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 ten things to do in and around Jackson, Wyoming.
By far the main attraction in the Jackson Hole Valley, Grand Teton National Park 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.
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.
The National Elk Refuge borders the town of Jackson and Grand Teton National Park.
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.
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.
Visiting the Town Square in the middle of Jackson is a MUST DO. Here are things you can do at the Town Square:
The Snake River is WORLD FAMOUS for its river rafting. There are two kinds of river rafting you can do in Jackson Hole:
Some of these go through Grand Teton National Park and some of them also offer dinner.
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.
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.
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, which was built in the English Tudor Style, an interesting contrast to the Old West theming of the rest of the town.
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.
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.
If you do nothing else, stop here to see the FREE Sculpture Trail outside. It offers a nice little walk through gorgeous wildlife sculptures with views of the National Elk Refuge below.
Located about an hour south of Jackson is Granite Hot Springs, which offers:
Granite Hot Springs is just one of the many camping options in the Grand Teton 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’ll not only get you to the right places to see these animals, but we’ll tell you about them in our audio guide.
Are you spending hours and hours trying to piece all this together on your own? Stop now, we got you covered with our Grand Teton travel guide.
We’re Matt and Cheryl, and we’re in the Rockies. :) We are both teachers. Cheryl teaches special ed, and Matt teaches American history. We love the American West and the national parks. We want to help you have a great vacation on your next trip to the Rockies.
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