Why jackson hole

You'll find an incredible selection of shops, boutiques and art galleries, as well as eateries and music venues. And in winter, the center of Town Square becomes an ice rink! Skiing in and around the Tetons falls well into the world-class category, with not one, but three major ski resorts located here. The hill boasts one of the steepest sustained pitches, top-to-bottom, of any area in the lower Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has been named the No.

The mountain boasts acres of expert terrain and out-of-bound skiing and the longest continuous vertical rise of any ski area in the country. Grand Targhee Resort is located on the typically snowier west side of the Tetons in Alta, Wyoming, and is known for the most powder days of any ski area in the country.

Jackson Hole has an enviable role as a playground year-round. From skiing and hiking impressively vertical mountains to river rafting , snowmobiling and biking , from fishing to horseback riding , our big mountains, flowing rivers, mountain lakes, and miles of pathways offer endless chances to recreate.

It has become known as the "Art Center of the Rockies. Nearly 30 local galleries—including the renowned National Museum of Wildlife Art —proudly present a broad range of work from old masters like Charles Russell and Frederick Remington to internationally and nationally known contemporary artists, some of whom live right here in Teton County.

Art aficionados flock here by the hundreds every September for the Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival , widely recognized as one of the premier cultural events in the West, featuring works of acclaimed artists worldwide. Jackson also boasts a terrific Art Association where you can take a class or two if you are so inclined. The association is located inside the Center for the Arts where it has an art supply store for you traveling painters, sketchers and such to stock up on all you need to capture this glorious area on canvas.

Check out the classes offered at artassociation. Although it's a small mountain town, Jackson Hole is nonetheless the site for numerous events and festivals throughout the year that draw countless numbers of people from around the world to experience happenings both big and small. And every year ends with torchlight parades and fireworks above the ski resorts. Let us help you. Jackson Hole is the entire area--it is a valley at the base of the Teton Mountain Range.

The Town of Jackson is famous for it's Town Square that has four elk antler arches large enough for five people to walk under. Yellowstone was the world's first national park, created in - 18 years before Wyoming even became a state. Grand Teton National Park was created in and greatly expanded in thanks to the determined efforts of John D. Rockefeller, who purchased and then donated over 30, acres. It is famous for it's Grand Teton Mountain that is alsmost 14,ft in elevation. You can ride its chairlift to the top in the summer and back down also!

Interesting in Jackson Hole today? Take a peek at one of our many webcams to see what the locals see in this very moment. Need help packing for your summer vacation? Trapping took place in the fall and in the early spring when beaver pelts were at their most luxurious and desirable in the long cold months of winter. During the period of after the end of the fur-trapping era, until there is little documented use of the valley.

The next group to enter Jackson Hole came under Captain W. The reports of the beautiful and wild natural resources in western Wyoming during the fur-trapping era had not gone unnoticed by the U. The next wave of visitors to the valley would be in the form of Government survey parties sent to evaluate the natural resources for their potential economic value. Several expeditions would trace routes through Jackson Hole until the U. Geologic Survey was founded in Mining operation in Jackson Hole.

It was during the time of exploration in the valley that news also spread east about the wealth of resources in the west, namely precious metals. Prospectors and miners began their journeys west on the heels of the explorers and scientists. Several prospecting attempts were made in Jackson Hole, however many ended up fruitless. Minor traces of gold led to conflicting reports about the mining success in the valley and nearby regions.

In there was a modest rush in the Wind River Range due to false reports. Few mining operations in Jackson Hole were successful, however the locations of the claims were closely guarded. Conflicting reports remain as to the total success of mining in the valley. The company built cabins, sluices, a sawmill and even a ferry.

By , the operation was shut down. Prospectors never found any fortunes in the valley, where small traces of gold were located, Jackson Hole was no match for the success of California and other areas of the west. A homestead near Moran. Despite the misfortune of the prospectors, the valley began to be settled by permanent residents around Over the next decade, the homesteader population rose from 23 to by By , these numbers would more than double to 1, residents.

These numbers only account for those living legally on the land, and those who participated in the government census. Homesteading was possible in the west through a series of Homestead Acts designed to encourage settlement through free land acquisition. The U. A homesteader was an individual 21 years or older, the head of a household and someone who had never taken up arms against the United States government the Civil War was in its first year when the Act was signed — the war ended in Even women were allowed to file for a patent, providing she was single.

Cattle on the Jackson Town Square. Homesteading in Jackson Hole was a careful balance of surviving the harsh winters, short growing season and unexpected, violent weather patterns. Droughts, mid-summer hail storms and even the wildlife posed serious threats to the livelihoods of homesteaders who tried to raise cattle or hay.

For many in Jackson Hole, acres was simply not enough land to raise both cattle and the amount of hay needed to keep livestock and horses through the winter. Many were able to file for adjacent tracts through another Homestead Act, and others bought out neighbors who found the conditions too challenging.

The many who persevered took great pride in their ranching operations, knowing they were solely responsible for their success. Some took creative routes to supplement their income, taking jobs with the Forest Service, or the Reclamation Service reconstructing the Jackson Lake Dam. Women ran the local post office, or taught at the small community schools to help make ends meet.

Many ranchers found a new source of income in the increasing number of tourists traveling through the valley to see Yellowstone National Park. By offering a bed and food to the weary travelers, the ranchers began to rely less on cattle and haying operations.