Quiet luxury may be trending, but in Jackson Hole, it’s always been de rigueur. While the nouveau riche were donning furs at chalets in St. Moritz or spraying champagne at Cloud Nine in Aspen, the truly landed gentry was wintering further north, and further west, across the border in Wyoming.
It’s no longer a secret that Jackson Hole has the highest concentration of billionaires per capita in the United States, and the reason why is similarly well-known nowadays. What was once a hidden gem—a high altitude desert nestled within the Teton Range, home to some of the best skiing in the lower 48—is now a bucket-list destination for socialites and alpine adventurers alike.
This was perhaps inevitable in the age of social media, but what’s perhaps most shocking is the fact that this Cowboy State hamlet has remained largely unchanged in spirit and in vistas. The latter is thanks to strict zoning laws (97 percent of the land in Jackson Hole is protected) and the legacy of conservation efforts spearheaded by John D. Rockefeller and written into law by Teddy Roosevelt (the first National Park, Yellowstone, borders Jackson Hole to the north, while Grand Teton National Park preserves the lakes and forests to the west). The rugged, unspoiled wildness of Jackson Hole perseveres today, not just in the backcountry terrain and grazing herds of bison, but also in the energy and spirit of the town.
And I would know. Back when my family first started going to Jackson 32 years ago, we would camp at Jenny Lake, arriving the night before and securing a spot the very next morning (unheard of nowadays, when international visitors book campsites years in advance). When I entered middle school, we upgraded to a cabin. I distinctly remember my 13-year-old friends asking why, on earth, my family would buy a place in Wyoming. Today, many of those friends vacation there with me regularly.
Yet somehow, Jackson still remains unafflicted by the snobbery and pretentiousness of other ski-and-be-seen destinations out West—more low-key than the ski snobs at Deer Valley or the private-access-only energy of Big Sky. First off, the famously challenging slopes of Jackson Hole have expanded in recent years, accommodating more intermediate terrain. And the vibe is decidedly far more low-key. You’ll look ridiculous if you cosplay as a full-on rhinestone cowboy while wandering through the old town square. If you’re wearing a ten-gallon hat, you better be a rancher.
In Jackson, the rodeo champions are largely indistinguishable from the coastal elite, mingling and dancing to bluegrass at the aptly-named Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. And with the influx of even more high-end restaurants and luxury hotels, the perfect Jackson Hole itinerary is always changing—though some mainstays forever remain. On the 60th anniversary of the legendary ski resort, we’ve rounded up the very best places to eat, drink and explore in Jackson Hole, no matter the time of year. So, read on, and prepare to venture into the wild—in style, of course.
