A $5 million fundraising push aims to complete a technically complex 3.6-mile segment linking Wyoming and Idaho’s Teton valleys
A regional coalition is racing to raise $5 million by year’s end to build what engineers are calling the most technically ambitious pathway ever proposed in the Tetons—a 3.6-mile non-motorized trail segment connecting Trail Creek Campground to Coal Creek Trailhead on the west side of Teton Pass.
The Trail Creek-to-Coal Creek section has been engineered, permitted, and approved. If the fundraising succeeds, construction would begin when snow melts in spring 2026.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” said Dave Bergart, campaign lead from Victor, Idaho. “The Teton Pass Trail is the most ambitious pathway project in the history of both Teton Counties.”
The new segment represents a critical gap in the Greater Yellowstone Trail, an 180-mile network connecting Jackson Hole, Teton Valley, and West Yellowstone. Currently 85% complete, the route links communities through pathways, forest roads, and small-town connectors. The Teton Pass section tackles some of the region’s most challenging terrain, navigating steep slopes and wetlands with extensive retaining walls to route the pathway between Trail Creek and Highway 22.
While cyclists and hikers will gain a premier summer route, winter users stand to benefit significantly. The planned Coal Creek underpass will improve year-round safety at one of the Pass’s busiest trailheads, serving hundreds of backcountry skiers on powder days. The pathway will also provide a dedicated off-highway track for skiers returning from popular runs like “the Do-Its,” separating them from vehicle traffic.
Almost $8 million of the $13.5 million total budget is already secured through federal grants and local government funds. The final $5 million will unlock an additional $1 million in Federal Land Access Program funding to ensure the Coal Creek underpass can be built as part of the project.
The effort is led by Save Teton Pass Trail, a volunteer coalition including Friends of Pathways, Teton Valley Trails and Pathways, Teton Backcountry Alliance, Mountain Bike the Tetons, and multiple local governments and businesses.
Donations and project information are available at TetonPass.org.
