Jackson Hole
 

I will be in Jackson Hole in July; I've read guidebooks and scanned websites, but I'd like to hear from people who have been there or live there~what do locals like to do that doesn't make the guidebooks? I'll be staying at the Snow King Resort and plan on doing the Alpine Slide, plan on horseback riding; any recommendations for restaurants? Thanks for any suggestions!

One of my favorite memories of Jackson Hole when visiting 5 years ago was the chuckwagon supper at the Bar J Ranch. It was very touristy, but a lot of fun for the whole family. The meal was good, but the after-dinner show and music were outstanding.

My DD (16 years old) and DH went river rafting on the Snake River and had an awesome experience. There are several rafting companies that do small group trips, either half- or full-day. How adventurous are you?

river rafting adventurous!! Thanks for the tips, this is what I was looking for1

Hi tenthumbs,

Get out and hike and climb- that's what the locals do.

Dayle--what are your favorites spots to hike? I'm not sure if we'll be renting a car.........

tenthumbs,

How long are you going to be in Jackson? You won't be able to do much without a car. Getting out to the Teton Natl Park will require one!

arrive on a Tuesday, leave on a Sunday. A road trip to Teton Nt'l Park was one of our ideas~how long does it take to get there?

It only takes about 20 minutes to actually enter the park. The Jenny Lake area is very close to town.

Are you going on business or something? Not planning to visit Yellowstone too? Yellowstone would be about 2 hours to get up to the Old Faithful area.

then it may be worth renting a car for a day or two....
I am tagging along with someone who is attending a conference, and we're on the fence about Yellowstone. I've been told Teton Nt'l Park is just as beautiful.

Definitely rent a car. You DON"T want to miss the Tetons. There are some great hiking trails that start from the backside of Jenny Lake (a boat takes you across the Lake) and up into Cascade Canyon area. They range from easy to strenous. A brochure, with all the trails, can be downloaded from GTNP web site.

awesome information, thank you! I'm one of those OC people who likes to have a tentative itinerary so there's no dead time and the frustrating volley of "what do you wanna do?" "I don't care, what do YOU wanna do?" Looks like I already have a few days planned!

Ditto on the Jenny Lake hike up to Cascade Canyon. Also, for breakfast The Bunnery is a must.

tenthumbs,

One of my favorite hikes is relatively short and easy. The Swan Lake loop out of Coutler Bay. Wild swans nesting, great blue heons, other birds, moose very likely, lily pads in the ponds.

Coulter Bay also has boat and canoe rents. Jackson Lake Lodge (very near Coutler Bay) has horseback riding on the usual beginner level. Jackson Lake Lodge area has very good moose spotting too, by the way.

Thanks for the advice~went to JH and loved it! My brother and I did the hike at Jenny Lake from the boat dock to Cascade Canyon we loved it. We went horsebackriding with an outfit near TNP and had a great ride. The Alpine slide was a hoot; had great dinners at the Cadillac Grille and Bon Appethai downtown. The food at the Bar J was a bit disappointing, but the entertainment made up for it.