The National Elk Refuge in Jackson Hole, Wyoming
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Jackson Hole is a skier’s paradise with 3 fantastic resorts including Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, a prestigious resort which averages an incredible 300 inches of snow per year! While you could easily keep yourself busy skiing your entire vacation, unfortunately, you would be missing out on other great winter activities in the area, namely the fantastic National Elk Refuge.
Skier or not, Jackson Hole is an ideal location for a winter getaway for anyone who doesn’t mind a bit of snow and wintry temps. For anyone who is not a skier (the thought of tumbling down a mountain scares me), a visit to this hidden gem is a great alternative. Mike and I took a quick weekend trip here from Idaho Falls (the drive was around 2 hours). The best part about living out West is easy access to so many natural wonders. Fortunately, this area is within a reasonable drive of many cities in both Wyoming and Idaho.
A hidden gem for non skiers
The refuge provides a winter home for the Jackson Elk herd. During our tour we learned that thousands of elk migrate to the lower elevation each year for the food supply. In early spring, they begin to make their way back to the mountains. Depending on when you visit, you can see hundreds or just a handful of these beautiful animals.
In addition to elk, you may get lucky and catch a glimpse of wolves and bison. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any other wildlife besides elk, but we were pleased with the entire experience. I felt lucky enough to see any wildlife roaming free. Special boundaries are set up so the elk are free to leave, however, special fences prevent them from walking into traffic.
If there is enough snow, a winter horse drawn sleigh ride will take you around the property. On this narrated ride, you will learn all about the refuge and the Jackson Hole area. Our guide was super friendly and had a lot of info to share with us – our tour was both educational and fun. Unfortunately, there was little snow on the ground, so our ride was turned into a wagon ride as you can see in this pic.
While I would have prefered a sleigh ride, I really enjoyed the mountain scenery. We were told that we wouldn’t see as many elk as normal, but we were pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the experience. I felt like this was a true rustic western experience. I enjoyed every minute and would definitely return again (hopefully with more snow next time around). The West is so incredible. All of these experiences are so foreign to me – growing up in the city of Chicago where the only time I saw a lot of nature was when I camped in Wisconsin or Michigan.
Tours begin in December and end sometime in April. I highly recommend adding this gem to your bucket list. Whether you are a skier or not, it’s a fun, educational, and scenic way to explore this great mountain town.
Our guides were nice enough to take our picture after the ride. This was a nice perk for us – as a couple it’s often hard to find someone to take our picture.
Location, hours & ticketing information
Tickets for the tour can be purchased at The Jackson Hole and Greater Yellowstone Visitor’s Center located at: 532 North Cache Street in Jackson. From the visitors center, you will take a free shuttle ride over to the refuge.
Prices are as follows: Adults: $42, Children ages 5-12: $27, Children under 5: free. If you want to go all out, you can rent a private sleigh (16-18 people tops) for $350. Hours are 10am-4pm. The ride lasts from 45 min- 1 hour. Reservations are highly recommended. Blankets are not provided but you can bring your own (highly recommended – it gets chilly!).
The famous antler arches
As you travel around the refuge, you will notice tons of shed elk antlers. Note that it is illegal to take them. We learned from our tour guide that every year the elk shed their old antlers and new ones take their place. Elkfest is an annual auction of the antlers with 75% of the proceeds going back into maintaining the refuge.
Jackson Town Square is home to 4 elk antler arches made from the shed antlers. If you visit during the holiday season, you will be able to see the arches decorated with beautiful lights. As a big fan of any Christmas/winter festivals, I definitely want to plan a roadtrip back here one of these days.
More winter fun recommendations
Winter recreation at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort – Both Nordic and alpine skiing, tubing, and dog sled rides are available.
Shopping, dining & sightseeing in Town Square – The unique, picturesque downtown is home to many local businesses. I love supporting local cafes. We stopped in a cute local cafe called Pearl St. Bagels where we enjoyed a delicious hot cocoa and bagel in a rustic space. The mountain scenery is just so beautiful in this area – really, I didn’t’ want to leave. What a picture-perfect small town winter scene.
Scenic drive along Gros Ventre Rd. – We were told by the visitor center that this was one of the best drives to see wildlife. We saw so many moose and the mountain views were fantastic. What an incredible opportunity to see moose up close; as a native of Chicago, this was such a cool experience.
