Jackson Hole / Yellowstone Travel Guide

I try to search for the positives in dire situations. So, if there is anything positive I can take away from the pandemic it’s that it led me to going on my first hiking / national park trip. I was always a major city traveler and never bothered to explore anything outside of the city limits. National parks didn’t interest me before Covid. I was wrong.

To the west of Jackson Hole is the Teton Range, which is part of the Rocky Mountains and is located almost entirely in the Grand Teton National Park. The hiking trails, lakes, and views in this mountain range are incredible. Two full days is the perfect amount of time to do a few hikes and see Jenny Lake and Taggart Lake. Surprisingly, the Jackson Hole Valley has a great culinary scene and happy hour in the town of Jackson.

The South Yellowstone entrance is about an hour and a half drive from Jackson Hole. We were staying in West Yellowstone so on the drive up we hit all the main attractions in South Yellowstone, which are mostly geysers: West Thumb Geyser Basin, Lakeshore Geyser, and Old Faithful. The following day we drove to some of the West Yellowstone attractions: the Yellowstone Grand Canyon (20 miles long and formed 640,000 years ago by a volcanic eruption), Inspiration Point – which offers the best vantage point overlooking the Canyon, Mud Volcano – muddy hot springs that has a pH of battery acid, and Lake Yellowstone, which at 7,733 feet, is the largest high elevation lake in North America. The third day we made the hour and a half trek from our VRBO to Mammoth Hot Springs. We left at dawn to see wildlife along the drive, which included deer, elk, and bison, including one very pissed off bison right by my window that was annoyed with me taking pics lol.  On the way back to West Yellowstone we stopped off at Grand Prismatic Springs. It’s the third largest hot spring in the world and the largest in the US! It’s named for its striking coloration of red, orange, yellow, green, and blue. The hot spring was one of my favorite stops and pictures of the trip. The fourth day of the trip was our last full day in Yellowstone. We took it easy and went to the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone to see grizzly bears in captivity. Then we drove to Henrys Lake and Hebgen Lake to relax by the water. If you’re planning on hiking then I recommend more than 3 days in West Yellowstone to give yourself time to see the main attractions throughout the park. If you’re not hiking then 3 full days is the perfect amount for South and West Yellowstone. Check out the Jackson Hole / Yellowstone travel guide I created below.

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Where to Stay in Jackson Hole & Yellowstone:

AirBnb in Wilson, Wyoming, which is only 15 minutes away from Jackson (The town center of the Jackson Hole Valley) and VRBO in West Yellowstone. The town of West Yellowstone (Located in Montana) is just minutes away from the West Yellowstone park entrance and has just enough civilization for a comfortable stay.

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Transportation in Jackson Hole & Yellowstone:

Flew into Salt Lake City (Stopped at Templin Family Brewing in Salt Lake to beer up) and made the four-and-a-half-hour drive to the Airbnb located in Wilson. The sign-up points for the Capital One Venture credit card paid for my entire airfare. For the rental car we rented through Costco.

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What to Do in Jackson Hole & Yellowstone:

Jackson Hole

Jenny Lake Loop – A moderate 7.5-mile hike around the second largest lake in the Grand Teton National Park with an elevation gain of only 275 feet. Most of the hiking trail stays relatively close to the shoreline. Alternatively, if you’re too out of shape for 7.5 miles or you’re short on time, you can take a ferry from South Jenny Lake to the west-shore boat dock where you can bypass most of the hiking (Cuts off almost 5 miles) and save your energy for the trek up to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point, which is the main attraction of the hike, overlooking Jenny Lake and the valley from 450 feet up.

String Lake -It’s the perfect hike to ease into your trip (Only 275 feet of elevation gain) and one of the easiest in the Grand Tetons. It’s 3.8 miles roundtrip and it’s a great hike to do early in the day to see the reflections of the surrounding Tetons in the water.

Gondola ride up the mountain – It’s a little pricey ($38 if booked online) but worth taking a break from hiking and enjoying the panoramic views of the Jackson Hole Valley 2,700 feet below you and the surrounding Tetons.

Oxbo Bend – Probably the most photographed place in the Grand Teton National Park due to the iconic image of the Snake River with Mount Moran’s reflection. It’s also one of the best places in the park to see moose, river otters, and black bears.

Cattleman’s Bridge Road – Just before you reach the Oxbo Bend heading east, get off on the one-mile gravel road off to your right.  This dead-end road takes you to the Snake River, and is the perfect place to crack open a beer and see all kinds of wildlife.

Taggart Lake – My favorite hike in the Tetons, as evidenced by the image below. It’s only 3.3 miles roundtrip, with a total elevation gain of only 300 feet. As you make your way to the lake you enjoy stunning views of Grand Teton towering above you and you can see the destruction of a thousand acres due to a wildfire in 1985 caused by a lightning strike.

South / West Yellowstone

West Thumb Geyser Basin & Lakeshore Geiser – Magnificent collection of geothermal pools along Yellowstone Lake

Old Faithful – Erupts about 20 times a day, and visitors can check the eruption prediction times at the park, which has a 90% confidence rate. There’s bench seating but my advice is to get away from the crowds and hike up the trail to see the 180-foot-tall eruption from up top.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone – You can drive along the North Rim or South Rim to experience different vantage points of the canyon and the Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River. There’re also a few trails that lead partway down into the canyon, including Uncle Tom’s Point Trail and Red Rock Point Trail.

Mud Volcano – Smells like ass but if you can get past it there’s a really cool feature in Mud Volcano called Dragon’s Mouth Spring, a cavern that sounds like a dragon has taken residence there due to the sound of the boiling water.

Lake Yellowstone – My favorite spot in Yellowstone to relax on the beach and drink a brew.

Mammoth Hot Springs – Doesn’t have the appearance of a typical hot spring but rather looks like a cave turned inside out.

Lamar Valley – Stop to watch wildlife in the “Serengeti of North America.”

Grand Prismatic Springs – The most unique spring in Yellowstone with jaw-dropping colors. One of the highlights of my trip.

Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center – If you’d rather see a grizzly in captivity than in the wild then this is a pretty cool stop in the town of West Yellowstone, especially if you have kids. All of the bears in the center are unable to survive in the wild.

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What to Eat & Drink in Jackson Hole & Yellowstone:

Jackson

Cultivate Cafe – Chick’n Waffles or the Cowboy Sandwich

Thai Me Up – Melvin Brewing is also located inside (Don’t underestimate the spice level)

Snake River Brewing – Bison Burger and Bison and Beef Chili

Cafe Genevieve – Cajun Eggs Benedict was the best breakfast of the trip

West Yellowstone

The Buffalo Bar – Ground Buffalo Tacos with Loaded Totchos

Ernie’s – Perfect for grabbing a quick breakfast for the road to the park

Bullwinkle’s Saloon – Elk burger with Poutine

Running Bear Pancake House – Cinnamon Roll Cakes topped with a Banana Cream Pie Cappuccino

Three Bear Restaurant – Nothing special but one of the few places in the area that serves bison steaks

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Tips for Visiting Jackson Hole & Yellowstone:

• Download the All Trails app for offline maps
• Download Google Maps app to use offline maps inside Yellowstone Park
• Rent a Yellowstone or Grand Teton National Park guidebook from your local library
• Download the GyPSy Yellowstone app for a GPS audio guided tour (I used this app for the Road to Hana in Maui and was well worth the $10)
• If you’re planning to visit a lot of national parks in the future, consider buying an annual national park pass for $80.
• Click this link to see what’s open in the Grand Teton and Yellowstone Parks.
• Bring hiking boots, wool hiking socks, binoculars, and a cooler bag
• Bring a bear bell if you’re hiking to warn bears of your presence to prevent accidentally startling them
• Rent bear spray for $9.50 per day; Look for groups on Facebook for exchanging spray
• There’s nowhere to stop for food in the parks so buy snacks, sandwiches, and beer from the grocery in West Yellowstone and Jackson.
• Allow time for people stopping to observe wildlife in the parks which will cause traffic to be backed up for miles

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Bucket List for Visiting Jackson Hole & Yellowstone Again:

• Rent ATVs in Jackson Hole. We tried to rent them when we were there but they were sold out. Book in advance.
• Whitewater rafting, fly fishing, and downhill biking in Jackson Hole
• Phelps Lake Loop hike in Grand Teton National Park
• Hike to Delta Lake in Grand Teton National Park
• Hike Mount Washburn in Yellowstone
• Take a dip in the Boiling River in Yellowstone, a natural hot tub

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Jackson Hole & Yellowstone Maps: