Jackson Hole

Jackson Hole

Overall Rating

Jackson Hole

Jackson Hole3/544
Jackson Hole3 out of 5 based on 44 reviews
  • Recommend
    66%
  • Would Revisit
    59%

Jackson Hole - Reviews

Jackson Hole - Reviews

Holy Crowds

Justin
15/02/2024
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Rider Level
    Expert
  • Rider Age
    18-35
  • Month Visited:
    February
  • Admin Rating
    2

Holy Crowds

Justin
15/02/2024
Insane crowds, literally more crowded than my home mountains in Colorado (Breck, Copper, WP). Terrain is fantastic, but 40 minute lift lines for consistent dust-on-crust is not.
See our video here

Steep mountain with nowhere to hide but in the crowds

20/04/2023

Eivind Moen

Powder Enthusiast
Powder Enthusiast

Eivind Moen

Powder Enthusiast
Powder Enthusiast
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Telemarker
  • Rider Level
    Expert
  • Rider Age
    36-50
  • Month Visited:
    March
  • Admin Rating
    5

Steep mountain with nowhere to hide but in the crowds

20/04/2023
Views of the Tetons are amazing
Blue bird day at Rendezvous Bowl with fog in the valley
One of the most epic powder runs I've ever done was in Jackson. It was in January of 2016 and the mountain had just received 2 feet of powder. I got first chair up and first tracks back down underneath the Apres Vous chair as the entire lift cheered me on. Unfortunately this was before i got my GoPro so you'll just have to take my word for it. Unfortunately too, i had to stand in line about three hours for that one run, and the powder was gone by the time i got back up.
This winter i went back to Jackson in March. Although snow conditions were excellent both times i went there, there was no powder this year so i ended up enjoying blue-bird skiing for three days. Jackson Hole is STEEP! There is nowhere to hide on the mountain. Although the mountain is a bit more forgiving on the skiers left side (over by the before mentioned Apres Vous chair), the saying holds true that a blue run at Jackson is a black run anywhere else. In general, the groomers are quite fun at the resort, although the steepness of them makes the mountain a poor choice for beginners. Not necessarily a bad thing though, just depends on what you're looking for (those of us who have skied Park City know that an excessive number of beginners comes with its own challenges...).
The offpiste terrain is a nice mix between fun, epic, and flat out daunting. Unfortunately the Corbet's Couloir was closed this year so skiing it will continue to remain on my bucket list.
Taking the Tram to the top is a must at least once. That said, the Tram is highly inefficient and you only gain a few hundred feet of vertical compared to Sublette chair. Although the Rendezvous Bowl is quite fun, unless you're gung-ho about skiing the Corbet's i would limit my amount of runs on the Tram and rather use the chairs and the gondola's for uphill transportation as they are far more efficient. Views from the top of the Tram are breathtaking though so one definitely needs to go there.
On mountain dining is a bit limited, that said the patio on the Rendezvous Lodge is a fun place to start the mid-afternoon apres ski before you work your way down toward the bottom and eventually the Mangy Moose. The vibe at the Moose is cool and all, but I honestly have always been a tad underwhelmed by it as it tends to be a bit "bro-heavy". Having a minimum of two "sloshies" at the Moose is still obligatory for anyone skiing Jackson Hole though.
So how should i rate Jackson Hole then? The mountain is legendary in many ways and so is the town. I feel all true US based skiers should go there at least once. Will i be back? Maybe, but i'm not sure. Despite the somewhat remote location, it is surprisingly crowded, especially on weekends. And ESPECIALLY on powder days. And despite its abundance of advanced terrain the mountain is actually quite small. So unless you have just epic conditions you've kinda skied it all multiple times after a three-day trip. The fact that Teton County is among the wealthiest counties in the US also comes at a prize. Lift tickets are expensive as most US resorts are anymore unless you have an IKON Pass (or Jackson Hole Season Pass), and accommodations can really add up.
Despite the many positives about the place, i feel there are better ski areas to go to if one is chasing powder, or at least more than a couple of good powder runs in the crowds.
A big caveat to my review is that i did not try any of the backcountry. I only looked at it and spoke with skiers who regularly ventured off there, and it both looked and sounded amazing. So perhaps if i do make it back to Jackson Hole it will be with my skins in my backpack and no lift ticket.
See our video here

Mountain holiday

Robyn Joffe
17/02/2023
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Rider Level
    Intermediate
  • Rider Age
    51-70
  • Month Visited:
    February
  • Admin Rating
    2

Mountain holiday

Robyn Joffe
17/02/2023
We came for a week for a girls annual ski trip. We had the most fantastic experience everybody from the rental staff to the ticket agents to the servers and clean up staff at the lodges
each and every staff person was exceptional. Excellent, excellent customer service.
See our video here

Jackson Holes a Beast

21/04/2022

Brandon

Powder Connoisseur
Powder Connoisseur

Brandon

Powder Connoisseur
Powder Connoisseur
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Snowboarder
  • Rider Level
    Advanced
  • Rider Age
    18-35
  • Month Visited:
    February
  • Admin Rating
    5

Jackson Holes a Beast

21/04/2022
Corbet's just before the Kings n Queens
Fun little section off of Rendezvous trail
Impressive cliffs and impressive lifts
Another angle
Moran Face home of Natural Selection features like this
Something about Jackson Hole just feels magical. From the moment you step off the plane and the Grand Teton’s are just towering over you, those same views from the baggage claim window. The whole drive from the airport to your condo is just gorgeous as you drive through the town of Jackson with the steeps of Snow King Resort perched behind it. I was a huge fan of Jackson Hole and its proximity to the airport and town was a huge positive.
We went to Jackson hole in mid February in the middle of a really dry and pretty hot period. However, we were lucky to get about 4” overnight the first night and another couple inches the next 2 nights. It was definitely icy under that fluff but that packed down and the following days were great. I wouldn’t say it was particularly crowded, but if you wanted to lap the tram you always ended up waiting in a line that could be pretty long, even on the weekdays. But I absolutely loved the lift structure. I had my most vertical feet in a day on my first day at Jackson hole. Its incredible being able to lap the tram 3 times and already be over 12,000 feet. And then take a break from that and ride the Bridger Gondola and get another almost 3,000 vertical of fun, fast, steep blues.
That brings me to the piste trails. They were good, but man were they steep. Almost everything that actually follows the fall line down is a black or double blue (weird) and just steep as hell. My one complaint would probably be a lack of easier blues for the wife. Off-piste however, this place was nuts. Ended up going down the Moran Face several times, where they host the Natural Selection Tour. And it was absolutely nuts seeing those features up close. I didn’t get a ton of opportunity to ride trees because of the snow conditions and ice underneath but the parts I did get to ride were superb.
They do have a pretty child-friendly atmosphere and one good green zone with its own lift. The Teewinot Quad. Jackson Hole is incredibly expensive. No doubt about that. However, the sheer amount of vertical feet you can get in a day is worth incrasing its value for sure. Also the nightlife was better than most places ive been lately. Great apre-ski scene right at the base, especially while we were there because they had a big screen set up with the king and queens of corbets on it since it was happening live. They even had it on replay in the afternoon and everyone was drinking and hanging out watching it. The restaurants at the base and fantastic and the Mangy Moose restaurant is 100% my favorite restaurant at any ski resort.
Would I recommend Jackson Hole? Absolutely. It crept up into my favorite resorts of all time and that was with pretty weak snow conditions. And I cannot way to come when they have even just the regular amount of snow!
See our video here

Not as expected

Phil
02/03/2022
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Rider Level
    Expert
  • Rider Age
    51-70
  • Month Visited:
    February
  • Admin Rating
    4

Not as expected

Phil
02/03/2022
Spend 4 days early February 2022. Of course I expected a lot of snow and powder. Snow was packed, hard and icy at times. Some of the runs were well groomed but most of the bowls or steep runs were closed. Could not ski down the Corbet, closed. It was relatively empty during the week but got busy on the saturday. Lifts need a lift, no disengageable. Food for those needing a long break is medium in the mountain. A few good apres-ski bars and enjoyable live music and drinks. In General, price to value disappointing.
See our video here

No personnel, inferior Maintenace

peter j gordon
31/12/2021
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Rider Level
    Advanced
  • Rider Age
    51-70
  • Month Visited:
    December
  • Admin Rating
    2

No personnel, inferior Maintenace

peter j gordon
31/12/2021
Physical terrain is world class. Management is third rate. Overall experience disappointing.

They lost electrical power on 12.29.21 for full day and provided no information to skiers. The mid mountain lodges had no power and no notices or mountain hosts were available . If you are charging daily rates at the highest price point, there is obligation to staff the mountain appropriately.
See our video here

The Best

Ryan
05/02/2021
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Snowboarder
  • Rider Level
    Expert
  • Rider Age
    36-50
  • Month Visited:
    January
  • Admin Rating
    2

The Best

Ryan
05/02/2021
Jackson Hole is as good as it gets. The snow, the terrain, the vibe. As everyone says, JH is no secret so prepare to ride with 10,000 of your closest friends to enjoy the best. I do agree with other posts that if JH dropped their Ikon and MC involvement it would help the overcrowding. The mountain does not need those discount passes to attract visitors.
See our video here

50/50

Erick
12/01/2021
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Rider Level
    Advanced
  • Rider Age
    36-50
  • Month Visited:
    January
  • Admin Rating
    3

50/50

Erick
12/01/2021
I skied Jackson Hole 33 years ago at the age of 16, and then again just last week. The hill is still steep, and the legs still burned. But the people and culture have changed. Boy have they changed. Part of the allure of Jackson Hole is not just the beauty and the terrain, but it’s the people and the culture that come with it. Well, a lot seems to have changed in 33 years. If I wanted snooty, grumpy, and mute, I would have simply traveled to New York or LA. Aside from the pleasant people working at Snow King resort where we stayed for a week, most interactions were unpleasant or at least negative. Yep, not many happy people in Jackson this year. Maybe it’s a result of everyone being constantly told to put their masks over their noses, even when outside. Or maybe it’s big city culture taking over a small town. All I know is, people were not happy there. The shuttle bus driver was snippy and impatient. The restaurant staff appeared to be working for their paycheck and anxious to leave their jobs. But the worst by far was the staff at on the slopes at Jackson Hole. 50/50 is probably too generous, but at least 50% of our interactions with staff were negative. With the exception of a older gentlemen named John who greeted us near the base of the tram and bringer gondola. John was really the only person who showed any enthusiasm or passion for his job. The only one who enjoyed conversing, and showed genuine interest in the customers/tourists.
There was no shortage of staff on the slopes, however, unfortunately it seemed most of them were hired to harass you for not fully covering your face, or skiing too fast. I swear I felt like I was doing something wrong all the time. There were staff parked on the slopes near busier sections, and they were chasing people down for going too fast. Yet those people (not me) were under control. I watched for some time. Lift line staff were the most rude. Never a comment like, how are you doing, or what a nice day out here. Nope, just all negative. Felt more like military boot camp than it did a Rocky Mountain ski vacation. Yuck.
See our video here

Too many skiers, too little terrain

fabienne
02/01/2020
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Rider Level
    Advanced
  • Rider Age
    36-50
  • Month Visited:
    February
  • Admin Rating
    3

Too many skiers, too little terrain

fabienne
02/01/2020
What was once a hidden gem is now a family skiers’ hazard. Too crowded for the rocky and steep terrain and with the ever growing number of inexperienced skiers descending on Jackson it’s time to look elsewhere for that fun family experience. Unlike top end resorts like deer valley which limit the number of skiers for safety, the resort imposes no such constraints.

If you’re looking for a more exclusive family skiing experience with beautifully groomed runs then consider yellowstone club at big sky, aspen, or deer valley.
See our video here

You Gotta Ride Big Red At Least Once

Pallavicini
23/10/2019
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    N/A
  • Rider Level
    N/A
  • Rider Age
    N/A
  • Month Visited:
    January
  • Admin Rating
    2

You Gotta Ride Big Red At Least Once

Pallavicini
23/10/2019
J-Hole has changed dramatically over the years like many great ski areas.

However if you are serious about powder and steeps, you gotta make the trip at least once.
See our video here
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