I have a confession. Like many others before me, I fell in love with Jackson Hole. And, all it took was 48 hours. For weeks leading up to our trip, I kept hearing how wonderful and how different it is from other ski cities. But, it wasn’t until I was there that I understood exactly what they meant. Scroll down for my complete Jackson Hole travel guide!
Jackson Hole Travel Guide
Jackson Hole is truly magical. The only way to describe it is like being in your own little snow globe. With the cutest downtown area lined with chic shops, quaint restaurants with seasonal cocktails, and the lights dancing at night off the mountains – it’s idyllic. Jackson Hole is one of those quintessential towns that could be featured in a movie and feels like Christmas year-round. The girls and I set the date and booked our trip.
You’ll remember Camille from our trip to Sonoma earlier this year, and I met Megan and Collins at NYFW more than two years ago now. We all reunited at a dinner this past September and started talking about planning a winter trip together. So, we set our sites on Jackson Hole and immediately found Jackson Hole Traveler. They’re the premier travel resource for all things for the city, including the best deals on everything in town. We were lucky to partner with them for this trip.
Within weeks, they helped us curate an enviable trip to the bucket list destination. They offered tips for some of the best restaurants and reservations at all the must-do activities, like going snowmobiling and taking a luxe sleigh ride. We saw the best the city has to offer. Now, I’m sharing all the secrets with you! Keep reading for all my recommendations for where to stay, where to eat and what to do in Jackson Hole.
Shop this Jackson Hole Travel Guide Post
1st Outfit – Pajamas: Z Supply Top and Bottom // Jacket: Topshop (sold out, similar here and here) // Boots: Sorel (sold out in this color, also love these) // Hat: JCrew
2nd Outfit – Sweater: Free People // Leggings: Commando // Boots: Marc Fisher (also here) // Boot socks: Ugg // Bag: Chanel (similar here and less expensive here) // Jacket: Same as above
Where to Stay
With around 10K residents, Jackson Hole is decidedly small. But, there’s no shortage of amazing places to stay while you’re in town. There are a few cute hotels downtown if you want to be central. Then, there are a few more up at Teton Village by the foot of the ski hill. But, to get a real feel for the city, the best way to go is to rent a cabin up in the mountains.
Cozy Cabin with Rendezvous Mountain Rentals
For our girls trip to Jackson Hole, we were lucky to stay in Granite Ridge with Rendezvous Mountain Rentals. The home has 4 bedrooms, plus a bonus room in the downstairs family area with bunk beds for kids. Each room has it’s own bathroom (which was perfect for 4 girls and would work out really well if you travel with multiple families or couples!).
Don’t get scared off by the size of our rental! Rendezvous Mountain Rentals offers all different size properties at various price points. Personally, I tend to enjoy a rental more than I do a hotel. It gives you more of that “living like a local” feel. Also, it’s nice to have someplace you can relax when traveling in a group. If I had to play favorites, I’d say the backyard of the cabin is the best. The views are magical!
I promise you, after just one weekend in Jackson Hole, you’ll be searching for your own winter getaway cabin! If you’re ready to check out the market, Latham Jenkins of Live Water Jackson Hole can help! He’s loved by all the locals and gives great advice on where to look for property up in the mountains or back in town.
Best Things to Do
Depending on the time of year you visit really dictates the activities in Jackson. The city gets around 4 million visitors a year, but only 700K in winter. So many people come to see Yosemite in the Summer.
While we didn’t ski, we had a chance to go snowmobiling (which honestly is way more fun in my opinion). Then, we checked out the cities premier gun and rifle range at the Jackson Hole Shooting Experience before taking the ultimate sleigh ride as it snowed. Of course, downtown was calling our name! We did some shopping on Main Street and in the town square.
Snowmobiling with Scenic Safaris
If you’re on a group trip and there’s one thing you need to do – it’s rent snowmobiles with Scenic Safaris. They have a handful of tour options and trails. To determine which ride you go on, you’ll start by selecting either the half day or full day tour. If you want to do Yellowstone it’s a full day. So, we did a half day tour in Grand Teton National Park of Togwotee High Mountain. It was the perfect amount of time.
We started our day bright and early with Jeff, the most amazing tour guide. Honestly, he was so patient with us when we all got stuck in the deep snow!. You’ll gear up at the office just south of downtown Jackson. Aside from my Sweaty Betty Base Layers and my Give’r Gloves (they’re made locally!), I used the jumpsuit, helmet and boots they offered us.
We stopped for breakfast at a little place on the way up the mountain. That got us feeling more alive and excited for the day. Then, after a short drive up the hill, we reached our jump off point. After a quick safety briefing, we took off! The ride was absolutely beautiful. We’re talking snow-covered mountains and evergreen trees. It was a winter wonderland!
If you go to Jackson Hole, I think it’s important to do some sort of outdoor activity. That’s part of the allure of the city and snowmobiling is a really fun group option because it isn’t super extreme.
National Museum of Wildlife Art
After a very full and fabulous day on Saturday, we kicked off Sunday with a trip to the National Museum of Wildlife Art. The museum was recommended to me by several friends who have been to Jackson before. It was a must-see from the team at Jackson Hole Traveler as well. With wildlife art by Andy Warhol and Georgia O’Keefe, it didn’t disappoint!
The exhibits were unlike any other museum I’ve been to and they have lots of sculptures outside as well that are very cool. Try to leave time to grab lunch at Palate (see my review below) and eat near a window. They have a spectacular view of the National Elk Refuge.
Jackson Hole Shooting Experience
After a yummy lunch at the museum, we drove about 15 minutes South of the Town Square to the Jackson Hole Shooting Experience which is a long range training session with a private instructor. This is probably one of the most unique outdoor experiences you can get in the city and it’s exhilarating! I wouldn’t call myself a gun enthusiast by any means. But, it was educational AND a heck of a good time. We were able to learn about and shoot a handful of guns and I hit the 500-yard target! Talk about sharp shooting.
Vintage Adventures Sleigh Ride
The last stop of the day was the icing on the cake to our amazing girls weekend in Jackson Hole. When we were snowmobiling the day before, our friends at the Jackson Hole Traveler asked if there was anything else we wanted to do while we were in town. Since the National Elk Refuge wasn’t open yet, a sleigh ride was out of the question… until it wasn’t.
We were VERY lucky to meet up with the amazing folks at Vintage Adventures for what I’d truly call a sleigh ride of a lifetime. We’re talking official tipi’s that look like they’re decorated by Ralph Lauren complete with hot cocoa with biscotti and homemade butternut squash soup. The best part? Santa drives the sleigh. Okay, okay! It’s not Santa! But, AJ – who runs Vintage Adventures with his wife – has a striking similarity (see above pic)! They were so friendly and this luxe sleigh ride was hands down a moment I’ll never forget.
Shopping at Jackson’s Town Square
No trip is complete without some shopping! Jackson’s Town Square is filled with adorable art galleries like Gray Crane Studios and boutiques like Belle Cose (stunning furniture and home decor). There are lots of little stores with handmade items. I picked up a few custom soaps and a couple of Christmas ornaments at MADE to bring home. And, to get that real cowboy feel you have to take a trip over to Sing Hat Company! Camille and I both ordered custom hats to commemorate the trip. I’m so excited for mine to arrive in a few weeks.
PRO TIP: Jackson adopted a plastic bag ordinance, so you can buy a cute reusable one downtown or bring your own. One more step to being friendly towards our planet!
Best Places to Eat
People talk about the skiing in Jackson Hole (because it’s often voted #1 in the US), but what they aren’t telling you is how yummy all the restaurants are. Over the past few years, Jackson has recently become a new “it” foodie city. In my opinion, that sets it apart from other places like Salt Lake City or Colorado ski cities like Breckenridge or Vail.
Westbank Grill at Four Seasons Jackson Hole
Our first night in town we had a chance to head over to the Four Seasons Jackson Hole. It’s right up in Teton Village and just across from where our cabin was located. Imagine our surprise when we realized they have a champagne igloo! It’s called 47 Fahrenheit and we sipped on some Moet & Chandon and had some s’more’s before heading inside to dine at the Westbank Grill. Most skiers would know the Handle Bar Pub at the hotel. It’s where most end their day on the hill with a few drinks. But, Westbank Grill is the fine dining experience.
Our server was fabulous – just so friendly. And, the food was the perfect way to end our first night in town. I highly recommend sharing a few appetizers (the mac and cheese was delish!) before indulging in the wedge salad. Their signature dish is the beef tenderloin. So, naturally I tried that and it didn’t disappoint. By that time, we were all stuffed (hello s’more’s). But, we ordered the Cowboy Cookie to share which was a highlight of the meal.
Jackson Hole Winery
One of the souvenirs I love most from a trip is local wine! After our day of snowmobiling, we went back to the cabin and freshened up before heading downtown to Jackson Hole Winery for a private tasting. Ted was the best host! We learned that the wines are made with 18 percent less oxygen due to the cooler temperatures in the region! While the grapes are grown in different parts of California, they’re produced and cellared in Jackson. Of course, I brought home two bottles – the Pinot Noir and a special blend called The Outlaw.
Glorietta
After our wine tasting we ventured just a few blocks over to Glorietta. Since it was just a few weeks before Christmas, lights were strung in the streets as we made our way over to their adorably decorated building.
The restaurant is an Italian Trattoria. Let me just tell you – the minute you step foot inside you feel at home. There’s something about the ambiance that is just so inviting, from the center bar to the corner seats where you can have an intimate meal. And, don’t get me started on the food and winter cocktails!
I enjoyed the Vin Brule which is a mulled wine. Then, we had a table of appetizers. The white bean and garlic spread was my favorite of the whole trip! Then, Camille and I split the spaghetti with meatball and truffle honey chicken. YUM! If I had to make a solo choice, I’d get the spaghetti again since they specialize in homemade pastas.
Be sure to make a reservation here in advance! Seats fill up quickly, even at the bar!
Palate
If you’re looking for lunch with a view – the best place to go is Palate. It’s located inside the National Museum of Wildlife Art and has the most incredible views of the Teton Mountains!
Normally you think of food courts when you think of museums. But, Palate is elevated and has a thoughtful menu with local options that are seasonal. Simply put – it’s not your average museum restaurant!
We shared the Sweet Potato Jojo’s and the Fried Smoked Mozzarella (both equally yummy). Then, I had the Chicken Salad Sandwich as my main. But, the hot chocolate stole the show! Dressed up with whipped cream and sprinkles, it was perfect because Sunday was our coldest day in town when it dipped into the high 20’s and snow started to fall.
Bar Enoteca
For our last night in town, we ate at Bar Enoteca. Its a chic wine bar and Mediterranean style restaurant located inside Hotel Terra in Teton Village. The low down on this place is that it’s apart of the Fine Dining Restaurant Group led by Gavin Fine and Roger Freedman who helped in putting Jackson Hole on the foodie map.
Since it was tapas style, we ordered a ton of things on the menu. While everything was good, there were a few standouts that I absolutely loved. First, the yellowfin crudo was OUT OF THIS WORLD! We ended up getting two of them we all wanted more! Then, the ricotta bowl and lobster leek artichoke dip were amazing. Nothing but great things to say about this yummy place.
Persephone Bakery
Lastly, you cannot leave Jackson without going to Persephone Bakery. To be honest, if we’d gone earlier in the trip I probably would have wanted to make a stop there each day! My guess is everything is delicious, but the hot chocolate there was just so, so good. You get to pick what flavor marshmallow you put in and I opted for vanilla.
Since I have a massive sweet tooth, I couldn’t decide what to get for breakfast. So, I went with the hot ham and cheese croissant (which was ahhhmazing) AND the kouign amann. If you haven’t heard of it, the latter is is a classic french pastry that’s buttery and sweet with caramelized sugar on top. After ordering from the pastry menu, I checked out the sit down options and immediately felt jealous. Guess there’s another reason I need to get back to Jackson Hole!
The Perfect Girls Weekend
From the time our wheels landed in Jackson, I knew this trip would be special. Heck – even the airport is glamorous with its mountain backdrop! So, is 48 hours in Jackson Hole enough? In short – yes. But, if you can make spare 3-4 days I think that’s even more ideal. What would I do with that time? I’d probably enjoy more time at the cabin and shop a bit more. Also, I’d definitely indulge in a few more spots downtown like Jackson Drug (supposed to have the best milkshakes!). And yes, I’d absolutely ski a day just to see if it lives up to the hype!
Be sure to check out my other travel guides for a girls weekend in wine country or a getaway to Positano.
A sincere thank you to the team at the Jackson Hole Traveler for sponsoring this Jackson Hole travel guide and trip and organizing the most incredible itinerary. Nearly all of the activities and restaurants above provided a complimentary service , but as always – opinions are my own. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below or DM me on Instagram.
