Everything you need to know to have the best trip to Jackson Hole this winter.
WHAT TO DO
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
We skied and snowboarded here two separate days and loved every minute. The lines were short and the crowds were minimal, but the price tag is high compared to the Snow King Mountain nearby. Wyoming is definitely home to some tough slopes, but there are a few beginner slopes to help you ease into the harder ones. The kids took lessons the first day, then rode the lifts and slopes with us on day two. I do want to prepare you for the hike from the equipment rental shop to the lifts and lesson area. It was an uphill struggle, especially with four kids. There are tons of different restaurants around the lifts to enjoy after a day of skiing or for a quick beer break. A live band was playing right at one of the gondolas too! Jackson Hole also has an ice skating rink and cute playground…made of snow!
Snowmobile to the hot springs
Teton Tours offers an amazing day trip, riding 20 miles outside of Jackson to Granite Hot Springs, where you can relax in the naturally 112°F waters. Yep, so bring your bathing suit! These hot springs can only be accessed by snowmobile or dogsled.
Have a glass of champagne at Fahrenheit Forty Seven
The Four Seasons Resort transforms their pool deck into a winter wonderland including a smores bar and a chic dome to cozy up for a little “Moët on the Mountain ”. Stop in after hitting the slopes for a glass of Moët or one of their yummy creations, like “Fire & Ice” which has Rosé, Tequila, Aperol, and lime.
Snow King Mountain Resort
This mountain is Jackson’s original 1936 ski hill and was the first ski area in Wyoming, and home to the steepest slope in North America! Snow King resort is smaller than Jackson Hole, but still provided us with a day of fun! We enjoyed a day of skiing and snowboarding, and had a couple of the kid’s take another lesson here. They loved their instructor Andrew, who was so patient with them and even took tons of videos and pictures for us! Loved that part because rarely does that happen! I recommend booking your lessons at Snow King because of the much smaller crowd! Snow King offers some unique family adventures other than skiing, like the Cowboy Coaster and tubing. Book a combo ticket for an hour on both.
Explore downtown Jackson and the Antler arches
The iconic antler arches on each corner of the park, plus tons of shops and restaurants, this area was super cool and fun to explore. We ventured all over, but some of the favorites were Jackson Mercantile, Altitude, Lee’s Tees, Teton Toys, Jackson Drug, Cowboy Coffee, and Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. Stop in to Beaver Creek Hats & leather to get a one-of-a-kind custom hat, straight from the old west.
Sleigh ride though National Elk refuge
A horse drawn sleigh takes you into the National Elk Refuge about as close as you can get to the thousands of elk that migrate there each year. The sleigh ride is short and sweet, only about an hour, but with the freezing temps, that was the perfect amount of time for us. Bonus: we got to pet and thank the horses afterwards.
Dog sledding
Book this memorable trip with the Jackson Hole Iditarod Sled Dog Tour! One thing I wish we would have done, but our group size and adult/child ratio wouldn’t allow it this trip. I would recommend booking the half day if you are with younger kids.
Tour the National Parks with BrushBuck Tours
Pick your park and book a private tour. You will not regret it! We have an amazing day with our guide Haley exploring Grand Teton National Park. She was extremely knowledgeable and experienced. We saw bison, moose, fox, elk, and long horned sheep, while learning so much about the National Park and the surrounding areas. I could have listened to Haley’s stories all day! The full day tour included lunch at a local Jackson restaurant and a sleigh ride in the National Elk Refuge!
WHERE TO EAT
Il Villaggio Osteria
We enjoyed this restaurant twice during our trip which is usually a huge no-no for me while on vacation, but hear me out! This was one of the only places we could get a reservation for on Christmas Day. It turned out to be just what we needed after a day of travel. The bolognese was a hit and we also enjoyed the Bison Steak. This restaurant is Located right by the Jackson Hole Resort ice skating rink, so we opted for their pizzas to-go while the kids ice skated another evening. I need to add that this is also where we would get drinks to sit rink side.
Jackson Drug
This restaurant is a super cute old drug store converted restaurant. We stopped in here during our shopping extravaganza for some appetizers.My mom stayed here to eat with the kids while we ran to Million Dollar Cowboy for a beer! One of the best spots in the town for ice cream and milkshakes!
Handle Bar
This bar quickly became our nachos and beer break spot in between runs down the slopes. They have fire pits outside and a beer brewed specifically for them called Family Vacation. Their elk chili was also really good to warm you up!
Westbank Grille
Great steakhouse in Jackson Hole! This is located inside the Four Seasons, so convenient for breakfast, lunch, or dinner after a run on the slopes. Dinner service is a step up, so get fancy one night and enjoy your caviar and seafood tower!
StillWest Brewery
Located right next to Snow King Resort so perfect for dinner after a day of skiing and tubing. I got the Chicken Pot Pie to warm me up. The Brussels sprouts were delicious along with so many of their local brews.
Sidewinders
We were taken here by our National Park tour guide for lunch during our Grand Teton tour. Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, so many menu items are Guy Fieri approved! (Get the French Onion Soup!) All foods featured on the show are highlighted on the menu, but everything we had was delicious .
Teton Thai
Tiny restaurant with amazing food!
We stopped in and there was over an hour wait for a table so we ordered to-go and a Lychee martini to enjoy while we waited! Highly recommend the Pad See Ew.
Million Dollar Cowboy Bar
A must do, even if it’s just for a quick drink at this iconic saddle bar. Known to be a celeb hang out, (Sandra Bullock and her pals are always there on New Years Eve) the bartender had many fun stories to tell us while we were there. The food is quick service, order at the counter style, so we ordered their Bison Brat special while enjoying a Million Dollar Cowboy Beer at the bar.
WHERE TO STAY
