A Good Tour of Jackson

If you don’t plan to shop on Town Square, you can easily do this tour in a few hours. But if you want to hit the stores, budget a full day. Start your visit at the corner of Cache and Broadway at Town Square, easily identifiable by its elk-antler arches and bustle of activity. Stroll around the square and visit the many shops and galleries here. Walk one block north on Cache to the Jackson Hole Museum for a lesson on local history, a collection of artifacts from Native American and early frontier life, and a compilation of Hollywood movie memorabilia from Westerns shot on location here. For $4 you can also pick up a self-guided walking tour. Once you’ve done the town, hop into your car and drive 3 miles north on Cache Drive to the National Wildlife Art Museum, with its wonderful collection of timeless Western talents such as Charles Russell and Frederic Remington. The museum is devoted to the fine art of depicting wildlife in all its natural splendor. From a deck at the museum, between November and March, you can see the real thing: thousands of elk, plus waterfowl, mountain sheep, and coyotes wintering at the elk refuge below. The museum also hosts periodic lectures covering international wildlife issues and cultural events. Those who want to see the animals up close can drive down to the National Elk Refuge in the valley below. In winter you can take a sleigh ride on the refuge.