Jackson
The town of Jackson is a good home base for exploring Grand Teton National Park, but it's also a charming western style town. Watch Travel for Kids video for fun things to do with kids - go for a stagecoach ride, ride the chairlift to the top of Snow King Summit, check out Jackson Hole Visitor Center for full size dioramas of elk, wolves, grizzly bear, and finish out the day with Jackson Hole Rodeo in the evening.
Town Square
- The town square has grass and shade trees, each corner has a large arch made entirely of elk antlers! Here at the square, kids can pick up a
stagecoach ride.
Go around town in the bright red stagecoach; for a bird's eye view, kids can sit on top of the stagecoach, keeping an eye out for bandits. At the town square in summer, at 6:00pm, watch the
Jackson Hole Shootout
, a re-creation of the old wild west.
Jackson Hole Visitors Center
- The visitors center is situated at the edge of the National Elk Refuge, with an observation deck. However, you won't see the elk in summer, they are out and about their summer grazing spots at higher elevations; in winter thousands of elk migrate to the refuge. Inside the visitors center, check out touch tables with skulls of bison and elk, white tailed deer and moose antlers, and full size dioramas of wildlife, such as elk, wolves, grizzly bear.
A shaded
picnic area
is located right next door to the visitors center.
Miller Park
- This is a lovely city park has a very nice
playground
with swings, slides and climbing structures, picnic tables, grass and shade trees. The park is located at the corner of Millward and Gill St.
Aquatic Center
- In summer, head over to Aquatic Center enter for a family swim in the large swimming pool with waterslide. The warm water leisure pool and jacuzzi is open daily, year round.
Go to a rodeo
- At the JH Rodeo, kids can watch cowboys and cowgirls barrel racing, roping calves, riding bulls and bucking broncos. They start ‘em young here, four year old riding on a bull (he had help). There's even an event for kids in the audience, called the “sheep scramble” - kids go down to the arena and run around after the sheep. The rodeo is Memorial to Labor Day, every Wednesday and Saturday nights, Teton County Fairgrounds.
Snow King Resort
- At the Snow King Resort on the southern edge of town, kids will have fun playing
mini golf
or going on the
alpine slide
(ride a short chairlift to the top of the slide, pick up your “sled” and slide down). There are also one or two hour
horseback rides
(for kids 8 and up).
Snow King Mountain
- Ride the scenic chairlift to the top of Snow King mountain, for panoramic views of the valley and Teton Range. For a delightful walk, take the
self-guided nature trail
around the top of summit. It's a level trail, with wildflowers galore, pine forests and groves of quaking aspens. With older kids, you could hike the Josie's Ridge trail back to town.
Next to the chairlift is a shady park with picnic tables,
playground
, and spiffy climbing walls for kids.
National Museum of Wildlife Art
- Need some ideas for kids art projects? The museum includes paintings and sculptures of wildlife kids will see in Grand Teton National Park. Also, the Children's Discovery Gallery has hands-on activities - perfect for a bad weather day.
