Jackson Hole became world famous for its extreme terrain throughout the end of the 20th century, even attracting some beginners. But has it become overrated?
Snowfall
Jackson hole is well known for its 450" of high quality snow each year. While this is slightly less than the 500" you get at resorts like Snowbird and Grand Targhee, it is still highly respectable.
Terrain
The terrain that Jackson hole does have is incredible, but this is where we run into our problem: they don’t have enough. Jackson hole unfortunately suffers from overcrowding on powder days. Despite being about 40% larger, Kicking Horse BC has a lift capacity 30% the size of Jackson Hole’s. This means that the terrain in Jackson gets tracked off quickly and the powder never lasts very long.
Crowds/skier traffic
Despite its high lift capacity, Jackson suffers from long lift lines fairly often. If it’s a powder day, the gondolas can be up to a hour long wait and the tram can be a 2 hour wait.
Accessibility
Jackson hole has an airport (thank god), but it only sees direct flights to about a dozen other cities. These flights are also very expensive and there are not as many options. A flight from Newark to Jackson hole costs 3–4x as much as a flight from Newark to Salt Lake City or Calgary. Jackson hole’s airport is also often shut down due to bad weather due to its high elevation, which can leave you stranded.
Cost
Jackson Hole is not cheap. Lift tickets alone can cost up to $170. In contrast, Alta lift tickets go for $120, and Revelstoke lift tickets cost $91.
Even if you have an ikon pass, lodging in Jackson Hole is not cheap either. Your wallet will weigh a lot less after your trip to Jackson.
Conclusion
Is Jackson Hole overrated? I’d say yes, Jackson Hole is overrated. It is an incredible ski destination regardless, but it has flaws which many do not acknowledge.
