I'll admit that visiting Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Grand Teton National Park was a post-Yellowstone Park afterthought. We were in the area... so, why not? Located just south of Yellowstone, this area holds its own against its more famous neighbor. As soon as Jackson Lake came into view with the Teton Mountain range rising up behind it, I knew that we were in for a scenic treat. Our few days based in Jackson Hole were filled with all sorts of outdoor adventures followed by evenings relaxing in town. It's an admittedly touristy place, but all the wide open space keeps it from ever feeling overly crowded.
Fur trappers and mountain men first entered this valley between the Teton and Gros Ventre mountain ranges by descending its steep slopes, feeling as if they were climbing into a massive hole. The area is named after David Edward "Davey" Jackson, a beaver trapper who was one of the first white men to spend an entire winter in this valley in the 1820's. It would be another 50 more years before Jackson Hole was regularly inhabited year-round.
FUN FACT: The area is expecting record high crowds on August 21, 2017. Why? It's a prime viewing area for a total eclipse of the sun beginning at 10:17AM and peaking at 11:35AM.
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| Clear water fills 250 foot deep Jenny Lake |
Boat across Jenny Lake and hike up to Inspiration Point
There's a 2.5 mile trail along the shores of Jenny Lake from the Visitor's Center to the dock on the lake's western edge, but we chose the 12-minute shuttle boat as the quickest way to reach the trailhead. From the dock, signs point to a family friendly hike up to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. The 2.2 mile roundtrip trail has an elevation gain of 450 feet through a tall conifer forest and rewards hikers with a gorgeous, panoramic view of the lake on one side and the Tetons on the other.
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| Up at Inspiration Point. That tiny white object near my shoulder is the shuttle boat crossing Jenny Lake. |
Horseback Riding at Spring Creek Ranch
Dude ranches are quite popular in this area, and nothing makes you feel more like a cowboy than riding on a horse. Our nose-to-tail, one-hour ride took us up to a ridgeline on East Gros Ventre Butte where we could look down on the town of Jackson and still marvel at glorious views of Grand Teton itself. |
| Photo credit: Dusty Stables Photography |
Before our ride, we had lunch at The Granary, located on site at Spring Creek Ranch. Perched 1000 feet above the valley floor, it has spectacular views out the window — one of the best in America according to OpenTable.com. Plus, the food was tasty, and the prices were comparable to other places in town. (Overall, I felt sticker shock at how expensive a casual meal costs in Jackson Hole. So, this practically felt like a bargain considering the service and scenery.)
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| The excellent view from The Granary Restaurant |
Raft down the Snake River
Our horseback ride and meal was part of the Paddles and Saddles package offered by Jackson Hole Whitewater. The other part of the activity was heading down the Snake River either on a Class III Whitewater Rafting trip or a Scenic Float Trip. My friend took both her young elementary school kids and her mom on the 8-mile rafting trip, and all three generations loved it. They had a choice of sitting on the side to help paddle or in the middle to just hold on. Every section of whitewater rapids is followed by a calm stretch of river.
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| Rafting along the Snake River |
I am a total wimp, so I signed my family up for the 13-mile Scenic Float trip. As promised, it is incredibly calm and relaxing. The peaceful waters allowed me to focus on the guide and his vast knowledge of our surroundings. A sack lunch of sandwiches, chips and a cookie was included as part of the float. Best of all, we saw lots of wildlife along the shores and up in the trees, including numerous bald eagle sightings. High powered binoculars are available on the raft, but it seems that my kids were more interested on looking at each other close up with them than looking beyond the boat.
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| Bald Eagle sighted along the Snake River |
Take a ride on the Jackson Hole Aerial Tram
People are spoilt for choice for high up views all around the valley. One of the best is reached by taking the Jackson Hole Aerial Tram from Mountain Resort to the top of Rendezvous Mountain. The huge tram holds 100 people and takes 12 minutes to climb 4,139 vertical feet (1262 meters) along 12,463 feet (3,799 meters) of cable.
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| Heading upwards on the Jackson Hole Aerial Tram |
The top was windy but a great place for tons of photo opportunities. Since we took the tram up at the end of the day, we made especially sure not to miss the last tram down. No way did we want to spend the night up there! Too bad that we didn't have time to enjoy the waffles at Corbet's Cabin at the top.
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| The top of Rendezvous Mountain |
Climbing the Ropes Course at Mountain Resort
While most of Mountain Resort seemed to be filled with shops and restaurants (some only open during the winter ski season), the kids were immediately drawn to the Ropes Course after we came back down on the tram.
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| Ropes Course at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort |
The Grand Adventure Park of the Mountain Resort also includes a mountain biking trail, rock climbing wall and a drop tower.
Explore the town of Jackson
As I said at the beginning, Jackson Hole is undoubtedly a touristy town. Gift shops, restaurants and ice cream parlours catering to visitors abound. Yet, it's a different feeling than, for example, being crammed into the narrow passageways of Venice. There's so much soaring openness that it seems that there's room for everyone.
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| Famous antler arches on the corners of the Town Square |
One of the iconic places in Jackson Hole is the Town Square with an archway fashioned out of elk antlers on each corner. The National Elk Refuge is located just a mile from the square. Every year, the local Boy Scout troop collects the antlers that are shed each winter and auctions them off as a fundraiser. No animals are harmed. Each antler goes for about $2, and each arch is made of approximately 2,000 antlers.
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| My mom-in-law and her sister in Jackson Hole in 1950 |
One of our favorite stores in town is the Jackson Hole Toy Store. The proprietor is one of those people who truly has a passion for his work. There's a unique selection of international toys that I don't see at my nearby Toys'R'Us. Since we last visited, they've added a wireless shooting gallery with 40 targets located around the store. That sounds like so much fun!
Go down the Alpine Slide
Alas, we didn't get around to everything on our To Do list while in Jackson Hole. Another friend highly recommended the Alpine Slide at Snow King Mountain Resort. Perhaps you can give it a go and tell me if you enjoyed it.
Where to Stay
My family of five easily fit into one of the suites at The Lexington located just a few blocks from the Town Square. A tasty breakfast was included, and I really liked that they had multiple USB outlets on the desk for us to charge all our devices. The kids had a blast at the small indoor pool, too.
I can tell you one thing for sure. We slept very well each night as we recuperated from a day packed with activity.
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