Why you should put Jackson Hole at the top of your US ski bucket list

Jackson Hole in Wyoming should be to be at the top of your North American ski list. 

Jackson Hole is known as the ‘skier’s mountain’, with over half the ski runs classified as black or double-black. But it’s not just for experts, it is also the perfect destination for a family ski holiday. While the gung-ho carvers and shredders are throwing themselves down all those famous chutes, bowls, bumps and gullies, your family will have the long, cruisy intermediate runs all to yourself. Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has invested in a major way to improve the beginner and intermediate terrain and facilities.

Add a completely self-contained ski school complex, an easy-to-get-around village and some Wild West fun and critters and you can see why Jackson Hole is the ideal place to introduce kids to skiing in the American West.

1. The Terrain at Jackson Hole is incredible

Jackson Hole is legendary with two mountains, Rendezvous and Après Vous, offering 1011 hectares of delight for skiers and snowboarders. You’ll find something for everyone with groomers, tree runs, chutes and showstopping Corbet’s Couloir. There are 130 named trails serviced by 13 lifts.

Rendezvous provides the bulk of that scary steep stuff and has a summit of 3,185 metres, while Après Vous mostly caters to intermediates.

Après Vous has a good spread of very long blue runs – like thigh-burning, you-need-to-stop-to-get-your-breath-back long.

Of the resorts 129 runs, 10% are beginner, 40% intermediate and 50% advanced.

For beginners, Solitude Station has transformed the beginner experience at Jackson Hole. Start your day there with a few runs on the covered surface lift, then make your way over to the Eagle’s Rest Chair. Eagle’s Rest, Pooh Bear and Antelope Flats are all super fun runs.

Intermediate skiers should take the Sweetwater Gondola to Casper or Teton lifts. There is a huge amount of amazing intermediate terrain off these chairs. I’ll let you in on a little-known secret: Jackson Hole has incredible grooming. Try out Wide Open or the Crags first thing in the morning.

More advanced? The upper mountain is the place to be. Start with runs off Thunder and Sublette chairs. Then when you are ready for a real thigh burner, make your way back down to the base via the Hobacks. You’ll cover over 762 metres vertical of ungroomed wide-open ridge and bowl skiing.

2. The ski school is fantastic for kids to learn

Jackson Hole might have gnarly runs, but it also has gentle slopes perfect for beginners. Kid’s Ranch offers lessons in a fun environment. Pioneers is for kids aged three to four years; Rough Riders for five to seven-year-olds, and Explorer for eight to 14s.

Kids start on gentle runs off the Eagles Rest chairlift, or from the mid-station of Sweetwater Gondola. Once they have mastered that, they can progress to the Teewinot lift and then head up, up, up.

The Mountain Sports School staff help you book lessons, organise ski and snowboard hire and lift passes. Children three and up can get both ski and snowboarding lessons. The instructors are extremely knowledgeable on the mountain and give kids special stickers and games when they ski new places to help impart a sense of accomplishment.

3. Teton Village is a fabulous place to stay

Make the most of your time at Jackson Hole by staying in Teton Village, at the base of the mountains. There is a range of accommodation from lodges to hotels and condos – many of them ski-in, ski-out. Condos are a fantastic option and provide plenty of room so the kids can spread out and chill out – some even have hot tubs.

The Four Seasons Resort and Residences Jackson Hole offer renowned refinement and hospitality. The in-house Kids’ Club offers plenty of fun with video games and a holiday program making gingerbread and ornaments.

The Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa is right in the mountain village. The views from the lodge’s rooftop hot tub are stunning and the Spur Restaurant & Bar is a favourite hangout for locals who know good food when they taste it.

You’ll find excellent restaurants, ski shops, boutique shopping and an ice skating rink. Great places to eat with kids include Il Villaggio Osteria and Continuum Bar & Grill.

Il Villaggio Osteria has the usual cheese pizzas and butter pasta for fussy kids, and delicious homemade buffalo ravioli for parents. The must-try dish at Continuum Bar & Grill is their mountain elk chilli. For après-ski, try the Mangy Moose, The Handle Bar at Four Seasons Resort or The Spur at Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa.

4. There are waffles at the top of the the Aerial Tram 

The 100-passenger Big Red Tram whisks frothing riders up to 3,185 metres to the summit of Rendezvous Mountain. Ride this famous Jackson Hole tram to take in spectacular views down the mountain. At the top, head inside the icicle-covered Corbet’s Cabin for some of the best waffles you’ll ever taste. Which flavour will you go for? Peanut butter and bacon? Nutella? Lemon glaze with icing sugar and whipped cream? Or traditional?

The terrain here goes into Rendezvous Bowl which is for expert skiers only but there is no need to panic, the tram descends the mountain every 10 minutes.

If you do decide to ski down from the top to the bottom, it’s the longest run in the US, at 11.6 kilometres.

5. There are so many fun things for kids in Jackson Hole

Go ice skating at Village Rink on the Commons in Teton Village. Head to Snow King Mountain near the town of Jackson and ride the Mountain Coaster, which zips, twists and turns through a range of loops, curves and hairpin bends. Snow King also offers tubing, skiing, night skiing or take a scenic gondola ride to the top for eyepopping views over the town of Jackson and the Tetons. Go on a sleigh ride at the National Elk Refuge. Go dog-sledding out to Granite Hot Springs, or sign up for a wildlife tour of the National Elk Refuge and spot moose, bison, elk and more.

6. Visit or stay in Jackson

Jackson Hole refers to the whole area of the town of Jackson, Teton Village, Wilson, the Aspens, Moran Junction, Moose and surrounding areas. The town of Jackson is 19 kilometres from Teton Village. 

Any visit to Jackson Hole has to include at least a visit to the town of Jackson, or perhaps choose to stay a night before you head home. This Wild West, yee-haw town abounds with western charm and history. Walk the wooden sidewalks to go shopping for cowboy boots or other western paraphernalia, check out the art galleries and boutiques and go ice skating at the skating pond in the Town Square, through the elk antler archways. For a bit of fun, dress up in cowboy garb for a portrait at Jackson Hole’s Old Time Photos.

Persephone is a chic café that is great for a leisurely brunch on a cold day. Eat a meal at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, which has saddles for stools. Or try a bison steak accompanied by a beer flight of the in-house brewed beers at the Roadhouse Brewing Company. Then stay at the historic Wort Hotel with its famous Silver Dollar Bar.

7. You can visit Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park is the world’s oldest national park and celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2022. Book in for a tour to this iconic park with a company like Scenic Safaris. Choose a snowmobile tour, or a snowcoach tour, to explore this dramatic and wild landscape. However you go, you will be amazed at this otherworldly place of bubbling, steaming geysers, unbridled wilderness and four-legged traffic hazards like moose and bison.

8. There’s awesome on-mountain dining and facilities

Jackson Hole has you covered with a range of dining options from casual and family-friendly to upscale.

Rendezvous Lodge atop the Bridger Gondola has a cafeteria and Piste Mountain Bistro, perfect for a proper sit-down lunch with a killer view. 

The state-of-the-art  Solitude Station midway up the Sweetwater Gondola has two restaurants (one for kids and one for adults), the Mountain Sports School and rental equipment. From here you can watch the little ones outside on the covered magic carpet, or you snag a patio chair by the fire pit out front.

9. There are 6 terrain parks

Freestyle riders will want to try out the two terrain parks and four Burton Stash Parks, which range from Little Stash for beginners up to Stashley Ridge for experts.

10. You can track your progress with the JH Insider app

Download the JH Insider App so you can track your runs and compare with the family. The app contains snow and weather reports, up-to-the-minute lift line wait times and personalised stats. There is even a leaderboard. The tracking function is also helpful if you have older kids or teens that are skiing by themselves. You’ll always know where they are and can see them moving around the mountain on the app’s trail map. Make it a family competition to see who can see the most vertical metres.

11. You can ski with an Olympic legend

If your kids can ski well and love an adventure, book a guide like US double Olympic medallist and skiing legend, Tommy Moe through Mountain Sports School. It will be an amazing experience for the whole family.

12. Spend a day at Grand Targhee

Organise a day trip over the Targhee Pass to Grand Targhee, a 1.5 hour trip over the Teton Pass into Idaho and back into Wyoming. This delightful resort is worth the trip and while it’s small, it has fabulous runs, a lovely ambience, incredible views, and even cat skiing for more advanced skiers and riders. There is also a Kids Adventure Zone which is a lot of fun for pint-size skiers and riders.

13. You can save money with the Ikon Pass

Ikon Pass holders can ski or snowboard for seven days at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.

Final verdict: Is Jackson Hole good for families?

Jackson Hole has fantastic activities for kids off the slopes. At the base of the mountain is a huge ice castle for kids to explore. Visit the children’s museum, slide down the long alpine slide and try snow tubing. Kids will be entranced with Jackson’s cowboy culture at a rodeo event and live concerts. On the mountain, kids will love exploring the six varied terrain parks, tracks through the trees, as well as the wide-open higher slopes.

Winter is a great time to spot wildlife, big and small. Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris leads tours to spot elk, foxes, buffalo, wolves and moose in Grand Teton and nearby Yellowstone National Park. Or you can take the kids to National Elk Refuge Sleigh Rides, where horse-drawn sleighs will take them right into the middle of herds of wild, antlered elk.

Jackson airport is only 30 minutes from Teton Village which makes travelling in and out of Jackson Hole with kids really easy.

Jackson Hole snow report

Getting to Jackson Hole from Australia

Delta, American and United all fly directly into Jackson Hole from LA. It’s 30 minutes by taxi to Teton Village and only 15 minutes to Jackson.

This article originally appeared in Ski & Snowboard with Kids magazine. Subscribe to the latest issue here.

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