Blacktail Ponds Overlook

This roadside viewpoint looks across wetlands and sagebrush flats toward the Teton skyline. It is a good place to pause and look for wildlife, but sightings aren't guaranteed. About half a mile north of Moose on US 26/89/191, a paved spur runs less than half a mile from the turnoff to the overlook. There is parking at the viewpoint.

A short path heads toward the water, though visitors report wet ground near the river. You can keep this a quick roadside stop from the overlook itself.

Look from near to far: wetlands and sagebrush flats on the valley floor, forest on the lower slopes, then alpine terrain above the trees. An interpretive display helps connect those biological communities to the landscape in front of you.

The old beaver ponds here gradually filled with sediment and now support grassy meadows. The name still fits this wetland landscape, even though open water may not be obvious from every angle.

Visitors most often report moose and elk, while the wetland habitat also supports beavers and river otters. Mule deer and black bears use the nearby forest. Take your time and scan across the brush; binoculars help with animals that stay well back. Early and late visits are often suggested for wildlife watching, but animals can appear at other times too.

Keep some of the wetland low in the frame with the Tetons rising above it; that shows the valley setting better than a mountain-only crop. Visitors also like the light around sunrise and sunset, though neither wildlife nor colorful skies are a sure thing.

“Blacktail” is an older name for mule deer, which frequent this area. The overlook keeps that name even though the deer are now usually called mule deer.