Jackson Hole is a valley, not a town, and the two places people mean by the name are twenty minutes apart.
Jackson is the town at the southern end: a square with elk antler arches at the corners, restaurants, bars, galleries and the airport. It is where you eat and where the town's life is.
Teton Village is at the base of the tram, twelve miles northwest, at the foot of Rendezvous Mountain. It is a purpose-built ski base with a handful of hotels and very little else.
Between and around them is Grand Teton National Park, which is the actual reason the valley is famous.
Which end, and why it is a real decision
In winter, Teton Village is the answer if skiing is the point. The tram climbs 1,260 vertical metres in nine minutes and the terrain above it is among the most serious in North America. Being at the base means first tram rather than a bus in ski boots.
In summer, the calculation reverses. The park is the destination, the hiking trailheads are north of both, and the town has the restaurants. Teton Village in July is quiet in a way that suits some people and bores others.
There is a third option, on the buttes between the two, where a couple of properties sit alone with the whole range in front of them and neither the town nor the lift at the door.
The seven below are grouped that way.
Teton Village, at the tram
At the mountain base. Ski-in in winter, quiet in summer.
Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole sits at the foot of the tram with a heated outdoor pool, a large spa and genuine ski-in ski-out access. It is the most comfortable hotel in Wyoming and the ski concierge service is the reason regulars return.
Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole
Teton Village · 5★ · $$$$
Ski-in at the tram with a heated outdoor pool
Check availabilityCaldera House Jackson Hole occupies a small building on the village square with a rooftop pool, a members' club feel and eight suites. It is the most design-led property in the valley.
Caldera House Jackson Hole
Teton Village square · 5★ · $$$$
Eight suites with a rooftop pool at the lift
Check availabilityHotel Terra Jackson Hole, a Noble House Resort sits at the village edge with a rooftop hot tub, a sustainability-led build and rates below the two above. It is the best value at the mountain.
Hotel Terra Jackson Hole, a Noble House Resort
Teton Village · 4★ · $$$
Rooftop hot tub at the best village rate
Check availabilityTeton Mountain Lodge and Spa, a Noble House Resort occupies a large site in the village with a spa, several restaurants and full family facilities, and it is the practical choice with children.
Teton Mountain Lodge and Spa, a Noble House Resort
Teton Village · 4★ · $$$
Full family facilities at the mountain base
Check availabilityThe buttes, between the two
Alone on high ground with the range in front.
Amangani sits on East Gros Ventre Butte in a low building of sandstone and timber, with a 35-metre infinity pool facing the Tetons and forty rooms. It is the most striking building in the valley and it is a ten-minute drive from anywhere.
The town of Jackson
The square, the restaurants and the airport, twenty minutes from the mountain.
Hotel Jackson occupies a corner near the square with a contemporary interior, a good restaurant and the shortest walk to dinner of anything on this list.
The Cloudveil, Autograph Collection sits a block off the square in a newer building with a rooftop bar, a pool and views to the Tetons from the upper floors.
The Cloudveil, Autograph Collection
Jackson town square · 4★ · $$$
Rooftop bar with Teton views from the upper floors
Check availabilityWhat we have left off
The motels along the highway south of town are excluded. They are the affordable way to do a Jackson trip and several are perfectly comfortable. They are three-star roadside properties, which is below the floor this list applies.
What to do
In summer, drive the park loop early: Jenny Lake, Schwabacher Landing at sunrise for the reflection, and Oxbow Bend. Take the boat across Jenny Lake and walk to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point.
Yellowstone's southern entrance is an hour from Jackson and the geyser basins are two hours further. It is a long day rather than a half day.
Float the Snake River, which is the best way to see the range and reliably good for wildlife.
In winter, the tram and the Corbet's Couloir terrain are the reason serious skiers come. Grand Targhee, over the pass in Idaho, gets more snow and fewer people.
Wildlife is the constant: bison, elk, moose, and bears in season. Keep distance, carry spray on trails and follow the park guidance.
Practical notes
Jackson Hole airport is inside the national park, which is unique in America, and it is fifteen minutes from town and twenty-five from the village.
Winter runs December to early April with the highest rates around Christmas and Presidents' weekend. Summer, June to September, is the park season and equally busy. The shoulders, May and October, are quiet and much cheaper, with some closures.
At 1,900 metres the town is high enough that the first day deserves care, and the mountain top is above 3,100.
Explore 4 & 5 Star Jackson Hole Hotels
Questions people actually ask
Town or Teton Village?
Village in winter for the tram, town in summer for the restaurants and the park access. Twenty minutes apart.
Is a car necessary?
In summer, yes, for the park. In winter, a shuttle covers the mountain and the town.
When is wildlife best?
Dawn and dusk, spring and autumn. Elk gather on the refuge north of town in winter and sleigh rides run out among them.
How many nights?
Five. Longer if you are adding Yellowstone, which deserves its own nights rather than a day trip.