Everything about Jackson Hole totally explained
Jackson Hole is a
valley in the
U.S. state of
Wyoming. It is located in west-central Wyoming, and gets the name "hole" from early trappers or
mountain men, who primarily entered the valley from the north and east and had to descend into the valley along relatively steep slopes, giving the sensation of entering a hole. These low-lying valleys surrounded by mountains contain rivers and streams, good habitat for
beaver and other fur-bearing animals.
History
The valley is thought to be named for
David (Davey) Edward Jackson, a mountain man who trapped the area for beaver in the early
nineteenth century. Though used by
Native Americans for hunting and ceremonial purposes, the valley wasn't known to harbor year round human settlement prior to the 1870s. Descriptions of the valley and its features were recorded in the journals of
John Colter, who had been a member of the
Lewis and Clark Expedition. After returning to the
Rocky Mountains, Colter entered the region in
1806 in the vicinity of
Togwotee Pass and became the first caucasian
American to see the valley. His reports of the valley, the
Teton Range and of the
Yellowstone region to the north were viewed by people of the day with skepticism.
The only incorporated town in the valley is
Jackson, sometimes also mistakenly called Jackson Hole itself. Other communities in the valley include
Wilson,
Teton Village,
Moran Junction,
Hoback,
Moose (
Moose Wilson Road, Wyoming), and
Kelly. On the west side of the valley,
Teton Pass crosses the
Teton Range providing access to
Victor and
Driggs in eastern
Idaho and
Alta, Wyoming on the western side of the Tetons. Numerous
elk use the valley as
grazing range during the winter, and
sleigh rides are offered to tourists. The
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort,
Snow King and
Grand Targhee Resort ski areas, and nearby
Grand Teton and
Yellowstone national parks are major tourism attractions throughout all seasons of the year.
Geography
The valley is formed by the
Teton Range on the western side and the
Gros Ventre range on the eastern side.
Grand Teton National Park occupies the north-western part of the valley encompassing the much of the
Teton Range as well as
Jackson Lake. The town of
Jackson, Wyoming, is at the southern end. Between them lies the
National 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 the Snake River Canyon at the southern tip of the valley.
Blacktail Butte is a prominent
landform rising from the valley floor. The average altitude of the valley is over .
High altitude and steep mountain slopes on all sides of the valley often causes calm
winter nights to be very cold, as
radiational cooling from
snow-covered ground creates cold air near the surface, which then slides down into the valley due to its higher
density. In
1993, this effect during an already severe cold snap plunged the morning low temperature down to in the valley, officially recorded by the
National Weather Service. The state record low temperature was also recorded in the valley at Moran at in 1933.
Notable Residents
Further Information
Get more info on 'Jackson Hole'.
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