Jackson Hole, a Little Valley with a Big Old West Feel

The Wild West comes alive in Jackson. Jackson is the biggest little town in Jackson Hole and the county seat of Teton County. Jackson is the town, Jackson Hole is the Valley. My visit was in the fall, a shoulder season so many of the rootin’ tootin’ cowboy activities were done for the year. To embrace the Old West Days you need to plan a visit on Memorial Day weekend. Jackson kicks off the tourist season with a celebration of western heritage. Enjoy the Jackson Hole Rodeo and the Town Square Shoot Out.

First Stop the Visitor Center

I was nearing the end of my visit to Wyoming and other than driving through Jackson I had spent very little time there. I thought I should take a few hours and explore. My first stop was the Visitor Center. You’ll find the Visitor Center as you drive into Jackson from the Airport. It will be on your left. It’s a large building right next to Flat Creek. In fact, there’s a large observation deck out the back of the building that looks out over the marsh. A great place for bird watching. Outside by the entrance is a statue of an elk.

Inside the Visitor Center

Maybe Welcome Center is more appropriate because the inside was warm and welcoming. To your left is a diorama of an elk herd. Follow their lead to the 2nd floor to view beautiful paintings and prints of the Jackson Hole area. Back down on the first floor is a large gift shop with the usual T shirts, sweat shirts and key chains but the registers are manned by rangers and very knowledgeable locals. They have all the most recent information on animal sightings and maps. Needless to say, I did not leave empty handed!

Flat Creek, Jackson

Flat Creek in Jackson runs just behind the visitor center. and follows route 89 as you are leaving Jackson for the National Park. This section of Flat Creek is part of the National Elk Sanctuary. Folks come to Flat Creek for the fly fishing. I came for the birds. The river is on a migration path and always filled with birds. Ducks, coots and even swans filled the waterway.

Fish Hatchery

About now my Gaperguide chimed in. A fish hatchery was coming up on the right. I chose not to stop but I gather the hatchery is trying to rescue the cutthroat trout in the area from introduced lake trout. Cutthroat trout support many of the birds and animals in this eco-system. Bear feed on them, eagles and otters join in. Animals can’t catch the lake trout so it’s crucial to the habitat to maintain the stocks of the cut throat trout. Amazing how man’s meddling can have such far reaching consequences.

Entering Grand Teton National Park

As I pass the Fish Hatchery the road climbs a small hill. You’ll get your first real view of the Teton Range as you reach the top. I never tired of the way you come over that hill and the mountains are right in front of you! Beautiful and breath-taking; minimal foot hills. It’s like someone just dropped the mountains in the middle of a flat plain. My Gaperguide was on the job reminding me to slow down. It even suggested a photo op. The park entrance was coming up. The Park Sign has a terrific view of the namesake mountains.

Gros Ventre Junction

The Elk Refuge follows along on my right. The next turnoff is Gros Ventre Junction. The area is named for the Gros Ventre (pronounced grow vaunt) Native American tribe that migrated down from Montana to hunt bison. Taking a right here will lead to the little Town of Kelly, population 138.