Jackson Hole (originally calledJackson's Hole bymountain men) is a valley between theGros Ventre andTeton mountain ranges in the U.S. state ofWyoming, near the border withIdaho, inTeton County. The term "hole" was used by early trappers, or mountain men, as a term for a large mountain valley. These low-lying valleys, surrounded by mountains and containing rivers and streams, are good habitat forbeavers and other fur-bearing animals. Jackson Hole is 55 miles (89 km) long by 6-to-13 miles (10-to-21 km) wide and is agraben valley with an average elevation of 6,800 ft (2,100 m), its lowest point being near the southernpark boundary at 6,350 ft (1,940 m).
The valley was used byNative Americans for hunting and ceremonial purposes. It was not known to harbor year-round human settlement prior to the 1870s. Descriptions of the valley and its features were recorded in the journals ofJohn Colter, who had been a member of theLewis and Clark Expedition. After returning to theRocky Mountains, Colter entered the region in 1807 in the vicinity ofTogwotee Pass and became the first European-American to see the valley.
The town ofJackson was named in late 1893 by Margaret Simpson, who, at the time, was receiving mail at her home as there was no post office. She named the area in order for easterners to be able to forward mail west. Jackson, which became incorporated in 1914, was named afterDavid Edward "Davy" Jackson, who trapped beaver in the area in the late 1820s with a partner in the firm ofSmith, Jackson &Sublette.[1] Jackson, of Irish and Scottish descent, was one of the first European-Americans to spend an entire winter in the valley.[2]
Because the soil is not ideal for raising crops, the valley was used for cattle grazing, and tourism quickly became popular with the establishment ofdude ranches.[3]
The only incorporated area in the valley is Jackson, located at its southern end. Other communities in the valley includeHoback,Kelly,Moose (Moose Wilson Road),Moran Junction,Teton Village, andWilson. West of Jackson,Teton Pass crosses the southern end of the Teton Range, providing access toAlta on the western side of the Tetons, as well asVictor andDriggs inIdaho. This area was known asPierre's Hole and hosted theRocky Mountain Rendezvous in 1832. Numerouselk use the valley for grazing during the winter, andsleigh rides are offered to tourists. TheJackson Hole Mountain Resort,Snow King, andGrand Targhee Resort ski areas, as well as the nearbyGrand Teton andYellowstone national parks, are major year-round tourist attractions.
The valley is formed by theTeton Range to the west and theGros Ventre Range to the east. Grand Teton National Park occupies the northwestern part of the valley, encompassing much of the Teton Range andJackson Lake. The city of Jackson is at the southern end. Between them lies, onU.S. Route 26, "Glacier View Turnout" offering a view ofTeton Glacier on the north ofGrand Teton,[4] and theNational Elk Refuge, home of the largest elk herd on earth. The Snake River threads through the entire valley from its headwater in Yellowstone in the north to the mouth of theSnake River Canyon at the southern tip of the valley.Blacktail Butte is a prominentlandform rising from the valley floor. The average elevation of the valley is over 6,500 feet (2,000 m) above sea level.
High altitude and steep mountain slopes on all sides of the valley often cause calm winter nights to be very cold, asradiational cooling fromsnow-covered ground creates cold air near the surface, which then slides down into the valley due to the higherdensity of the air. In 1993, this effect during an already severe cold snap plunged the morning low temperature down to −56 °F (−49 °C) in the valley, officially recorded by theNational Weather Service. The state record low temperature was also recorded in the valley at Moran at −66 °F (−54 °C) in 1933. Summers are warm to mild, due to the surrounding mountains.
Jackson Hole Airport is the largest and busiest commercial airport in Wyoming. The Jackson Hole Airport is also the only airport in the US that is located inside a National Park.[5] Strict noise abatement regulations and the terminal building's low profile allow for the airport to operate within federal guidelines inside Grand Teton National Park. However, it becomes difficult to fly in the winter months. Major airlines serve the valley with jet service, some of which are seasonal (summer and winter).
In 2016, the Jackson Hole Tourism website put up 20 livewebcams of Jackson's town square to boost tourism. Since then, the audience of the live screening has grown rapidly, with up to 2,000 people watching at any one time.[6][7]
The community is also home to theJackson Hole Economic Symposium, an annual gathering by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City that includes "prominent central bankers, finance ministers, academics, and financial market participants from around the world," according to its description. "The participants convene to discuss the economic issues, implications, and policy options about the symposium topic. The symposium proceedings include papers, commentary, and discussion."[8]
Films set and/or shot in Jackson Hole include3 Bad Men (1926),The Big Sky (1952),The Wild North (1952),Shane (1953),Spencer's Mountain (1963),Any Which Way You Can (1980),The Mountain Men (1980),Rocky IV (1985),Dances with Wolves (1990), andDjango Unchained (2012).[9] It is also a major location in the video gamesThe Last of Us (2013) andThe Last of Us Part II (2020), in whichJackson itself is home to a large community of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world.[10]
RapperKanye West recorded his albumYe (2018) while living in Jackson Hole; the album cover features a picture of the Teton mountains he had taken on hisiPhone a few hours before the album's release.[11] Other albums West recorded here include his andKid Cudi'sKids See Ghosts,Nas'sNasir,Pusha T'sDaytona, andTeyana Taylor'sK.T.S.E.. These albums are collectively known as theWyoming Sessions.[12]
Jackson has become a second home for variouscelebrities, often due to Wyoming'sincome tax regime, includingSandra Bullock,RuPaul Charles,Kanye West andKim Kardashian,Nikki Sixx, andHarrison Ford.[13]
Natives includeKyle Mills, a novelist
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