Family Trip to Jackson Hole

We got back from our family trip to Jackson Hole last month, and I’ve finally finished a full video with all of the details on our trip.

Traveling with two toddlers (age 1 and 2), this trip gave me some anxiety going into it, but it was SO worth it. We were able to find a good mix of things we wanted to do and they wanted to do!  Although they would both tell you their favorite part was the elevator (ha). Between visits to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, riding to the top of a mountain, lots of incredible restaurants, breathtaking views and crazy wildlife sightings — this trip had it all! We went in mid-May for a full week. I hope this post / video is helpful for anyone looking for travel ideas with littles or want to learn / see more about Jackson Hole and these beautiful places.

 

Come unpack / unwind with me in this video:

 

For those who prefer pen & paper (ahem, a blog post) I’ll share some of the highlights organized below so that you can easily refer back to it.

 

STAY

We stayed at The Lodge at Jackson Hole. We picked it for being in the heart of Jackson Hole, good price point, nice rooms and amenities (the pool for the kids was a key selling point!).  They also provide free breakfast buffet daily and a shuttle service around Jackson Hole.

I thought the rooms were cozy and clean. Good size for staying with the kids. The bathrooms also had a nice big shower!

 

EAT

Cowboy Coffee Co. – our typical morning stop! strong, good coffee. a line forms around 8a!

Hatch – good tacos / burritos and margaritas 🙂 Kid friendly with crayons/kids menus.

Bistro – a really nice brunch spot.

Cowboy Bar – we didn’t stop here because, kids 🙂 , but it’s a famous spot so including on my list of musts.

Snake River Grill – my #1 favorite restaurant. a bit fancy / not suited for kids, but we made it work. still dreaming about the walleye fish, it was mouth watering good!

Local – nicer restaurant too, good Italian dishes. we ordered the meat and cheese board and I even tried bone marrow here. It was so good!

Cafe Genevieve – good lunch spot, their salad was divine. they also have a huge espresso machine, great cappuccino ! Kid friendly with crayons/kids menus.

Gun Barrel Steak & Game – this spot was across from our hotel and we went here twice it was so good! Casual, and local food (bison, elk, etc.) so we had fun ordering / trying different things. It is a fun atmosphere for kids, and very kid friendly with crayons/kids menus.

Corbett’s Waffles – we stopped in but didn’t eat because it was crowded! Smelled sooo delicious though. It’s a famous spot so including! (It’s at the top of Jackson Hole resort mountains, so ride the air tram up to get to it :))

Running Bear Pancake House – delicious little diner-style breakfast house!  Great morning stop on the way in to Yellowstone if you are going in the West side.

 

PLAY

Here are some of our favorite stops organized by location. Pop these into your GPS or Google, and try visiting yourself!

Jackson Hole

• Jackson Hole Town Square – famous antler arches are here! lots of shopping and restaurants, and events happening downtown.
• Teton Village – a ski resort village that’s a must see!  restaurants, shops and a fun playground for the kids.
• Aerial Tram – in Teton Village, an unforgettable ride to the top of the Teton mountains! A little scary but worth it in my opinion! At the top is the famous Corbett’s waffles.

• Sweetwater Gondola / Playground – this gondola at the mid-way point takes you to a woodlands playground. It was closed when we were there in mid-May but it was a top attraction on our list that we are sad we missed.
• Jackson Hole Children’s Museum – this is a great place to spend a few hours with the kids to do an activity they enjoy! lots of toys, unique games and crafts for them to play with.

Grand Teton National Park

• Jenny Lake – the most exceptional views all along it! You can ride a boat across it too if the weather is nice.
• Coulter Bay – the perfect bay for a long stroller walk and site seeing the mountains and boats. I would bring a jogger stroller because the terrain is bumpy.
• Grand Teton Visitor’s Center – place to eat and souvenir shop, as well as front and center views of the Teton mountains. We took some great pictures here. A must see in my book!
• Blacktail Ponds Overlook – pretty views, wildlife spotting
• Snake River – pretty views, wildlife spotting

Yellowstone National Park

• Gibbon Falls – pretty waterfalls with a stroller-friendly route overlooking it
• Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – breathtaking views of the canyon! I’ve never seen anything like it.
• Hayden Valley – lots of wildlife spotting here!
• West Thumb Geyser Basin – very interesting to see the springs here.
• Grand Prismatic – colorful hot springs that look like a rainbow from the heat of the Earth underneath! truly something spectacular to see.
• Old Faithful Geyser – the famous geyser! It goes off every 60-90 minutes, so you might need to wait a bit depending on what time you get there. the geyser goes off for about 1-5 minutes at a time.