The Best time

Season

What are the crowds like?

What is the best time of day?

While we would argue that there is no bad time in Jackson, Wyoming there are definitely busy seasons based on the weather. For avid skiers, Jackson Hole offers prime skiing in December-March/April. If you are thinking of doing a skiing elopement, we recommend checking out Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. The resort offers 2,500 acres of skiable terrain and provides access to the backcountry. The heavy snowfall causes the mountains to be accessible only by ski and snowmobile. This limits your location options to staying in the valley unless you want to do an extreme sport on your elopement day. Snowmobiling would allow you to access GTNP and Yellowstone while they are buried in snow. We understand eloping in the winter is not everyone's cup of tea, but for those that want to get married in the winter, we definitely recommend the Jackson area in the winter. 

Winter ends around April, but many of the trails within Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) still have snow and are muddy into May. Once June rolls around the temperatures start warming up and the valley comes alive. Jackson has a big tourism industry due to its close proximity to GTNP and Yellowstone. Throughout the summer months of June-September, the temperatures are typically in the 70s during the day and will cool down to high 50s at night. 

Once September hits, the aspen leaves start changing, and the mountains usually start getting some snow. Typically the valley floor which is 6,000 feet above sea level, does not get snow until late October/November. 
Jackson Hole is known for its dynamic and dramatic landscapes, while wildfires are uncommon in Jackson Hole due to the large amounts of snow they receive, wildfires from California have impacted the visibility of the mountains. This typically doesn't occur until August and September as the ground continues to dry up from the winter snowfall. 

Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) is a relatively small park, but it is very popular. This means that certain iconic locations and hikes can be overcrowded with tourists and hikers. GTNP crowds start after Memorial Day, maximize around July 4th, and begin to diminish after school has started. Because it is on the way to Yellowstone when leaving Jackson, many people use GTNP as a pit stop and will stop and hike the shorter trails within the park. 

The wilderness areas surrounding GTNP and Jackson offer stunning views and there are usually far less people on the trails. Hiking east of Jackson gets you away from the crowds and will still allow you to have the mountain skyline in view. The backside of GTNP is just as beautiful but far less popular which would get you away from crowds if that is what you are looking for.  The final tip to avoiding crowds in Jackson and GTNP is simply deciding to hike a little further than the popular viewpoints. 

This area of Wyoming has quite a few lakes, bike trails, simple hikes, and intense treks to satisfy all visitors. 

Sunrise or sunset. 

Why? Alpenglow. 

What is alpenglow? Alpenglow is the pink/orange hue that is cast on the mountains opposite from where the sun is rising/setting. For example the iconic Teton range turns this gorgeous hue of pink at sunrise. The sun is still low and gorgeous. Sunset has that beautiful golden hour as the sun sets behind the mountain range. If you are on the west side of the Tetons, the sun would rise behind the mountains and the setting sun would cause a beautiful alpenglow. 

These are the best times to not only get the best light for stunning pictures but also for avoiding crowds.