Jackson Hole 2021
Photo: @peresanz via Depositphotos
When I started planning our family vacation this year, I got the slightest bit of pushback.
“Jackson Hole? Why there? What will we doooo?” were just some of the questions my family posed to me.
I wasn’t sure I had the answers, but I did remember the little village of Jackson where we had stopped once on our way through from Yellowstone to somewhere else. The girls were young and didn’t remember much about it, but I remember it being cute and quaint and somewhere I wanted to spend more time. But now that my kids were all adults, I wondered, would my memories of the place hold up?
I didn’t need to worry. Jackson Hole lived up to my memories and exceeded our expectations for the perfect summer vacation.
The planning was a little confusing because I couldn’t get a good sense of the place from various websites I consulted. So, if you’re planning a trip to Jackson Hole, I’m here to make it a little easier for you.
Photo: @snehitdesign via Depositphoto
A TALE OF TWO VILLAGES
First, you have to understand that the town of Jackson is just part of the entire Jackson Hole area, which also includes Teton Village. Teton Village is the famous ski resort with some of the toughest skiing in the country.
But I’m not here to talk about skiing. I’m not a skier. We go to ski resorts in the summer, which, by the way, is just as fun as going in the winter. And a tad bit warmer.
Between the town of Jackson and Teton Village lies a beautiful valley filled with cattle, a bike path, and a river. It takes about 30 minutes to get from one “village” to the other, but the drive is breathtaking with amazing views of the Grand Tetons, some of the most beautiful mountains in the country.
So where to stay?
We chose to stay in Teton Village because we found a home to rent that was just perfect for our family. Plus, there is plenty to do there if you don’t want to go back and forth from village to town very often. And there are plenty of restaurants there, too.
Staying in Jackson would be fun, too, but the town is quite a bit busier and the traffic is much heavier. But if you like the hustle and bustle of being in the middle of things, Jackson might be for you.
ACTIVITIES FOR DAYS
You’ll never run out of things to do in the Jackson Hole area. In fact, the day before we were to leave I said to my husband that we could have stayed another week and not run out of things to do. The place is a beehive of activity!
Photo: Shelly Wildman
So what did our family do?
Hiking is a must in the Jackson area, so on our first day, we hiked a beautiful trail around Phelps Lake. What an amazing hiking spot! It’s not as busy as the more well-known Jenny Lake Loop, but just as beautiful. Phelps Lake can only be accessed from the trailhead at the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve that, unfortunately, has a pretty small parking lot. Parking attendants are there to help assist, and we had to wait about 30 minutes for a parking space, but in the end we all agreed it was worth it. We hiked the full seven miles around the lake, but you can definitely shorten the trip. And with kids, simply hike up to the lake with a picnic and eat on the huge rocks in the area where the trail meets the lake—it’s about a mile or so to the lake and a mile back to the car.
The next day we hired an ATV guide to take us up into the mountains near Jackson. I’ll admit, this wasn’t my favorite activity of the week. I’m scared of heights—problematic on this trip—and the bumpy ride got old after about an hour into our three-hour tour. I was ready to be done with it. That said, everyone else absolutely LOVED it, and we all agreed that having someone to guide us through the narrow trails was the best way to go.
Whitewater rafting is a must in that area, and there are many rafting companies you can use. We used Dave Hansen Whitewater Tours out of Jackson, and we had a great experience. Our guide was a veteran, having worked on the rivers there for, I think he said 13 summers, and elsewhere in both North and South America for lots of years. He made the trip fun; the weather did not. That day was the only cold, rainy day we experienced, and basically, we froze our tushys off. If the weather had been decent, it would have been much more fun.
Sometimes on a family vacation you just need to split up, which we did one day. The guys in our group took a full day fly fishing excursion up into Yellowstone that they said was incredible. And the girls spent some time in at the Teton Mountain Lodge spa. Absolutely perfect. I think everyone was satisfied with their options that day.
What I’ve also found when planning family vacations is that we need a day or two with no plans at all, and that worked out just great for us this year. One day, some of us wanted to go biking on a nearby trail while a couple of us just wanted to hang out and read. (I’ll let you guess which group I was in!) And on another of our “free” days, a group of us went into town to ride the Alpine slide and to go shopping while others of us stayed closer to home.
Photo: Shelly Wildman
WHAT ABOUT KIDS?
We don’t have young kids in our group, but I did take note of some activities you could do with kids.
Hiking is a natural. Even the Phelps Lake hike would work with kids if you packed a lunch, hiked out to the lake, hung out on the big rocks for a while, and hiked back. You don’t have to do the entire 7 mile loop to enjoy the breathtaking views there. Plus, there are tons of other shorter hikes in the area that would be perfect with kids.
Rafting, of course. Even fairly young kids can enjoy a rafting trip. Just find a company (there are lots) and go!
Horseback riding. There’s a place to hire horses at Teton Village so you can take a trail ride.
The Jackson Rodeo is a fun family event that takes place twice a week in town. Perfect for kids!
At Snow King Mountain, the ski resort in Jackson, there are tons of activities for kids, including the Alpine Slide, a maze, mini-golf, and a chairlift ride. You could easily spend a day there.
And in Teton Village you can ride the gondola to the top of the mountain where, I’ve heard, there’s a great place for waffles. We didn’t make it up there this time, but it’s on my list for next time.
WHAT ABOUT FOOD?
You won’t be without options of places to eat in Jackson Hole, although if you don’t plan ahead you may be without reservations. Things are busy in the summer, so reservations, especially if you’ve got a larger group, are really important.
All of the places we tried were amazing. We honestly didn’t have a bad meal at all. Here are a few of my recommendations:
Jackson Drug – super-casual place for sandwiches and ice cream. We wanted to go back a second time, but couldn’t get in.
Local – One of the nicest places in town. We had an amazing steak dinner here.
Persephone Bakery– Best bakery around. So good, we went back a second time.
Mangy Moose – Very casual burger spot in Teton Village.
Café Genevieve – We couldn’t score a dinner reservation here, but were able to grab an outside table for lunch one day. Do not miss this! It’s worth it for the bacon.
Hand Fire Pizza – Another very popular spot in Jackson with really great pizza.
Teton Thai – Thai food in Teton Village. Great for takeaway on a night you just don’t feel like going out.
I’d say that our week in Jackson was just about a 10/10. We loved it so much for its casual atmosphere and laid back style, but also for its fun activities. And the food! I’d go back just for the food!
All-in-all, I’d have to say this was one of the best family vacations we’ve ever taken. We can’t wait to go back!
