Jackson Hole, WY

JohnnyWestood

Active Member
Hello,

I had the privilege of riding in Jackson WY a couple weeks ago. Wow. Just wow. I rode the trails of the Snow King Mountain area, which are part of the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Elevation at the base is about 6200 feet, so once I started exerting myself it took a while to recover. I wasn’t able to do as many miles as I had hoped, but what I did was awesome.

It was a weekday and I encountered maybe 10 other bikers and trail runners. The trail I took also lead me past the zip line and ski lift so I was never that remote although at times it seemed like I was all alone.

The town itself is small, but has great restaurants and shops and the scenery is amazing. If anyone has the opportunity to get out there to mtb or ski in the winter I would whole heartedly recommend it.

There are a number of shops that rent good bikes, but make sure you reserve well in advance.
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(Random animal skull, bike and field of wild flowers, and the Grand Teton Mountains)
 

SmooveP

Well-Known Member
Hello,

I had the privilege of riding in Jackson WY a couple weeks ago. Wow. Just wow. I rode the trails of the Snow King Mountain area, which are part of the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Elevation at the base is about 6200 feet, so once I started exerting myself it took a while to recover. I wasn’t able to do as many miles as I had hoped, but what I did was awesome.

It was a weekday and I encountered maybe 10 other bikers and trail runners. The trail I took also lead me past the zip line and ski lift so I was never that remote although at times it seemed like I was all alone.

The town itself is small, but has great restaurants and shops and the scenery is amazing. If anyone has the opportunity to get out there to mtb or ski in the winter I would whole heartedly recommend it.

There are a number of shops that rent good bikes, but make sure you reserve well in advance.
(Random animal skull, bike and field of wild flowers, and the Grand Teton Mountains)

Heading out there this week. Spoke to Fitzgerald's bike shop about a rental. Do you know the name of the trails that you rode? I looked on mtbr and Cache Creek sounds good (looks like it's very near Snow King). We're going out there for a wedding, so my ride times are limited. Hoping to find good stuff without having to drive out of town.
 

Rdoonz

Well-Known Member
Jackson Hole is awesome! I've been out there twice, but not for MTBing. If you are looking for good food and drink, stop by Snake River Brewing Company. I would also suggest taking the ride to up to Yellowstone if you get a chance. Yellowstone is worth an entire week(at least) on it's own, but if you can sneak up for even a day it's worth it and you can still see a few of the park's highlights: The Grand Prismatic Spring, Old Faithful, and Fountain Paint Pots are all within 15 minutes of each other and basically on the same road (all of the things I mentioned are 2- 2 1/2 hours from Jackson). Enjoy your trip!
 

SmooveP

Well-Known Member
Jackson Hole is awesome! I've been out there twice, but not for MTBing. If you are looking for good food and drink, stop by Snake River Brewing Company. I would also suggest taking the ride to up to Yellowstone if you get a chance. Yellowstone is worth an entire week(at least) on it's own, but if you can sneak up for even a day it's worth it and you can still see a few of the park's highlights: The Grand Prismatic Spring, Old Faithful, and Fountain Paint Pots are all within 15 minutes of each other and basically on the same road (all of the things I mentioned are 2- 2 1/2 hours from Jackson). Enjoy your trip!
Thanks! I've been out there in the winter for snowboarding, but it was years ago. Did a snowmobile trip through Yellowstone while we were there. Will definitely try to hit Snake River Brewing. Thanks for the tip!
 

JohnnyWestood

Active Member
Heading out there this week. Spoke to Fitzgerald's bike shop about a rental. Do you know the name of the trails that you rode? I looked on mtbr and Cache Creek sounds good (looks like it's very near Snow King). We're going out there for a wedding, so my ride times are limited. Hoping to find good stuff without having to drive out of town.
Duuuuuude!! I actually met the owner of Fitzgerald’s on the trail. He and his twin brother own the joint. Real nice guy. He and his girl are hammers. They were super nice and are in great shape.

I had my wife drop me off at the Cache Creek Dr parking lot. From the lot you actually head back down the road from where you came and the Hagen Trail starts there in the left (your right side coming in) I took it to Hagen Highway to Ferrins. I took Ferrins up to Skyline. Headed up Skyline a bit but was really struggling to catch my breath. So I turned around and took my downhill reward.

If you use Trailforks, they will tell you that you can access the trails from Snow King Dr. I don’t think you can. The road was closed as of 2 Wednesday’s ago.

Go on YouTube and check out The Singletrack Samplers video titled “Did I take A Wrong Turn”. He’s riding the trails right there.

Jackson is small. Getting from one side of town to other by bike or car takes only a few minutes. So don’t worry about getting to the trailhead taking too long.

Some advice, I rented from Hoback Sports, so I thought I could just ride down Snow King Mountain and have a nice downhill ride back to the shop. It is steep as hell. Even though it’s basically a fire road it was unrideable in spots and unwalkable too. At least for me at the end of a ride sucking air and weary. Follow the sign that says “easiest way down” if you go that route.

On the way up or on the way back down if you continue in Hagen you will come across the zip line on Snow King. There is staff there and they were super nice to me and helped me find my way.

I didn’t encounter any bears but it is bear country. The rental car place actually rents bear spray as do many shops in down town.

If you are in to vegetarian food, Lotus is great. The pizza at Hand.Fire.Pizza is really good and the BBQ joint right by both of those restaurants is excellent as well.

I highly recommend using the Trail Forks app. Just be sure to download the Wyoming region before you head out.

The trails are steep, but not too technical.

Have a blast. If there’s anything else I can tell you let me know. It’s great.

Oh, there is a miserable road project going on on the highway from the airport to Jackson. They are down to one lane so you will get stopped for 15 minutes as they let the other side go. But that’s the only bad thing I have to say about Jackson. Great place.
 

SmooveP

Well-Known Member
Thanks, man. I thought Derrick Nobman owned the store. He used to own a small shop on Long Island and moved his family out to Idaho a few years back. He bought the original Fitzgerald's in Victor Idaho, which is right across the pass from Jackson. I met him once at a fatbike race in NJ about 6 years ago. I have the Trailforks app, good suggestion for the maps. Thanks for all the info. We'll be there for just shy of a week, but schedule is jammed up with lots of wedding and other non-biking stuff. We're doing a rafting trip one day, some hiking, etc. A week is not long enough!
 

JohnnyWestood

Active Member
Thanks, man. I thought Derrick Nobman owned the store. He used to own a small shop on Long Island and moved his family out to Idaho a few years back. He bought the original Fitzgerald's in Victor Idaho, which is right across the pass from Jackson. I met him once at a fatbike race in NJ about 6 years ago. I have the Trailforks app, good suggestion for the maps. Thanks for all the info. We'll be there for just shy of a week, but schedule is jammed up with lots of wedding and other non-biking stuff. We're doing a rafting trip one day, some hiking, etc. A week is not long enough!
Maybe it’s his kid I met? Or he sold it? I do t think the guy was lying to me. Either way, you owe it to yourself to carve out some time to hit those trails. If nothing else to get to the point on Ferrins where the trees end and you get that view. I’m jealous of you! I would go back in a second. If you are flying in to Jackson Airport, that is a thrill ride in itself. You really come through the mountains.
 

SmooveP

Well-Known Member
Maybe it’s his kid I met? Or he sold it? I do t think the guy was lying to me. Either way, you owe it to yourself to carve out some time to hit those trails. If nothing else to get to the point on Ferrins where the trees end and you get that view. I’m jealous of you! I would go back in a second. If you are flying in to Jackson Airport, that is a thrill ride in itself. You really come through the mountains.
Maybe they're partners? We're flying into Salt Lake and taking a day to drive up to Jackson, maybe making some random stops along the way. Looking forward to it, especially with this crummy NJ weather, LOL.
 

icebiker

JORBA: Morris Trails
JORBA.ORG
My son and I went boarding (me) and skiing (him) this past March. Very cool town and the outdoor vibe is prevalent everywhere. Couple of suggestions:
For accommodations, try the Bentwood Inn. Comfy, convenient between town and mountain and breakfast is fresh and hearty every morning.

For eats, try Bin22. Tapas restaurant inside a liquor store. Wine selection is insane and the food is incredible.

For sushi, gotta go to Kings. Tiny place, long wait unless you get there early. Sublime.

Winter biking: If you’re there in winter and want a biking fix, head 1 hour north to Grand Targhee and rent a fattie to ride their groomed singletrack. Great network. A fair amount of twisty singletrack with a view that can’t be beat.

Some pics:
GT trail network:
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Sign at Bin22:
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Bentwood Inn:
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Gratuitous boarding pic ;-)
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I would love to go back there in the summer. Locals say it’s amazing. Sounds like they are right!
 

SmooveP

Well-Known Member
Got back to humid NJ on the red-eye this morning. Riding wasn't the primary purpose for the trip, but got in two good mtb rides at Cache Creek area. Also, one whitewater rafting trip, 3 hikes, tried many local beers, lots of food, and a wedding in the Teton park. Weather was awesome every day.

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Reggie

Formerly ReggieHammond
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I'm heading out to Yellowstone at the end of this month. Similar to @SmooveP, I'm flying into Salt Lake City and driving up taking a day or two in Jackson Hole before meeting the In-Laws mid week in Yellowstone.

This is all great intel....thank you!!
 

SmooveP

Well-Known Member
What a beautiful place, huh? Did the elevation give you any problems?
Yep, would love to go back to do a "real" mtb-focused trip. No serious problems with altitude, but definitely felt it on the climbs. A few people on the trip had some problems with it during hikes. Apparently, somewhere around 8000ft is where altitude sickness can kick in, so staying lower for the first few days might be a good idea.
 

SmooveP

Well-Known Member
I'm heading out to Yellowstone at the end of this month. Similar to @SmooveP, I'm flying into Salt Lake City and driving up taking a day or two in Jackson Hole before meeting the In-Laws mid week in Yellowstone.

This is all great intel....thank you!!
Have fun! I think if I go back, I'd skip the drive from SLC and fly direct into Jackson. The drive is scenic, but not a lot of compelling stuff to do along the way. Raspberry milkshakes at Bear Lake were pretty good, though.
 

JohnnyWestood

Active Member
Have fun! I think if I go back, I'd skip the drive from SLC and fly direct into Jackson. The drive is scenic, but not a lot of compelling stuff to do along the way. Raspberry milkshakes at Bear Lake were pretty good, though.
Flying in to Jackson is an adventure by itself. You come down through some rugged mountain ranges, then you step off the plane in front of the Tetons. Nice small airport. No hassle. The rental car places freak out when they have a busy day (7 flights) coming in.
 
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