Wyoming
Jackson

The overgrown community of JACKSON is tucked in at the end of Jackson Hole, ten miles from Teton park’s southern gate. Hunched around a tree-shaded square, marked by an arch of tangled elk antlers at each corner, the Old West-style boardwalks of downtown front designer clothes shops, craftshops and over thirty galleries. Every summer evening, except Sundays, an amateurish shoot-out is staged in the town square. In winter, time is better spent visiting the National Elk Refuge on the north edge of town, where you can take a horse-drawn sleigh ride among a 10,000-strong herd of elk (late Dec–late March daily 9am–5pm; sleigh rides 10am–4pm; $12 entry plus sleigh ride).

In recent years, Jackson has become the center of a skiing boom, with the season running from early December to early April. Summer visitors can enjoy chairlift rides (up 7751ft Snow King Mountain (part of the Snow King resort; tel 307/733-5200) from Snow King Avenue, six blocks from the town square (daily 9am–6pm; $7), coming down by hiking, cycling or the thrilling 2500ft Alpine Slide ($6 a go). Out at Teton Village, home of the Jackson Hole resort (tel 307/733-2292), aerial trams swoosh their way 10,536ft to the top of Rendezvous Mountain for a spectacular panorama of the valley and mountain ranges (June–Aug daily 9am–7pm; May & Sept daily 10am–5pm; $16).

Eating and Nightlife
The year-round tourist trade makes Jackson Wyoming’s liveliest nighttime community, with an ever-changing cast of restaurants and nightspots.
  • Anthony’s, 62 S Glenwood St (tel 307/733-3717). Imaginative, well-priced Italian food.
  • The Bunnery, 130 N Cache St (tel 307/733-5474). Great breakfasts, espressos, stuffed omelettes and sandwiches.
  • Cadillac Grill, 55 N Cache St (tel 307/733-3279). Fancy Art Deco restaurant on the main square. Huge burgers, but also buffalo, wild boar, caribou, antelope and seafood entrees for $12–20. Reservations recommended.
  • Harvest Natural Foods Cafe, 130 W Broadway (tel 307/733-5418). Earnest health food store with a veggie food counter: burgers, tofu, baked goods and fruit smoothies to eat in or to go.
  • Mangy Moose, Teton Village (tel 307/733-4913). Antique-laden music venue, good for rock and reggae. The interesting menu is meat-heavy, with some pasta and fish.
  • Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, 25 N Cache St (tel 307/733-2207). Hugely touristy Western-themed bar, with saddles for seats, a large dance floor, and big, big steaks.
  • Mountain High Pizza Pie, 120 W Broadway (tel 307/733-3646). Casual, low-priced, and healthy pizza, calzones and salads.
  • Off Broadway Grill, 30 S King St (tel 307/733-9777). A less pretentious setting than some of Jackson’s other “grilles,” with outdoor seating and creative, top-class international food (lots of Thai and Italian influences) at moderate prices.
  • The Rancher, 20 E Broadway (tel 307/733-3886). Dollar drinks every Tues night at this local hangout.
  • The Wort Hotel Bar, 50 N Glenwood St (tel 307/733-2190). Lively upscale bar with music nightly.

Information, activities and transportation
Jackson’s excellent Wyoming Information Center, 532 N Cache St (summer daily 8am–8pm; rest of year Mon–Fri 8am–5pm, Sat & Sun 10am–2pm; tel 307/733-3316; jhchamber@sisna.com), has detailed statewide information. Nearby, the Bridger-Teton National Forest Headquarters, 340 N Cache St (Mon–Fri 8am–4.30pm; tel 307/739-5500), has details of hiking and backcountry camping. START buses (tel 307/733-4521) run to Teton Village, twelve miles northwest, while the Grand Teton Lodge Company (tel 307/733-2811) operates services to the parks. For tours through the park, call Alltrans/Gray line at Jackson Hole (tel 307/733-3531).

Jackson’s airport is actually within the national park, eight miles north; it’s linked to town by the All Star Transportation van service (tel 307/733-2888; $8) or $20 taxis.

Dozens of companies in Jackson offer float trips on the Snake River. Fort Jackson Float Trips, 315 W Broadway (tel 307/733-2583), does good-value, two-hour trips including lunch, while Leisure Sports, 1075 Hwy-89 S (tel 307/733-3040), offers reasonable rental rates for rafts, kayaks, tubes and bikes.

The visitor center has racks of leaflets detailing bus tours of Jackson and the parks: Gray Line, 330 N Glenwood St (tel 307/733-4325), will pick you up at your hotel and whisk you through either Teton or Yellowstone park on a brisk one-day drive for $45. Guided bike tours in the area are run by Teton Mountain Bike Tours (tel 307/733-0712), and cost $40 for a half-day tour including equipment.