Location, location, location!
Where is the best location in Jackson Hole to (temporarily) hang your hat? The short answer is: Anywhere — you’re in Jackson Hole! But the serious answer can be found below; you have a number of equally terrific options.
This map of Jackson Hole (above) displays the distances between the major destinations of the valley. If you're in search of ski-in/ski-out accommodations, for example, Teton Village puts you right at the base of the mountain. However, you'll be about 12 miles from downtown Jackson Hole's Town Square. These are all things to consider as you choose where to stay.
Downtown Jackson Hole
Some of the advantages of choosing lodging in the town of Jackson Hole include easy access to some wonderfully amazing restaurants, from the decidedly upscale to the more casual eateries that dot Town Square. There are also several venues to hear live music just steps away from your downtown hotel, as well as a multitude of shops to peruse.
Other perks include the accessibility to Jackson Hole Airport and national park entrances, as well as the rodeo grounds, plus museums and art galleries. And Snow King Mountain—which offers both day and night skiing—is also located in town. The largest variety of accommodations are found in town, too, from slope-side lodging at Snow King Resort Hotel, to charming B&Bs to boutique hotels and budget motels.
We also suggest you consider the following in-town lodging options: the Wort Hotel, Rockwell Inn, White Buffalo Club, Hotel Jackson, the Lodge at Jackson Hole, or Wyoming Inn.
Having a room with a mountain view is more plentiful closer to Grand Teton National Park, so consider Teton Village, or perhaps a vacation rental on the West Bank.
Teton Village
Teton Village is the other major lodging area choice, with many of the valley’s largest and most amenities-packed hotels. The Village is the “happening” place to be during the ski season, with its own enviable roster of shopping and restaurant options. During the summer months, a stay in “the Village” is quieter and more imbued with the expansive views and feelings of the mountains. Our hotel suggestions include Alpenhof, The Four Seasons, Hotel Terra, and the Inn at Jackson Hole.
In the winter you have instant access to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort without the hassle of parking—simply carry your skis to the base lift of your choice and off you go into the powder! The Village is very pedestrian-friendly friendly so you don’t need a car to go anywhere within it. During the summer months, you have the convenience of getting into Grand Teton National Park with ease via its Granite Canyon entrance at the head of the Moose-Wilson Road, less than two miles from your room.
From a family standpoint, there is something for everyone to do in the Village for multiple days in summer: mountain biking, Aerial Ropes Course, world-class climbing, riding the tram, free outdoor concerts, bungee trampoline, swimming in the pool at Snake River Lodge, and more.
West Bank/Mid-Valley
Elsewhere in the Jackson Hole valley, there are condominiums and overnight suites available in the Aspens-Teton Pines area four miles from Teton Village. Spring Creek Ranch—which sits atop of East Gros Ventre Butte—is three miles from town and offers a range of overnight and weekly accommodations. Scattered throughout the valley are bed and breakfast choices, lodges, plus guest ranches, and cabins.
Is a unique and cozy lodging choice what you seek? Jackson Hole Hideout is at once far from the visiting crowds, yet still near all the action that Jackson Hole and its environs have to offer. Nestled amongst mighty evergreen trees and tucked back on a hill in Wilson, the B&B at first glance resembles a quirky treehouse. A number of years back it was renamed “Jackson Hole Hideout” in a nod to the Old West and because the B&B is a true sanctuary—a “hideout”—in which to stay during a visit to Jackson Hole.
With a plethora of choices in the West Bank, Rendezvous Mountain Rentals specializes in Jackson Hole vacation rentals in Teton Village, The Aspens and Teton Pines, with options for every budget, from one-bedroom condos to six-bedroom luxury retreats. For more than 25 years the area's oldest and most trusted vacation rental and property management company will find your ideal accommodations.
North of Jackson Hole
The Gros Ventre River area north of the National Elk Refuge hosts many exceptional and secluded guest ranches, with your own private wilderness less than 20 miles from Town Square. These ranches typically offer multi-day and week-long adventures, once-in-a-lifetime luxury accommodations, and an array of activities such as horseback riding, fly-fishing, world-class hiking, and exceptional dining. Flat Creek Ranch is proud to be one of Jackson Hole's first eco-friendly sustainable ranches with their electricity coming from a state-of-the-art solar system: a symbol of their ethos for preserving the pristine environment surrounding the historic ranch. If you want to get way off the beaten track, consider Darwin Ranch, the most remote guest ranch in the lower 48!
Grand Teton National Park/Bridger-Teton National Forest
To experience Grand Teton National Park to its fullest, many people choose to stay inside it in the summer. This allows you to be close to what the park has to offer while still being able to travel back and forth to Jackson Hole for other activities or in-town dining.
There are several lodging options, from camper cabins in Colter Bay and historic cottages at Jenny Lake Lodge to a full-service resort at Jackson Lake Lodge to an honest-to-goodness dude ranch, the Triangle X Ranch. And Triangle X is the only lodging open in the park in winter!
Staying lakeside at Signal Mountain Lodge in their cabins, bungalows and lakefront retreats affords easy access watersports.
No matter where and how you choose to stay while on vacation in Jackson Hole, the Teton Range watches over you — so really any choice is the right choice.
TIP: Whether staying in a motel or camping, remember that it can be difficult to find a room or tent site during the busiest six to 10 weeks of summer from the first of July to mid-August, so you have to make your reservations for the Grand Teton National Park campgrounds at least six months in advance. Camping in the Bridger-Teton National Forest's paid campgrounds are first-come, first-served, as are its free four dispersed camping areas.
RELATED STORIES: Free Camping Near Jackson Hole, Grand Teton National Park Camping and RV Parks