Jackson

Overview

Jackson is a town in Wyoming’s Jackson Hole valley, with proximity to three ski resorts, including the well-known Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Jackson is surrounded by the Teton and Gros Ventre mountain ranges. The small town is located approximately 60 miles south of Yellowstone National Park (made the very first National Park in 1872) and 12 miles south of Grand Teton National Park. Many visitors make Jackson their base for convenient day trips to the two parks and nearby animal reserves.

The headwaters of the Snake River are located in Teton County and the river offers plenty of opportunities for kayaking, fishing, tube floating and Snake River whitewater rafting. Tour operators around Jackson offer wildlife tours to the two national parks, the National Elk Refuge and historic Miller Ranch in the valley, which provides a glimpse of western pioneer history and incredible views of the Grand Teton National Park and the Refuge.

The town of Jackson boasts over 60 art galleries. Perhaps the most unusual is the National Museum of Wildlife Art, the nation’s only indoor-outdoor museum (consisting of galleries and sculpture-dotted trails) dedicated solely to world-class wildlife art and sculpture from around the planet. Jackson is also known for the Grand Teton Music Festival, a seven-week summer classical music festival, and the Fall Arts Festival which features world-class visual, contemporary, culinary, western and Indigenous arts.

Jackson is a youthful, outdoorsy town, but it also claims plenty of sophisticated dining options in town and at Jackson Hole Resort, including steak, duck, rainbow trout from the rivers, and American BBQ.