Mormon Row and Antelope Flats Turnoff

Back on Route 89 I passed Airport Junction and Moose Junction before coming to the Antelope Flats turn off to Mormon Row.  Just before I reached the turn there was another pulloff with views of the Tetons. As I pulled in I noticed a herd of Pronghorns getting ready to bed down for the day.

Mormon Row

Mormon Row, so named for the members of the Church of Latter day Saints, who  homesteaded the area in the 1890’s is a photographer’s destination. Photographers from around the world stop by T. A. Moulton’s barn to capture this iconic historic structure with the Teton Range in the background. According to Flickr this is the most photographed barn in America. Of course I had to join the crowd and add my photos to the many others taken here.

 

Antelope Flats

Mormon Row in located in Antelope Flats. My Gaperguide was stressing this often overlooked area. Antelope Flats Road is a spectacular route that takes you through sagebrush flats and over rolling plains. This tract of land lies in the path of a primary migration route for pronghorn, bison, and the largest elk herd in the world. As you view the old homesteads you can feel like you’ve been transported back in time. You gain a glimpse of the Old West.

Wildlife of Antelope Flats

The list of wildlife to be seen here is long and varied, wolves,  badger, coyotes, and fox as well as the bigger animals. It was quiet as I drove slowly along searching. I spotted more pronghorn in the distance and at one stop two chipmunks played in the dry grasses by the side of the road. It’s amazing how completely they blend in with their surroundings. They seem a darker color than the cinnamon colored rodents of New England. I only spotted them because they moved!