Within the very Grand Teton National Park, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort sports year-round adventure in eastern Wyoming.
With more than half a million visitors each year, Jackson Hole takes full command of the towering Rocky Mountains with one of the best skiing experiences in the United States. A “last of the Old West” atmosphere permeates here, a true harkening back to a simpler time, unlike some of the western-style caricatures you find at other ski-hill regions.
The skiing is sublime, of course: 2,500 acres of skiing for all levels, a more than 4,000-foot vertical, a season that reaches well into April each year, and a thrilling 100-passenger aerial tram that goes right to the very top of Rendezvous Mountain in nine minutes. Boom, you’re there.
The multi-functional Solitude Station creates a cool family environment away from the bustle of the base area for those looking to up their skiing game at the Mountain Sports School. Throw in backcountry guiding and specialized ski camps, and you’ve got an Olympic champion in the making. For après ski, Teton Village has a range of surprises in store. Be sure to earmark an afternoon for a treat in the comforting hands of SpaTerre at Teton Mountain Lodge.
Special events like the annual freeride skiing and snowboarding championship the Kings and Queens of Corbet’sand the Rendezvous Music Festival in mid-March are just two of the many ways to anchor your visit to Aspen. And when you need a break from the gondolas, the region’s western legacy continues with a day of wildlife touring through two very good neighbours: Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. The views around these parts are spectacular, to say the least.
For the adventurous, dog sledding, snowshoeing, skating and horseback riding can easily be found for a romantic interlude or a family-time escapade, as can a sleigh ride at the National Elk Refuge near the town of Jackson, which tends one of the largest herds of elk in the world. Combine this with a trip to the Persephone Bakery for a little energy reinforcement or a drink in the iconic Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, a historic watering hole with saddles for bar stools. This is the west, after all.