The unique town with an unusual airport with wild animals roaming free (Image: Professional Naturalist Guides at Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris)
I’ve only just landed and a few minutes in, I am immediately met with incredible sights of wild elks and moose, seemingly straight out of the gate. In awe, I watch as these gentle beasts stand tall as snowcapped mountains provide the perfect backdrop, setting the tone for my unique trip in this exciting town – starting at its airport. Not many towns can boast of providing such fantastic displays of nature immediately upon arrival – but then again not many towns are quite like this one.
I’ve arrived in Jackson Hole airport, famed for having a one-of-a-kind set up, as it’s the only commercial airport in the United States that’s directly located inside a National Park with the surrounding area here being incredibly vast as it is stunning. Wyoming and wide open spaces have always been synonymous, but to put its vastness in context, the state is larger than the UK and Northern Ireland combined, yet home to a tiny population, similar to that in Sheffield, meaning far less crowds, providing complete peace and tranquility with all the added hallmarks, making for the ultimate adventure getaway, either in summer or in winter.
Jackson Hole is home to an array of wildlife including wolves, bears, elks, moose and plenty more (Image: Four Seasons Hotel)
My initial thoughts prior to arriving in Wyoming were certainly that of vastness and perhaps the odd scattering of cowboys here and there, with popular shows like 1868 and Yellowstone piquing my interest of these faraway lands even further.
My Western obsession was certainly fulfilled in Dubois, a small town offering that quintessential cowboy feel with wooden sidewalks fitted throughout allowing for the echoes of cowboy boots to be heard all around, invoking feelings like I’m suddenly smack bang in a Western film.
But travelling through Jackson Hole, I quickly realise there’s far more to this town than just vast lands, cowboys and Western films, such as the stunning Grand Teton National Park which surrounds the airport, consisting of a whopping 310,000 acres of alpine landscape with a large array of flora, fauna and epic wildlife waiting to be explored.
The pretty town is also famed as being the ultimate spot for skiing and snowboarding, attracting a host of skiers during its peak season, between November to April, but before I see for myself why Jackson Hole is fast becoming the top destination for ski getaways, the elegant Four Seasons Hotel was my first port of call.
My new home for the next few days proved to be the perfect refuge after a chilly day of endless activities and boasts of an impressive amount of dining and drink options with inviting seating areas, allowing you to soak up the endless views and was the pinnacle of luxurious relaxation.
The town is famed as being the ultimate spot for skiing and snowboarding with ideal snow conditions (Image: Four Seasons Hotel )
As dawn breaks here, it’s immediately action-go, and I quickly realise the people of Jackson Hole take the outdoors way of life to another level as a hive of activity takes place as soon as the sun rises with hundreds of skiers preparing for a day of exhilarating snow activities.
Perhaps it’s the ideal snowy conditions here that makes so many skiers unable to get enough of Jackson Hole which are made favourable thanks to the town’s geographical and meteorological factors including also the nearby Rocky Mountain Moisture Channel, bringing with it the humidity from the Pacific Ocean.
This humidity is then brought to the Teton Range, increasing precipitation levels in the surrounding area and thus creating some of the most ideal snow around, falling and accumulating just right.
The results? A snowy paradise with some of the best terrain for skiers and snowboarders, boasting an average of 400-500 inches of snowfall annually and allowing for 137 glorious days of epic skiing and snowboarding.
Curiously, I try my hand on these optimal conditions and was certainly blown away by the 2,500 acres of almost perfect terrain, spread across two mountains, Après Vous and Rendezvous, and a real delight for any adrenaline-junkie.
After working up an appetite soaking up all the action, the Aerial Tram then whisked me away to a little cabin found a staggering 10,450 feet above and a firm favourite among locals.
The elegant Four Seasons Hotel proved to be the ultimate spot for luxurious relaxation (Image: Four Seasons Hotel )
Corbets Cabin is a true staple in Jackson Hole and found perched high on top of a mountain, serving up some of the most decadent waffles around, often filled to the brim on any given day.
Walking inside here and the smell of warm waffles immediately hits you in the face harder than a blizzard in February with dramatic views making you feel on top of the world and was a waffle heaven I never wanted to leave.
My next adventure, however, was the true gem of my whole trip, a winter safari with my guide Colin Boeh from Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris where, armed with our trustee binoculars, we were on a mission to spot Jackson Hole’s finest wildlife including elk, deer, moose, bison, pronghorn, or perhaps even a grizzly bear, as local media reported of a recent sighting.
The grizzly may have proved to be too elusive for me, but I did learn from Colin about one of the best indicators of wild animals nearby, which comes down to a raven.
Turns out, as Colin explained, seeing these intelligent birds often indicates a meal is not far away with the theory proving to be spot on as I gasped in delight while witnessing a lone coyote making his way across the plains towards the raven and a nearby carcass.
But the true highlight for me on this winter safari came when we spotted an American bald eagle, sitting proudly perched high atop a tree and was truly a sight like no other.
The nearby Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park is another natural gem found here (Image: Professional Naturalist Guides at Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris)
Another interesting insight I learnt about Jackson Hole is that when the summer finally arrives here, total transformation takes place, providing even more unique and exhilarating offerings.
“Summer in Jackson Hole usually takes place in June and is when the whole landscape completely changes,” explains Colin.
The melting slow alongside the Tetons finally defrosting brings with it a brilliant swelling in the surrounding rivers as rafting, paddleboarding and hot spring dipping become the main activities and when the snowmelt runoff produces a clear and cool water with a stable river flow, Jackson Hole’s ultimate summer activity begins – fly fishing.
The surrounding region is also ideal for mountain biking and hiking, which according to Colin “contains many flat hiking trails found at valley level with many of them forming a loop around some kind of body of water, making for some epic trails and sights.
“And by August, you can climb up into most of the high country without any technical ice or snow equipment but these trails should not be taken lightly and have humbled many savvy mountaineers.”
As I take in my last sights of this charming and unique town with dreamy alpine landscapes and stunning natural beauty found seemingly in every corner, it’s clear Jackson Hole offers visitors that quintessential Western adventure, regardless of the seasons, and was certainly a town I won’t forget anytime soon.
