Surging Tourism Straining Jackson, Wyoming

Above, yours truly under one of the elk antler arches in Jackson. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

Jackson, Wyoming can be a destination itself. There are many cool things to see, nice restaurants and plenty of shops. It is a gateway to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.

Since the parks have reopened following the pandemic lockdowns, Jackson is feeling the strain of surging tourism.

I visited Jackson last summer and had a great time there, despite the heavy traffic in town.

According to National Geographic:

A few months ago, residents of the valley of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, worried the summer tourism season might be a dud. 

Now 40,000 visitors a day stream through Jackson, a town in the valley and a gateway to neighboring Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks. While that visitor count isn’t too different from previous years, July saw a string of days where the number of visitors was up over 2019 levels, according to the Jackson Hole News & Guide—a far cry from earlier this year. Closed from March 24 to May 18, the parks are now seeing hundreds of thousands of tourists a month. 

Jackson is not alone. Mountain towns, beach communities, and vacation destinations throughout the country are facing an influx of visitors—many traveling from virus hotspots—in the middle of a rapidly worsening pandemic. Anecdotal accounts in Jackson suggest many tourists are surprised to hear COVID-19 exists in the area at all, having mistaken picturesque mountain vistas and wildflower-blanketed meadows for safety.

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