Anne and Mike are Getting Married

1. Grand Teton National Park: Located only a few miles from the town of Jackson.  The Tetons are rugged and beautiful.  Enjoy the views!
2. Grand Teton National Park Craig Thomas Visitor Center: Located 13 miles north of Jackson in Moose, Wyoming
3. Yellowstone National Park: The south entrance of Yellowstone National Park is 70 miles north of Jackson.  If you are up for a hike, check out Lone Star Geyser where Mike proposed to Anne.  The geyser is 2-3 miles from Old Faithful.
4. Slide Lake: In 1925 a large landslide occurred that dammed the Gros Ventre River and caused Slide Lake to form.  Two years later, the dam failed, which caused major flooding downstream and in the town of Kelly, Wyoming.  Take a drive to check out this beautiful spot and read about the history of the slide and the flood.  Directions: Drive north out of Jackson, turn right at Gros Ventre Junction, and head toward Kelly, Wyoming.  Just after you pass Kelly, there will be a sign pointing you to follow a road to the right to reach Slide Lake.
5. Hiking in and around Jackson: There are endless trails for hiking in and around Jackson.  We hope the weather will be beautiful and you will get to take advantage of the outdoor activities offered here.  A few great hikes include: Goodwin Lake in Curtis Canyon; Cache Creek Trails in East Jackson; Granite Falls hike and Hot Springs soak; Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Hiking Trails; Teton Pass Trail; Phelps Lake and Death Canyon in Grand Teton National Park; Cascade Canyon Trail near Jenny Lake; Garnet Canyon to Lower Saddle on the Grand Teton; Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point near Jenny Lake (consider taking a boat ride to the trail); Taggart Lake Trail in Grand Teton National Park, and many more!
6. Walk along the Snake River Dike: Located between Jackson and Wilson, Wyoming, the dike along the Snake River is a great place for a mellow stroll that includes views of the Tetons.
7. Historical Society Museum 225 North Cache, Jackson, WY
8. Whitewater rafting/float trips: Mad River Boat Trips; Jackson Hole Whitewater; Sands Whitewater and Scenic River Trips; Barker-Ewing Whitewater; Dave Hansen Whitewater
9. Mountain Biking: Anne and Mike still need to do more exploring with on their mountain bikes before making suggestions about which trails to bike.  In the meantime, here is a website that is hopefully more helpful than the wedding couple!  Mountain Biking Trails Jackson Wyoming
10. Rock Climbing: Mike and Anne have not yet climbed in Jackson, but hopeful we can provide you with a few helpful resources.  Climbing in Jackson; Climbing in Curtis Canyon
11. National Museum of Wildlife Art: Not only is the art within this museum spectacular, so too is the museum’s architecture and its location.
12. Fly Fishing: The Snake River offers plenty of great fishing holes.
13. Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Tram Ride: Ride to the top of Rendezvous Bowl at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort; enjoy the views of the valley and the Gros Ventre Mountain Range; and eat a waffle with Nutella at 10,000 feet.
14. Snow King Chairlift Ride: Ride up to the top of Snow King Mountain in the town of Jackson and soak in the views of the Tetons and the Jackson Hole Valley.
15. Horseback Riding
16. Jackson Hole Rodeo: The Jackson Hole Rodeo is a sight to be seen every Wednesday and Saturday at the rodeo grounds in town.
17. Boating on Jackson or Jenny Lake
18. Granite Hot Springs
19. Wildlife Expeditions of Teton Science Schools: Take a tour to explore the sights and sounds of the wildlife that live near Jackson.  Be on the lookout for bears, moose, bison, eagles, elk, antelope, mountain lions, beavers, and many more!
20. Bar-J Chuckwagon: The Bar-J Wranglers entertain you with their old cowboy tunes and humor as you eat a delicious chuck wagon dinner.

Helpful Hints for Things to do in Jackson

Yellowstone Park 2-Day Trip

If you have a couple of days to spare while in Wyoming, Mike and I suggest heading up to Yellowstone and checking out the following route:

Day One: Drive from Jackson through Grand Teton National Park to the South Entrance of Yellowstone. After entering Yellowstone, drive north toward Old Faithful. Make a pit-stop at West Thumb to complete a walking tour of the geyser basin there. You will see (and smell) mud pots as well as beautiful thermal pools.

Continue north to Old Faithful. While waiting for Old Faithful to erupt, step inside the historic Old Faithful Lodge. It is also worth wandering around the boardwalks to look at the geysers and thermal pools that surround Old Faithful. If you are feeling up to it, hike three miles to Lone Star Geyser to see where Mike proposed to Anne. Lone Star erupts every three to three-and-a-half hours. Hopefully, you will be able to catch the 30 minute eruption without having to wait three hours like Anne and Mike did the day of the proposal! Of course, it is entirely worth the wait.

Plan to stay the night in either West Yellowstone or Mammoth. After visiting the Old Faithful area, continue north. There are many more thermal pools and painted pots to see north of Old Faithful.

Day Two: Take an hour or two to tour the quaint town of Mammoth in northern Yellowstone. Head east from Mammoth to Tower Falls, then turn south. Slowly make your way along the two lane road and be on the lookout for moose, elk, bears, deer, wolves, rams, mountain goats, antelope, bison, and many other amazing animals.

Spend some time at the “Grand Canyon of Yellowstone” where you are able to view the upper and lower grand waterfalls. Then head south back to West Thumb where you will have completed the Yellowstone loop. From here, drive back down to the south entrance of Yellowstone and head back to Jackson through Grand Teton National Park.

One Day Drive Through Grand Teton National Park

If you are looking to kill time – perhaps the Saturday before the wedding – and you would like to see highlights of Grand Teton National Park, Mike and I suggest the following route:

Drive north out of Jackson toward Grand Teton National Park.  Turn right at the Gros Ventre Junction and drive to Kelly, Wyoming.  Often, bison and moose can be seen along this road or in the creek bed.  Stop at the small café in Kelly to grab a latte or a sandwich then continue heading northeast through the park.

Take a left onto Antelope Flats Road.  Soak in the gorgeous view of the Tetons.  This road will take you near Mormon Row and the historic Moulton barns.  Take a left off of Antelope Flats road to see the historic Henninger Barn or walk along a dirt road to the right of Antelope Flats road to view a homestead site and the T.A. Moulton Barn.

Antelope Flats road will take you directly back to the highway.  Turn right on the highway and continue driving through Grand Teton National Park.  A few miles north on the left side of the highway is the “Snake River Overlook.”  This is a great spot to view the Snake River flowing at the base of the Tetons.  It may look familiar to you, as this is where Ansel Adam’s shot one of his most popular photos of the Tetons.

Continue on down the road to the “Cunningham Cabin” turnout on your left.  Walk along the dirt path that leads to the historic Cunningham Cabin and open meadows surrounding the cabin.  Soak in the views of the Tetons and notice you are seeing a completely different angle of them the further north you drive.

Once back on the highway, be on the lookout for moose, bison, deer, elk, and antelope.  They should be easily spotted in the open meadows or the willows that adorn each side of the highway.  Soon, you will approach an intersection in Moran Junction.  Turn left off the highway at Moran Junction and head toward Yellowstone National Park.  If you would like to avoid park entrance fees, simply turn around and head back to Jackson on the highway.  However, if you would like to continue along a different road in Grand Teton National Park, pay your dues and head down the road.

As you are driving through this section of the park, be on the lookout for bears.  The road will begin to follow the Snake River for a while, and this area is a prime location for bear spotting.  A few miles ahead, you will approach a junction.  Turn left here and follow the road toward Signal Mountain Lodge.  You will cross over the Jackson Lake Dam and Jackson Lake will be off to your right.  This road will lead you Signal Mountain Lodge, which is a great place to grab some grub, use the restroom, or drink a margarita.  The views of the Tetons from Signal Mountain Lodge are spectacular.  Sit on the patio and enjoy the sunshine.

As you head back toward Jackson through Grand Teton National Park, there are a plethora of places to stop and see the sights – Signal Mountain Overlook, Jenny Lake Lodge, South Jenny Lake, Taggart Lake, etc.  Stop as many times as you like, or simply enjoy the views as you drive.

There are two different routes to choose from to get back to town.

Route #1: Follow the current road to the highway.  This road leads you past the Craig Thomas Visitor Center, which is worth seeing if time allows.  In addition, you might enjoy some pizza and beer at Dornan’s Restaurant located in Moose, Wyoming.

Route #2:  Instead of driving all the way to the Craig Thomas Visitor Center, turn right on the “Moose/Wilson” road that leads to Teton Village, Wyoming.  Mike and I have often seen moose, elk, deer, beavers, and bears along this road.  Drive carefully, as the road is narrow and if there is a moose or bear sighting, traffic will get backed up quickly.  Once in Teton Village, stop at Teton Thai for a delicious meal, then head back to Jackson.

Enjoy the drive and the scenery!