Jackson Hole Winter Activities

Plenty To Do In Winter For Jackson Hole Real Estate Owners

Jackson Hole Dog Sledding
If heights aren’t your thing, try whisking across the snowpack pulled by eight dogs hitched to a handmade wooden sled. Adventurers of all ages and abilities can enjoy dog sledding in Jackson Hole. Choose a short day trip that takes you to a natural hot springs pool or to an historic snow-bound lodge. Longer trips include overnight camping “musher style” or a stay in a remote yurt. Whether your idea of heaven is sitting on a soft cushion snuggled deep in fleece blankets while the dogs joyfully do all the work, or getting a workout while driving your own sled, your ideal trip is out there waiting.

Call Jackson Hole Iditarod or the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort for ride information, or visit Jackson Hole Traveler's Website for more information on Jackson Hole dog sledding.

Wildlife Viewing in Jackson Hole
Take a wildlife safari with Wildlife Expeditions. Your guide is a trained wildlife biologist. You ride in a specially equipped safari van, complete with spotting scopes and a sun roof. And snowshoes are provided for those times you leave the van for a closer look at things.

Jackson Hole Winter Bison Winter is the best time to find larger animals (except for bears, of course, who hibernate). Elk and moose migrate to lower elevations for the winter, so there are more of them to view in a much smaller area, and they are easier to see due to the lack of leafy cover and the contrast of their dark bodies against the sparkling snow.

There is more drama in the winter, too: life and death struggles are a part of life in the wild, never more so than during the bitter cold months of the Jackson Hole winter. There is increased competition for space and food, while predators like wolves and mountain lions take advantage of animals weakened by the harsh conditions.

Late winter is also mating season for wolves, coyotes, bald eagles, owls and ravens. Their behaviors are equally fascinating to watch. Having a wildlife biologist at your side helps make sense of all the bobbing and frolicking.

Jackson Hole Snowshoeing
Snowshoeing is the only way to travel when you want to make tracks through deep snow. Snowshoe design has come a long way in the past few years: heavy, ungainly snowshoes made of wood and sinew have given way to streamlined gear made of space-age materials. Nowadays, if you can walk, you can snowshoe.

Snowshoes make it easy to get to places too difficult to reach in warmer months. Snags of logs and bramble, nearly impossible to push through in summer, are smoothed over by five feet of snow, allowing easy passage. Mosquitoes that plague summertime hikers in swampy areas are gone in the winter, replaced by harmless snowflakes.

A nature hike led by someone who can tell you the stories of all those tracks in the snow can complement your winter wandering. Trips are offered at Snow King along the top of the ski mountain, by private guides at Spring Creek Resort and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, by Wildlife Expeditions or by ranger-naturalists in Grand Teton National Park.

Heli-Skiing in Jackson Hole
Locals swear that heli-skiing is pure nirvana. Imagine ripping it up through untracked powder, snow billowing behind you like a cloud. Thanks to High Mountain Heli-Skiing, you can soar down pristine slopes of powder and cruise through virgin winter wonderlands in the many mountain ranges that surround Jackson Hole. Warning: heli-skiing is addictive. Call (307) 733-3274 for rates and packages.

Viewing Jackson Hole Elk
If you want to get really close to Jackson Hole’s resident elk, consider a sleigh ride on the National Elk Refuge. Rides depart from the National Museum of Wildlife Art from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily mid-December to early April. After buying tickets at the museum desk, board a shuttle bus for the quick ride across the highway to the awaiting sleighs. Dress warmly, as you will be sitting still for about an hour in the open sleigh.

Since the elk are fed by sleighs, they accept them on their refuge. As a result, you will be able to view the elk from much closer than any other way. Picture-taking opportunities are terrific on this trip as the elk calmly graze against the dramatic backdrop of the Teton Range.

Jackson Hole Hot Air Ballooning
Ballooning in the winter offers a wonderful perspective of the ski slopes, the Snake River and the entire valley floor. Worried about the cold? Remember that you’re flying in a hot air balloon, and the burner is just above you. Since the balloon floats with the wind, the air around you is still. Also, the balloon often rises above a blanket of cold air – called an inversion – to warmer air up high. For more information, call the Wyoming Balloon Company.For more information on Jackson Hole hot air ballooning and other forms of winter aviation, visit Jackson Hole Traveler's webpage on Jackson Hole scenic flights.

Dinner Sleigh Rides in Jackson Hole
A dinner sleigh ride is a fun way to cap off a day in the snow. Spring Creek Resort offers sleigh rides around the top of East Gros Ventre Butte, affording unsurpassed views of the Tetons on one side and the twinkling lights of Jackson on the other. Cozy up with lap robes and sip hot mulled cider as you absorb the scenery. A gourmet dinner follows in the Granary Restaurant.

Another option is the Solitude Sleigh Ride in Teton Village. This ride travels along an alpine trail to the Solitude Cabin, where you are served a hearty dinner with a choice of prime rib or broiled salmon.