Winter Fun in Jackson Hole: The National Elk Refuge, Grand Tetons, & Moose Sightings!

Jackson, Wyoming is a beautiful small Western town most famous for its’ world class ski resorts. However, it is also a popular destination with outdoor enthusiasts due to its’ close proximity to beautiful national parks like Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Another popular tourist attraction in the area is the National Elk Refuge. Since moving to Idaho Falls, we have been checking out a lot of gorgeous parks and mountain towns. During the winter season especially, I love strolling around a charming mountain community.

We decided to take a day trip primarily to take one of the highly recommended sleigh rides at the Elk Refuge. As we are not skiers, we were happy to find out that there are plenty of things to do in the region for non skiers including sleigh rides, ice skating, and hot springs. I love snow capped mountain so I would have been happy just strolling around the downtown. Fortunately, there are plenty of activities no matter where your interests lie.

The National Elk Refuge

The National Elk Refuge provides a winter habit for elk. On our tour, we learned that the elk come down from the mountains because they don’t want to dig through more than 2 inches of snow to look for food (understandably). Once the snow begins to melt they head back up to the mountains, and thus, you will see more of them during the snowier months.

As there wasn’t enough snow during our visit, the sleigh ride was transformed into the wagon ride shown below. A sleigh ride would have been more wintry, but it was still a great time.

The ride was gorgeous with beautiful scenery and ample sightings of elk.

Unfortunately because it was late March we did not see as many elk as we would have seen during January or February. In case of warmer weather, the sleigh ride will be transformed into a wagon ride. A bit of a let down, however, we still saw about 15 elk, and our tour guide gave us a great history of the refuge. Our tour guide acted as if seeing 15 elk was nothing, but to a former city native like me, it was still super exciting.

I definitely recommend a visit to this refuge for the opportunity to observe wildlife in a natural setting and enjoy an informative history lesson. We took some great pictures! Tours run $18 per person and last about an hour. The rides will start again sometime in late December next time. Tickets can be purchased at the Jackson and Greater Yellowstone Visitors center or on the website.

You can read more about my experience and see more pics. Update: Tickets are now $42 per adult and $27 per child.

Jackson Hole Town Square

We also walked around Jackson Town Square mainly just to enjoy the ambiance and mountain scenery in the backdrop. I wanted to go ice skating, but unfortunately the rinks closed early this year due to the mild weather. One of the highlights in downtown are the 4 elk-antler arches! These arches are comprised of the antlers shed by the elk naturally every year. You will learn more about the history of the arches during your refuge tour.

Downtown Jackson Hole is a really cute place to stroll around as there are many western style saloons and rustic restaurants, as well as gorgeous mountain landscapes in the background. It’s the perfect setting anytime of the year, being that it feels like a cute snowy mountain town during the winter season, and then transforms into a rustic ambiance during the warmer months, which fits in perfectly for a summer hiking/adventure trip.

The downtown is a beautiful place to stroll with a coffee or cocoa in hand. I really love winter in general so I enjoyed the snowy ambiance and big mountains in the background.

You will find lots of local restaurants and shops to browse around and thankfully an absence of big chains. We stopped for a bagel and delicious cup of hot cocoa at this local gem called Pearl St. Bagels. It was a small cozy space and we enjoyed the food and ambiance.

Here’s a look at one of the famous elk arches. They are also lit up at night, but we didn’t stay around long enough to see them. Oh well, maybe next time (I am sure we will be back!).

Skiing and other wintertime recreation

The Jackson Hole ski resort is of course considered one of the best in the country. Even if you are not a skier, stop by as there is much more to do! Cross country skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, ice skating, and dog sledding tours are popular with non skiers. I highly recommend snowshoeing if you have never been before.

Snowshoeing is a wonderful workout, requires no advanced training, and is a perfect way to enjoy the gorgeous scenery. I now own a pair and they come in super handy when we get a lot of snow. You can take them to pretty much any park after a storm assuming there is at least half a foot of snow or more. Outside of the ski resort, winter snowcoach tours and a visit to the hot springs are nice relaxing ways to enjoy the pretty alpine scenery.

Scenic drives

At the Visitor’s Center, we received a free map of scenic drives. The staff was so nice and gave us a lot of tips which was nice. Along with great mountain scenery, these drives are also great for spotting area wildlife. We were told one of the top picks for wildlife sighting is Gros Ventre Road. We knew we had to check out this drive as we previously had a great time driving the park loop at Yellowstone.

On this road we spotted 2 moose! Seeing any wildlife upclose is a really unique experience, especially for anyone coming from a busy, congested city. I grew up in Chicago where seeing deer in a local park was considered a treat, so any wildlife sightings impress me.

We also took a drive along Elk Refuge Road (supposedly a hotspot for sheep sightings). Unfortunately, we did not see any sheep, however, we did see plenty of elk running in the distance!

Even if you do not see any wildlife, the mountain scenery is incredible enough to justify any drive. I’ve always loved snow capped mountain scenery. While snow is hard to drive through, it’s gorgeous when it falls down and afterwards when it hangs around the mountains.

A snowy winter wonderland!

All of the sudden a lot of snow began to fall. It is crazy how fast the weather changes out West! Since moving out this way, I really learned that you have to be prepared in all circumstances. One minute we had to take a wagon ride as opposed to a sleigh ride due to the lack of snow, and the next we are in a blizzard! We decided to head out before the snow began to pile up. We didn’t want to take any chances of possible road closures/hassle of putting on tire chains.

Anyone who has ever attempted to pull over and put chains on their tire during a snowstorm knows just how much a hassle this experience can be! The scenery on the way back was spectacular with the snow covered mountains and pine trees.

A great vacation destination for outdoor lovers

Overall, Jackson Hole is a gorgeous vacation destination, particularly for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. Whether you are a hiker or skier, snow lover or fan of the bright sunny western skies, or simply someone looking for a peaceful vacation destination where you can immerse yourself in the serenity of nature, you will find it all here.

I am hoping to visit again sometime this spring to ride the tram, and possibly do some biking or hiking in the area.