If you’ve read my blog before, you’ll know that one of my favorite types of destinations is a ski town in the summer (or any season other than winter)! This was a couple’s trip with my husband in August, and we were both first-timers to Wyoming and Yellowstone. We were so glad we finally made it to this part of the US because it was unbelievably beautiful…from the peaks of Grand Teton National Park, to the charming little town of Jackson, and the breathtaking landscape of Yellowstone National Park, we packed a lot in to our long weekend in Jackson Hole. Travel Tip: if you have a National Parks pass be sure to bring it with you – it will come in handy!
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Here is a sample long weekend itinerary based on our couple’s trip in August:
DAY 1: TRAVEL DAY AND EXPLORING JACKSON
First, let’s get familiar with the area because it’s a little confusing. Jackson Hole is the name of the entire area that includes Grand Teton National Park, the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort / Teton Village, and the city of Jackson, Wyoming. So when deciding where to stay during your visit (if you’re not camping), you’ll need to decide between Teton Village and Jackson, which are roughly 30 minutes apart by car. We wanted the ski village vibe, so we decided to stay in Teton Village at the Hotel Terra. This was a lovely hotel with all the amenities (restaurants, gym, two pools) and in a great location. Just be forewarned that everything in Jackson Hole is quite expensive, especially hotels and rental cars!
One of the only downsides to Jackson Hole is the limited number of direct flights in to JAC. From Phoenix we had to connect through Los Angeles. It was actually a pretty quick trip overall when the flights were on time, but we had some major issues on the way back due to limited flights / planes / flight crews when something went wrong! We arrived in JAC around lunch time and picked up our rental car there. This was the most expensive rental car EVER, and we didn’t use it all that much, but Ubers aren’t cheap there either. The airport is actually in Grand Teton National Park and the views flying in and out are amazing!
Since we were staying in Teton Village West of the airport, we headed just 10 minutes toward the town of Moose and to Dornan’s Pizza and Pasta for lunch. I had read about this place being one of the best for views of the Grand Tetons and it did not disappoint! The line to order food and get a table was super long when we got there, so we grabbed a couple of spots at the bar (check out the view below!) and had some local IPA, salad, and a pizza. There’s plenty of outside seating there as well, which would be another great option.
After lunch we picked up some water and snacks at the convenience store in Moose and then headed toward the Teton Village to check in to our hotel. Since you’re already in Grand Teton National Park you won’t have to pay a fee to enter, but you’ll be driving through the park all the way to Teton Village. It’s about 20 minutes from Dornan’s depending on traffic since there’s just one very narrow road. You might get lucky and spot some good wildlife though!
After checking in to our hotel and getting the lay of the land in the village, we headed in to the city of Jackson to explore. This is the only time we were downtown, as we weren’t really up for the 30 minute drive each way later in the weekend. It’s very small and walkable, with lots of neat shops, restaurants, hotels, etc. The town of Jackson was first established in 1894 and has just over 10,000 residents. Be sure to check out the iconic antler arches bordering the town square!
In addition to all of the fun shops (think outdoor clothing, Western wear, and souvenirs), other notable stops include Jackson Drug for a huckleberry shake, the Jackson Hole Playhouse, and the famous Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. We sat outside at the Silver Dollar Bar for a glass of wine and a snack in the historic Wort hotel, and then had a delicious dinner at the Teton Tiger (highly recommend!). We called it a night after dinner and made our way back to Teton Village as we had a very early and long day on Day 2!
DAY 2: YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
For Day 2, we had booked a full-day, lower-loop Yellowstone tour through Trip Advisor and Wildlife Safaris. This was a small-group tour (8 people max) in a large van, and included hotel pick-up and drop-off, snacks, drinks, a very nice picnic lunch, binoculars, and attempts to see as much wildlife as possible! Our guide was Barry, and he did a great job. We’ve done a lot of these types of tours over the years and this was absolutely one of the best we’ve had.
We got picked up for our tour around 7AM and returned about 12 hours later. We drove through Grand Teton National Park (you’ll need your parks pass here), and then on to Yellowstone (will need your parks pass again here). We stopped at West Thumb Geyser, Yellowstone Lake, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, had picnic lunch at the Firehole River, and of course made a stop at the Old Faithful Inn and saw Old Faithful erupt as well! The variation in landscape throughout the park was really a surprise, and the lower loop gave you a really good taste for what Yellowstone has to offer. Wildlife Safaris also offers a 2-day trip that includes the upper loop, where the highlights include the Mammoth Hot Springs and the Lamar Valley where you can typically find a lot of wildlife, including wolves and bears.
Our guide did a great job of making lots of stops where needed, doing his best to spot animals (and stopping for pictures!), and tailored the stops to the group’s preferences. We saw deer, bear, and a LOT of buffalo (even some crossing the road near Teton Village!).
After our tour, we were tired and hungry from the long day so we decided to just stay in Teton Village and find dinner close by. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from in the village…we chose to eat right in our hotel at Il Villaggio Osteria. They have indoor seating as well as a really nice patio outside. The wine and pasta there hit the spot!
DAY 3: GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK AND TETON VILLAGE
Our Day 3 started with a stop in to Cowboy Coffee in Teton Village for breakfast. There’s one in Jackson too! Coffee was great and they have a good assortment of food options, plus they are open early. We wanted to fit in a hike in Grand Teton National Park (you’ll need your parks pass again!), but weren’t sure how intense we wanted to be since the base of the park is over 6,000 feet already. We were hiking with my friend who is a local, so we went with her recommendation for a fairly easy hike around Phelps Lake…7 miles and just a little bit of elevation climb. The parking lot is small so you need to arrive early and there are restrooms at the trailhead. The lake and views were spectacular! Other great (more intense) hikes to consider include Taggert Lake Loop and Death Canyon.
After the hike, we went back to Teton Village for the afternoon since we hadn’t had time to explore the village much yet. We grabbed lunch at the Mangy Moose Saloon right next to our hotel. What a fun place and the food was surprisingly good! We had a couple of beers, a beet salad, and the nachos. We sat on the deck and it was beautiful. They have live music in the evenings there too.
Our plan was to take the Aerial Tram up in to the mountains, but some heavy rain suddenly rolled in and the trams all closed. We decided to just stick around the village and see if the rain would pass (it really never did!). We love a good hotel bar, so we headed over to the Four Seasons and found the Ascent Lounge…super cozy, great views of the mountain, and several fire pit tables on their patio. They serve some small bites and desserts there too.
Since the weather never really cleared up, we decided to give up on the Aerial Tram and just find another restaurant to get some dinner. Sundays in the summer they have live music and food trucks in the village as well, but the rain put a damper on all of that. There are several cute hotel bars / restaurants in the village, but we ended up at The Spur Restaurant at the Teton Mountain Lodge. We were able to snag a fire pit table outside (it was covered from the rain) and had some drinks and charcuterie. It turned out to be such a fun and relaxing evening in spite of the weather!
DAY 4: AERIAL TRAM, JACKSON HOLE MOUNTAIN HIKE, AND TRAVEL HOME (ALMOST)
Since we didn’t get the change to get up the mountain on Day 3, we decided to try to squeeze it in on Day 4 before we had to head to the airport. It’s definitely a must-do when in Jackson Hole, so I’m glad we did it, but it was more rushed than we wanted it to be. There are several options for gondolas / trams and prices vary, but we ended up taking the Aerial Tram up and purchasing the “sightseeing ticket” that gives you all of the options and flexibility. After the 12 minute ride up to the top, we checked out Corbet’s Cabin, known for their waffles. We didn’t have time to wait for the waffles, so we used the restroom and went on our way, sadly.
We checked out the Grand Teton Skywalk and then tried to find a hike that we could finish in an hour or less (there are tons of options here: hiking map)…we ended up choosing the Cirque Trail which was 2.5 miles (all downhill) to the Bridger Tram that we could take down to the village. It seemed like something we could do in about 30 minutes, but the hike was so narrow, steep and rocky that it took us about twice that long and we needed to get on our way to the airport. It was a little stressful and not good if you’re afraid of heights at all. I was glad when it was over!
Another option for Day 3 or 4 would be to check out Snow King Mountain near Jackson. They have their own set of Gondolas to take to the top, a planetarium, a fine-dining restaurant, and more!
We got to the airport just in time, and the proceeded to be delayed for almost 7 hours, missed the last connection in LA, and had to spend the night there. This is where the small airport is not great…but in spite of the rough trip home, Jackson Hole was an unforgettable trip and a beautiful place to visit any time of year!