About

About an hour outside of Jackson Hole in the Teton Valley is Grand Targhee Resort, a year-round basecamp in Wyoming's Teton Range where our good friends just so happen to have a fabulous home at the base of the mountain (and a few places to rent, too!). Relative to Jackson Hole, Grand Targhee and neighboring Driggs, Idaho and Victor, Idaho are completely unpretentious, the people are wonderful, and the skiing (for beginners) is more agreeable, with less Black Diamond runs, and some really delightful (and long) Blues.

How to get there

Fly into Jackson Hole, rent an SUV (you’ll need the four wheel drive) and drive about 60 minutes through the gorgeous scenery to lovely Targhee, Wyoming. Hilariously, to get here, you will drive from Wyoming, into Idaho, back into Wyoming.

Since this is a ski vacation we are talking about, plan for extra travel time if road conditions are less than ideal. You will be driving through a mountain range, so take your time, be careful and arrive safe!

Know before you go

Grand Targhee is not on IKON or EPIC, but a day pass is $125. If you have a friend who happens to have a season pass to Grand Targhee, you can get a discount (I think 20% off on your day pass). For Ski rentals, pop into Habitat, located in downtown Driggs.

Eat

Coffee & Breakfast — Atelier Coffee in Victor, ID or Big Hole Bagel in Driggs, ID.
Lunch — At the top of the mountain, go to The Trap Bar in Targhee, WY or at the bottom, hit up Forage in Driggs, ID.
Dinner — You can’t go wrong with Forage, Teton Thai, or O’Rourkes, all in Driggs, ID.
Drinks — High Point Cider in Victor, ID.

Stay

If you want to stay on the mountain, your best bet is Targhee Lodge. You might miss some of the night life in Driggs if you stay at the top of the hill, but that’s your call!
Our friends’ place in Driggs, is stunning and has 4 beds and two baths. Downtown Driggs is where pretty much every restaurant I’ve recommended is, and is just down the mountain from the Grand Targhee Resort.
Our friends also have an awesome place in Victor, with 4 beds and 2.5 baths, which is perfect for those who want to ski Jackson Hole and Grand Targhee and want a spot to rest their head pretty much smack-dab-in-the-middle between the two locations. This townhouse in Victor is also close to Atelier Coffee, New West Knife Co. and High Point Cider.

Workout

Do your legs skiing down the mountain, your cardio on the dance floor at the Trap Bar, and your biceps lifting large glasses of wine or beer to your mouth. If you absolutely need to stretch, take a hot yoga class at Resilience in Driggs.

Play

Ski to your heart’s content at Grand Targhee Resort.
Catch live music at the Trap Bar.
Grab groceries at Broulims in Driggs and tailgate in the parking lot at Grand Targhee Resort.
Spend a day (and a fortune) at any one of the Outdoor Outfitters (e.g. Habitat, Peaked or Yostmark) in downtown Driggs. We came home with new goggles, a ski/snowboard bag, and some Teton Gravity Research gear (they did a collab w/ Grateful Dead, how could we not??!)

A Dream Day

If you only had 24 hours to enjoy Targhee, WY, and really wanted to pack it in, this is what you would do…

Wake up and grab a bite to eat at home, stare out at the gorgeous Teton mountains, if you’re feeling frisky, go for a walk around the neighborhood to gawk at some beautiful homes, run into some cute dogs, meet the neighbors (most likely expats from somewhere in the US), and sip your hot coffee while getting your mind right for the day ahead.

Want to go out for coffee? It’s a little bit of a drive, but worth it, and so scenic, head to Victor, ID and grab coffee and food at Atelier coffee shop. It’s so cute and the brew is so good. While you are that way, treat yourself to an epic souvenir by stopping in at New West Knife Company for a knife that is as beautiful as it is culinarily useful — made with CPM S35VN Steel, these knives are known for holding the sharpest blade and being stain resistant.

Next, suit up and head up the mountain for your ski adventure. Take the lift at the base of the mountain (Dreamcatcher) up to very top of the mountain, and when you get off turn right to head towards your warm up run, the Teton Vista Traverse for a glorious Green that takes you right back to the bottom. If you are on the Caldwell schedule, grab a White Russian or Coffee and Rumchata at the Trap Bar before heading up for your next run.

For your next run, head up Shoshone Lift, and then take Little Beaver Traverse over to Blackfoot Lift, making your way back down to the bottom via Chief Joseph Traverse, Chief Joseph Bowl, and for the longest ride, Little Beaver Traverse.

If you’re hungry from all this exercise (wink, wink) stop back at the Trap Bar for another round, and the Chicken Tenders, which will blow your mind.

Strap back into your skis and head over to Sacajawea Lift, to make your way down Snowdancer, and over to Ermine. Then take Colter up, up, up to enjoy Rolling Thunder, Goat Path, and Snowdancer, back to Sacajawea Lift, and then down to the Trap Bar, again, via Dreamweaver and Powder Reserve Traverse.

Live Music has probably started at the Trap Bar, so head in to snag a table that can be home base for your crew. Take turns skiing and holding down the fort.

Just make sure someone stays sober to drive you down the mountain at the end of the day, the switch backs are no joke and shit gets icy. No driver? Opt for the shuttle, which picks up at the hotel and the grocery store in town every hour.

Once you’re home, shower up, and get in a comfy-ish outfit (no need for heels, think leggings and a sweater) and head into town for dinner at Forage, Teton Thai, or for bigger groups, O’Rourkes. Fill up on some delicious grub and head home to get a good night of sleep.

Summary

If you are looking for a family-friendly ski adventure that’s not quite as costly or pretentious as Jackson Hole, but offers great skiing, great food, and great times for great people, Grand Targhee is the SPOT, and these are the best spots there. Enjoy!

Grand Targhee, Wyoming