Top 10 Towns to Visit…#5 Wilson

5. Wilson, Wyoming

Tiny Wilson lies just west of Jackson, Wyoming.  Jackson is a place most tourists either love or hate.  It is very commercial , but can be construed as fun if you like wild west shows, bars, shops, and lots of activity.  Jackson certainly has enjoyable features, with great hotels, and good restaurants and shops.  Most tourists will stay in Jackson and make the short drive north to Grand Teton National Park.

Wilson, on the other hand, is not a well known village.  It is very small, but when you drive on the side roads, you find that Wilson is home to the affluent locals.  In the town of Wilson, there are just a few shops and restaurants, an old time general store, and that’s about it.  The locals seem to be capable of keeping hotels confined to Jackson.  You will find only a few Bed and Breakfasts in the Wilson area. (Just a short distance north of Wilson is the well known Teton Village Ski area.  Condo rentals are available there.)

One of the local restaurants in Wilson, Nora’s Fish Creek Inn is a real gem.  The restaurant serves fresh seafood, some local and some flown in from Alaska every week.  The food is outstanding and once you experience it, a return trip to Nora’s is almost guaranteed.  Just down the road from Nora’s is the lovely Snake River.  There are wide walking paths on both sides of the river and you can walk for several miles before encountering a private property sign.  The scenery along the river walk is outstanding, the walking is easy, and it’s fun to watch the locals walking their well behaved dogs.

Of course, being in the Wilson area, you cannot miss the Grand Tetons as they tower over the Snake River.  As you drive north from Wilson past the Teton Village area, you will arrive at the Rangers Entrance to Grand Teton National Park.  Once you pass this entrance you will be travelling on the gravel, pothole filled Moose-Wilson Road.  It does turn to payment a few miles up the road.  This is a favorite drive for all tourists and you may see moose, beavers, bears, owls and other wildlife as you continue towards Moose, Wyoming. Along with the wildlife, there are hiking trails, the Laurance Rockefeller Preserve and an abundance of pure nature.

It took a few trips to this area before I discovered that Wilson is truly a “diamond in the rough”.  Now when I fly into Jackson, I can hardly wait to get to Nora’s, have a great meal, take a walk along the Snake River and drive the Moose-Wilson Road.