Cheap flights to Jackson Hole

Quick summary

History

A fur-trapper's name on a valley of ranchers, then skiers

Jackson Hole takes its name from David E. Jackson, a fur trapper who worked the valley in the 1820s — "hole" being mountain-man shorthand for a high valley ringed by peaks. Cattle ranchers followed later in the 19th century, and the town of Jackson itself was platted in 1897. It stayed a quiet ranching outpost for decades, known mostly for an unusual moment in 1920 when an all-female slate swept the town council on a platform of cleaner streets and better roads. The turning point came at the end of the 1940s, when Jackson Hole Mountain Resort opened at Teton Village and set the valley on a path toward becoming one of the most recognized ski and wildlife destinations in North America — all while Grand Teton National Park, established in 1929 and expanded through land donated by John D. Rockefeller Jr., grew to fill most of the valley floor.

Not to be missed

The elk antler arches of Town Square

Four monumental arches, built entirely from shed elk antlers, have framed Jackson's Town Square since 1960 — each one a hand-built lattice of roughly 2,000 antlers weighing 14,000 pounds or more. Nearly every antler comes from the National Elk Refuge just north of town, winter home to around 7,500 elk that shed their antlers naturally each spring; local Boy Scout troops gather them off the refuge and sell part of the haul at a public auction on the square every May, funding both the refuge and the scouts. Antlers hold up for roughly 50 years before an arch needs rebuilding, which makes the current set a genuinely living piece of civic infrastructure rather than a fixed monument.

The only airport of its kind

A runway inside a national park

Jackson Hole Airport is the only commercial airport in the United States located entirely within a national park, a distinction that traces back to 1943, when much of the valley — airport included — was declared a national monument later folded into Grand Teton National Park in 1950. Because the park service caps development inside its boundaries, the terminal that reopened in 2014 after a full rebuild stands just 18 feet tall, low enough to stay out of the Teton sightline, and the design earned an American Institute of Architects honor award the same year. Commercial service dates back to 1941, when Western Airlines flew the valley's first scheduled route; today the airport handles well over 400,000 passengers a year and up to 15 nonstop domestic routes during peak summer and winter weeks.

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In pictures

The valley, the Tetons and Rendezvous Mountain

From the base of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Teton Village, the Aerial Tram — nicknamed "Big Red" — climbs 4,139 vertical feet in about nine minutes to the 10,450-foot summit of Rendezvous Mountain, the fastest way to a 360-degree view of the Tetons without a full day of hiking. In summer the same valley floor turns into rafting country on the Snake River and a reliable spot to see elk, bison, moose and the occasional grizzly from a safe distance inside Grand Teton National Park.

Food

Elk, bison and huckleberries off the valley floor

Wyoming ranching and Rocky Mountain foraging shape most menus around town: wild game like elk and bison shows up grilled, braised or in sausage form at restaurants such as the Blue Lion and Gun Barrel Steak & Game House, while the tart, high-alpine huckleberry turns up in glazes, cocktails and desserts across Jackson. It's a small-town food scene, but one with real range — from hearty American West cooking built around beef, buffalo and wild boar to quieter café spots serving elk chorizo hash for breakfast before a day on the trails.

Budget

The wealthiest county in the country, but not quite Aspen

Teton County, home to Jackson, posts the highest per-capita income of any county in the United States, a figure inflated by a small year-round population and an outsized concentration of second homes. That wealth shows up in real estate — median listing prices above $3 million — but Jackson still runs noticeably cheaper than its closest rival, Aspen: Wyoming charges no state income tax at all, and comparable luxury property here typically costs 30 to 50 percent less than in Colorado's ski towns. None of that makes it a budget destination — expect premium prices on lodging and dining in ski season — but it isn't the most expensive corner of the Rockies either.

By length of stay

What to do in Jackson Hole depending on how long you stay

Jackson Hole airport

The gateway to Grand Teton

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When to go

When to visit Jackson Hole?

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FAQ

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