South Park Wildlife Habitat Management Area is eight miles south of Jackson on U.S. Highway 26/89. This 832-acre area is one of the several elk feeding grounds in the Teton and Hoback areas. The area was established in 1939 to reduce damage to private lands caused by elk. Approximately 1,000 head of wintering elk are fed here daily from horse-drawn sleighs four months of the year.
At an elevation of almost 6,000 feet, South Park consists mostly of river bottom habitat along the Snake River. A small portion east of the highway is considered foothills. There are cottonwoods and meadows along the river. Besides elk, mule deer, moose, many songbirds, small mammals and fish also use this area. With the Snake River and Flat Creek winding through the area and more than 50 acres of wetlands, opportunities for viewing osprey, trumpeter swans, bald eagles, and waterfowl are excellent.
If you like to hunt, opportunities for waterfowl are good, and hunting for elk is fair late in the season. Fishing opportunities are good to excellent for whitefish, brook and cutthroat trout.
This WHMA lies within bear country, please visit our bear wise page for information on recreating in bear country - https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Wildlife-in-Wyoming/More-Wildlife/Large-Carnivore/Grizzly-Bear-Management/Bear-Wise-Wyoming.
Camping and open fires are not allowed on this property.
Portions of this area are closed to vehicular traffic, providing excellent hiking and wildlife observation opportunities.
South Park is closed to various activities each year from December 1 (12:00 am) through May 1 (6:00 am).