Dog-Friendly Winter Activities in Jackson Hole
I will be the first to say that planning dog-friendly trips in the winter is never without its challenges. While researching for this trip, it was difficult to find guidance on dog-friendly winter activities in Jackson Hole, and a lot of what I did find turned out to not actually be dog-friendly in the winter when most patios are closed. However, we still ended up having the best trip, and have compiled our top recommendations below to help you plan a memorable winter trip to Jackson with your dog.
Explore the surrounding area
Walk around Town Square - one of the things we love to do every time we visit Jackson is walk around the Town Square area. There are tons of cute shops, and there were even a few that were dog friendly. You also have to get a photo next to the iconic antler arches!
Go for a wildlife drive - we also always enjoy taking a scenic drive to explore the area. If you’re lucky, you may even spot some wildlife! During our last trip, we headed out on Gros Ventre Road and drove past the Elk Refuge. We continued on to Antelope Flats Road, and spotted two stunning moose on the side of the road! We pulled over and watched them for several minutes, with the view of the Tetons in the background. That was a highlight of the trip for sure!
Enjoy the Teton views - while you are out exploring, be sure to take some time to soak in the amazing views of the Tetons. If you continue along Highway 191, there are several scenic viewpoints. Our favorite place to stop to enjoy the view and take photos is Schwabacher Landing.
Hiking, Snowshoeing & Cross-Country Skiing
Below are a few trails that we would recommend for a winter adventure with your dog. Depending on conditions, these would be great for hiking or snowshoeing. I also noted a couple of trails that are great for cross-country skiing, which we plan to try during our next visit. There are several ski rental shops in the area that offer cross-country ski rentals.
Snake River Trail - this trail, which starts from Emily Stevens Park, is probably the most popular dog-friendly trail in the area. You can take it up to 4.5 miles out and back, and the county keeps it groomed. It is flat and easy, making it also family friendly. It runs along the Snake River and has beautiful views of the Tetons, pending visibility. We also saw several people here cross-country skiing with their dogs. I will note that last time we visited it was a bit of a dog park with lots of dogs, most off leash, so keep that in mind depending on you and your dog(s) preferences.
Crater Trail / Old Pass Road - this is a nice 3 mile round trip trail located in Wilson. Depending on the conditions and amount of snowfall during your visit, you may or may not be able to complete the full loop trail linked here. However, you can park in the same spot and take the Old Pass Road trail out and back. This is what we did, and it was still a great and beautiful outing with the dogs. There were even some people hiking up and skiing or snowboarding down, which we have never done but looked really fun!
Cache Creek Trail - the trailhead is located about 10 mins from the center of Jackson. There are a few different trail options, including taking the Cache Creek and Hagen Trail for a 2 mile loop. This area is popular for snow shoeing and cross-country skiing, which is on our wishlist for our next visit!
Cross-Country Skiing - Teton Valley is known for being one of the best places for cross-country nordic skiing. For the best options, you can venture out further from town to enjoy a variety of dog-friendly trail networks, especially on the Idaho side. Check out the JH Nordic site for a comprehensive trail list, which also has filters based on your preferences.
Ski Rentals: right in the heart of Jackson is Skinny Skis, or on the Idaho side you can visit Peaked Sports in downtown Driggs.
Take a day trip (or overnight stay) to Turpin Meadow Ranch, located an hour outside of downtown Jackson. For a fun and easy day trip, the ranch offers a la carte options for activities and dining. They have a dog-friendly nordic trail network with over 20km of trail that is groomed daily, and also have snowshoe and cross-country ski rentals on site.
Where to eat & drink
Coffee / Breakfast:
Admittedly most mornings we ordered room service at the hotel (which was delicious!), but a few other spots we loved were:
Persephone Bakery - this was a consistent recommendation I got from others who have visited Jackson, and it lived up to the hype! We got a fantastic breakfast there, but they are also known for lunch fare and delicious coffee drinks. They also have a dog-friendly patio with fire pits that was open when we were there during winter.
Pearl Street Bagels - is quick an easy option for breakfast to go, with yummy bagel breakfast sandwiches.
Snake River Roasting Company - we always pit stop here for coffee while we are walking around Town Square.
Après ski:
We were surprised to discover that Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is actually very dog-friendly! We enjoyed an afternoon walking around the area, and stopped for some food and drinks on the patio with the dogs.
RPK3 - a fun après ski patio spot, with a variety of food and drink options. It is also located right next to the iconic Jackson Hole gondolas, which was fun to watch.
The Handle Bar - this restaurant is connected to the Four Seasons hotel, and the patio looked amazing! It is right at the foot of the slopes, which would make for a fun spot to watch the skiiers. We tried to go here, but unfortunately the wait was too long, but it is definitely on my list for next time!
Jackson Hole General Store - a cute little coffee shop that is known for their hot chocolate, and also has some cute little souvenirs. We enjoyed delicious hot chocolate on the patio with the dogs.
Dinner:
Unfortunately there really aren’t dog-friendly restaurant options for dinner in the winter time, but we have enjoyed getting take out from these restaurants:
Hand Fire Pizza - perfect for a cozy night in, with delicious hand made pizzas and salads
Koi Sushi and Poke - great sushi options, as well as poke bowls
If your pup is content to relax in the hotel for a bit after a long day of adventuring, the food scene in Jackson really is top notch! Our favorite dinner spots for humans in Jackson are Snake River Grill, Glorietta, and Kampai. For us, a trip to Jackson also wouldn’t be complete without an evening of drinks and live music at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar.
Where to stay:
We will likely forever stay at the same hotel when we visit Jackson, because The Cloudveil is one of my absolute favorite hotels and I always look forward to returning there. But there are several great dog-friendly options at different price points including:
The Cloudveil - Definitely a bit of a splurge, but worth it in my opinion! Especially in the winter when there are less dog-friendly options, staying at The Cloudveil was the highlight of the trip. Not only is it located right on Town Square, but the hotel is super dog friendly, so we were able to enjoy cocktails in the evenings with the dogs in the lobby, which really has the best modern cowboy vibes! Check out our full review of the hotel for more details.
Gravity Haus - if you’re looking to stay right on the slopes, Gravity Haus is a new addition to the area. The design is the epitome of mountain modern, and it is located at the foot of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
Fireside Resort - every time we drive by Fireside I comment how cute this resort of luxury tiny cabins looks. They have 25 mini cabins, and each cabin has a fireplace, full kitchens, and private furnished deck with their own fire pit. Dogs are welcome, with a two-dog maximum.
Mountain Modern - a newly renovated boutique hotel, located in a great central location, and typically offering more affordable prices for the area. A max of two dogs are allowed per room, and they have a Pawsitively Perfect Pet Package you can select at booking.
Turpin Meadow Ranch - head here for a cozy ranch-style cabin stay, located an hour outside of downtown Jackson. They also have over 20km of dog-friendly nordic trails on the property.
Do you have any other favorite dog-friendly winter activities in Jackson Hole that we missed? Let us know in the comments!
Disclaimer: The information provided above and dog-friendly policies were understood to be accurate as of the time of this post. For the most up-to-date information and policies, be sure to confirm with the businesses directly.