Things to do in Jackson Hole
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Jackson Hole
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Winter peak ski season; deepest snow and best powder odds in January and February, thinner crowds after Christmas.
Mud season trough: resorts closed and many restaurants on locals hours, but late May brings newborn wildlife and low prices.
Summer co-peak: all roads, boats, rafts and trails open, whitewater peaks in June and high country hiking in July and August.
Fall is locals' favourite: elk bugling, golden aspens, thinning crowds and the best value to glory ratio, until early October.
Second mud season: park facilities and many restaurants close and the valley waits for snow; cheapest luxury lodging of the year.
What's on
- Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race late January to early February
The race starts in Jackson.
- Kings & Queens of Corbet's February
Invitational spectacle in Corbet's Couloir, watchable from the tram.
- World Championship Snowmobile Hill Climb March
Held at Snow King Mountain in town.
- Rendezvous Music Festival early April
Spring closing weekend festival in Teton Village.
- Old West Days and ElkFest Usually mid to late May
Includes the Boy Scout elk antler auction on Town Square and the Million Dollar Music Fest.
- Jackson Hole Rodeo Wednesday and Saturday nights all summer
At the Teton County Fairgrounds in town, with Friday nights added in peak weeks.
- Town Square Shootout 6pm on summer weekdays
Free staged Old West gunfight on Town Square, running since 1957.
- Grand Teton Music Festival July to early August, seven weeks
The valley's summer classical festival.
- Teton County Fair late July
County fair in Jackson in the busiest summer weeks.
- Art Fair Jackson Hole July
Summer art fair in Jackson.
Worth the trip for
Best things to do in Jackson Hole
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
North America's proving ground ski mountain, with 4,139 feet of vertical and the Aerial Tram to Rendezvous Mountain.
Jenny Lake
Ride the shuttle boat to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point, then keep walking into Cascade Canyon as crowds thin.
Jackson Town Square
Four elk antler arches frame a real working town square of boardwalks, galleries and gear shops, best at golden hour.
National Museum of Wildlife Art
Five thousand wildlife works in a stone building facing the Elk Refuge, the indoor visit that holds adults for hours.
National Elk Refuge
Horse drawn sleighs take you into the wintering elk herd, with bison, eagles and swans often on the same ride.
Snow King Mountain
The steep town hill five blocks from the Square, with night skiing in winter and a coaster and alpine slide in summer.
Jackson Hole Rodeo
A working small town rodeo of bulls, broncs and barrel racing, walkable from most Jackson lodging in summer.
Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris
Naturalist guides track where grizzlies, wolves and moose are this week, knowledge that decays in days.
Where to stay in Jackson Hole
Downtown Jackson / Town Square
first trip, all-round base
Walk to 50 plus restaurants, bars and galleries, with the Village lifts 20 minutes and the park 15 minutes away.
Teton Village
ski base, resort summer base
Click in at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort with the tram at your door, at the cost of a smaller, quieter dining scene.
Wilson / West Bank
quiet, rentals and repeat visitors
Wooded and residential between town and Village, with Moose-Wilson Road into the park from your door.
In / near the park: Moose, Jackson Lake, Moran
photographers, hikers and park maximists
Dawn at Schwabacher without the drive and Jenny Lake before crowds, 30 to 50 minutes from Jackson's restaurants.
Snow King / east Jackson edge
mid-range compromise
Five blocks to the Square with the Town Hill at your back door, condo stock, kitchens and parking for less per night.
Think twice about
- Victor / Driggs, Idaho, sold as Jackson Hole
Charming cheaper towns, but 45 to 60 minutes away over Teton Pass, a steep winter road that closes in storms.
- Alpine / Star Valley
A pretty canyon commute south with no transit and nothing walkable at the Jackson end after a long dinner.
- Teton Village in summer, if nightlife is the trip
Half the fun is in Jackson after 8pm, and the Village to town run is 12 dark miles with elk and moose on it.
- Rentals listed only as Jackson Hole
The valley is 48 miles long, so a Kelly, Moran or Hoback house can be 30 to 50 minutes from your dinner. Demand the address.
Best restaurants in Jackson Hole
Snake River Grill
The 30 year benchmark on the Square: potato pancake with caviar, elk chops and dry aged steaks, dinner only.
Glorietta Trattoria
Handmade pastas and wood fired mains in a low lit room at the Anvil, the town's best Italian and romantic room.
Local Restaurant & Bar
The steakhouse locals use, with in house butchery, dry aged steaks and a happy hour that is the Square's value move.
Gather
Creative American plates like elk bolognese and Wagyu tartare in a casual room that works for mixed groups.
Bin22
A tapas bar in a bottle shop: buy the bottle at retail and drink it with mozzarella, pintxos and charcuterie.
Hatch Taqueria & Tequila
Big portions, elk quesadillas and the spicy margarita locals name as their favourite cocktail in town.
The Blue Lion
Jackson's oldest owner operated fine dining room, a converted house serving elk tenderloin and lamb with live music.
Gun Barrel Steak & Game House
Mesquite grilled elk loin, bison prime rib and venison bratwurst among the taxidermy, built for groups.
Outdoor things to do in Jackson Hole
Grand Targhee Resort
The powder insurance day on the Tetons' west slope, mellower and cheaper than Jackson Hole with far smaller crowds.
Snowmobile Tour to Old Faithful
A guided snowmobile day of about 90 miles round trip to Old Faithful when Yellowstone's roads are closed to cars.
Cascade Canyon Trail
The signature Teton hike past Inspiration Point into a canyon under the Grand, where moose are routine.
Taggart Lake
A gentle three mile round trip to a lake reflecting the Tetons, right for families and a first altitude day.
Bradley Lake
The quieter twin of Taggart Lake on the same easy trail system, with the Tetons across the water.
Phelps Lake
A preserve loop past the park's nicest visitor centre to a lake with a jumping rock in high summer.
Grand Teton
The classic American alpine climb, guided over two to three days via a camp at the Lower Saddle.
Jackson Hole Whitewater
Eight miles of Class II to III canyon whitewater with named rapids, run in small rafts from May to September.
Best hotels in Jackson Hole
Amangani
Aman's sandstone resort on the butte: huge suites, a pool laid into the view and total quiet above town.
Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole
Ski in, ski out luxury at the gondola, with ski valet, pools and the Village's most complete family operation.
Hotel Jackson
A 55 room family owned boutique a block off the Square, with fireplaces and a rooftop hot tub.
The Wort Hotel
The 1941 historic icon off the Square, with Western art and the Silver Dollar Bar downstairs.
The Cloudveil
The modern grand hotel on the Square itself, with a rooftop and the best outright address in town.
Hotel Terra
LEED built Village hotel with a rooftop spa tub, minutes to the lifts and hundreds under the Four Seasons.
Teton Mountain Lodge
Bigger suites with kitchenettes, a spa and the Spur restaurant, the Village's family and group version.
Rustic Inn Creekside
Creekside cabins and rooms with pool, spa and breakfast, walkable-ish to the Square and loved by repeat visitors.
Is Jackson Hole expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | $250 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | $550 a person |
| Splurge | $1,400 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Jackson Hole Mountain Resort: weeks ahead
- Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris: weeks ahead
- Snowmobile Tour to Old Faithful: weeks ahead
- Grand Teton: months ahead
- Yellowstone Lower Loop: weeks ahead
- Amangani: months ahead
- Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole: months ahead
- Hotel Jackson: months ahead
- Lodging for peak summer and ski weeks books 6 to 12 months out; in park lodges open about a year ahead.
- Snake River Grill reservations open 60 days ahead at noon Mountain Time and the best times go that day.
- Guided Grand Teton climbs, wildlife safaris, Yellowstone tours, fly fishing floats and snowmobile days sell out in season.
- Grand Teton campgrounds release on Recreation.gov in rolling 6 month windows; Jenny Lake parking fills by 9 to 10am in July.
Is Jackson Hole safe?
- Carry bear spray where you can reach it, keep 100 yards from bears and wolves and 25 yards from moose.
- Summer lightning builds fast over the Tetons: be descending exposed high trails by early afternoon.
- Elk, moose and deer on dark highways are the top driving hazard; slow down at dawn and dusk.
- Trailhead car break-ins occur: leave nothing visible or valuable and lock up.
Jackson Hole travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Walk up lift tickets at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort run about 240 dollars before rentals and lunch.
- Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is a poor first mountain for beginners, with only about 10 percent beginner terrain.
- A Yellowstone half day from Jackson: it is 100 miles to Old Faithful, so a full day is the minimum.
- Midday at Mormon Row and Schwabacher: these are dawn subjects, hot, flat lit and crowded by noon.
- Kelly Warm Springs is signed against swimming; look at the view and keep out of the water.
- Unlicensed short term rentals are listed despite county zoning rules; a cancelled peak week house has no replacement.
Getting around Jackson Hole: public transport and more
- Fly into Jackson Hole Airport inside Grand Teton National Park, 9 miles north of town.
- You need a car for a park centred trip; START Bus is free in Jackson and cheap to Teton Village.
- Check Wyoming 511 before Teton Pass or the Snake River Canyon in winter, and rent AWD.
- Town sits at 6,237 feet: hydrate from day one and go easy on alcohol the first night.
Who Jackson Hole suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Great |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Great |
Make Jackson Hole your trip
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