Jackson Hole Attractions
On the Hunt For Jackson Hole Attractions
Only Jackson Hole, with its distractingly wonderful wildlife and mountain vistas, could offer attractions as famous as these. By the time you finish seeing all Jackson Hole has to offer in one season, another rolls around and it’s time to start planning for the next few months. You could do this for a lifetime and still never experience all the attractions that have made Jackson Hole famous, much less made it the most special place on Earth for all who have come here. Below is a look at some of the best places to help you start preparing your plan of attack.
Yellowstone National Park
Explore the abundant wildlife of the world’s first national park. Access to the south entrance of Yellowstone National Park is just a 60-mile scenic drive from Jackson and transportation is available. The Old Faithful Geyser, as well as the majority of the world’s some 10,000 other hot springs, is within Yellowstone’s boundaries. Yellowstone Park is the center of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, one of the largest intact temperate zone ecosystems on Earth. The park’s commitment to preservation ensures that it remains fertile ground for grizzly bears, wolves, and herds of elk and bison. Guided tours and overnight lodging are available within the park. Reservations are recommended.
Grand Teton National Park
Right outside the town of Jackson is the Grand Teton National Park. Almost 4 million people visit the park every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day for climbing, hiking, backpacking, fishing, wildlife watching and more. Most activities start at the Visitor Center in Moose, Wyoming (12 miles north of Jackson). Take the Scenic Loop drive and check out these points of interest:
• Teton Point Overlook
• Snake River Overlook
• Cunningham Cabin
• Bill Menor Homestead
• Maude Noble Cabin
• Oxbow Bend
• Jackson Point Overlook
• Jenny Lake Overlook
• Cottonwood Creek Picnic Area
• Cathedral Group Turnout
Grand Teton National Park does not accept reservations. Plan ahead for the best accommodations.
Bridger-Teton National Forest
Bridger-Teton National Forest encompasses Jackson Hole on three sides and borders both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. With millions of acres of protected wilderness, more than 30,000 miles of trails, and miles upon miles of rivers and streams, Bridger-Teton is a paradise for hikers, mountain bikers, photographers, hunters and anglers. When winter rolls around, cold weather enthusiasts take to skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, ice climbing, dog sledding, and snowmobiling. Bridger-Teton has 3 ski resorts that provide skiers and boarders the time of their lives.
Jackson Hole Museum
Visit the Jackson Hole Museum to delve into artifacts and photographs detailing the story of Jackson Hole’s early days. Wear comfortable shoes because you’ll be walking through 3,000 square feet of living history- getting up close and personal with the colorful characters who settled Jackson Hole and reliving the old dude ranch way of life.
National Museum of Wildlife Art
The National Museum of Wildlife Art hardly seems like a museum. It feels more like a walk through wilderness trails. Over one hundred artists’, like John Clymer, Charlie Russell, and Thomas Moran, most famous pieces grace the corridors. The collection of artwork, over 1,300 pieces, spans a period of over 170 years, but the timeless treasures can still be seen in person within the area’s parks and mountains.
Jackson Town Square
The town of Jackson is considered the “Best of the Old West” and that label can conjure up a vivid imagination in the minds of those who wonder what it was really like living in Jackson back in the day. Luckily, you don’t have to stretch the imagination too far. One walk down the Jackson Town Square and you’ll have a really good idea, especially if you happen to be taking your stroll on a warm summer evening (any night but Sunday because cowboys need their rest too). No longer restricted to shoot outs at high-noon, cowboys gather in the square at 6:15 pm for a free for all shoot out complete with outlaws, justices of the peace, and realistic gun shots that have scared many a young cowpoke into covering their ears- or worse- sobs. When you’re ready to flee from the unruly cowboys, just hop on a stagecoach for a relaxing ride around the square.
Adding to the Old West feel of the town square are four arches constructed from hundreds of elk antlers. You’ve never seen anything like it. And fitting of such western town square ambiance, stands grandiose trees that provide shade from the sun in the summer and a place to hang the town’s holiday lights in the winter. The snow and lights covering the trees and antler arches will melt the heart of any Scrooge during the holiday season. It’s sure to put you in the mood for some shopping at several art galleries, boutiques, and gift shops that fringe the planked boardwalks of the square.
National Elk Refuge
It’s wintertime and the elk watching is easy. Over 7,500 elk roam to the north side of Jackson, Wyoming to make the 25,000-acre National Elk Refuge their home from October through May. But elk aren’t the only ones drawn to the refuge a few miles from the town of Jackson. 47 varieties of mammals (not including the human voyeur kind) and 175 species of birds also make a pilgrimage to the refuge.
The refuge is the only one of its kind dedicated solely to the elk. Native grasses are grown to feed them and they are even supplemented with alfalfa hay pellets- quite a difference from the early 1900s when they were competing with cattle for grazing rights and starving by the thousands. Today, the winter mortality rate on the range is only 1.5% and hunting is used to help regulate the number of elk within the range’s borders.
Natural Hot Springs
Does Mother Nature have a sense of humor or what? While others spend thousands of dollars installing hot tubs in their backyards or drop into their local spas for a good dose of hydrotherapy, all Jackson Hole residents have to do is visit their local national park- Yellowstone.
Yellowstone is a virtual hot bed of thermal activity. You’ll find more geysers here than anywhere else in the world. Over 200 to be exact. Thousands of steam vents and hot springs also dot the landscape, but don’t jump into just any spring to soak. Some of Yellowstone’s hot springs are too acidic for public use and some of the springs’ temperatures exceed 170 degrees.
To soak on the safe side, stick to any of Yellowstone’s hot springs that are designated for recreational use. Your options include select areas of Firehole River in the Lower Geyser Basin, Madison Campground Warm Springs along the Madison River, Mammoth Hot Springs along the Boiling River in the northern end of the park, Huckleberry and Polecat hot springs in the John D. Rockefellar Parkway, and Granite Creek Falls hot spring located below Granite Falls hot waterfall.
If you want to give your muscles a workout before indulging in a hot spring, then hike 8.5 miles to Dunanda Falls hot springs or push yourself another 8 miles to Ferris Fork Pool. Both are in the West Thumb area and their remote location gives you a better chance to soak without company. Well, unless you call bison and other animals company.
