Grand Targhee Resort is a ski resort located in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest in Alta, Wyoming. It is 42 miles (68 km) northwest of Jackson, Wyoming, accessible by road only by way of Driggs, Idaho. The resort has lodging, a spa, retail stores, and conference facilities. On the west side of the famous Teton Range, it is located 8 miles (13 km) northwest of the Grand Teton, and the majority of the slopes at Grand Targhee face west.
Grand Targhee is a quiet resort with the ski village being the main source of dining, entertainment, and lodging. Development in recent years has expanded the dining and lodging options while attracting more skiers looking for a less-crowded alternative to some of the busier resorts. Grand Targhee is less about après ski and a trendy bar scene and more about great powder and uncrowded splopes.
While those looking for active nightlife and many fine dining options may be disappointed, the ski village and nearby Alta, WY (5 minutes away) offer enough dining choices to remain well-fed for a few days of good skiing. The Branding Iron at the base village is a staple for anyone skiing Targhee, and there are a couple other, casual establishments with decent food. The towns of nearby Alta and Driggs also offer restaurant choices, and the drive to them takes no longer than the drive from the base village to the downtown area at other resorts like Steamboat or Jackson.
Lodging at Targhee consists of three choices near the base village. While they may strike some as a bit dated, they offer very easy access to the lifts and are generally reasonable relative to other resorts. The newer developments are closer to Alta and Driggs, such as the Teton Creek townhomes near Driggs. While this area is still a bit "undiscovered", we wouldn't be surprised to see more lodging and dining choices open up as people continue to find this face of the Tetons.
Skiing the mountain is manageable for a family, despite Targhee's 2,500+ acres of skiable terrain. Looking at the mountain from left to right, there are three areas most people become familiar with: The ample beginner area serviced by the Shoshone lift, the mix of blues and blacks on Fred's Mountain serviced by the Dreamcatcher lift, and the intermediate terrain on the right, Peaked Mountain, serviced by the Sacajawea lift. Additional lifts can take you higher on Peaked Mountain for some very challenging terrain, but for the typical skiing family, these three lifts will provide you with enough variety and great runs to keep everyone happy.
For the experts in the group, Targhee offers unparalleled snowcat skiing, acres upon acres of expert powder accessed by 12-person snow machines twice a day. While the typical skier will be more than happy with the terrain that is reachable by the lift system, the snowcatting is a great option for those who can't leave without doing some thrillseeking.
The family programs at Targhee are excellent - the ratio of instructors to students is very good, the staff goes out of their way to make it an enjoyable family experience, and you'll find private lessons more reasonably priced than at many larger resorts (will receiving the same, if not better, quality of instruction).
The ski resort has three quad-chairs ( two are high-speed detachable), one double chair, and one conveyor. The greatest vertical drop is 2419 feet (737 m). It is rated as 85% Difficult and 15% Advanced in skiing. There are also Nordic skiing trails, snowshoeing, snowcat adventures, and activities that include sleighride dinners and dogsled tours. It averages over 500 inches (13 m) of snowfall per season which ranks it among the top four ski resorts in North America. This is impressive where it is 670 miles (1,080 km) inland and the snow that falls is nearly always wet powder snow. The reason for the abundant snowfall is twofold. First, the area is on the west slope or "wet" side of the 13,700-foot (4,200 m) Grand Tetons and, second, because there is a moisture channel through the Rocky Mountains formed by the Snake River Plain that channels moisture to the west slope of the Tetons all the way from the Pacific Ocean.
