Travel Guide: Jackson Hole, Wyoming
If you're looking to make a trip out west look no further than Jackson Hole. Jett and I took a trip there the first week in September and it was everything we hoped it would be and more. We definitely got some inspo for the trip from the show Yellowstone (if you haven't watched I highly recommend.) I'm breaking down everything you need to know for a successful trip below!
WHEN TO GO:
There are kind of two different types of Jackson Hole trips depending on what time of year you're going. One for skiing in the winter and one for sightseeing/leisure in the warmer months. I personally haven't been in the winter but we will definitely go back! The weather in September is perfect for seeing all the sights, fishing, hiking, and touring Yellowstone. If you want to see the leaves at their peak, mid October is a great time to go.
HOW TO PLAN:
The most common question I get asked is how we book our trips. We always plan everything ourselves and do a lot of research prior to booking. We book almost everything through Tripadvisor, or at least get preliminary info from there on things like hotels, tours, top things to see, etc. I also save things I see on Instagram and use it for reference when deciding what to book. We always create a very detailed itinerary and make reservations for all our activities and restaurant reservations ahead of time. Then you can fill in the gaps with things you find out about while you're there. We keep other restaurants or recs on the itinerary as well incase something comes up.
WHERE TO STAY:
We stayed at The Wort Hotel in downtown Jackson Square. The location is perfect and you can walk to all the shops and restaurants in the area. The experience of being downtown was exactly what we were looking for.
If you're going during skiing season Teton Village is a popular area to stay.
Other hotels:
Four Seasons Resort and Spa
Caldera House
Amangani (looks unreal!! pricey)
Hotel Jackson
Hotel Terra
WHAT TO DO:
Grand Teton National Park: views are unreal and wildlife everywhere! Best area is past the airport.
Jenny Lake: No need to book ahead of time. You will have to pay the entrance fee to GTNP but once you purchase once you are good to go. Upon arrival you can pay for the boat ride to the area where the hikes start. There are a couple different hikes you can do to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point at the top. It's about 2.5 miles in total but nothing too extreme. The views are incredible!
Yellowstone National Park: we booked a private tour with the company Brushbuck Wildlife Tours and our guide was Steve. Highly recommend going with a guide! It takes a full day - leaves around 6:30 AM and gets back around 7 PM (guide picks you up so no worries if you don't have a car!)
Top things to see:
-Geyser Hill
-Old Faithful
-Grand Prismatic Spring
-Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
-Wildlife
Fly Fishing: we booked through the company Fish the Fly Guide Service and did a half day (plenty of time for us) on the Snake River. I'm not that outdoorsy but I loved it and the scenery is stunning! FYI the fishing is catch and release.
Additional things to do:
Shopping and dining in Jackson Hole Square
Horseback riding
Teton Village
Golfing
Skiing
Snowmobile rides
WHERE TO EAT:
Snake River Grill - fine dining. make a reservation ahead of time! We had the steak tartare pizza, duck, and pork shank. Highly recommend.
Bin22 - amazing tapas. get the smoked salmon mozzarella, octopus, shrimp, baked egg, and homemade meatballs omg so good. Plus you can buy a bottle of wine from their store on site and drink it while you dine with no corkage fee. (they do not take reservations)
Local - we wanted to try everything but we were so full! The beef short rib pappardelle is amazing.
The Blue Lion - get the lamb
Cowboy Coffee Co - get the iced honey badger latte or do a hot latte and have them make the moose in cinnamon on top! And their breakfast sandwiches are so good. I got a hat from there too I was so obsessed.
Moe's Original BBQ - get the barbecue nachos
Glorietta Trattoria
Liberty Burger
Gather
Persephone Bakery
Snake River Brewing - for drinks/ beer
Million Dollar Cowboy Bar - famous Jackson Hole bar and must do! live band and the people watching is prime
Thanks for reading and as always please email or DM me if you have any questions!
xx,
Campbell