JACKSON HOLE GEOGRAPHY + MAPS

The dramatic geography of Jackson Hole

Jackson Hole sits  in the northern Rocky Mountains, less than an hour's drive from Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks. The valley, named for trapper Davey Jackson, is surrounded on all sides by some of the most pristine wilderness in the lower 48 states.

The valley sits at 6,200 feet above seal level just east of the Teton Range. Created 2.5 billion years ago and crowned by the 13,770-foot Grand Teton, the mountains run north to south in Grand Teton National Park.

Jackson Hole is also situated in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem's largest national forest, the Bridger-Teton National Forest, which encompasses 3.4 million acres of public land from the Teton Wilderness in the north to the southern tips of the Wind River and Wyoming ranges.

The geology of Jackson Hole is among the most active in the United States, sitting near the southern edge of the Yellowstone Caldera, the world's largest supervolcano, and adjacent to the Teton Fault.

Elevation: 6,200 feet
Highest peak: Grand Teton, 13,770 feet
Largest lake: Jackson Lake covers more than 25,000 acres
Grand Teton National Park: 96,000 acres
Yellowstone National Park: 2.2 million acres
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: 20 million acres
Distance to Idaho Falls, Idaho: 90 miles
Distance to Salt Lake City: 302 miles
Distance to Denver: 529 miles
Distance to Bozeman, Mont.: 215 miles