We recently planned a last minute Fall trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming with some friends. One quick lesson we were taught – Jackson is the town, Jackson Hole is the area! And it helps to travel with the same fun pals– we all know each others’ travel preferences.
None of us had been to the area, so we leveraged suggestions from friends as well as a very active Facebook group!
We wanted to stay in the town of Jackson as a home base and had some friends who recently were there and suggested the Cloudveil by Marriott. The location is great; the hotel is very new and in great shape. The kicker was that because we planned our Fall trip to Jackson Hole so late, our room rates were high. Therefore, our expectations were high! There was nothing wrong with our stay, but the experience did not align with our expectations.
It was nice to stay in the town of Jackson. We were able to get up in the morning and walk to the local coffee shops – Persephone and Snake River Roasters. I would suggest both. Also we were able to walk to dinner every night and the local saloon – Million Dollar Saloon.
We ate at 3 restaurants while in Jackson.
Glorietta – good Italian, very popular so absolutely need reservations
Blue Lion – oldest restaurant in Jackson. Food was good
FIGS – Mediterranean food inside the Hotel Jackson. Tasty and something different. Very small place.
The town is quite touristy. People had compared it to Aspen, which it is not. I don’t mind it, but if you are looking for fancy clothing stores and home stores – you won’t find it in Jackson.
One of the best finds on this trip is the Guide Along app. It was highly reviewed on the Jackson Hole Facebook page so I gave it a try. You basically buy the tour for your location – Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks- and the app uses GPS to provide you with a tour guide. It cost $19.99 and was money well spent. We learned a lot and felt we saw the key areas.
Grand Teton National Park is breathtaking. The mountains and the glacial lakes are stunning and truly inspiring. Using the Guide Along driving tour for a day helped make the most of the journey. We took the ferry at Jenny Lake and did a great hike up to Inspiration Point and had a great lunch at Dornans. We saw lots of animals and it wasn’t too packed with tourists. I would say we hit the perfect timing – after Labor Day but before it was cold during the day. We were able to wear shorts during the day and sit outside for dinner.
Our friend planned a 2 hour scenic float trip on the Snake River and it was a relaxing and actually comfortable journey. Our boat had seats mounted in it so no back pain! It was a slow roll down the river with a few minor rapids. We saw multiple Bald Eagles and a few river otters.
For our last full day we ventured to Yellowstone. It is a good 75-90 min drive from the town of Jackson. Doable but not ideal. We used the Guide Along App for this as well and they shared a lot of information during this part of the drive.
Yellowstone – I had been there when I was young but honestly have very little memory of it. It does not disappoint and it is really wild how different it is than Grand Tetons. We knew we had to see Old Faithful blow so we started our trip around the Lower Loop there. You can look online for estimated times for it – there is a reason it is called Old Faithful! We wandered around the other geysers and paint pots and then explored the Canyons of Yellowstone. There was definitely more traffic in Yellowstone than Grand Tetons but I imagine it is a lot worse in the heart of the summer. We love to walk but if you don’t, you might not enjoy it as much. We brought a picnic with us since we heard there wasn’t great food inside Yellowstone Park.
I will definitely go back to Jackson Hole. Probably not in the next couple years but in the next 5 years. I would spend one night in Jackson and then stay at the hotels in the parks for a few nights. A few that stood out are Jenny Lake Lodge, Jackson Lake Lodge and the Old Faithful Inn. I am not imagining them to be fancy but locations would be very convenient and you would feel totally immersed in the National Park experience.
Steve and I are going to plan a road trip to Yosemite next and will leverage the GuideAlong app and stay in a National Park Inn.