Five Great Jackson Hole Winter Activities
Imagine a place that welcomes you with open arms and a checklist full of activities no matter what time of year you visit. Imagine a new brand new experience for each season. Congrats—you’re imagining Jackson Hole. (You were probably wondering why the elk antler arch popped spontaneously into your imaginings.) Winter is nearly upon us, with Jack Frost nipping at our heels like a hyperactive golden retriever, so we thought we’d dust off the old list of the best Jackson Hole winter activities (and stealthily slip in a few plugs for the motel along the way):
We would be very terrible list makers if we didn’t list skiing among the winter activities we recommend here in Jackson, which gets an average snowfall of 500 inches. No matter your speed, we’ve got something for you:
* Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has been named the No. 1 Ski Resort in North America by Forbes magazine seven years in a row, with the longest continuous vertical rise of any ski area in the US: 4,139 feet.
* Snow King, known as the “Town Hill,” offers one of the steepest sustained pitches, top-to-bottom, in the contiguous United States. Be sure to check out the night skiing.
* Grand Targhee Resort is known for the most powder days of any ski area in the country. The atmosphere here tends to be mellower than that of its counterparts, and it’s easy to find a challenge suited to your skill level.
Make sure to check out our ski special (one night's stay, a grab-and-go breakfast, a ski lift ticket to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, and a discount on ski rentals) for $209 for one person and $159 for each additional person up to four per room.
Downhill skiing not your thing? On your own or with a guide, you can take one of the cross-country skiing paths that crisscross Grand Teton National Park—either groomed Nordic tracks or natural trails. Or if you’d rather clomp through the snow feeling like a old-timey fur trapper who stumbled upon an REI, take advantage of the many powdery snowshoe trails the Jackson area has to offer. Either way, be sure to pack along a thermos of hot cocoa. You can also try a splitboard to go up the hill, available at Teton Backcountry Rentals (Flat Creek customers get a deal here).
Once, members the Flat Creek Inn staff embarked on an epic snowmobiling trek to Granite Hot Springs, where they soaked in the warmth. They highly recommend the experience, though getting out of the hot springs in middle of the winter is always a trying task at best. You can also enlist the aid of an expert guide to take you on a snowmobile tour of the area.
Okay, shameless plug time. Across the street from Flat Creek Inn lies the National Elk Refuge, where thousands of elk gather. You can sleigh among them, watching the elk do elk things in an elk environment, with
Flat Creek Inn’s “Stay and Sleigh Special” —which includes a one-night stay and two tickets for the sleigh ride for only $119.00! Try it out from mid-December through early April.
Ever ridden in a snowcoach? Ride in style across the winter plains of Yellowstone in a way the old fur trappers would have willingly traded a whole mound of pelts for. Take a giant wheeled or treaded conveyance to Old Faithful or other popular attractions. Snowcoach guide can also show you the wildlife, history, and geology of the park in a way you’ve never seen before.
Skiing
We would be very terrible list makers if we didn’t list skiing among the winter activities we recommend here in Jackson, which gets an average snowfall of 500 inches. No matter your speed, we’ve got something for you:
* Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has been named the No. 1 Ski Resort in North America by Forbes magazine seven years in a row, with the longest continuous vertical rise of any ski area in the US: 4,139 feet.
* Snow King, known as the “Town Hill,” offers one of the steepest sustained pitches, top-to-bottom, in the contiguous United States. Be sure to check out the night skiing.
* Grand Targhee Resort is known for the most powder days of any ski area in the country. The atmosphere here tends to be mellower than that of its counterparts, and it’s easy to find a challenge suited to your skill level.
Make sure to check out our ski special (one night's stay, a grab-and-go breakfast, a ski lift ticket to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, and a discount on ski rentals) for $209 for one person and $159 for each additional person up to four per room.
Cross-country skiing/snowshoeing
Downhill skiing not your thing? On your own or with a guide, you can take one of the cross-country skiing paths that crisscross Grand Teton National Park—either groomed Nordic tracks or natural trails. Or if you’d rather clomp through the snow feeling like a old-timey fur trapper who stumbled upon an REI, take advantage of the many powdery snowshoe trails the Jackson area has to offer. Either way, be sure to pack along a thermos of hot cocoa. You can also try a splitboard to go up the hill, available at Teton Backcountry Rentals (Flat Creek customers get a deal here).
Snowmobile tour
Once, members the Flat Creek Inn staff embarked on an epic snowmobiling trek to Granite Hot Springs, where they soaked in the warmth. They highly recommend the experience, though getting out of the hot springs in middle of the winter is always a trying task at best. You can also enlist the aid of an expert guide to take you on a snowmobile tour of the area.
Elk refuge sleigh ride
Okay, shameless plug time. Across the street from Flat Creek Inn lies the National Elk Refuge, where thousands of elk gather. You can sleigh among them, watching the elk do elk things in an elk environment, with
Flat Creek Inn’s “Stay and Sleigh Special” —which includes a one-night stay and two tickets for the sleigh ride for only $119.00! Try it out from mid-December through early April.
Snowcoach ride
Ever ridden in a snowcoach? Ride in style across the winter plains of Yellowstone in a way the old fur trappers would have willingly traded a whole mound of pelts for. Take a giant wheeled or treaded conveyance to Old Faithful or other popular attractions. Snowcoach guide can also show you the wildlife, history, and geology of the park in a way you’ve never seen before. 