Jackson, Wyoming is a town with a population of approximately 10,000 located south of Grand Teton National Park in the Jackson Hole valley. It is the gateway to the park with lodging, restaurants and plenty of things to do to keep a family entertained throughout their summer or winter vacation.
Jackson Town Square
The Town Square is George Washington Memorial Park. It was dedicated in 1934 and named in honor of Washington in order to memorialize the 200th anniversary of his birth. The four main entrances to the square are decorated with large arches made from elk antlers. The Town Square is surrounded by local businesses.
Teton Village
This is the largest and most popular ski area in Wyoming, located 12 miles northwest of Jackson. It is composed of Teton Village and the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Teton Village sits at the base of the ski resort. The Aerial Tram takes visitors up 4139 vertical feet in just 12 minutes for 360 degree views of the Tetons, valley and surrounding mountains.
Other Jackson Ski Areas
Snow King Mountain Resort is located at the base of Snow King Mountain (aka Town Hill) and is th only mountain resort in Jackson, Wyoming. It offers both hotel guest rooms and luxury vacation condo rentals. It offers six beginner trails, thirteen intermediate ski and snowboarding runs, and 15 expert ski trails over 400 acres. There are three lifts and two magic carpet lifts. It was founded in 1939.
Grand Targhee is located in Alta about 45 miles from Jackson. White Pine is located about 75 miles from Jackson in Pinedale.
National Elk Refuge
The National Elk Refuge is a 24,700 acre wildlife refuge managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service just outside of Jackson which was created in 1912 to protect the winter habitat of the area’s elk herd. Around 5000 to 8000 elk spend their winter in the area, one of the world’s largest elk herds. A herd of around 1000 bison also winter in the park.
The National Elk Refuge is about a mile from Jackson’s Town Square. There are eight foot high fences on the southern and western borders to protect the elk from traffic in Jackson and Highway 26. There are raised mound areas on the western border which allow the elk to jump the fence to enter but not exit there once inside.
The elk herd typically arrives in November and December and leaves for higher elevation in April and May. The Jackson elk herd spreads out between Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Gros Ventre and the Teton Wilderness.
The Refuge Road begins at the end of East Broadway Avenue in Jackson. There is no entrance fee to enter via the Refuge Road. Only the first 3.5 miles are open to the public during winter in order to protect the wintering wildlife against disturbance. One of the most popular ways to see the winter refuge is via a sleigh ride, which departs from the Jackson Hole & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center.