First of all, let me correct a common mistake: Jackson Hole in northwestern Wyoming is not the name of the town. The town is Jackson; Jackson Hole is the long valley running north and south of the town. Still, if you’re going to Jackson Hole, you’re probably going to Jackson. It’s busy, expensive, and touristy, but it’s one of the most scenic and storied mountain towns in the country, and it’s a fantastic launching point for outdoor adventures. Based on personal experience, I highly recommend all of the following places on this list.
1. Jenny Lake
Jenny Lake is perhaps the busiest spot in Grand Teton National Park, and Teewinot Mountain, often mistaken for the Grand Teton, towers above it. A boat shuttle is available to take people across the lake so they can do the short hikes to Inspiration Points and Hidden Falls or shave distance off the long, spectacular Cascade-Paintbrush loop, one of the most incredible trails in the country. The wait in line each way can be really long, so you can opt to hike 2.5 miles along the shores to reach the same spot the boat does.
2. Colter Bay
Also in Grand Teton National Park, Colter Bay also gets really busy. It’s primarily a destination for dining, lodging, boating, and swimming (Jackson Lake is quite cold, so be ready for that), but it does have a moderately strenuous trail out to scenic Hermitage Point.
3. Mount Leidy Highlands
The famous Teton Range understandably gets most of the attention in Grand Teton National Park, but you should turn around and look at the lower, less spectacular mountains on the other side of the valley. These are the Mount Leidy Highlands, and you can find solitude, wildlife, and some of the best views of the Tetons out there.
4. Slide Lake and Upper Slide Lake
The Gros Ventre Road exits Grand Teton National Park and heads east into some incredibly pretty scenery, including the Red Hills, which have to be seen to be believed. Along the way, you’ll pass Slide Lake, where you can see where a mountainside crumbled, damming the Gros Ventre River and creating the lake. Continue on through amazing scenery to Upper Slide Lake.
5. Yellowstone
It will take you close to two hours to get from Jackson to the South Entrance of Yellowstone. Yellowstone is huge, so Jackson isn’t a great base for exploring that park. You can, though, make a nice day trip to Lewis Falls, with stops at scenic overlooks in both Yellowstone and Grand Teton.
6. Togwotee Pass
One of my favorite Wyoming itineraries is a loop that includes Jackso, Dubois, Lander, South Pass, and Pinedale. At Togwotee Pass, the road crosses the Continental Divide close to the timberline. There are often grizzly bears in the meadows here (view from your car!). Nearby is scenic Wind River Lake, popular as a fishing spot.
7. Brooks Lake
A few miles from Togwotee Pass is the turnoff to Brooks Lake. It’s five bumpy miles to the lake, but you’ll be glad you went because it’s one of the most beautiful mountain lakes in the country. The Brooks Lake Cliffs form a spectacular sunrise backdrop, and the ominous Pinnacle Buttes do the same at sunset. If you’re up for an adventure, you can climb some of those peaks for incredible views of the wildest, most remote wilderness in the Lower 48. These are not light undertakings, so do some research first. One of them has seen only one known ascent, by me in 2011, and I’ll never climb it again because it was terrifying and incredibly dangerous.
8. Brooks Creek Falls
Across the highway from the Brooks Lake turnoff is a Forest Service campground and a mostly easy trail to a high, pretty waterfall on Brooks Creek. It can be hard to get a campsite at Brooks Lake, so many people turn to the larger campground here.
9. Dubois
After leaving the Togwotee/Brooks area, you’ll descend into the little town of Dubois. Colorful badlands surround this town that’s an interesting mix of cowboy culture and trophy homes. If you want to experience some beautiful, remote mountain scenery from your car, head north from town on Horse Creek Road and follow signs for Double Cabin. It’ll take you 1 ½-2 hours to reach one of the most jaw-dropping mountain settings you’ll ever behold.
10. Trail Lake
A few miles south of Dubois is a turnoff that takes you to Trail Lake after around six miles. There’s great scenery along the way, and if you can get a local to share or do some good internet sleuthing, you can also see ancient petroglyphs created by Native Americans. (I’m not telling, but I will say that one is right next to the road, so keep a sharp eye out.) At Trail Lake, in the northern part of the Wind River Range, you can start out on the Glacier Trail, one of the most epic hikes in the Rockies (expect to spend at least 3 nights out there), or you can do a much shorter hike to pretty Lewis Lake, passing some rushing waterfalls along the way.
11. Sinks Canyon
Sinks Canyon is just outside Lander, one of my favorite Wyoming towns. The “Sinks” is where the Popo Agie River plunges into a hole in the earth and then reappears about a quarter-mile away. The canyon is lined with tall sandstone and limestone cliffs on both sides, and it’s a renowned destination for rock climbing.
12. Snake River Canyon
South of Jackson at Hoback Junction, the Snake River turns west and heads through Snake River Canyon, one of the best whitewater runs in the country, including a classic drop known as the Big Kahuna. If you don’t have your own whitewater kayak and gear, you can rent them in town, or you can sign up for a whitewater rafting trip led by experienced river guides.
13. Greys River Road
As you exit Snake River Canyon, you’ll reach the little town of Alpine. The unpaved Greys River Road heads south from town and winds and climbs for about 60 amazing miles to the Tri-Basin Divide. My first visit here was a revelation, and I’ve been back several times since to hike, climb, and just admire the beautiful and remote mountain scenery as the namesake river winds and sometimes rushes between the Salt River Range and the Wyoming Range.
14. Hoback River Canyon
Between Hoback Junction and Bondurant, the road parallels and often crosses the Hoback River, a scenic mountain stream. There are several campgrounds and pullouts that let you enjoy the river. If you like running rivers in whitewater kayaks, you’ll enjoy fun rapids up to Class 3 here, with the best stretch being that between Granite Creek and the national forest boundary. I like to take out at an overlook that has an interpretive sign about wildlife, so just scout things out before you put in.
15. Granite Hot Springs
About halfway through Hoback Canyon is the well-marked turnoff for the Granite Creek Road. Enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Gros Ventre Range as you drive 10 miles to Granite Hot Springs. If the resort there is too commercialized for you, stop at Granite Falls about a mile before the springs. It’s worth seeing for itself, but if the water is low enough for a safe crossing, you’ll find a small hot spring on the other side near the base of the falls.
16. Pinedale
Pinedale is the main gateway town to the Wind River Range, which contains 23 of the 25 highest peaks in Wyoming, including Gannett, the highest. It’s a small town, but it’s also a lot of fun, with an outdoorsy, energetic, and friendly vibe. East of town is Elkhart Park, one of the busiest launching points for epic backpacking and climbing trips in the Winds, including Titcomb Basin, one of the world’s most beautiful mountain settings.
17. Green River Lakes
A little west of Pinedale, turn north to Cora and then continue north on the road to Green River Lakes. It’s a long, bumpy road, but you’ll appreciate the classic view of Squaretop Mountain framed by Lower Green River Lake. Some say this is the most photographed mountain in the state, but I doubt that, considering the presence of the Grand Teton and the ease of seeing it. Many use this location as the start of long backpacking trips into the range, but you can do a short, easy loop hike taking you to Upper Green River Lake, which has an amazing turquoise tint due to glacial sediment washed into it from the high peaks.
18. Big Sandy
It’s a long drive on dirt roads to get to Big Sandy, which is the busiest trailhead in the southern Winds. There are several trip options here, but by far, the most popular is the backpacking journey over Jackass Pass on the Continental Divide to the inimitable Cirque of the Towers, a place that attracts backpackers and mountain climbers from all around the world. Big Sandy Lake makes a nice, easy day hike of about 7 miles round-trip, but if you’re strong enough for it, you can make it to Jackass Pass and back in a day and get to see the incredible Cirque. The latter is what I did last summer when I had a knee I wasn’t trusting for wilderness climbing; the hike yielded climbing-like views.
19. South Pass
South Pass was an important destination for west-bound pioneers because it’s a gap between the Winds to the north and the desert terrain of the Great Divide Basin to the south. A drive of about half an hour south along Oregon Buttes Road will take you to the Oregon Buttes themselves, which the pioneers bound for Oregon marked as the halfway point on their journeys.
20. Mesa Falls (Idaho)
Drive west out of Jackson over the pass into Driggs, Idaho. Then, drive north to Ashton, where you can pick up the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway and stop at both of the spectacular waterfalls. Along the way, enjoy views of the western side of the Tetons that many people visiting Jackson Hole never see.
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The World’s Most Beautiful Mountain Ranges
For as long as humans have existed, mountains have inspired and daunted us. They’re the basis for countless legends, and although they can be deadly, they have an irresistible pull on us, drawing millions of sightseers, hikers, climbers, skiers, and other outdoor enthusiasts every year. Making a definitive list of the most beautiful mountain ranges in the world is subjective, but the ones here are certainly strong contenders.
Featured Image Credit – GagliardiPhotography/Shutterstock
Robert Sihler is an educator, freelance writer, and rock climbing guide and instructor living with his family in Driftwood, Texas. In his spare time, he enjoys reading fiction, streaming films, completing crossword puzzles, and rock climbing. When he goes on vacation, he likes to visit the mountains of the West and climb remote, obscure peaks that have seen few or no prior ascents.