Winter in Jackson Hole, Wyoming is one of our absolute favorite seasons to visit the picturesque mountain town. It is filled with so many winter activities and things to do that everyone can enjoy! Not to mention, it truly looks like a dreamy winter wonderland. We actually spent Christmas this past year in Jackson Hole with Sydney’s family and it was so much fun!!
Jackson Hole is located on the western side of Wyoming, right near the border with Idaho. It’s close to two National Parks – Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. During the winter, the roads into the Parks remain closed [up to a certain point] but you can get inside the park to explore in other ways. In Yellowstone, you can book a snowmobiling or snowcoach tour. While in Grand Teton, it’s mostly accessible by snowshoeing or cross country skiing. But of course, there is so many amazing things to do in the winter in Jackson Hole, Wyoming that isn’t in a National Park!
Keep reading to read about the 7 best things to do in the winter in Jackson Hole, Wyoming!
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7 Things to do in the Winter in Jackson Hole, Wyoming
#1. Go cross country skiing or snowshoeing Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park is one of our favorite national parks and what’s awesome is you can enjoy it year round! During the winter, it’s much less crowded and more opportunities to see wildlife. There are no marked trails but you can snowshoe or cross country ski on Teton Park Road. After Taggart Lake Trailhead, the road closes and that’s where the activity begins. From November 1 to April 30 the road is closed to all vehicles. The road is shared for snowshoe and cross country skiing but make sure that you do not walk or snowshoe on the cross country ski trails.
Please remember to always pack water and snacks, lots of layers, sun protection [the winter sun can be intense], navigational device [map or compass], and a first aid kit. It’s always better to be over-prepared! You can read about the most updated openings and closures on NPS website here.
#2. Go snowmobiling with Teton Valley Adventures
We went snowmobiling in Targhee National Forest with Teton Valley Adventures and HIGHLY recommend it! They offer a variety of length/site seeing tours in both Caribou Targhee National Forest and Yellowstone National Park.
Keep in mind the ages and adventure levels in your group when choosing which tour to book. We did the Mesa Falls Tour, which was about 70 miles and took us around 8 hours. We went to a beautiful frozen waterfall and down lots of snow-covered tree-lined paths, and we even stopped for lunch in a lodge. It was an amazing, full-day experience! Our guide, Matt, was incredible. Feel free to mention us when you book!
While I recommend packing in very warm base layers, they do provide a snowsuit, boots, and helmet. There were moments when we were chilly, but overall, we were super warm even in the below freezing temps!
#3. Roast marshmallows over a warm open fire
Is it really winter if you don’t gather around a fire pit and roast marshmallows?! Most of the Airbnbs and Hotel/Resorts have bonfires that you can hang out around. Depending on the rules of where you’re staying, they may provide or allow you to roast marshmallows. It’s a fun little treat to do while you’re still wrapped in your winter attire before heading inside to fully warm up!
If you’re looking to spend winter in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, watch our winter adventures on Youtube!
#4. Go snowboarding or skiing at Grand Targhee, Snow King, or Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
Winter in Jackson Hole, Wyoming is amazing because it has THREE mountain resorts to choose from when skiing or snowboarding. Grand Targhee, Snow King, or Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. We’ve skied/snowboarded on two of the mountains – Grand Targhee and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Jackson Hole is probably the most famous and popular. Teton Village is super close to the resort and offers many different options to stay but definitely on the pricey side.
If you are looking for a less crowded, more locals experience, we HIGHLY recommend Grand Targhee. It’s one of Sydney’s favorite ski resorts she’s ever been to! There were hardly any lift lines and depending on the run, you were sometimes the only person on it. It even has an entire section of the mountain that’s for beginners with different levels of green run [not just a baby hill].
#5. Relax in a hot tub
There’s nothing better than relaxing in a hot tub after being outside in the cold all day! We highly recommend booking an Airbnb or hotel that has a hot tub in it’s amenities. We spent time in our each night after long, tiring days adventuring and it was just the recharge we needed!
#6. Walk around + go shopping in downtown Jackson
Jackson is a cute town filled with unique shops, art galleries, delicious restaurants, and touristy mountain stores. If you want to take a break from the activities and have a more chill morning or afternoon, spend it walking around Jackson! We finally found Caleb the perfect western hat at a shop in Jackson. And don’t forget to grab a drink at the famous, Million Dollar Cowboy Bar!
#7. Go sledding
So this was actually one of our favorite things we did on our trip ha! We hadn’t been sledding since we were kids and we forgot just how fun it is. Disclaimer – we did it in the backyard of the Airbnb we were staying at. It had HUGE hills and they provided a few sleds!
While we did it in our backyard, there are tubbing places on Snow King [King Tubes] and Grand Targhee Resort. They are super popular so I’d recommend booking in advance if sledding/snow tubbing is something you want to do!
Check out our Gift Guide for the Adventurer for our favorite outdoorsy gear that we take on all our adventures!
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