With skiing season in full force, locales like Aspen, Tahoe, and Telluride seem enticing. Buying a ski chalet for the winter may seem like a good idea, but an additional home that you’re going to jet off to only a few times a year in the winter may not be the best investment. Luckily, there is another ski community that doubles as a locale just as beautiful in the summer as it does in the winter. You need to be going to Jackson Hole.
Jackson, Wyoming is the definition of quaint, small-town America. Everyone’s friendly, there are tons of locals living in the area year-round, and prices haven’t been jacked up as high as can be. That’s why the area has become such a destination for premium real estate lately. With Teton Village, one of the nation’s best ski locations just a 20-minute drive from the center of town, plenty of chic, modern restaurants within walking distance of the town square, and famous watering holes like the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar at one’s disposal, Jackson Hole has the makings of a welcomed respite, no matter what the season.
When it comes to real estate in Jackson, the best place to be looking is developments on the rise like the Snake River Sporting Club. The campus of the club, located maybe 30 minutes away from the town’s center on a scenic mountain road, is in the midst of creating one of the most beautiful places to live in the area.
Snake River Sporting Club, built off the banks of the Snake River, offers views that simply aren’t attainable from the town of Jackson. The mountainside land offers multiple options for homes, from expansive mansions surrounded by the evergreen trees that just up the hill become the nationally protected forest; to the Ranch Estates, which sit atop the hill and look out over the beautiful canyon with amazing views of Wolf Mountain. The homes reflect the epitome of luxury though, with tall glass windows, beautiful fireplaces for a cozy night in, and enough land to beat any “yard” at one’s disposal. While the homes are absolutely worth the investment, the real reason to find a place in Snake River Sporting Club is for the facility itself.
The club’s story is an uplifting one. After being hit hard by the 2008 financial crisis, much as all developments were, Snake River Sporting Club has not only gotten back on its feet, but is continuing to build and grow faster and larger than any of its neighboring competitors. Cabins are going up with chic, modern finishes, new land is being planned for innovating new sections of homes, and the grounds are kept beautifully while offering incredible activities.
In the winter, the club is about a 40-minute drive to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, the local skiing destination. The club’s entrance also has a helipad on the grounds for anyone crazy enough to dare to go “heli-skiing” – getting dropped out of a helicopter onto the slope directly. (It’s crazy, we know.) Interestingly, the club’s land is formerly the Astoria Hot Springs, part of Wyoming’s naturally occurring hot springs. The next steps for the club, according to those leading the growth, are to bring the hot springs back as a featured amenity that residents and visitors can sit and soak in after a day on the slopes.
The club’s best feature, and where it stands apart as a destination from other ski destinations, is its summer-climate attractions. Jackson Hole started as a summer getaway, and only emerged as a great ski resort to the masses in the 1960s, according to locals. The club in the summer comes to life, offering fly-fishing for trout in the Snake River, canoeing in the small lake, horseback riding, a myriad of different hiking trails, and an incredible golf course. Unlike any other ski chalet, a home at Snake River Sporting Club is good for any season one could want to get away from the madness of everyday life. The duality of investing in a second home, one where you can make the most of that investment at any time, is what makes this location truly worth every penny.
