The 9 best adventures you can have in Jackson Hole

Though it may be best known as the gateway to legendary National Parks Yellowstone and Grand Teton, there's plenty to see and do in Jackson Hole before you move beyond it.

Encircled by peaks over 13,000ft high and vast areas of wilderness, the valley (or “hole”) surrounding Jackson is a year-round playground for adventurers – beloved by skiers in winter and hikers, cyclists and nature lovers in summer.

Arts and culture aren’t lacking here, either. With a full calendar of museum exhibits, art fairs, concerts and other events, Jackson’s cultural offerings pack quite a punch for its size. Here’s how to play by day and relax by night in beautiful Jackson Hole.

1. Go snow tubing

Take a less traditional route down the mountain in Jackson Hole via Snow King’s King Tube, a classic family snow-tubing park with multiple runs for all levels. Like roller-coasters on ice, these exhilarating rides will leave everyone breathless, laughing and ready to go again.

And there’s no need to climb back up the hill, since King Tube has a rope tow to pull you to the top. Tubing is also available when conditions allow at Grand Targhee Resort, a little over an hour to the west, where a chair lift ferries riders to the top of the runs. (Kids must be 42" or taller to use the tubing parks.) King Tube is open from early December to late March; check with Grand Targhee for news about tubing operations.

2. Strap your skies on and hit the slopes

Founded in 1939 and relatively small in scope, Snow King has the low-key vibe characteristics of an old-school resort. But don’t expect all bunny hills: Snow King offers almost exclusively steep, expert-level runs that tend toward the icy.

It’s also the home of the alpine slide and the Cowboy Coaster, a dizzying toboggan-like ride that skims down the equivalent of a 45-story building. There's also the summit gondola and back-side lift, all part of $20 million worth of upgrades that make it easier to access the resort’s runs as well as opening up the sunnier south side of the mountain.

Another great option is Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, with its more than 4000ft vertical drop from the top of Rendezvous Mountain and name-brand runs like the narrow chute known as Corbet’s Couloir. In fact, more than half JHMR’s runs are advanced, including 24 double-black runs. Three long beginner runs and 31 intermediate runs keep those still learning plenty busy.

3. Ride a bike on the snow

Two wheels and snow banks don’t seem like the greatest combination until you see a fat bike, with its extra-wide fork and five-inch tires designed to roll over compacted snow or sand without sinking or getting stuck. Perfected over the past two decades by cyclists determined to ride all year long and over all terrain, fat bikes have made snow biking one of the fastest-growing winter sports, with Jackson Hole a center of the action.

Sign up with Teton Mountain Bike Tours, an early proponent of the new sport, for a guided winter bike tour in Grand Teton National Park, or just rent a fat bike and tool around town on your own. The first ski resort in the US to incorporate snow biking, Grand Targhee has more than nine miles of groomed Nordic track and six miles of single-track trails open to fat bikers. Teton Valley Trails and Pathways grooms a growing number of trails for fat biking and Nordic skiing, and publishes frequent updates on trail conditions.

4. Raft the Snake River

Many claim that Jackson Hole’s Snake River was responsible for the invention of whitewater rafting – the first such trip was recorded back in 1811. While the assertion may never be proven, what’s not in question is that rafting on the Snake River is the valley’s number-one summer activity. Choose from a host of local outfitters who lead half-day, full-day and multi-day rafting trips for all ages and abilities.

The action gets pretty exciting as the river narrows between the sheer cliffs of the Snake River Canyon, where Class III rapids with names like Big Kahuna and Lunch Counter are tricky enough to thrill without terrifying. Outfitters like Barker Ewing and Jackson Hole Whitewater offer trips in eight-person small boats and classic rafts seating 12 to 14.

5. Relax on a float trip

As the Snake River, um, snakes through Grand Teton National Park, the meandering course provides the perfect vantage point from which to appreciate the camera-ready scenery. Lean back in comfort and watch bald eagles, hawks and osprey soaring overhead.

The leisurely pace also makes for much better wildlife viewing, as you’re likely to spy shy moose, deer and elk as they forage along the riverbank; binoculars are a must if you have them. You won’t get super wet on a float trip, but the wind can get chilly so bring a jacket or sweater for protection against cool breezes.

6. Celebrate the art of wildlife

Develop a fuller appreciation for the arts of wildlife photography, painting and sculpture at the National Museum of Wildlife Art, with its collection of more than 5000 pieces of “animal art” and ongoing photography and painting exhibits. The sculpture trail is always worth visiting as well.

Known in particular for its collection of 19th and 20th-century art of the American West, the museum, in recent years, has expanded its collection to include more modern pieces, such as Alexander Calder’s sketches of bears and deer and sculptures and carvings from Africa and New Zealand.

7. Listen to live music

Rhythms echo off the hills nearly every night during the spring, summer and early fall as Jackson’s numerous music festivals and concert series rival each other for variety and quality. Concerts also continue through the winter at venues such as Center for the Arts and Walk Festival Hall.

Internationally renowned chamber and orchestral performances anchor the Grand Teton Music Festival, while national touring artists join the lineup at Jackson Hole Live, a summer outdoor concert series at Snow King Ball Park. In Teton Village, the popular free concert series Music Under the Tram kicks off in April. Music on Main brings notable singer-songwriters and rock and country bands to Victor City Park on Thursday nights from mid-June to mid-August.

8. Enjoy an outdoor art fair

Time your visit to take advantage of the annual Outdoor Art Fair hosted by the Arts Association of Jackson Hole, which takes place over two weekends in June and August. A juried selection of nationally recognized artists, photographers, ceramicists, woodworkers and jewelers showcase their latest creations in conjunction with gallery exhibitions and a smorgasbord of food and drink offerings. Musical performances and family activities are part of the festivities as well.

9. Hike up a mountain

More than 97 percent of Teton County is made up of national parks and forests and other public, federally-owned land open for exploration. Bridger-Teton National Forest is the largest national forest in the continental US at 1.7 million acres, while Grand Teton National Park has eight peaks over 13,000ft.

If those statistics don’t inspire you to seek out some of the best hikes in Jackson Hole, the list of wildlife surely will – with bison, elk, moose, black bear, grizzlies, wolves and trumpeter swans all easily spotted.