10 Stunning Sightseeing Destinations in & Around Wyoming's Jackson Hole
Not many landscapes anywhere in the world pack quite the scenic punch as Jackson Hole, Wyoming, given the mythic-quality terrain and the rich wildlife-viewing opportunities. Encompassing more than 400 square miles, this sprawling high-elevation basin comes shouldered by spectacular ranges and highlands of the Middle Rocky Mountains: the Yellowstone Plateau to the north, the Absarokas to the northeast, the Gros Ventre Mountains to the east and south—and, of course, the skyscraping Teton Range making the abrupt and imposing western boundary. Looming to the sharp-toothed summit of 13,770-foot Grand Teton—one of North America’s best-known mountains—the Tetons might as well be in the dictionary definition for “breathtaking.”
With much of the eastern flanks of the Tetons as well as a goodly chunk of Jackson Hole protected in Grand Teton National Park, and with the lively mountain town of Jackson combining Old West kitsch with modern luxury, this is an unbeatable destination for nature lovers, outdoor junkies, and photographers of both professional and amateur credentials.
And a high-end vacation rental such as we offer here at The 100 Collection™ is the best springboard for exploring the following destinations, which serve up some of the most (and here’s that adjective again) breathtaking views in Jackson Hole!
The T.A. Moulton Barn
Grand Teton National Park
Among the most photographed barns in the country (heck, maybe the world!), this structure is only the highest-profile of a number of historical homestead remnants along so-called “Mormon Row” on Antelope Flats, now part of Grand Teton National Park. Thomas Alma Moulton’s barn was originally constructed in the 1910s, with significant additions in the following decades. Its rustic, timeworn profile backdropped by the towering Tetons makes arguably Jackson Hole’s single most iconic tableau.
Rendezvous Mountain
Grand Teton National Park/Bridger-Teton National Forest
The long massif of Rendezvous Mountain, angled between Granite Canyon to the north and Phillips Pass to the south, rears up to nearly 11,000 feet atop Rendezvous Peak, but most visitors visit its 10,450-foot North Peak courtesy of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s Aerial Tram. The roughly 12-minute ride up some 4,139 vertical feet from Teton Village to the summit area is exhilarating and view-drenched enough, but then you’ve got further mountaintop sightseeing courtesy of the Top of the World viewpoint on the summit proper—memorable for its sightline northward toward the spire of Grand Teton—and the Grand Teton Skywalk, among other possible hiking excursions.
Did we mention you can grab a bite and a beverage up here, too?
Signal Mountain
Grand Teton National Park
Rising to 7,710 feet near the southeastern shores of Jackson Lake, Signal Mountain—partly built from volcanic material blasted out of the Yellowstone Supervolcano—delivers grand views over the lake and the Jackson Hole lowlands as well as the nearby loom of the Tetons. You can drive a paved road much of the way up the mountain, with lovely vistas from the Signal Mountain Parking Lot; there, you’ll find the trailhead for the 6.8-mile out-and-back hike up to the summit proper.
Taggart Lake
Grand Teton National Park
One of numerous showstopper moraine-dammed lakes staggered along the eastern flank of the Teton Range, Taggart Lake lies at the mouth of the monumental, glacially carved Avalanche Canyon. The short trail there is an easy three-miler (round-trip) with only a few hundred feet of elevation gain, delivering a whole lot of bang-for-your-buck given the spectacular mountain views the lakeshore serves up. It’s no surprise this is among the most all-around popular destinations in Grand Teton National Park—and an awesome choice for families as well as any hikers strapped for time.
Lunch Tree Hill
Grand Teton National Park
A stone’s throw from Jackson Lake Lodge, the easy-peasy, half-mile loop up to the knoll-top of Lunch Tree Hill involves a mere 110 feet of elevation gain, yet delivers a knockout panorama of Willow Flats, Jackson Lake, and the mindboggling jags of the Teton Range’s crowning Cathedral Group.
Glacier View Turnout
Grand Teton National Park
One of several swoon-worthy viewpoints along US 26/89/191 in Grand Teton National Park, Glacier View Turnout lets you sweep your gaze from the bison- and pronghorn-grazed Antelope Flats across the Snake River’s ribbonlike gallery forest and up to the serrated summits of the Teton Range—including the iconic horns of the Cathedral Group.
And, as the name suggests, from this vantage you’ve got a nice bead on three of the biggest remaining alpine glaciers in the range: the Teton and Teepee glaciers on the Grand Teton and the Middle Teton Glacier on, well, Middle Teton. An interpretive sign details their significance—and their precarious status in the 21st century.
Jenny Lake & Cascade Canyon
Grand Teton National Park
Among the most celebrated of the many lakes edging Jackson Hole, Jenny Lake sits gloriously framed by the steep ramparts of the Tetons. It lies below Cascade Canyon, another of the yawning U-shaped valleys that alpine ice of the Pinedale Glaciation scoured out along the eastern slope of the mountains. Hike around Jenny Lake—or hop aboard the shuttle boat—and trek up into the waterfall-laced glories of this glacial trough, framed by Teewinot Mountain and Rockchuck Peak, and affording up-close looks at Mount Owen and Grand Teton in its upper reaches.
(The Cascade Canyon Trail’s 9.4 miles there-and-back if you take advantage of the shuttle boat; otherwise, it’s a 13.3-mile undertaking via the South Jenny Lake Loop Trail.)
Lower Slide Lake
Bridger-Teton National Forest
Lower Slide Lake is lovely in and of itself, but it’s also a remarkable geologic site well worth checking out for the dramatic backstory. Set in the Gros Ventre Range just a short drive east out of Jackson Hole, the lake was formed by a mighty landslide off the north face of Sheep Mountain on June 23, 1925, which sent some 50 million cubic yards of debris down into the Gros Ventre River, damming it to create this natural backwater. (The scar of the Gros Ventre Slide is still quite distinctively seen from parts of Jackson Hole itself.)
Two years later, spring snowmelt and rains swelled Lower Slide Lake to the point where it overtopped its natural landslide dam and flooded downstream, devastating the little town of Kelly.
The Snake River Canyon
Bridger-Teton/Targhee National Forests
Just south of Jackson Hole, the Snake River—which meanders so lazily and serenely through that gorgeous valley—becomes a different beast entirely as it plunges, foams, and roars its way through the Snake River Range via a handsome defile.
The drive between Jackson and Alpine Junction, Wyoming and the Palisades Reservoir on the Idaho line takes you through this Snake River Canyon (sometimes called “Grand Canyon”), a famed whitewater-rafting route and an excellent sightseeing daytrip from a Jackson Hole vacation rental.
The National Elk Refuge
Within shouting distance of the town of Jackson, the National Elk Refuge is one of the linchpin attractions of Jackson Hole, providing as it does critical winter range for the namesake ungulates also known as wapiti. Anywhere from 5,000 to 7,000 or more elk migrate here in the winter, spectacularly visible usually from about mid-December into early April. Sleigh rides are the most famous way to see the big herds, with opportunities as well to spot bison, pronghorn—even the occasional pack of gray wolves.
Sightseeing in Jackson Hole & the Tetons on a 100 Collection™ Escape
From Teton Retreat to Granite Ridge Chateau, the lavish vacation rentals within our partner Outpost’s collection provide the perfect places to stay in Jackson Hole, basking in the region’s internationally renowned beauty and epic outdoor opportunities.
Helmed by Managing Director Annie Jackson—who recommends the hike up Table Mountain, by the way, for another fabulously scenic outing—Outpost epitomizes the standards of high quality and premium hospitality we specialize in here at The 100 Collection™. Book your Jackson Hole getaway today!
