largest units—but terrain complexity is equally significant, with the unit split into distinct high-altitude zones separated by deep valleys and major ridges.

Water is well-distributed across the unit via multiple reliable drainages. Major systems include the North Fork Teton Creek, Cache Creek, and various forks flowing toward the Green River and Gros Ventre River. Jackson Lake provides substantial surface water in the north.

Alpine lakes including Granite Basin Lakes, Cirque Lake, and Snowdrift Lake are scattered throughout the high basins. Springs including Peterson Springs, Badger Spring, and others provide additional reliability. The drainage pattern is steep and cuts deep—expect significant gradient and elevation loss in water courses.

Seasonal considerations apply to the highest basins, where water may be frozen into summer.

Mountain lion are the listed species for this unit—this is alpine predator country. Terrain demands experience with steep, trackless navigation and elevation gain. Most hunting occurs in mid to late fall when snow is minimal but weather remains unpredictable.

Success depends on understanding lion movement corridors through the major valleys and basins; the unit's complexity offers numerous pockets where cats establish territory. Most hunters should focus on accessing high basins early in season before snow complicates logistics, then move methodically through timbered transition zones and open alpine meadows where prey animals concentrate. Physical conditioning is essential—this is not beginner terrain.