End of US highway 187

View a map showing this route.

Photo credits: Chris Elbert; me

Approx. time period North terminus South terminus
1926-1950s Jackson Lake Jct. WY Rock Springs, WY
1950s-1982 Moran Jct. WY Rock Springs, WY

US 187 was an original 1926 route, and it lasted until 1982. The north end was always in what is now Grand Teton National Park, but not always at the same location. Originally US 187 did not follow the route of today's US 26/89/191. Instead, north from Moose Jct, US 187 followed what is now know as "Teton Park Road" right past Jenny Lake. So it intersected the other highways at Jackson Lake Jct. The photo below was taken from the perspective of what was originally northbound US 87W...

Elbert, July 2005

...but which later became US 287 (and is now US 89 and US 191 as well). US 187 began to the left. The photo below shows that same sign, but from the perspective of a driver at the original north end of US 187:

Elbert, July 2005

Note the reference to "Moran Jct" to the east. It was around 1950 when US 187 (which by then was also US 26 and US 89) was rerouted to the present highway along the east bank of the Snake River. After that, it met US 287 at Moran Jct. and ended there (you can view photos on this page).

The south end of US 187 was in Rock Springs WY. The USGS topo (dated 1978) was printed back when that was still the case:

Of my photos, the only one that didn't turn out (thanks to the position of the sun) was looking at the former end of US 187 - in other words, the opposite direction from this first one below - which is looking north on Elk Street:

me, Mar. 2001

The cross street is the main drag through town: former US 30, and modern Business Loop I-80. These cars stopped at the light are about to enter what was once the south beginning of US 187. Below is a closeup of the signage shown above:

me, Mar. 2001

It's a bit misleading: it seems to imply that Elk is US 191, but it's not until the north side of I-80 (which is about a mile ahead). According to Andy Field, it is unsigned Spur US 191.

The shot below is looking east on old US 30; the truck is about to enter the former south beginning of US 187:

me, Mar. 2001

The signs are shown close-up below.

me, Mar. 2001