Your Guide to Summer in Jackson Hole

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-We call it the ‘sweet season,’ when tundra turns tropic for that fleeting moment. We wait eagerly for summer’s arrival – planning for all we’ll do when it gets here – and then it’s gone like our sunburns.

Sure, we’re known for our winters and we love them. Their fierceness tests our mettle. But summer in the Hole is elusive and fleeting. Go getchya some while you can.

There’s something about roaming freely through the forest that quenches a primal urge, reminding us of a time when our survival was dependent on a close relationship with nature.

Escaping the chaos of traffic and the ever-presence of technology via one of the valley’s trails offers inimitable therapy and the feeling that, despite whatever adversity you may be facing in life, somehow everything is going to be all right.
Not to mention, hitting the trails allows you to see this area’s diverse terrain and chromatic landscapes, whether it’s the red and lavender hills of the Gros Ventre, Grand Teton National Park’s azure glacier lakes, the occasional special encounter with a moose or bear, or the gold and violet wildflowers that punctuate the valley’s scenery.

Goodwin Lake is a favorite mid-to late summer hike, where dogs are welcome for the trek, which climbs at a moderate grade through shaded forest along a quiet stream. It is roughly three miles to the placid waters of the lake where you can follow trails that border the water, or you can continue for another two and half miles to the summit of Jackson Peak. Bring ample water and warm layers if you plan to summit Jackson Peak.

Death Canyon in Grand Teton National Park offers a bevy of trails. Here you’ll find quick jaunts about a mile long that lead you to the awe-inspiring shores of Phelps Lake–where you’ll find the famed jumping rock–to more ambitious, steeper treks up to Static Peak, 16 miles roundtrip. Be warned that this is indeed bear country so have bear spray accessible and remember that dogs aren’t allowed in the park.

Find solitude and mystery by heading 30 miles north of Jackson to a hike that leads you to Holmes Cave, one of the largest caves in northwest Wyoming that extends more than 4,000 feet. The approximately 9-miles-roundtrip hike is a fairly moderate jaunt in the Togwotee wilderness. The unassuming entrance of the cave looks more like a small hole in the ground but once inside, you’ll see that this eerie cavern travels deep into the earth. Bring a headlamp if you plan to enter, or even peer into, the cave’s shadowy depths. For info, Jackson Hole Hikes by Rebecca Woods.

For more cave crusades, set out to Teton Valley, Idaho, to the Darby Canyon Wind and Ice Caves. Mystical waterfalls, dazzling wildflowers and scenic overlooks decorate the moderate hike, which has a few steep sections. After about two and half miles, you’ll reach a mammoth cave opening with water streaming out of its rocky entrance. Bring headlamps and a rain jacket for the damp, watery cave and leave claustrophobic friends behind. While the opening of the cave looks more like the mouth of a mammoth monster, the deeper you travel, the more narrow and eerie it becomes. Be prepared to crawl, scramble and succinctly maneuver through the cave’s cramped corridors. For info, Eastern Idaho Sweet Spots, by Jerry Painter and Matt Tengaio.