Jackson, Wyoming

Jackson, Wyoming is located 1 hour from Dubois, Wyoming, 30 minutes from Grand Tetons National Park and 1 hour from Yellowstone National Park.

Jackson is an high end “authentic Old West town” with a population of approximately 9,577 and an elevation of 6,237 feet, balloons in size during summer with tourists and winter with ski lovers with two ski resorts: Snow King Mountain and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Teton Village. Located in the heart of the Teton Range, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has more than 4,000 feet of vertical terrain, one of the highest snowfall totals in the country (an annual average of 400 inches).  

Located at the base of the mighty Teton Mountain Range, the valley (know as Jackson Hole) is home to Grand Teton National Park with some of the most spectacular alpine scenery in the world. Many wildlife call this valley home such as mountain lions to elk, bison, and grizzly bears.

National Elk Refuge

Located just outside of Jackson on Highway 191, a 24,700 acres non-enclosed sanctuary was created in 1912 to protect and provide a non-enclosed sanctuary for one of the largest Elk herds on earth. Elk (also known as wapiti) have roamed Jackson Hole and the nearby Teton Mountains by the thousands for many years. During the winter months they have difficulty finding food with the harsh winters. The Wapiti herd calls this sanctuary home each winter with an average of 7,500 elk.

Jackson Town Square

Jackson offers a LOT of shops so you could spend an entire day walking around. A great place to start is the George Washington Memorial Park also known as Jackson Town Square. The arches were built from the Boy Scouts who collected 1,000 pounds of antlers from the National Elk Refuge.

My favorite gallery in Jackson was Altamira Fine Art which specializes in contemporary and western art exhibitions. They have a fabulous gallery across from the Jackson Town Square and feature some of my favorite artists like Theodore Waddell, Jivian Lee and James Bason. Would love to belong to this gallery, I dropped my card, but it might be a bucket list item one day. Make sure you check them out if you are in Jackson, an amazing gallery.

Jackson Hole Historical Society

Started in 1958 by an avid archaeologist, this museum provides visitors with the history of the valley and the surrounding Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. The historical society gives information on old days in Jackson Hole with animal trappers, dude ranchers, cowboys, and Native Americans, as well as walking tours of historic downtown Jackson three times a week during summer months. 

Jackson Carriage Rides

Jackson Rodeo

Jackson Hole Rodeo happens every Wednesday and Saturday night with barrel-racing, bull-riding, bareback bronc riding, and calf-roping are some of the lineups. Jackson Hole Shoot-outs happen at 6 pm between Memorial to Labor Day presented by Jackson Hole Playhouse.

For more information on Wyoming, watch the 1 hour Wyoming PBS video here.