Wyoming's mountain gateway — Grand Teton views, world-class skiing, and elk antler arches
Jackson sits in Jackson Hole valley at 1,900m, hemmed in by the Teton Range on one side and the Gros Ventre mountains on the other. It is the gateway to Grand Teton National Park (8km north) and a 60km drive from Yellowstone. The town square's four corners are marked by arches made from shed elk antlers — over 75 kg of antlers in each arch, collected from the National Elk Refuge where 11,000 elk winter each year. Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (2,500m vertical) consistently rates as one of North America's premier ski destinations.
Jackson Hole was a favourite rendezvous site for fur trappers ('mountain men') in the 1820s and 1830s — the 'hole' refers to the valley surrounded on all sides by mountains, a trapper's term. Permanent settlement came in the 1880s with homesteaders and cattle ranchers. The town incorporated in 1914, and two years later 26 women ran for and won every elected position — making Jackson the first all-female governing body in American history. The National Elk Refuge was established in 1912 after catastrophic elk die-offs from harsh winters eliminated the traditional migration routes.