A Family Travel Guide to Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Yellowstone National Park — America’s first national park, founded in 1872 — is on many family bucket lists (and for good reason, with its many geysers, geologic wonders and incredible wildlife).

Although most travelers focus on West Yellowstone, Montana, as a starting point for their park visit, Jackson, Wyoming, is also an excellent choice, particularly for families seeking a higher-end experience. (A quick regional note: The city itself is called Jackson, while the surrounding area and valley is known as Jackson Hole.)

Here’s everything families need to know about staying and playing in Jackson and Jackson Hole, and how to maximize the destination as a base camp for national park exploration.

Where to Stay in Jackson and Jackson Hole, Wyoming

There are two main areas to set up camp: The first is downtown Jackson, which has an authentic western feel as well as a lovely collection of smaller hotels, cafes, restaurants and art galleries. Alternatively, Teton Village, set at the base of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, is a 20-minute drive from downtown and offers a mix of resorts, shops and hotels.

Downtown, the 55-room Hotel Jackson is a third-generation family-owned luxury boutique with exceptional service and a modern rustic feel. The designers used reclaimed Wyoming barn wood for portions of the hallways and the rooms, and the results are stunning. An expansion that’s currently underway and set to wrap in summer 2025 will bring an additional eight suites and a spa, as well as rooftop amenities including an infinity pool, restaurant and lounge.

Families will enjoy Hotel Jackson’s complimentary e-bike rentals, not to mention the rooftop hot tub and the daily 5 p.m. cookie service. Parents in need of some R&R can escape to the gorgeous Sacajawea Library, a sumptuous space that just invites guests to sit and read — or maybe drift into a cat nap. The on-site restaurant, Figs, is one of the best in town, serving Lebanese-Mediterranean cuisine and craft cocktails. Many of the recipes here are family recipes that have been passed down from Safaa Darwiche, wife of hotel founder Jim Darwiche.

Up in Teton Village, meanwhile, Four Seasons Resort and Residences Jackson Hole features everything from traditional hotel rooms to multibedroom residence suites. Residences contain full kitchens, washer/dryers, balconies and fun upgrades such as steam showers. The resort, although large, feels intimate, and staff impresses by remembering the tiniest details, such as clients’ breakfast beverage preferences or what their plans were the previous day.

Food here runs the gamut, from The Handle Bar, which offers a pub and beer hall, to Westbank Grill, a steakhouse with an open kitchen and expansive mountain views. Pan-Asian Ascent Lounge provides a special experience for the whole family, while a custom-built, wraparound eight-seat sushi counter is center stage for the pop-up Omakase Table dinners on Wednesdays through Sundays during the summer months. Premium fish — much of which is flown in daily from Tokyo’s Toyosu Fish Market — is prepared in front of guests and paired with wine and sake, part of a memorable 12-course dinner.

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If clients need a day off from adventuring, the resort’s full-service spa provides a wide range of facials, massages and beauty services for guests ages 12 and older. One unique treatment to consider here is the Sacred Earth Ritual, which uses Hungarian moor mud and sea salt to exfoliate the skin, followed by a layer of geothermal mud to hydrate. The treatment finishes with a hair and scalp treatment and a massage, readying travelers for that next hiking trail.

What to Do in and Around Jackson

North of downtown, the National Museum of Wildlife Art is a delightful stop. Clients can start with the extensive sculpture garden outside, then make their way into the main building, where the design was inspired by a Scottish castle. Here, visitors can enjoy some 5,000 works from more than 550 artists across multiple eras and formats, from photography and sculpture to paintings. 

Sparsely populated Wyoming boasts some wonderful dark skies, and Snow King Mountain recently opened up its long-planned planetarium. Several times per week, stargazers can ride the lift to the mountaintop, where astronomers present shows in the planetarium and give tours of the observatory dome, which holds a state-of-the-art telescope. The three-hour experience includes observing time with the main telescope, as well as several smaller ones, weather permitting.

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Up in Teton Village, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s main Bridger Gondola climbs 2,700 feet up the mountain, depositing hikers at about 10,000 feet in elevation, where views are striking and inspiring. In addition to trails, the upper deck area features live music every few evenings during the summer season. Don’t miss the famous selection of waffles from Corbet’s Cabin — a Jackson Hole tradition.

Exploring Nearby National Parks

Jackson Hole is situated just south of Grand Teton National Park, and the region’s airport (JAC) actually sits inside the park. Some of the more popular areas for easy, scenic hikes are near Jenny Lake and the much larger Jackson Lake. The park is a good one for wildlife sightings, and the vistas throughout are impressive and always Instagram-worthy. From Jackson, the park’s southern boundary is about a 20-minute drive, while the farthest reaches northward are a bit more than an hour’s journey.

Driving north from Grand Teton’s northern Moran Entrance, the southern entrance to Yellowstone is about 35 minutes away. Yellowstone is enormous — roughly seven times larger in area than Grand Teton. Driving the park’s southern loop, which includes geysers such as Old Faithful, along with Grand Prismatic Spring, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the upper and lower falls of the Yellowstone River, can be done as a long day trip from Jackson.

Another option for exploration is to use an outfitter. Four Seasons, for one, partners with Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris to help guests experience either of the parks with an experienced naturalist guide who interweaves stories of the area’s history with descriptions of the wildlife and their activities. What’s more, the resort chefs pack a full breakfast, lunch, snacks, drinks and signature hot chocolate for the day’s journey.

That’s the kind of luxury exploring any family can get comfortable with.