Salt Creek Pass, with an elevation of 7,630 feet, served as a critical crossing point during the 19th century westward migration. It sits between the Garnnett Hills and the Salt River Range in southwestern Wyoming and was part of the Lander Cut Off, an alternate route to the Oregon, California and Morman Trails. It opened in 1859 as the first government road project in the West and it remained active until 1912, when automobiles made it obsolete. Today it offers stunning views in all directions. A word of advice though…have snow tires on your vehicle or have chains handy during the winter…you can expect more than a little snow!

The Tetons on a stormy late afternoon, taken from Buffalo Valley, a short distance from Moran Junction. You can ride over this section of highway everyday and never see the exact scene 2 days in a row. Mountains bathed in sunlight or shrouded in fog and low lying clouds one day and bison, deer and elk holding up traffic on a regular basis. It really doesn’t get much better than this!