Early on in the COVID-19  pandemic shutdown, the entire country began to realize that virus-related shutdowns and social distancing were not going to be temporary.  As news channels across the country reported on these shutdowns and social isolation, many anchors used the term the “new normal” when talking to viewers about pandemic life and the regulations that come with it.

In the town of Jackson, the ideas of “normal,” and “regulation” rarely cross residents minds as the terrain, community, wildlife and recreation in the surrounding area is anything but mundane or controlled.  However, many locals worried the town’s extraordinary outdoor access, status as the least populated state in the union and what some call a rush by the Governor to reopen the Wyoming statewide may complicate the path forward.   When the state’s governor, Mark Gordon, pushed hard to re-open the state’s biggest tourist attractions as early mid-May, it raised concern for many in the state that the two biggest tourist getaways, Cody, and Jackson, may be in for a rough summer.

The city of Jackson responded swiftly and numbers stayed low early. Communication on the town’s dashboard and tourism website provided much more information than other towns elsewhere in the state.  Health officials like Pond and Teton County Health Officer Travis Riddell say the dashboard and other messaging were keys to the early spread mitigation.

One of the big players in the rollout of virus prevention and messaging was Kate Sollitt and her team at the Jackson Hole travel and tourism board. Sollitt and her colleagues helped launch the widest-reaching campaign in the valley.  The travel and tourism board, along with community leaders, branded the campaign “Responsibly Wild,” a name that embraced Jackson’s sense of adventure and outdoors.  They plastered visual messaging using bison, wolves and other native animals across Town Square and other major attractions about proper mask use, social distancing and other steps to combat the virus.

Both Sollitt and Head of the Teton County Health Department pointed to teamwork between the town’s leaders and departments as another major element of Jackson’s success in mitigating the excess pandemic tourism.  Sollitt’s tourism board worked closely in relation with the Health Department, St Johns Health Center, Teton County Health Officer, Dr. Travis Riddell, and numerous local non-profits and businesses to prepare for the summer peak.  The local government’s mask ordinance, the health department’s rigourous contact tracing and local businesses compliance helped Jackson stay safe early on.  And many rejoiced as warmer nights allowed for new outdoor dining that was okay’d for the entire town.

The illusion of security and openness was nice for locals and tourists alike.  Jackson stayed busy through its typical “offseason,” with visitors flocking to the town at record levels even into late October.  As November’s visitation slowed slightly, Jackson, a premier North American ski town, knew that winter was coming and with that,  more crowds as well.

The approach to winter has been on the minds of town officials for a long time, knowing that soon, the carloads of people journeying into the expansive space of wildness and parks would be constrained to four person chairlifts or gondolas in the ski season.  Because the tourist season shifts to the slopes of the town’s two ski resorts in the winter, social distancing in the spacious  National Forest, Parks and Wilderness surrounding Jackson will be harder and more restrictive.  Snow King and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s management now play a more prominent role mitigation and messaging as well.  Along with that, Pond also said management of both resorts has worked with Colorado Ski Association to help inform the safest practices for a mid-pandemic ski season.  The town’s biggest winter attraction is Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.  JHMR announced their plans for the opening of the mountain as early as mid-September in cooperation with Pond and Teton County Health Department and plan to remain proactively involved in helping mitigate the community spread despite the expectation of another influx of visitors.

Now the town of Jackson and its residents wait for more snow to fall and another blitz of visitors to descend on their isolated valley just as cases spike nationally and reach record highs within the state.  Despite the new challenges winter will pose to the town as a whole, its chief attraction, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort feels ready, one way or another, for their grand opening on Thanksgiving.

Cows graze on one of the fields just west of downtown Jackson.

At the base of the Teton range lies the Snake River. Boasting incredible opportunities for fishing, kayaking and rafting, the Snake provides endless opportunities for locals and visitors throughout the summer months.

The Tetons are the most dramatic and famous mountain range that surrounds Jackson. Here, you can see the Grand (big one in middle) along with several other peaks of the region including Mount Owen to the right and the Middle Teton and South Teton to the left.

One of the three local breweries, Roadhouse embraced outdoor seating as soon as it was OK'd.

The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar is a longtime staple of the town square. Ownership and staff were thrilled when indoor dining was opened back up mid-summer.

One of the many posters that were part of the "Responsibly Wild" campaign rollout early in the pandemic.

This guy isn't real but plenty of his old friends roam the plains north of Jackson throughout the fall rut.

The Clocktower at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort sits the base of the mountain and is part of the building that houses the resort's iconic Tram. The Tram usually helps 100 people per ride access the summit of Rendezvous Mountain, but because of social distancing, its usual capacity of 100 people will be slashed to just 25 per trip for the upcoming season.

This Let'er Buck statue in the middle of Town Square serves as memorial of Wyoming Veterans and embraces Jackson's "last of the old west" spirit.

Sitting only 20 minutes away from its gates, Jackson is ideally located to explore Grand Teton National Park. To the North, only another hour or so beyond Grand Teton, is Yellowstone, which is consistently one of the most visited National Parks in the nation.

Three mule deer graze on the west side of the valley while vegetation is still easy to access.