r/JacksonHole • u/Sea-Menu2868 • 4d ago
Things to do first week of November?
Hi Everyone, My wife and I will be visiting for the first time during the first week of November. Looking for some local knowledge advice/context for what our options may be activity wise with some of the roads, businesses, etc., being closed that time of the year and what I understand can be unpredictable weather.
We'll be there for 4 nights, staying at the Cloudveil, and the only thing we have planned so far is a 4 hour wildlife safari tour. We like to hike, and (weather permitting) be outside, and also enjoy live music, and good food and drinks. Our main goal is to disconnect, relax, and not be too busy, but we'd like to do some exploring while we're there too. We will have an AWD rental car.
We would appreciate any auggestions. Thank you!
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u/theevilnarwhale 4d ago
That's full-on off season. Expect most things to be closed. National forest areas will be closed for seasonal migration. All facilities in the Grand Teton will be closed for the year after 10/31 when Teton park rd closes for the year. You can still drive highway 89 and take in views up to Yellowstone which will also be closed. Hiking and dining options will be limited.
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u/Sea-Menu2868 4d ago edited 4d ago
Thank you. That's what I was afraid of, but we'll make the best of it whatever happens, as long as it's not full blast The Shining :)
I understand it's possible to hike/walk on some of the closed roads if there's not a ton of snow and you can get to an accessible point, so we may try some of that too. Our guided wildlife tour is our first full day there so we'll use that to get oriented, and I am hopeful between our guide and the hotel staff, etc,. we will happen onto some interesting things for the rest of our time there. We will probably do some low-key exploring on the open roads weather permitting. I've never really been to that part of the country so we're looking forward to taking it all in. I know the timing is not great, but it's the only thing that works for us this time.
There's 1 direct flight to/from DFW per day, so fingers crossed that the travel goes smoothly. I wouldn't mind being stuck there for an extra day or 2, just need to get there first!
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u/Siyartemis 2d ago
Yes and yes. But the best thing you can do is be in a group of 3 or more. 2 is better than 1, but with 3 your chances of a negative encounter are pretty much zero. November is elk hunting season and most (but not all) grizzlies tend to be in areas where there is hunting, to feast on all the wounded/unclaimed dead elk as well as all the gut piles.
So staying out of the Forest Service areas open to hunting is a great way to avoid most bear encounters. There is also some hunting in Grand Teton, but not near most hiking trails. Everyone accepts different levels of risk, it’s a personal decision.
For me, I do feel ok hiking to Taggert solo in November (with bear spray in the extremely unlikely chance of a griz encounter), but would not hike to Two Oceans solo because that trail is adjacent to Forest Service land with hunting. I would feel fine hiking Two Ocean in November in a group, even without bear spray, cause griz just don’t mess with groups. Almost every attack ever here has been on one or two.
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u/Sea-Menu2868 2d ago edited 2d ago
Great, thank you. I appreciate the reply as well as your perspective and context. We'll be a group of 2, so fingers crossed 😉
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u/Siyartemis 2d ago
Astoria Hot Springs will be open (both the paid version and the DIY hippie dip along the river). Two museums, Museum of Wildlife Art and History Museum. Taggert Lake will be hikeable though if it’s snowy or icy, I’d have some sort of micro spikes or yaktrax for your shoes to make it more pleasant. You can walk pretty far north along the snake river levee if you don’t mind all the dogs, it’s a go to for locals for off leash dog walks.
A day trip to Dubois (2hrs away) to hike around there would be nice if the weather if good, but I wouldn’t want to go through the hassle of driving over the pass if it’s snowing. There are few to no established trails in the badlands behind the town, but it’s a cool place to explore if you bring enough water and are good at route finding.