My husband and I are currently planning a trip to Jackson for the end of June and have considered staying at the Inn On The Creek Bed and Breakfast. Cany anyone recommend this B & B?

Also, we have looked into one day safari's with the Great Plains Wildlife Institute/Teton Science School, whitewater rafting, horseback riding (can anyone recommend WHERE - we are experienced riders and own horses at home in PA), visiting Teton National Park, as well as Yellowstone (how far a drive is Yellowstone from Jackson Hole)?

Anything we've missed that is a must see or do? We will be staying 6 nights/7 days.

What can we expect weather-wise?

Sounds like you're doing pretty well planning by yourself. Definitely sign up for the wildlife safari. It's great! In answer to your question, Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons are close to each other.
All in all, it's a great area. You'll have a wonderful time!

I believe the Inn on the Creek is in a nice area out by the ski resort. It's somewhat secluded and has great views. It sounds like you are into wildlife viewing. If you are, I highly recommend a scenic float trip. They take place at dusk and it's a great way to see some rare animals. You can also combine a day of whitewater with an evening scenic trip. IN regards to Whitewater, June is sometimes iffy. That's when all the melt comes down from teh mountain, and so the rafting won't be as good as later in the summer, but still exciting. One warning, though, is that the water will be freezing that time of year. I highly recommend Mad River for Whitewater Rafting and the Sands for scenic. Those are the two best in those areas.

In regards to horseback riding, you should get in touch with the Snow King Resort. They have horses and you can rent them for the day. I know there is a dude ranch closer to the park which might allow day-trippers called the Triangle X. Be warned that most places will require that you hire a guide or go in a group outing, regardless of your experience with horses.

Have fun!

My son and new daughter-in-law stayed at the Bentwood B&B, which is right on the edge of town for their honeymoon and loved it! Close to everything.

As I recall, Teton National Park is about 45 minutes from Jackson, and Yellowstone was about 90 minutes. Once you get to the south entrance it's another hour to Old Faithful. Not exactly a hop skip and jump. Coulter Bay resort is a little more centrally located, but can only attest to the camping facilities there.

Lori,

You will have a great time in Wyoming. We were there last June. It was cold. 30's in the morning and low 60's during the day. There was still a tremendous amount of snow in Yellowstone. The Tetons are one of the most beautiful places on earth. Be sure to visit the chapel at the southern entrance. The view from the picture window in the chapel is breathtaking. We went whitewater rafting on the Snake River. The water was very high, very rough and extremely cold. People fell out of the raft several times and had to be picked up by Kayaks. The trip really frightened me, but you may like it. We have rafted some eastern rivers and it was fun. The rafting trip on the Snake was not fun for me. I would not repeat this adventure. We went horseback riding at a resort in the Tetons. I can't remember the name of the resort, but it was in the middle of the Tetons. We went on a dinner ride. The scenery was very beautiful, although I do not ride horses and the ride was awfully long for an inexperienced rider. As much as I could tell, all the rides were nose to tail. Depending on the traffic, it could take you hours to go a few miles in Yellowstone. Because the weather turned off so cold, the crowds were not bad in June. Don't expect to go anywhere quickly. Bison cause traffic jams and sometimes a bear or other animal will be sighted and everyone will stop in the same place, sometimes in the middle of the road. We spent 15 hours in Yellowstone. We barely touched the main places. Our favorite restaurant in Jackson Hole was Bubbas. It is casual and inexpensive and the food is very good and they give you more than you can eat. The breakfast was absoutely wonderful. Also, the drive from Jackson Hole to Driggs, Idaho (about 30 miles) is very senic. Have a great time. Wish we were going back this year. It is definitely a place you would want to visit for a second time. We did not get to Cody (about a 4 hour trip from Jackson Hole) but maybe next time. I understand that Cody is a really interesting place. It is supposed to be home to Buffalo Bill.

Lori,

Glad you found the Forum! I agree w/many of the posters. Would like to add Nat'l Wildlife Art Museum as a 'must see', as this was recommended by Howard, to whom we are eternally grateful!

Thank you, Elaine, for the kind words. It's easy to recommend Wyoming!
As for Cody, it's worth a trip just to tour the Buffalo Bill Museum there. It's a unique facility. Or, you can do what we did for our trip to Wyoming--flew into Cody and flew out from Jackson.
I'll also give a strong endorsements for two of Mary Ann's comments:
1. The Grand Tetons are definitely one of the grandest sights in the world.
2. That area is definitely worth at least one repeat trip!

Hi Folks!

Thanks for all the responses due to my posting with regard to Jackson Hole. Looks like we are flying in to Salt Lake City (less expensive air fare rates!) and renting a car and driving in to Jackson Hole. We may also be staying at the Wildflower Inn, at the suggestion of Elaine (thanks, Elaine!) and others.

Some people posted regarding June's weather (we are considering 5 - 12) as being cold. We are warm-weather people and enjoy warm water, warm weather (no humidity) and temps that are comfortable for shorts and swimming. Do you recommend the end of June instead? Or how about July?

We visited Yellowstone/Tetons in late July last year. The weather started out very hot... 98 degrees, but two days later turned gorgeous and was in the high seventies, low eighties. Perfect. The water on the Snake was still cold, but at that time, the water was much calmer. Still lots of fun, but nobody fell out of our raft (we went with Sands, and they were great). We found a horseback riding place quite by luck in the Tetons. I think it was called Wilderness Adventures (if you want, I can look it up ... e-mail me). Our family of four were the only ones on the trip. It was definitely off the beaten track, and beautiful. And I, having never rode a horse before, thought I was gonna fall off the dang horse, the guide had them going pretty fast!

I would go in the end of June. I think crowds pick up in July. We had snow one night in the end of June, but daytime temps were good. If you hike, the high passes may still be closed with deep snow. Hike paintbrush canyon. If you can get one night (or more) in Yellowstone, that would be better. If you need to go back to Jackson Hole, you will spend at least 2 -3 hours covering the same road twice. If you look at a map of Yellowstone, you will see how you spend 45 minutes (as noted above) getting to YNP from Jackson Hole. Then, you will need to pick a direction to travel on the loop. If you need to make it back to Jackson Hole that night, you will only be able to go so far and double back. If you stay in a cabin or lodge, you can complete a portion of a loop before heading back to Jackson Hole. Yellowstone is too amazing to hurry through. You need to gt out of the car and see things up close to make this the best trip you can. Still, I think only something like 10% of the park is visible from the road.

Consider this: Spend the last two nights in YNP, then drive back to SLC via West Yellowstone and along the Snake River.
This way you also get to see new terraine on the way home (including Pocatello Idaho, home of the TV!!!!). Anyway, if you choose this route, book ASAP, as the lodging in Yellowstone books early. Take what you can get, being in YNP is the important part. If you have options, I would stay at two different places.

Lori, Jackson and the Tetons, Yellowstone really are some of the most awesome places in the world, and some of my personal favorites. I've been there many times. As far as whitewater goes, the very term does mean rapids. How "wild" your trip is will depend on the time of year. May/June is normally high runoff from the snow melt. My friends who own a motel in Jackson tell me their tourist season has changed over recent years from Jun/Jul/Aug to Jul/Aug/Sept. Those are the nicest weather months. However, you are in the Rockies. We are talking high mountain environment where the weather can and does change in an instant and it has been known to snow in August. No problem. It gets cold at night anyway so you will need a warm sweater/fleece and some lightweight rain gear along. Normally the days in the summer are gorgeous, comfortable temps. The BIG advantage of going in June is you will get to see the incredible carpets of wildflowers!! Be sure to take a macro focus lens for the flowers. You'll take more pictures than ever before. Horseback riding is pretty much as reported. Day riding for tourists is group-walk-with-guide only. If you are experienced riders, I suggest staying at one of the many guest ranches. Some are very close to Jackson/Tetons. I would personally recommend a trip (at some point in your lives) to the Bitterroot Ranch in Dubois, WY. It's 60 miles east of Jackson in the best riding country I've ever seen. You can check them out at www.ridingtours.com or they have an 800 number for Equitours, their worldwide riding tour operations. Bayard & Mel Fox are wonderful people, real professional horsepeople, and have a ranch and riding for serious, experienced riders. OK, so I could go on and on....

Lori, at the risk of repeating myself...you're going to love the Tetons and Yellowstone not matter what you do or when you go! It's that great!

From someone who is the third generation born in Jackson and still love to visit. The weather is unpredictable so take warm layer garments,it's cool most evenings. On the other hand it could be hot. July is the best for white water rafting but even then if it's a huge snow year the water can still be high in late July.Find out later in the spring how the snow melt is. We have been down the Snake in July during a "low water season" and had plenty of thrills. I was past 50 at the time. My daughter was the "captain" of the whitewater raft they own and I would go again.
The Cowboy Bar has been in Jackson for over 60 years, walk in a take a look at the silver dollars in the bar top. The Jackson Drug was there when my Mother was a child,1920's, and still serves
a delicious original recipe ice cream cone at an old soda fountain.
You could shop till you drop if thats your thing,or find out what time the daily western shootout "drama" is and hang around for it.
Jenny Lake is worth a stop. In fact just stop at any possible place on this whole trip and drink in the beauty of the Tetons. Don't think they can be beat
and though I have seen a little of this old world, I never tire of the Tetons, Yellowstone and surrounding area. You may not want to ride horses when you see how much there is to look at.
I'll second Bubbas but go early as it's very busy.If you want to just pick up things for a picnic go to Albertson's they have a fabulous deli.It's their showplace store so you will be able to find almost anything you can think of.
Enjoy your vacation!