Jackson Hole, Wyoming - Not a City in Wyoming

Somehow, in my youth I decided that Jackson Hole, Wyoming and the city of Jackson, Wyoming were the same place. The people in Wyoming are either laughing hysterically or sneering right now! I made the trip twice in a single engine plane from Tennessee to the Jackson Hole Airport; once, before the pilot had finished his instrument training. To me everything down there was Jackson Hole. However, the truth about Jackson Hole, Wyoming is much more interesting.

What is Jackson Hole?

Jackson Hole, Wyoming is not the name of any city in Wyoming. "Hole" was a term used by trappers in the 1820's to describe a high elevation valley surrounded by mountains. Jackson Hole is 40 miles long and 8 to 15 miles wide. The Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains is as close as twenty miles to the east of Jackson Hole in spots. Highlands lie directly east and north of Jackson Hole. The Gros Ventre Range is to the southeast. The Teton Range is directly west with the Grand Teton Mountain rising to 13770 feet above sea level. The Jackson Hole Airport sits at 6404 feet above sea level.

Who was the First American to Explore Jackson Hole?

The first non-indigenous man to enter Jackson Hole, Wyoming was probably John Colter, a guide for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. John Colter was also the first to explore Yellowstone. From a time line of the Lewis and Clark Expedition - "August 14, 1806 - - The expedition returns to the Mandan village. ... John Colter is granted permission to return to the Yellowstone (River) to trap beaver." (http://www.lewisclark.net/timeline/index.html)

How was Jackson Hole Named?

Jackson Hole was named for David Jackson. By some reports, David Jackson was the first trapper or mountain man to spend an entire winter in what is now Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He supposedly spent the winter of 1829 along the shore of what is now Jackson Lake. According to the Jackson Hole Historical Society David E. Jackson was an early partner in what became the Rocky Mountain Fur Company.

The city of Jackson, Wyoming