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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jackson Hole was a trip we took after enjoying the amazing Yellow stone national park, which was so close and the most unique experience. Couldn’t recommend that extra activity high enough. As for the trails, there was a vast variety both off and on piste, yet the time of year we went (February), the snow falls were getting fewer, therefore less powder. Unfortunately we did not get a dumping of snow whilst there but we supposedly had just missed it. Tree runs were fun to find the patches but the main runs were getting a bit icy. The beauty of the mountain was second to none and the lifts were well organised and worked well and efficient. Can be very busy as quite a touristy place but the charm and character of the town was just beautiful! Less activities and nightlife to say Whistler but still had some options.
Jackson hole is a place for everyone and anyone who loves beauty and riding the mountains. I went with my husband and I we loved it but I would love to go back here with my family one day. See our video here

Jackson Hole is such an incredible hill and that’s why lots of people go there. It would pretty much be perfect if it wasn’t for the crowds. We experienced the powder day throngs during a big snow storm that dumped 5ft on Jackson Hole in a few days. Even though we arrived an hour before the lifts opened, the queues to the tram and Bridger gondola were ridiculous. We queued for the Sweetwater gondola and Teton, which wasn’t quite as bad, but as we exited the lift to hit the Moran face it was like a zoo, with people leaping off rocks and nearly landing on our heads.

All the locals were raving that the first powder day was the best day ever. It was pretty sweet but the freshies didn’t last very long, and you could feel the massive bumps underneath the 3ft of powder on many of the slopes. We’ve had far better powder days at our little local hill.

During the 2019 season the Ikon Pass holders got a bad rap for making Jackson Hole so busy, and whilst Ikon may have been one of the contributors along with an amazing snow season, it was probably more likely that the locals created the crowds on powder days. We went out on a couple of bluebird (non-powder) days and it was pretty quiet with just the destination travellers.

One of the things that surprised us about JH was the good intermediate runs and the amount of amazing advanced terrain. Jackson Hole is marketed as a ski hill for expert and extreme skiers, and every second of their Facebook posts seem to be about Corbet’s Couloir, even though the resort has so much on offer for the average skier or snowboarder.

We were also pleasantly surprised about the friendly vibe of the place. We’d heard that there can be a lot of unpleasant attitude emanating from the locals, but this wasn’t our experience and we met some amazing locals who took us under their wing.

We stayed in both Teton Village and Jackson, and we much preferred staying on the hill. Jackson was a cool town and whilst it would be OK for a short stay, we found that the inadequate buses, traffic jams and the time involved to park the car were a bit annoying.

Whilst in Teton Village, we stayed at the fabulous Teton Mountain Lodge. You can see our review here.

See the Jackson Hole overview for our thoughts on the pros and cons and you can also see our US ski resort ratings to see how Jackson Hole compares. See our video here

Long time repeat visitor and resident for 8 years. The ski experience has declined steadily beginning with the mountain collective pass and now the ikon pass. Relentless marketing programs and social media hype targeting the extreme skier/rider posers have absolutely swamped this once very special place. This resort is virtually unskiable on powder days because of the crowds. Not only are liftlines atrocious, but also employees, privates and assorted insiders heve early shots and line cutting deals. This is a significant and knowledgeable group. Add an already growing local population on top of swarms of visitors and this is a nightmare. Inbound stashes are ripped by 10. Sidecountry hammered by 11. Totally bumped out next day. Try a 40 minute line on the Union Pass chair. Attitudes here have gotten increasingly adolescent if not down right negative. A generally younger, careless, and reckless crowd that has been attracted is downright dangerous at this resort now. You literally have to ski while looking over your shoulder. Leave the kids home.

What has happened at JH is an absolute shame and largely driven by cheap passes. Transportation infrastructure and lift capacity is simply inadequate to absorb the crowds. I understand business and “more” is the blind mantra followed financially. I understand the modern climate of inclusive entitlement. The simple fact is that the financial wizards have seriously underpriced access to a somewhat limited resource and have effectively ruined the experience not only at JH but arguably at every other independent resort that signed up. One could argue those wizards could not care less about the on snow experience. JH was on a hyper growth trajectory before these programs ever were adopted.

Do not believe the hype. The ski resort which had grown an elite reputation over the years discounted that brand and no longer exists. The experience overall is adolescent, negative and dangerous. Look elsewhere for a pleasant time. At the once mighty JH it is a battle. An absolute battle from getting to the parking lot at the base of the mountain to fighting the way too cool mobs once there. See our video here