Do you enjoy snowboarding/skiing, dog sledding, horse sleigh rides, or wildlife? If so, you should visit Jackson Hole in the winter time. It is the perfect destination for the cold months and there is a plethora activities to do here. Here is how I spent 3 days in this small town.
Hotel: The Lexington at Jackson Hole
My 3 day stay was with this comfy hotel in the center of Jackson. The hotel has a nice location between many tourist attractions, especially during the winter months. It is super clean and they have a little stuffed animal to keep you company at night named Lexie. The hotel prices range, but most are in the 100 dollar range per night. They also offer complimentary breakfast and a free hotel transfer to and from the airport.
Day 1: Elk Refuge
- My boyfriend and I started out checking into the hotel early and getting our mittens on. We layered up until we were huge bundles ready to take on the deep snow. We went to the Jackson Hole & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center and got tickets for the horse drawn sleigh ride through the National Elk Refuge. January is the best time to see all the elk. Thousands migrate here for the winter time to find food. We went in December and there were still plenty of elk to be spotted. We got loaded onto a bus and shipped to the refuge. They had huge draft horses with sleighs hooked on them that we rode. The tour guides gave us tons of information on the elks while snow settled softly over the ground. The elks were all chilling and laying in big groups. We snapped some pics and headed on to our lunch after the hour long tour.
- For lunch we ate at Liberty Burger. There their specialty was a huge, tasty bison burger. It was my first time eating big game meat and it was juicy. My boyfriend ate another specialty burger that had elk chili on it. I would also recommend the sidewinder fries. They have jalapenos, queso blanco, pico de gallo, and lastly bacon on curly crisp fries. We both left there stuffed.
- It was getting late so we walked around the town and looked at the beautiful lights. We had to take our photos by the infamous elk antler arcs and we saw the Cowboy Bar lit up, which is a popular tourist spot. We did not try it because at the time I was too young to drink.
Day 2: Hike and Snowboard
- We started out the morning with our complimentary breakfast and then left the hotel. We walked to the elk refuge to see if we could spot any wild rams in the hills. It was about a 2 mile walk, but well worth it. We were in the wild and saw many groups of them. There were rams headbutting each other fighting over a singular female, there were rams running up and down distant cliffs , and there were rams pawing the ground and chewing the grass underneath.
- We found another restaurant close to the hotel after we walked back. It is named ” The Bunnery Bakery& Restaurant.” The restaurant is known for their delicate pastries, their fresh sandwiches, and their delicious breakfast. We might have ate breakfast once already today, but I could not resist the Belgian waffles they offered at this quaint location.
- Afterwards, we warmed up a little and headed a mile towards the mountain that offers the Snow King Resort. This resort offers a plethora of activities such as skiing, snowboarding, snowtubing, and sometimes ice-skating. We rented some snowboards and did the easiest slope which is the magic carpet. If you are a seasoned pro, Snow King offers some world class skiing. It has the steepest ski racing course in the lower 48 states. Snow King offers 32 ski runs in all. If Snow King is not your thing, there is also the Grand Targhee Resort and Jackson Hole Resort.
- After three hours of falling on our butts and sharing many giggles we decided we were done eating snow. We went and changed in the hotel and found a place to eat at. We tried the Silver Dollar Bar & Grill. It has a western theme to it and is also a very popular place to drink. I highly recommend the elk gyros. Afterwards, we grabbed a sweet at CocoLove next door. It is a chocolate wonderland.
Day 3: Dog Sledding in Grand Tetons
- We got up early because today was a big deal. We were going dog sledding in the Grand Tetons National Park! I recommend the Heart Six Guest Ranch tour, but another great chose is the Jackson Hole Iditarod Sled Dog Tours. Our tour provided a service where we got picked up at our hotel. It was an hour drive from Jackson to get to their ranch. They introduced us to our dogs and they put us in the sled. There were blankets to keep your toes toasty. The dogs were barking and their excitement was overflowing. As soon as our dog musher gave the signal they were off. They were going so fast and I loved seeing their personalities come out. We took whipping turns and went over gentle slopes. The best part is when our guide let us drive them. He showed us how to stand on the back of the sled and how to turn with the dogs. He said they could pull up to 700 pounds! Afterwards, we got to get acquainted with the pups.
- When we got dropped back off we stopped and ate at a tasty Mexican restaurant. It is named the Merry Piglets Mexican Grill. I got the chimichangas with queso sauce over it and a huge fried icecream.
Jackson Hole is the place for you if you love the outdoors and nature. It’s natural beauty is unmatched no matter what the season.