As the weather cools down and blankets of snow begin to cover pristine landscapes, Wyoming becomes a winter wonderland for all types of travelers. With fewer crowds, award-winning ski-resorts, new direct flights and winter events, the Cowboy State offers endless winter experiences. Here is a selection of new and notable this season:
Wyoming Ski Destinations Are Wild About Winter 22/23
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort New Lift (Jackson, WY)
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) will replace its Thunder quad chairlift with a faster and more powerful detachable quad chairlift ahead of the 2022-23 winter season. The speed of the new lift is 1,000 feet net per minute, twice the velocity of the original Thunder, and will cut riders’ time down from just over 7 minutes to 3.6 minutes.
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Credit Jackson Hole Tourism & Tax Board
Grand Targhee Resort’s New Terrain (Alta, WY)
For the first time in over 20 years, Grand Targhee Resort is opening new terrain with the construction of the Colter Lift on Peaked Mountain. Construction is underway and the opening is slated for the start of the 2022/23 winter season. The Colter Lift will transport up to 2,000 people per hour and gain 1,815 vertical feet in just five minutes. The brand-new six-pack will give skiers and riders access to over 600 skiable acres of fall line skiing, open glades, world-class sidecountry, and extraordinary views of the Grand Tetons.
Grand Targhee Skiers. Credit Jackson Hole Tourism & Tax Board
Snow King Mountain Expansion & Improvements (Jackson, WY)
Located in the heart of Jackson, Snow King Mountain unveiled a new, 8- passenger Leitner-Poma gondola and zipline, the steepest in North America (available in the summer months). The new gondola offers spectacular views of the Grand Tetons, the National Elk Refuge and the town of Jackson. In addition, Snow King will expand its operations with a new summit restaurant, observatory, planetarium and 100 acres of ski terrain.
Snow King Skiers. Credit Jackson Hole Tourism & Tax Board.
Wyoming’s wow-factor winter events
Skijoring
Rodeo may be Wyoming’s official sport, but skijoring is the state’s unofficial winter sport. It is a uniquely Western athletic and cultural phenomenon combining two of Wyoming’s favorite pastimes: skiing and horseback riding.
Skijoring at Sheridan WYO Winter Rodeo. Credit Visit Sheridan
Travellers can watch competitive skijoring at a variety of locations and winter events around the State:
Sheridan WYO Winter Rodeo
Along with skijoring you will find a family sled day, fat bike races, hockey games and more. This winter festival is full of competitive spirit and fun. Whether you decide to participate in an event or cheer from the sidelines, you can’t go wrong.
Sundance Winter Festival
For a fun twist on skijoring, join Sundance for their Wild Horse and Tube Race every February. While you can still catch traditional skijoring at the winter festival, you can now register for the tube experience. On this take of the sport, the horse and rider pull you in a tube instead of on skis.
Saratoga Skijoring Races
If you visit the small mountain town of Saratoga you will enjoy fast-paced skijoring races. Contestants compete on skis or a snowboard and are pulled through a track by a horse and rider. Held at the Buck Springs Race Track every February, you can watch around 90 races per day. In between the races you can enjoy the hobo hot springs open to the public year-round.
Skijor Wars (Buffalo) and the Pinedale Winter Carnival also offer competitive skijoring amongst other winter fun activities such as ice-carving competitions and more.
Most Skijoring competitions are held in February with 2023 to be announced.
But wait; there’s so much more to winter events in Wyoming!
Three of the best:
Jackson Hole hosts the world’s best ski and snowboard athletes at the thrilling, spine-chilling Kings and Queens of Corbets freeriding spectacular in February as they find their line down Corbet’s Couloir, with up to a 20 foot drop giving them plenty of air to demonstrate some of their best tricks.
Corbet’s Couloir Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Credit Morgan Waverley
At Snow King in Jackson the World Chamionship Snowmobile Hill Climb sees endurance competitors race the narrow course to the summit with a 1500 vertical feet incline.
The Western Wyoming International Pedigree Stage and Stop Dog Race sees mushers and their teams compete in eight exciting races over 10 days, starting from Jackson through a range of different communities, stopping at a different place each night, which also celebrate with carnivals, parades and more as you catch a glimpse of the races.
Western Wyoming International Pedigree Stage and Stop Dog Race. Credit Latham Jenkins Real Estate
