JHMR Summit Trail

Route Description for JHMR Summit Trail

The wildly famous Jackson Hole Mountain Resort gives easy access to the south end of the Teton Range with its Aerial Tram to the top of Rendezvous Mountain. Information on the tram can be found on the jacksonhole.com website, and when you buy online, you can also save money on your ticket.

There is a large parking area at the base of Teton Village, however it can fill up quickly, especially on weekends. Try to get there early to be sure of your spot! If you haven’t already purchased a ticket online, go towards the tramway to buy your ticket. Ride the tram up the 1,262 m to the top of Rendezvous Mountain, and enjoy the glorious scenery as you do.

At the top of the tram, continue up the two flights of stairs to the summit of Rendezvous Mountain and look around at the magnificent Teton Summits. To the northeast, you will be able to see Grand Teton above several other imposing peaks, and to the southwest, you’ll see another major summit, Cody Peak, just along the ridge.

There are two good trails that can be taken from the top of the tram: The Cirque Trail, which is narrow and not suitable for young children, and the Summit Trail, which follows a gravel road and is suitable for kids, although it can be steep at times. We prefer the Summit Trail when with the family, which is the map shown on the website.

Summit Trail

Looking down on the base of Jackson Hole Resort, head to your right to make your way down a ridge and away from the rest of Jackson Hole Ski Resort. The Summit Trail will take you down four long switchbacks, providing great areas for photos in the opposite direction from the resort to your west. On the fourth switchback you will be heading back towards the ski lifts and ski runs of Jackson Hole. This path follows the route of the ski run known as Laramie Traverse.

Continue on your journey towards the gondola and pass under the Sublette Quad Chair, before making your way up and under the Tram. Here, you will see the top station “Thunder Ski Lift” and from below the tram will appear enormous. The next part of the hike is wonderful, as you walk below the cliffs above and experience some truly real, raw, and wild scenery.

Continue along this route and head down hill – you will descend over 500 m today. As you go along, your route back up to the gondola will be easy to navigate and laid out before you. Follow this and the last push to the gondola station just might justify the most expensive snack shop in all of the Tetons!

Cirque Trail

To get to the Cirque Trail, head back down to the tram and continue past the route to the right. There are signs for the Cirque Trail as it heads down the mountain. This hike is extremely steep in one or two sections, so if you have very small children, you may want to consider a different trail; however, this path is scenically dense, cramming in so many unbelievable views into just under 4.0 km.

As you hike down the trail, you will pass under the gondola and through several alpine meadows with beautiful wildflowers. Make sure to look out over the expansive plane beneath the Teton Range, and savor the views of the Jackson Hole in the distance. You will finish the hike at the gondola, where there is a small restaurant and cafe for some refreshements. Ride the gondola down and take time to explore the rest of the village.

Insider Hints for JHMR Summit Trail

• Buy your tickets online and save money!
• Skip breakfast and grab a waffle at the Top of the World Waffles, located just below the summit of Rendezvous Mountain.
• There are several other trails that explore the top of the mountain. If you have enough energy check out some of them – get the most out of your gondola ticket! Another option is to do the Granite Canyon hike, a 20.0 km downhill hike that goes into the park then returns to Teton Village. Although this is a classic hike, we found it to be quite boring.
• Teton Village has tons of activities for families. There are ropes courses, rock climbing, a small playground. water jets and a large extra high trampoline. Let the kids expend some energy while you're at the bottom.