12 Things You Can’t Miss on Your First Trip to Jackson, Wyoming

Antler arch in Jackson, Wyoming
Antler Arches in Jackson, Wyoming

Jackson, Wyoming, is famous for being an Old West town in the Jackson Hole Valley. It’s most often visited together with Grand Teton National Park.

Don’t miss out on the best that Jackson has to offer! Here are my top twelve things to do in and around Jackson, Wyoming.

10 Best Things to Do in Jackson, Wyoming!
Watch this to see the best of Jackson! 13 mins

Visit Grand Teton’s Most Popular Spot with Confidence with Our Complete Guide to Jenny Lake

It includes boat rides, reservations, things to do, how to save miles hiking, and more!

1. Grand Teton National Park

By far the main attraction in the Jackson Hole Valley is Grand Teton National Park, which receives over 3 million visitors per year.

It’s famous for the Teton mountains, which are highlighted by The Three Teton peaks. The mountain range can be seen virtually anywhere from the Jackson Hole Valley floor.

It’s open in the summer and the winter.

VISITING GRAND TETON AND NEED A GAME PLAN? CHECK OUT OUR ITINERARY.

2. Teton Village

Aerial Tram at Teton Village
Teton Mountain Range from the Teton Skywalk with man and woman standing on the platform
Skywalk at Teton Village

About 15 minutes away from Jackson, Teton Village is a famous and expensive ski resort.

But if you visit in the summer, there are so many affordable things you can do in Teton Village:

While not part of Teton Village per se, you can also Golf at nearby Shooting Star or Teton Pines.

Depending on when you’re visiting, you can check out the summer map or the winter map of Teton Village.

3. National Elk Refuge

image of elk in winter
Elk populate the refuge in winter

The National Elk Refuge borders the town of Jackson and Grand Teton National Park.

Winter

This is best visited during the winter when you can take a sleigh ride to see the many elk who have gathered for the winter.

image of river with birds
Elk Refuge in summer

Summer

In the summer, it’s mostly birds and scenery. The best way to do it is to stop at the Jackson Hole and Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center on the edge of town. You’ll get nice views of the Snake River, the valley, and the mountains. And you’ll learn a thing or two!

If you’re up for a little drive, you can visit the Historic Miller Ranch as well.

4. Town Square

family standing under elk antler arch
The famous Elk Antler Arches

Visiting the Town Square in the middle of Jackson is a MUST DO. Here are things you can do at the Town Square:

  • The famous Elk Antler Arches are on all 4 corners of the town square and also serve as entrances to the park. EVERYONE gets their picture taken at the arches, which are collected by the Boy Scouts from the nearby National Elk Refuge.
  • The Jackson Veterans Memorial honors everyone who served in any war from Jackson Hole.
  • Plaques to George Washington and John Colter. The park is actually named the George Washington Memorial Park (although no one calls it that). John Colter was a famous mountain man and possibly the first European to see Yellowstone and the Tetons.
  • Town Shootout. The free Town Shootout is performed every day but Sunday (no killin’ on Sundays!) during the summer. It’s located on the northeast corner of the Town Square; just look for the crowds gathering around 6 pm.
  • Moo’s Ice Cream. Located just north of the same corner as the shootout is Moo’s Ice Cream. We knew it was good when we saw the long line.
  • Million Dollar Bar. Located across the street to the west of the Town Square. See below.
  • Stagecoach rides. Pay for this and board the horses on the south side of the Town Square. These are affordable carriage rides through Jackson Hole Stagecoach.
  • Jackson Mercantile has some quirky taxidermy. We love the raccoons on kayaks!
Jackson Hole Playhouse: Dinner and a Show!
Another fun thing to do in Jackson! 2 mins

5. Jackson Hole Playhouse

dinner plate at Jackson Hole Playhouse
Dinner at the Jackson Hole Playhouse

This is a great way to spend an evening. The Jackson Hole Playhouse may be the oldest building in the town of Jackson. It’s fun to just walk by and see, but if you have the time and money, it’s well worth it!

We enjoyed an upscale dinner here where the performers are the servers. It’s not uncommon for them to break into song or have some entertaining skits and jokes as well.

The theater is cozy, and the production is wonderful. We were impressed with the sets, costumes, and talent of the performers at such a small theater and will be returning again! If you do the play and dinner, it costs ~$125 per person. Play-only tickets are ~$60.

6. Bar T 5 Covered Wagon Cookout and Show

people getting into covered wagons
Bar T 5 Wagon Ride
Roast beef in a cast iron pan
Roast Beef at the Bar T 5

This is another fun option for evening entertainment. At the Bar T 5, guests are loaded into a horse-drawn covered wagon and transported to a covered outdoor theater where they are served a chuck wagon dinner and entertained with a dinner show.

The wagon ride is cozy and wonderful. My favorite part was the views of the sun setting on the Tetons. It was so pretty, peaceful, and romantic.

The dinner included all the fixins you would expect at a chuckwagon dinner, including roast beef and chicken, baked beans, green salad, roll, brownie, lemonade, coffee, hot chocolate, and water. Vegetarian options (baked potato and beans with no bacon) were available, too.

To be honest, the food was just ok. I wasn’t a fan of them serving margarine instead of butter.

The show was interactive with some cheeky jokes and an amazing fiddler. Our favorite was when he played The Devil Came Down to Georgia.

We’ve been to 8 cowboy cookouts in our travels. What was impressive to me about this one was that it offered a good wagon ride, dinner, and a show. It costs ~$70 for adults.

7. River Rafting

people in raft on whitewater in river
The World Famous Snake River
Rafting guide on river
Triangle X River Float Through Grand Teton

The Snake River is WORLD FAMOUS for its river rafting. There are two kinds of river rafting you can do in Jackson Hole:

Calm Floats

Some of these go through Grand Teton National Park and some of them also offer dinner.

White-Water Rafting

These trips are for those who are a little more adventurous. They go on Class 3 water rapids (on a 1-5 scale). Families can do it, but you might not want to bring the little ones.

You can book either of these or even a combination, through Jackson Hole Whitewater or many other companies in the area.

8. Million Dollar Bar

The bucking bronco sign on top of the Cowboy Bar
View of the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar from the Town Square

One of the most iconic images of Jackson is the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, with the bucking bronco on top.

This bar has a long history of live country music. People like Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings have performed here.

It was recently purchased and renovated by the Silver Dollar Bar. It’s a beautiful place to visit and you can even sit on saddles at the bar.

It’s located right next to the Town Square.

FIND OUT: The Best Places to Eat in Jackson Hole, WY.

Not sure which Yellowstone Entrance is right for you?

Download our Free Quick and Easy Guide to Yellowstone’s entrances!

9. Silver Dollar Bar & Wort Hotel

Front view of Wort Hotel in Jackson, Wyoming
Silver Dollar Bar & Wort Hotel

Here’s another historic place to get a drink.

The Silver Dollar Bar is so named because it has over 2,000 silver dollars embedded in the bar.

It’s part of the gorgeous Wort Hotel (book here), which was built in the English Tudor Style, an interesting contrast to the Old West theming of the rest of the town.

READ: 9 Best Areas to Stay when Visiting Grand Teton (+Affordable Options)

10. Jackson Hole Rodeo

image of man riding horse in rodeo
The Jackson Hole Rodeo has been around for 120 years!

The Jackson Hole Rodeo has been running for 120 years! We love these small-town rodeos because they usually don’t last too long and they are very informal and fun.

They usually allow the kids to come into the arena for a game during the rodeo.

I haven’t been to this rodeo yet, but it’s on my bucket list.

FIND OUT: 14 Things to Know Before Visiting Wyoming!

11. National Museum of Wildlife Art

image of bison sculptures
The Sculpture Trail is FREE and it’s a MUST DO

I know, I know, you came here to see real wildlife, not wildlife art. But hear me out: this is an amazing place!

The National Museum of Wildlife Art has a goal to own the largest collection of wildlife art in the world. You can pay ~$18 to see the paintings and statues inside, and they are nice, but we really enjoy the FREE Sculpture Trail outside.

It offers a nice little walk through gorgeous wildlife sculptures with views of the National Elk Refuge below.

12. Granite Hot Springs

image of people in a pool
This developed hot spring pool is run by the Forest Service

Located about an hour south of Jackson is Granite Hot Springs, which offers:

  • Granite Hotel Springs Pool. You can soak here for ~$12/adult and ~$7/kids (bring cash!). There is only one changing room, so they encourage you to wear your swimsuit to the facility.
  • Granite Falls. It’s a short walk to this nice little waterfall.
  • Granite Creek Campground. A first-come, first-served campground is located here with 51 campsites.

Granite Hot Springs is just one of the many camping options in the Grand Teton area.

BONUS: Look for Moose!

Moose
Moose Near the Gros Ventre Area

Jackson Hole is famous for moose! These incredible animals are found all over the Jackson Hole Valley.

Jackson Hole is part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). The GYE is the best place in the lower 48 states for viewing wildlife.

If you’re visiting Jackson, Grand Teton, or Yellowstone, we have a great plan for you to see more wildlife.

We’ve seen moose, bison, antelope, elk, fox, deer, and more on our many trips to Jackson, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone.

We have a detailed itinerary that gives you a step-by-step game plan so you can get to the best places at the right times!

But that’s not all! Our itinerary includes a free audio guide to listen to while driving, with over 3 hours of stories about the park!

MORE INFORMATION FOR YOUR TRIP TO
GRAND TETON

GRAND TETON TRIP PLANNER: To read or watch all of our content about Grand Teton National Park, check out our Grand Teton Homepage

THINGS TO DO: Don’t miss all that Grand Teton has to offer including Jenny Lake, Colter BayMormon Row, Teton Village, river rafting, hiking, and abundant wildlife. Visit Grand Teton’s most popular site with confidence with our Complete Guide to Jenny Lake

WHERE TO EAT: Check out the best places to eat and where to get groceries and eat picnics in Grand Teton National Park

GREAT CITIES TO STAY OR CHECK OUT: Learn all about where to stay and where to camp when visiting Grand Teton and all there is to do in Jackson, Wyoming

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Find out what to pack, which entrance to use, plus tips for driving in and flying to Grand Teton as well as the best time to visit and how many days to visit.

WATCH: Enjoy videos of gorgeous Grand Teton National Park while learning our best tips for visiting by watching our Grand Teton YouTube Playlist

LEGAL INFORMATION

This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site.