Give Me Five: 5 Reasons To Visit Jackson Hole, Wyoming
by Ian Skellern
Jackson Hole, Wyoming may not be on the bucket list of many except the keen fly fishermen among you, but here are five reasons why nature lovers and photographers might consider a visit:
1. Stunning scenery
September is my favorite time to visit Jackson Hole because the summer tourists have thinned, the trees are starting to dress for fall, and the animals move down from the mountains to eat in warmer climes. Spectacular mountains, picturesque rivers, and open (but not too open) plains.
The Teton mountains flank one side of Jackson Hole
Geese deciding they have had enough of breakfast (and me) near Jackson Hole, Wyoming
This old Amish farmhouse near Jackson Hole is popular with photographers
There must have been at least 20 photographers set up before dawn to catch this old Amish farmhouse near Jackson Hole at sunrise
Yellowstone National Park
2. Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone, the United States of America’s first national park and the inspiration for many others worldwide, is an easy 90-minute drive from Jackson Hole. And you are likely to see elk, pronghorn, bison, and perhaps even moose on the drive. Yellowstone can be a nightmarish pool of people and traffic in the summer, but the queues and traffic jams have largely disappeared by September.
The Old Faithful geyser at Yellowstone National Park
While seeing the Old Faithful geyser is a must for most, and it is undeniably impressive, the most common comment I’ve heard after its eruption is, “Is that it?”
The Yellowstone “Grand Canyon”
Lone bison in Yellowstone National Park
A herd of bison in Yellowstone National Park
3. Animal life
While the area around Jackson Hole isn’t comparable with a good African game park when it comes to animals, it’s incredible what you can see just by getting up early. Or getting out and about at all.
These two young stag elks hopped the fence to graze in an irrigated cattle pasture near Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Elk are so common as not to count, but bison and pronghorn (which are not technically antelope, but pretty close) are also regularly seen, and it doesn’t take much luck to see moose.
A stag elk posing for the camera just outside Jackson Hole, Wyoming
We saw a large coyote near the front gate early one morning, and chanced upon a grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park.
Grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park
Photographers take a long lens: I had a 200-400 mm and was often wishing for a longer one (and was nearly as often wishing for a shorter lens when when I came upon animals up close).
Female pronghorn and young near Jackson Hole, Wyoming
The Brakeman in Victor, Idaho
4. Brakeman burgers
While there are many great restaurants in Jackson Hole itself, one of my favorite places to eat is The Brakeman, a small burger joint in Victor, Idaho, which is around 30 minutes’ drive from Jackson Hole. I was first attracted by the claim of “The world’s best burgers,” and have returned many times since because that may just be right.
The Brakeman in Victor, Idaho
And Brakeman Burgers has horological cred: I’ve eaten there with Stephen Forsey, Stephen McGonigle, Felix Baumgartner, Martin Frei, and Peter Speake-Marin.
A brakeman burger at The Brakeman in Victor, Idaho
Note: Save some room for a huckleberry milkshake at the milkshake-fly-fishing-novelty emporium next door; it’s worth a visit to Victor by itself.
5. Aurora borealis
Jackson Hole is on similar latitude to the south of France. And as we all know, the south isn’t known as a hotspot for aurora borealis spotting.
Aurora borealis shot in Jackson Hole, Wyoming on September 9, 2015
But serendipity struck in Jackson Hole while I was trying to do a time-lapse exposure of the Milky Way, and I discovered that even though the intensity of the Northern Lights will rarely be strong enough to put on a visible show, long exposures can catch what the eye doesn’t. I’ll be explaining more on how to shoot the aurora borealis from lower latitudes in an upcoming article.
Aurora borealis shot in Jackson Hole, Wyoming on September 9, 2015
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[…] These displays of the sun’s radiation and our planet interacting with it are definitely mesmerizing as our own Ian Skellern will attest to, having gotten glimpses on his trip to Jackson Hole in September 2015 (see Give Me Five Reasons To Visit Jackson Hole, Wyoming). […]
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[…] upon “seeing” the aurora borealis while visiting Jackson Hole, Wyoming last year (see Give Me Five: Reasons To Visit Jackson Hole, Wyoming), and the excitement of that led to months of […]
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[…] chanced upon “seeing” the aurora borealis while visiting Jackson Hole, Wyoming last year (see Give Me Five: Reasons To Visit Jackson Hole, Wyoming), and the excitement of that led to months of […]
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Glad you enjoyed your stay here. I live here and sadly I haven’t eaten at the brakeman, but I’m on my way 🙂
I think that you will find that it’s worth the trip, Daryl. Take a good appetite!
Regards, Ian
The farmhouse pictured is not Amish. It is the Moulton barn, the Moultons were a family of Mormon homesteaders. and adult male elk are referred to as bulls rather than stags.
Thanks for correcting me on that, Marisa.
Regards, Ian
Nice post and great photos!!! Thanks for sharing.
Stag is appropriate for 7X7 like this big boy.
Six good reasons– you forgot to mention the chipmunks!