For 100 years, adventurous souls have sought their hearts’ desires in the woodlands, mountains, and fraternity of wildlife in Jackson Hole. But while natural beauty and the freedom of wide open space have lured thousands to this high mountain valley, it has been the lifestyle they found here or made for themselves that kept them coming back. Those thousands found the right combination of refuge and amenities, solitude and community, natural beauty and cultural options. They became a part of it, enjoying all the valley has to offer, and in many cases adding their own talents and passions to the mix. The common denominator here is the wilderness – and lots of it. Jackson Hole is considered part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the largest intact temperate ecosystem in the lower 48 States – 18 million acres of protected wildlife habitat, national forest and national park lands. Within an hour or two of Jackson Hole, there are nine major mountain ranges – the Teton, Gros Ventre, Snake, Wyoming, Salt River, Wind River, Big Hole, Absarokas and Madison ranges. There are countless lakes, streams and rivers, thousands of miles of highway and byway, and scores of communities, many no bigger than a crossroads.