Jackson Hole Itinerary

We took a trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming in October and let me tell you, it was absolutely mind-blowing! Surrounded by nature, mountains, animals, and all the amazing, beautiful, and jaw dropping things this world has to offer! I'm not kidding, the moment we landed and saw those snow-capped mountain peaks, we just felt this sense of peace wash over us.

Seriously, everyone needs to experience Jackson Hole at least once in their life. The outdoor activities are endless, and being surrounded by those huge mountains, fresh air, and nature just grounds you. Wyoming boasts not one, but two national parks—Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. Plus, there are several national forests to explore. And let's not forget the incredible food, luxury hotels, and hey, you can even go glamping! There's something here for everyone!

Before I get into our actual itinerary, there are 2 housekeeping things you should know before visiting Jackson Hole.

1. Where to stay: The big question is whether to stay in Jackson or Teton Village. I 100% recommend Jackson--that is where all of the amazing restaurants and cute shops are located. Jackson is the heart of the Jackson Hole region. Jackson is only 20-30 minutes from Grand Teton National Park and 1.5 hours from Yellowstone. Teton Village is slightly closer to the national parks but nothing significant. The only reason you should consider staying in Teton Village over Jackson is if you want the ski in/ski out experience at the Four Seasons. Otherwise, Jackson is the place to stay. There are many hotel options in Jackson. I recommend The Cloudveil, Rustic Inn Creekside Resort & Spa, and Snow King Resort.

   
   

2. When to go: June through early October is the best time to visit unelss you want to enjoy winter activities like skiing. All outdoor activities are available during this time. You can go horseback riding, fly fishing, tour the national parks, hiking, swimming, and even attend the Rodeo. It is also a great time to spot wildlife since most are visibly enjoying the good weather after the very cold winter months. Summer is very very busy, so I would aim for late September or very early October to avoid crowds. Most things close in mid-October and reopen in late November/early December for winter, so avoid that time.

Now to the fun part--the 6 day itinerary!

Day 1

We got to the Jackson Hole airport around noon. Let me tell you, that place is tiny but super cute, and everything looks brand spanking new. You step off the plane right onto the runway and enter the terminal by walking under this arch made of elk horn – so cool and totally Instagram-worthy.

We grabbed our rental Jeep from Enterprise right after getting our bags. Then we cruised over to Jackson and checked in at the Snow King Resort. It's only about a 12-minute drive from the airport to the center of Jackson. That's one of the things that makes Jackson so awesome – you don't have to spend hours in the car to get to the national parks.

We spent the afternoon strolling around town and doing some shopping. We splurged on some custom hats at Encounter. I went for a classic cowboy hat, but they have tons of styles to choose from. The best part is that the hats are made to fit your head and face perfectly, and you can pick the color and accessories – such a cool experience.

For dinner, we hit up The Bistro and let me tell you, those Tuna nachos are a must-try!

Day 2

Got up early and grabbed breakfast at Cowboy Coffee. Then we headed to Snow King mountain and hopped on the gondola for some awesome views. There's this alpine coaster up there that you can ride if you get tickets, but it was closed when we were there, bummer. After taking in the sights, we rented e-bikes and cruised around town.

Had lunch at the hotel and then made our way to Spring Creek Ranch for some horseback riding at 4pm. It was seriously the coolest and most humbling experience. I have so much respect for cowboys/cowgirls and anyone who rides horses—it's no joke. Even though I love wearing a cowgirl hat, I don't think I'll be joining the rodeo anytime soon (lol). But hey, that doesn't mean I didn't have a blast horseback riding. It was so much fun and the views were unreal—like something out of a movie!

Had dinner at Orsetto. You NEED to order the garlic bread, orchietto pasta, and tuna.

Day 3

This was a big day--Grand Teton national park day!! We toured Grand Teton on our own. It is so easy to do. The entrance to the national park is no more than 30 minutes from Jackson, there is cellphone service the entire time, google maps takes you directly to all of the main stops/viewpoints, the roads are literally brand new, and there is no way to get lost unless you're hiking on your own somewhere in the wilderness.

We woke up super early to catch the sunrise from the park. We toured the park in a counter clockwise direction because we wanted to start at Mormon Row and end at Jenny Lake, but you can do the opposite--it really does not matter. Here is a list of our stops in the order we made them.

• Mormon row

• Glacier view turnout

• Schwacher's landing

• Snake river overlook (We ate our subway sandwiches here)

• Oxbow bend

• Jenny lake

After visiting the national park, we went to the Four Seasons at Teton village for lunch before heading back to Jackson.

We went to Kampai for dinner. The best sushi ever!

Day 4

Another huge day for us--Yellowstone national park day!! This is a full 10 hour day trip from Jackson, but it is so worth it! When is the next time you will have the opportunity to visit two national parks in one trip? It only takes 1.5 hours to get to Yellowstone from Jackson, the rest of the time you will be touring the amazing sites and geological wonders the park has to offer.

We hired a guide for our Yellowstone tour and I am so happy we did. I do not recommend touring Yellowstone on your own because there is no cellphone service throughout most of the park, so you'll need to use a traditional paper map to get around--scary! Our guide, Mike, was the nicest ever--we loved him so much that we even started following his two kids on instagram lol. He knows practically everything about Yellowstone and its geological wonders. He will explain everything, take you to the main sites, avoid crowds, take great pictures, spot all of the amazing wildlife, take you to the flush toilets in the park (not the porta potties, and is such a fun person to talk to. Mike and his wife rode bike across the US over the course of 4 months in the 1970s for their honeymoon--so crazy but so cool!! His phone number is 407-982-6973.

After a long day at Yellowstone, we had dinner at The Blue Lion before heading to bed.

Day 5

Our last full day in Jackson Hole--depressing! We went fly fishing in the Snake River. We love fly fishing and try to do it in any trip where the destination allows for it. Book our tour here. All fly fishing tours are private. We went with a half day tour, which is more than enough time. The views are amazing and it is so fun because you are the boat is constantly moving through the river and you are constantly throwing the line into the water as opposed to traditional fishing where you just sit and wait for a fish to bite.

We had dinner at Gather. Get the pork chop fillet--AMAZING!

Day 6

We had breakfast at Persephone Bakery before heading to the airport.

Afterthoughts

• Visit the Redeo!!! Unfortunately the rodeo was over for the season when we visited, so make sure to check their website and schedule before visiting. Yet another reason why I need to go back to Jackson Hole.

• Grand Teton vs. Yellowstone: both are so amazing in their own way. Grand Teton has beautiful views of the mountains everywhere you look whereas Yellowstone has incredible geological wonders that are unique to Yellowstone because it is actually an active volcano!! Ugh, I can't chose. You have to do both.

• Everything is so close to Jackson. Spring Creek Ranch is only 15 minutes away. Grand Teton is less than 30 minutes away. Yellowstone is 1.5 hours away. All of the restaurants and hotels are in the center of town, so you can walk everywhere!

• The food is delicous! Everything we ate exceeding our expectations. I never thought a small town would have such great food!

• Even though Jackson is a small town, it has modern buildings, luxurious restaurants and hotels, expensive shops. I was not expecting that.

• It is so safe! We walked around every night and wore jewelry, watches, etc., and never felt danger or sketchy. Probably more chances of being attacked by a bear than a person.

• Everyone was so nice and down to earth.

• Wyoming is known as the cowboy state and the equality state because it is the first state to allow women to vote--cool!

• Jackson Hole real estate is one of the most expensive in the world because the surrounding land is either national parks, national forest, or privately owned, so there is no where to build. They say the billionaires are kicking out the millionaires in Jackson Hole. Many people that work in Jackson Hole commute from other towns or even neighboring states.