For a city girl like me, stepping into the town square of Jackson, in northwest Wyoming, felt like walking onto a slicker set of the television show Gunsmoke. Wooden sawtooth facades surround Jackson’s Town Square (a.k.a. George Washington Memorial Park). Visitors stroll the boardwalk connecting the Western-style buildings, each with a large window displaying goods, restaurants and art galleries. Iconic arches, assembled with discarded elk antlers from nearby National Elk Refuge, perch on each corner of the town square. Stagecoaches pulled by teams of horses parade other city-dwellers around the park.

We visited Jackson at the end of summer 2024. The still-green Teton and Gros Ventre mountain ranges flanked the 400-square-mile bowl of Jackson Hole, the valley that holds the seven towns of Jackson, Teton Village, Moran, Kelly, Moose, Wilson and Hoback Junction. Jackson, the initial headquarters for our Grand Teton and Yellowstone tour with Intrepid Travel, is the biggest and most populated of the seven.

“Travelers from around the world often find themselves in Jackson Hole at least once in their lives to view the majesty of the Tetons or the wonder of Yellowstone,” said Justin Walters, director, Visitor Services, Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce, in an email. “But the wildlife and the ecosystem are the underlying reasons folks find Jackson Hole so memorable.”

It was hard to tell whether the young, broad-shouldered cowboys escorting their frilly-frocked ladies around the square’s shops were only playing the part or the real deal. I suspect it was the latter. Yet if there are Old West fantasies to be realized, this is the area to do that. We got to attend the famous Jackson Hole Rodeo and horseback ride in Grand Teton National Park, where we saw bears and scaled the Via Ferrata at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Okay, maybe it was the teens who did the scaling. This was a mother-son trip, and the moms gave it a go, but the boys finished the course with the guide.

© Brenda Kean | Dreamstime.com

“Jackson Hole offers plenty of outdoor corporate activities from wildlife tours, trips to hot springs, fishing, hunting, horseback riding and pack trips, climbing, skiing, backpacking, snowmobiling, dog sledding, you name it. This is an outdoorsman’s paradise,” wrote Walters. “We have shooting experiences that are a big hit with corporate groups.”

According to Rob Nelson, director, Destination Global Sales, Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce, large groups split into smaller numbers based on interest. There are many tour companies in the area, but Nelson has his favorites. For rafting down the Snake River, he likes Jackson Hole Whitewater and Dave Hansen Whitewater. “They offer scenic and whitewater rafting trips,” he said.

When we started our tour with Intrepid Travel, we spent our first day on the Snake River with Jackson Hole Whitewater. Even our little group split up, with a younger family opting for the floating experience while we took on Class III rapids with our teens — definitely a trip highlight.

Another favorite is Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris. “They have sprinter vans and expert guides who know where the wildlife is. The educational component is amazing,” said Nelson. This sounded like our Wolf Trekking Tour with Intrepid. We also saw bears, bison and elk herds. Nelson also recommends Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis, noting, “From best ball to shotgun starts, JHG&T is a great course that offers pristine views of the Tetons and is open for groups in the afternoon.”

© Rina Nehdar

Finally, Nelson suggests attempting the Via Ferrata as a team-building exercise. Despite its humble exterior, Jackson Hole claims world-class chefs and exceptional fine dining. “Teton County is the wealthiest community in the country, so it attracts the elite of the elite,” said Walters. “It’s where they hold the [Federal Reserve] Economic Symposium each year.” Walters recommends planning conventions well in advance. “It’s extremely difficult to get hundreds of people into one lodge, as most are smaller and book out years in advance.”

Property updates include Snow King Resort’s refreshed 20,000 square feet of indoor-outdoor meeting space and Hotel Terra’s renovated 132 LEED- certified rooms. Snake River Lodge & Spa will close in April for a full renovation and reopen sometime later
this year.

New hotels include the adults-only Hotel Yellowstone, providing 36 rooms with mountain and valley views, and the 87-room Gravity Haus, located in Teton Village at the base of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.

Other solid favorites for large gatherings are the 55-room Wort Hotel, adorned with custom Western art and furnishings. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, its 4,000 square feet of meeting space sits steps from Jackson Town Square. In Teton Village, the 156-room Four Seasons stands out with its ski-in, ski-out location at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and its almost 11,000 square feet of meeting space.

SCENIC DRIVES
Visitors to Jackson Hole can’t miss an adventure at Jenny Lake, a placid body of water in Grand Teton National Park. From Jackson, take U.S. Route 191 North for 11 miles and make a left turn onto Teton Park Road. Follow the signs to Jenny Lake Visitor Center. Buy tickets to the ferry that takes explorers across the lake in about half an hour, saving a 2.4-mile walk around the lake to the trailhead of Inspiration Point. The trail that starts at the boat dock is a moderately challenging, 1.8-mile out-and-back dirt path, with occasional steps carved into the side of the mountain. With an elevation gain of 419 feet, hikers reap the reward of a view from a rock plateau of Jenny Lake. Halfway up, a fork leads to Hidden Falls as an add-on to this popular hike.

Don’t miss the chance to eat waffles at the top of the world … or at least at 10,450 feet! Head to Teton Village, about a 20-minute drive from Jackson, to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. There, take the dazzling 12-minute ride up 4,139 vertical feet on the Aerial Tram to Rendezvous Point. Besides the opportunity to spot wildlife, the gondola glides above Corbet’s Couloir, one of the steepest ski slopes in North America, on the way to Corbet’s Cabin. Enjoy made-to-order waffles that can involve Nutella, peanut butter and bacon … with epic views on the side.