Although it is situated near Kelly, outside the park boundaries, the Gros Ventre Slide area is an interesting hiking area and historical site. You can get to the slide area by traveling east from the Gros Ventre Junction on U.S. Hwy. 26/89/191, 6 miles north of Jackson; alternately, 1 mile north of the Moose Junction on U.S. Hwy. 26/89/191, take the Antelope Flats Road to the second right turn, then take the second left. (There is a sign.)
It was at this spot, in June 1925, that the side of Sheep Mountain broke loose and created one of the largest earth movements ever observed. Nearly 50 million cubic yards of sandstone formed a dam 225 feet high and 1/2 mile wide across the Gros Ventre River. Then, in 1927, the upper 60 feet of the dam gave way, creating a raging river that flooded the town of Kelly, 3 1/2 miles downstream.
Informational brochures and maps of this interpretive trail, which is in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, are available from the U.S. Forest Service. Stop in at the Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center, at 532 N. Cache St. in downtown Jackson, where you can pick up all the information you'll need to hike in this area, or call the Forest Service at tel. 307/739-5500.
