U.S. Forest Service Approves 694-Acre Expansion at Grand Targhee Resort, Wyoming

Grand Targhee Resort has received federal approval to expand its ski area boundary by 694 acres, opening the door to new terrain development and a new on-mountain restaurant.

The U.S. Forest Service's Caribou-Targhee National Forest published the formal decision following a review process that drew more than 2,100 public comments after a draft environmental assessment was released in March 2025. The expansion was first reported by the Jackson Hole News&Guide.

The approved footprint is smaller than the 866 acres Grand Targhee originally requested in 2020. Federal land managers reduced the final boundary to address wildlife concerns and issues raised during the public comment period. The approved development breaks into two areas: 459 acres in the Mono Trees area and 235 acres in the South Bowl area, both in Teton Canyon on Fred's Mountain.

What's Been Approved

The expansion allows Grand Targhee to develop new skiable terrain across the two approved zones and to construct a restaurant at the summit of Fred's Mountain. The restaurant approval comes with strict conditions - the Forest Service requires materials that blend into the mountain landscape to protect sightlines from neighbouring Grand Teton National Park, and has restricted the facility to daytime operations only to preserve dark sky conditions in the region.

To clear the legal path for the development, the Forest Service must implement six amendments to the existing Caribou-Targhee forest plan. Five relate directly to wildlife protections - specifically allowing targeted tree removal within northern goshawk habitats and near historic nesting areas for boreal and flammulated owls. A sixth amendment rezones the expansion tracts from visual and aquatic preservation areas into developed recreation sites.

Federal Mandate and Local Politics

Forest spokesperson Jared Fisher noted that the executive order "Make America Beautiful Again" - which directs public land managers to support economic growth through outdoor recreation - played a role in shaping the agency's evaluation. Forest Supervisor Kim Pierson described the final decision as a balance between those national directives and local environmental assessments covering soil, botany, and migratory birds.

The approval has reopened a long-running dispute between two neighbouring counties. Grand Targhee sits entirely within Teton County, Wyoming - which collects all lodging and sales tax revenue generated by the resort - but the only road access runs through Teton County, Idaho. Idaho communities absorb the infrastructure costs and emergency service burden of resort traffic without receiving any direct tax revenue in return.

Teton County, Idaho Commissioner Ron James told the Jackson Hole News&Guide he would be more supportive of the expansion if a revenue-sharing arrangement between the two counties could be formalised. Teton County, Wyoming Commissioner Luther Propst took a different line, criticising the boundary reductions as decisions driven by Washington rather than local input.

Timeline and Next Steps

Grand Targhee owner Geordie Gillett told reporters he intends to let the regulatory process run its course before setting construction timelines or deciding which terrain to develop first. Gillett also confirmed he has no plans to sell the resort.

Following official publication in the Federal Register, the Forest Service will open a 45-day objection period covering the expansion and five project-specific amendments, alongside a separate 60-day objection period for the broader zoning changes. Construction timelines will depend on how that objection process plays out.