Cross Country Skiing
Get your glide on.
Cross-country skiing offers a peaceful way to explore Jackson Hole’s winter wonderland.
Jackson Hole isn’t as famous for its Nordic skiing as it is for its alpine skiing, but it should be. Whether you want a heart-pumping workout, to ski along a creek in solitude, or to be in the shadow of the Tetons, there’s a groomed trail for you.
Jackson Hole has more than 200 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails. These are in Grand Teton National Park, the Bridger-Teton National Forest, and Nordic skiing centers. In Grand Teton National Park, a 14-mile stretch of the Inner Park Loop Road, which is closed to cars from November 1 until May 1, is a Nordic skier’s dream.
For some, one of the joys of cross-country skiing is that you’re not limited to trails. This is a sport that encourages exploration. If you’re in this category, your options are pretty much endless, from cross-country skiing around glacial moraines left by ice that receded tens of thousands of years ago, taking forest service roads closed to cars for the season, skiing along the banks of a river or creek, or discovering a frozen backcountry lake or historic homestead cabin.
How to have a great cross-country skiing experience in Jackson Hole
Check JH Nordic for grooming schedules, trail conditions, trip reports, and GPS tracks for more than 100 trails that offer more than 500 miles of cross-country skiing adventures. The website allows you to search for trails by distance, location, difficulty, dog friendliness, grooming status, and what user groups you might be sharing them with (such as fat bikers or snowmobilers).
local tip
Freshly groomed trails can be found every day of the week—you just have to know where to go. Visit JH Nordic for the grooming schedule or hire a guide to discover the local trails.
Even if you don’t need to rent cross-country ski gear, stop at Skinny Skis in downtown Jackson to grab a copy of its winter guide to trailheads. The gear shop updates it annually.