I have been dying to make it to Jackson Hole, so when the weather started to drop, and ski season officially began, I thought it would be incredible to explore the winter in Jackson Hole.
While it is a big destination during the summer months, winter in Jackson Hole has so much to offer – skiing, snowmobiling, sleigh rides, snowshoeing, dog sledding… the list goes on and on. And, the town is home to some adorable shops, as well as incredible spots for dining and nightlife packed with live music.
Everywhere you look feels like you’re in a winter wonderland here. We chose to go in January during MLK weekend, and we lucked out with weather! The city was blanketed in feet of snow just before we arrived, and was sunny most of the time we were exploring. We even had a few nights of snow. There’s nothing more magical than walking around this town at night while it’s flurrying – it’s a dream!
We knew we wanted to ski one day at Jackson, but also chose to do a snowmobiling trip to Yellowstone (insane), took a trip to the Elk Refuge to take a sleigh ride, and spent time exploring Jackson and the Grand Tetons.
If you’re looking for a quick highlight of the 10 best activities to do in Jackson Hole during the winter, check out my blog post Winter Activities in Jackson Hole.
Here’s my itinerary for the best way to spend 4-days in Jackson Hole!
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4-Day Itinerary For Winter In Jackson Hole
Day One: Arrive & Explore Teton National Park
We fly directly into the Jackson Airport, which is actually located right in Grand Teton National Park (it’s the only airport in the country that is in a national park!). The flight from LAX is only a little over 2-hours, so it was short & sweet. If you can, sit on the left side of the plane, and you’ll get amazing views as you touch down.
This airport is officially my favorite airport I’ve ever flown into – I mean, look at the views. You step off right onto the tarmac, and beware, it’s definitely a cold walk in. AND, you’ll be greeted with complimentary mimosas (or OJ) once you enter!
Explore the Tetons
After getting off the plane, head over to the rental car counter to pick up a car. We rented from Alamo through points, but Enterprise, AVIS/Budget, and National all have counters directly at the airport. All others you’ll have to take a short shuttle for.
We arrived at noon, so we chose to head out to explore the Tetons for a few hours before checking into the hotel! Aim to spend about 4-hours to explore all open areas of the park. Note, from Nov-May, there are a few winter road closures further into the park, so there are a few popular spots you won’t be able to access. But there’s still plenty to explore!
Make sure you get out your snow boots & warm jackets for this – with temps in the winter ranging from 5 degrees to 30 degrees, you definitely will want to be bundled up!
Taggart Lake
First stop is heading to Taggart Lake. About 8-miles north of the airport, you’ll make a left onto Teton Park Rd towards the Moose Entrance. You can pick up your pass & maps here, with an entrance fee of $35. But, if you do plan to visit 3+ national parks in the year, I’d highly suggest getting the America The Beauty Pass. At $80, you’ll save on your 3rd visit!
The Taggart Lake trailhead is at the end of the open part of Teton Park Rd, where you’ll find the parking lot. There’s typically a park ranger in the lot, to help point you in the right direction. This is a huge area for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, with about 20-miles of trails.
But, if you’re like me, and just in snow boots, you can still trek a bit out on the path, which is absolutely stunning in the winter. We made it about a mile in, knowing there was a lot more on our agenda, but with the right gear, you could continue as far as you’d like.
Mormon Row
After you’re quick hike, head over to Mormon Row to see the famous John Moulton barn – it’s one of most photographed locations in the state, and the most intact of the barns in Mormon Row. It’s quite a sight in the winter, with the snow-covered Tetons in the background.
You’ll have to park about halfway down the road, where the road closes in the winter, and walk a mile to the barn. You can continue on from there, further into Mormon Row, but it was 7 degrees outside, so we turned around, missing the warmth of our car :).
Snake River Overlook
Mormon Row was the last of the “hikes” we chose to do, and spent the rest of the exploring checking out overlooks & turnouts along the way north – all showcasing the beautiful Teton Mountains.
Snake River Overlook was one of my favorite, where you could see the river peaking through the snow, with stunning snow-covered trees surrounding the area.
Cunningham Cabin Turnout
Take a quick stop at Cunningham Cabin for a lovely backdrop of the Tetons!
Elk Ranch Turnout
And, another beautiful view!
Oxbow Bend
Check out Oxbow Bend as you get further north into the park – it’s a cool sight to see with the river fully covered in snow!
Jackson Lake Dam
Park over at Jackson Lake Dam and walk around to take in the beauty of the dam, river & lake. And, to your left, you’ll likely see a few people ice fishing on the frozen lake!
Check into Hotel – Rustic Inn Creekside
After researching around, I came across the Rustic Inn Creekside Resort, and knew it was perfect for our trip. Located just a 10-minute walk to town, it felt like a private winter oasis located on the creek.
The property has a restaurant & bar onsite, a complimentary breakfast buffet each morning, access to their hot tub, sauna, & heated pool, and the most lovely property with a walking trail over the pond. They also offer a free shuttle service into town, whenever you need, as well as a shuttle to Jackson ski resort each morning.
Prices range from $250-375 a night, pending the dates you come. We stayed in our own private cabin, which felt nice & secluded. The rooms are spacious, with a nice seating area, king-sized bed, and large bathroom with a rain shower.
Take a little walk around and explore the property. You may even see a few elk hanging around outside – we managed to see a few on our stay!
Book your own room at Rustic Inn Creekside Resort!
Dinner at Teton Tiger
Head into town for dinner & drinks at Teton Tiger – a Pan-Asian restaurant with both Thai and Indian options. The ambiance is dark & cool, with graffiti art & neon lights. It’s an intimate spot, so great for date night, or a smaller group of friends. The bar area was also popping with lot’s of people coming off the mountain – very young & lively.
We took some reccos from the waiter and ordered the Chicken Lettuce Wraps (amazing – build your own style), the Red Curry with Fried Duck (curry was perfection), and the Bangkok Street Noodles (so good, but wish we went spicer). You can choose your spicy levels, 0-5, per dish, so we went with a level 2, but probably could have done higher.
Get the Akashi Shuffle, an Asian twist on an old fashion, or the Tigerita, their take on a classic margarita. Both drinks were great.
We loved it here so much, we wished we had more time to come back – will definitely be a spot we return to again & again.
Drinks & Dancing at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar
After dinner, walk over to the Cowboy Bar to finish your night. The bar is famous in Jackson Hole – you’ve probably seen it on social media before! This spot is the place to be – live music starts at 8:30 every night, and on the weekends, they even have line dancing. Head to the back area to get a good spot for the festivities – the front area is more relaxed.
Spend the night dancing away to country music, and make some friends – everyone there was so much fun. It was our favorite night in the city, for sure!
Day Two: Explore Town
Breakfast in Town at the Bunnery
Wake up and walk into town for a hearty breakfast at the Bunnery. This local shop has a bakery in the front, and room for a sit-down breakfast in the back. It’s a very cozy, mountain diner type spot, with incredible bread mixes they call O.S.M (made with oats, sunflower seeds & millet).
We ordered the O.S.M. pancakes baked with blueberries, which were phenomenal – they’re super thick and hearty, with a nice touch of sweetness from the berries. And, of course we had to order some eggs & bacon on the side, plus some fresh coffee for a boost of caffeine.
National Elk Refuge
Next, check out the National Elk Refuge to see some wildlife. During the winter in Jackson Hole, thousands of elk come down from the mountains, leaving behind the cold temps, to make the Refuge their home for the next few months. It’s actually the largest migration of elk in North America.
You can grab a ticket for the horse-drawn sleigh for $38, where you’ll get up-close and personal with the elk! The tour leaves from the National Elk Refuge Visitor Center, which was just across the street from our hotel, and leaves every day from 9AM – 3PM every 20-30 minutes.
The guides are all super friendly & knowledgeable – you’ll definitely learn a lot, and get to see the wildlife of Jackson in the most beautiful setting. You’ll likely even get to see other wildlife on the 1.5 hour tour. We got to see several bald eagles, a family of swans, & coyotes off in the distance. I’ve heard of people even seeing wolves or bison!
Make sure to bundle up on the ride, though! It’s quite cold, but they allow you to bring your own blankets, just no food or drinks to disturb the wildlife.
Read more about the adventure with my Sleigh Ride at the National Elk Refuge post.
Coffee & Pastries at Persephone
We sadly, didn’t have enough time to stop by here, but have heard wonderful things about Persephone! If you need some extra caffeine before shopping, stop by and grab a pastry, as well!
Walk & Shop in Town
Spend some time exploring the city center, and check out all of the incredible shops the town has to offer. All the shops are walking distance from each other, and if it’s raining & snowing, the walkways between shops are covered, so you’ll be under a roof most of the time!
Pop in whatever piques your interest, there’s always fun in that, but these are a few of my favorite places we ventured into:
- Kemosabe: Check out this classic mountain hot spot, known for their wide selection of hats & boots – you can even custom-make your own hat, but be prepared to shell out about $1,000.
- MADE: Really cute shop filled with knick-knacks & souvenirs – perfect to pick up for your friends & family at home.
- Lee’s Tees: Great selection of t-shirts, sweaters, & hats. This was my favorite merch shop we went in, and walked away with a few hats & t-shirts to bring back home! Chat up with the owner, Lee, if he’s around – he’s the sweetest & has incredible reccos!
- Overland: Browse through their selection of sheepskin & fur coats – another pricey option, but a great classic if you’re willing to spend the money.
Grab a Drink & Quick Snack at Silver Dollar Bar
After popping around a few shops, we worked up an appetite and walked over to the Silver Dollar Bar in the Wort Hotel for a drink & snacks. On the weekends at night, they’ll have live music, too! We just ordered a round of drinks and some nachos before heading back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.
Dinner at Corsa in Teton Village
We wanted to check out Teton Village before we went up to ski, and I’ve been obsessed with all the photos I’ve seen of Corsa. Nestled in the boutique hotel Caldera (a high-end, condo-like property), is Corsa, an Italian restaurant with stunning vibes, yet a low-key feel. It’s the perfect, cozy spot to cozy up, and eat some pizza & pasta. And, when you walk in, they have a little cubby system to throw your jackets & gloves in.
We sat at the pizza bar (I love eating at bar tops), where you have a view of all the prep work and pizza’s coming in and out of the oven. It’s enough to make you salivate. Everything we ordered was top-notch, warm & flavorful. We started with the whipped ricotta & focaccia, and split the pepperoni pizza and spicy vodka rigatoni. Chef’s kiss.
After dinner, finish you drink in the lounge area, nestled up by the fireplace.
Catch the Après Vibes at Mangy Moose
If you’re feeling like you want the night to continue, head next door to the Mangy Moose, Jackson’s ultimate après spot. They have live music daily, and even some big-name artists for concerts. Be sure to check their schedule for upcoming shows. Keep an eye out for the shotski that will make appearances throughout the night.
And, their merch is on-point – definitely stop by the bottom floor shop to peruse.
Day Three: Snowmobile to Yellowstone National Park
Book a Day Trip with Scenic Safaris
One of the absolute most magical things you can do during winter in Jackson Hole is take a snowmobile trip to Yellowstone National Park. With the road being closed from Jackson to Yellowstone from Nov-May, the only way to get to Yellowstone from Jackson is by snowmobile. And, WOW, I cannot say enough good things about how incredible this trip was.
We chose to take the full-day tour to Old Faithful with Scenic Safaris, which included pickup & drop-off from our hotel, a full snow-suit & boots to keep you warm, and a light lunch. Pricing goes for $525 per driver, or $855 for a driver + passenger.
We were picked up from our hotel at 6:20 AM and arrived at the lodge around 7:30 AM to get suited for the ride. It was a cold morning for us, so make sure to wear thermals and a warm jacket – you’ll be able to wear the snowsuit on top of everything.
For more details on our snowmobile adventure, check out my post, Snowmobile in Yellowstone National Park with Scenic Safaris.
Exploring Yellowstone on a Snowmobile
Driving the snowmobiles through the snow all the way up to Yellowstone was amazing in itself – you’re surrounded by snow-covered trees and incredible views in all directions! With the sun poking through the trees, it just feels like a dream. And, the park is desolate – only other people on tours are in the park, but a for a majority of the time, you’re with just your small tour group of 8 or so people.
You’ll have the chance to see Old Faithful erupt, which is so cool in the winter – there’s so much billowy smoke that comes from the hot water of the eruption; many geysers & hot springs, a half-frozen waterfall, and even see some wildlife. We ended up seeing a bison in the distance, though we wished we had more up-close experiences.
It was, by far, one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever done, and highly recommend getting out there one day.
But, if the price point is too high, or if you don’t want to spend a full day, there are plenty of other snowmobiling trips you can look into, as well! We were considering doing the half-day trip to Granite Hot Springs, which has raving reviews.
Dinner & Hot Tub at the Hotel
The full-day snowmobiling trip definitely takes a lot out of you, so we were exhausted by the time we arrived back at the hotel. We opted to just stay in and grab dinner at the hotel restaurant, Rustic Bar & Bistro. They have an incredible wine list, with a huge cellar located downstairs, and food ranging from steaks & burgers to sandwiches & soups.
We posted up by the fireplace in a cozy corner, and ordered a grilled cheese & tomato soup, as well as the bison burger. The grilled cheese was tasty, but the burger wasn’t spectacular. The cocktails were delish, though!
Once we finished up dinner, we threw on our bathing suits, robes, and snow boots to trek out to the hot tub & sauna on property for the perfect, chill end to the day. With the sauna right next to the hot tub, we spent some time going between both, in true Scandinavian fashion. And, great for our muscles after an exhausting day.
Day Four: Ski & Apres at Jackson Mountain
Early Rise for a Quick Breakfast at the Hotel
Wake up early for your last full day in Jackson & throw on your layers before grabbing a quick breakfast before you head to the mountain. The Rustic Inn offered a complimentary breakfast buffet, so we fueled up & grabbed some coffee to go.
Get Some Ski Time In
Time to hit the slopes! If you stay at Rustic Inn like us, you’ll have the ease of jumping on their shuttle to Jackson Mountain. There were two pickups, 8AM & 9:30AM. You’ll be able to load up your gear in the back of the bus, and jump on for the 30-minute ride to the mountain.
I had to pick up my rental gear, which I purchased online, directly from the resort HERE (you’ll save 15% by booking in advance). The rental pickup is directly on the mountain, so I grabbed it there, but they also have a location in Downtown Jackson. Rental + a 1-day pass came to $228. They’re an IKON resort, so definitely consider the pass if you’re planning a few ski days at other IKON resorts.
This mountain is a tough ski – it’s known as one of the top 5 steepest mountains in the US, so it’s no joke. Jackson Mountain is not recommended for beginners, as there’s only a few short greens to pick from, and the easiest blues are a big jump up. I thought I was a decent skier but was HUMBLED by these blues.
Lunch on Slopes at the Handle Bar
After a morning running all the greens, and attempting a blue (which took a solid hour), we decided it was time for a break. Scoop up an outdoor table at the Handle Bar in the Four Seasons, right off the slopes. We warmed up our gloves & helmets while sipping hot toddies and watching the skiers come down the mountain. It’s the perfect spot for a mid-day reset.
Their hot drinks really help warm up your body, plus the food is incredible. We ordered a pretzel with cheese to start (lovely), and split the Handle Burger, which turned out to be one of our favorites on our entire trip.
Après at Mangy Moose
After a long day (& tough) day of skiing, we hit Mangy Moose again to grab a bite to eat and enjoy the live music as the sun set on the mountain. The Cast Iron Mac Gratin was a nice & warm snack after the day we had – and, the old fashioned weren’t half bad, either!
Call it a Night & Order Room Service at the Hotel
With an early flight coming up, we wanted to just get in bed & order room service rather than going out tonight. Cozy up in the warmth of the hotel, and order in :).
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