Jackson Hole WY in October 2013
 

My husband and I plan on traveling to Jackson Hole to celebrate our 10th anniversary. Just a few questions for seasoned travelors to this area... Is October a good time to visit? Looking at hotels and we are considering three. 1. Spring Creek Ranch, The Lodge at Jackson Hole, Rustic Inn Creekside Resort. Could anyone recommend one over the other? OR... if anyone has a suggestion better than these, we welcome any advice. We'd like to spend between 100-150/night. Clean is a must! Thank you!!

Jim & Tammy,

What do you plan to do while in Jackson? Hiking, photography, wild life viewing? REalxing, spas? October is pretty with the fall colors, but you should be prepared for cold nights and the possibility of an early snow storm. I would go early Oct, but not late. Leaves will be gone and too cold at the end of Oct.

The properties you mention are not in town, so just a bit of a drive to restaurents, shops and a little entertainment/nightlife. I have not checked any of these recently, as they have always been far above my budget. Are they really within your budget during October?

They are all close enough to see Grand Teton Natl Park, but not Yellowstone. The south entrance to Yellowstone would be about a 2 hour drive one way. But you don't say if you have been out to the area before.

Thank you for your reply Dayle. We've never been to this area before so it will be our first adventure. I did hear there's never a bad time to visit! We love the colder temps, so that won't be a problem. Plan on doing alot of relaxing, wildlife venues, hiking, etc. We will have a rental car. The reason for booking the mid-later part of October is the rates drop for most hotels by 1/2 since it's off-season. We also prefer off-season so it won't be as packed with tourists (like us!). We still plan on visiting Yellowstone, and may consider even staying a night at one of the lodges right in that park (maybe start our vacation there and then move to Jackson Hole the next 5 nights). Still in the early planning stages, that's why I'm asking for any advice that might help.

Check the out the Yellowstone hotels now. While some will still be open in mid-October, many start closing in the beginning of the month for the season as do the general stores and other buildings in the park.

Good luck planning your trip

Thank you Taitai.

JimTammy,

So how long do you have for your trip? 2 weeks?

If you have a decent amount of time, then definitely use 2 bases. Yellowstone is HUGE and takes days to see. Drving up, seeing a few geysers and staying overnight will not be enough. You probably want at least 4 or 5 nights IN Yellowstone. You will be driving longer distances to see it if most of the lodges are closed.

You can get a good feel for Yellowstone in a day or two. the new Old Faithful Lodge is beautiful and open all winter. I think one or two nights in the park is plenty in October, and you'll be glad you visited it. The drive from Jackson is spectacular...2 hours of dramatic landscapes and maybe even some wildlife viewing.

Thank you Dayle & roundthebend. We have 7 nights. Planned on 2 days at Yellowstone and the remaining 5 in Jackson Hole. Anyone stayed at the Rustic Inn or Spring Creek? I think we are chgg our itinerary to be there Sept 14th or 21st. I would definitely like to see the leaves changing even if it means higher rates at the hotel. Using our free skymiles to fly, so a big savings there!

Both the Rustic Inn and Spring Creek are great!

Spring Creek is up on a butte (small hill) about a 15-minute drive to the town square so you would need to drive anytime you wanted to go anywhere. Keep in mind that if you enjoy wine at dinner, you will need to take a windy, hilly road back to your hotel afterwards. Gorgeous views. More secluded.

The Rustic Inn is right downtown about 4 blocks from the town square. Better location if you are hoping to walk to restaurants, bars, shops, and galleries. Worse location if you want to feel like you are in the middle of nowhere, since it is right on the main thoroughfare through town. They have done a lot of work on the grounds to make them really nice, but the website photos are a little deceiving in making it look more secluded than it is. Plug the two addresses into google maps to see what I mean.

Both are very nice properties. I would choose based on price and/or location.

Have a great trip!