Photo Gallery
Upper Teton River & Teton River Canyon
Known for its famed fly fishing, the Teton River offers so much more than that. Whether it’s floating down the river or hiking the mountain ridges above it, there are activities for everyone to enjoy in the watershed. And sometimes, the best activity is no activity at all–just soaking it all in. It’s common to see a moose eating a meal of willow on the river bank, bald eagles and osprey soaring above, with the distinctive call of sandhill cranes from adjacent agricultural fields. The Teton River offers family-friendly meandering flows to class IV whitewater, so no matter your skill level or taste for adventure, the Teton River is sure to float your boat.
Upper Teton River
Teton River Canyon
One of the most altering events in the course of the Teton River was the collapse of the Teton Dam, on June 5, 1976–just as it was being filled for the first time. Eleven people perished, entire towns were destroyed, 13,000 head of livestock were killed, and tens of thousands of acres of farmland were stripped of topsoil.The force of the failure destroyed the lower part of the Teton River, washing away riparian zones and reducing the canyon walls. This significantly changed the river’s ecology and the future of recreation in the Canyon itself. What remains is a striking and remote basaltic canyon that few anglers and boaters access each year.
Betsy first visited Teton Valley as a 10-year-old from Atlanta, GA, on a family trip west (station wagon and pop-up camper in tow), and knew from that point that the Tetons were amazing and the Rockies were where she wanted to be when she grew up. With a B.A. in Biology and an M.A. in Geography, she enjoyed a career in natural resource management with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Forest Service, the last 20 years in Utah and Montana. In 2022, she and her husband Dan started building their home in Tetonia, moving here in 2023, and are enjoying the outdoor joys of the Tetons and getting to know Teton Valley. She enjoys all things outdoors, particularly hiking, mountain biking, skiing, and trying to dabble in bikepacking; loves traveling although finds leaving their senior tabby to be so hard.
Rafe owns and operates Canewater Farm in Victor, Idaho. Rafe studied business at The University of Georgia and organic agriculture at the University of California Santa Cruz. Rafe brings the unique perspective of the local agricultural community to Friends of the Teton River. He is a farmer and a fisherman who views the Teton River as the lifeblood of the community. He advocates for collaboration between agricultural and recreational stakeholders. He is a proud father of two children, Rowan and Emmalou. He and his family sneak away from the farm any chance they can to camp, fish, ski, bike and explore the beautiful mountains and rivers of the area.