ABOUT JACKSON HOLE
Jackson Hole is a valley about 80 miles long and 15 miles wide; Jackson is the major town within the valley. The hole begins six miles south of Yellowstone Park and tapers down to the width of the Snake River at Munger Mountain, south of Jackson. The town was named Jackson Hole in 1894 when the post office was established.
Teton Village is another community in Jackson Hole. It is located approximately 12 miles northwest of Jackson. It is the home of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. In addition to the ski resort, visitors to Teton Village may enjoy the specialty shops, restaurants, and motels & condominiums that are located here. Additionally, a tram ride to the top of Rendezvous Mountain and a gondola ride to mid-mountain and the Couloir Restaurant are also available for guests to enjoy.
Valley wildflowers begin blooming as the snow melts peaking in June and July. Spring is easily the most under-rated season in Jackson Hole. There is so much to do as the animals wake up from the winter conditions. It’s also the peak of run-off for white water enthusiasts.
Grand Teton Park begins about five miles north of Jackson on Highway 89. Entrance gates are at Moose Junction, 12 miles north or Moran Junction, about 30 miles north of Jackson.
Bison can be seen on the Antelope Flats area 13 miles northeast of Jackson, as well as in other parts of Teton Park. During the summer, elk come out of the trees along the base of the Tetons after the sun goes behind the mountains. They stay out all night and return to the woods shortly after sunrise. Pronghorn may be seen along park roads at almost any hour, but elk or moose are uncommonly seen mid-day. Look for moose near water along the Gros Ventre River northeast of town or between the Oxbow Bend (33 miles north) and the Jackson Lake Lodge or the Jackson Lake dam in morning and evening. Moose may also be seen from the Gondola or Tram at Teton Village, 12 miles northwest of Jackson.
FUN FACTS
• The New York Philharmonic held the first summer residency in its 147-year history in Jackson Hole during the first two weeks of July 1989. America’s oldest orchestra performed four concerts as a benefit for Jackson Hole’s Grand Teton Music Festival.
• The first person to ski down the 13,772-foot Grand Teton was local resident Bill Briggs in 1971. In April 2009 Briggs was inducted into the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame.
• The headwaters of the Snake River are located in Teton County.
• John Wayne’s first speaking part was in “The Big Trail,” filmed in Jackson Hole in 1929. It also is reputed to be the first time he rode a horse!
• Over 15 feature films have been made on location in Jackson Hole including: “Shane,” “Spencer’s Mountain,” “Any Which Way You Can,” “Rocky IV,” and “Django Unchained.”
• Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has one of the lowest base elevations of any ski resort area in the Rocky Mountains, at just 6,311 feet. Most other ski resorts in Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico have base elevations between 6,900 and 9,500 feet.
• Over 60 species of mammals, over 100 species of birds, and a half dozen game fish can be found in the Jackson Hole/Yellowstone area. Most notable are big game such as elk, moose, bison, deer, antelope, mountain lion, grizzly and black bears, gray wolf and coyote, rare birds such as the bald eagle, trumpeter swan, blue heron, osprey, and native game fish such as the Snake River cutthroat trout and mountain whitefish.
Photo by Makenzie Cooper on Unsplash
