Jackson Hole
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Jackson Hole is a valley in the U.S. state of Wyoming. It is located in west-central Wyoming, and gets the name "hole" from early trappers who primarily entered the valley from the north and east and had to descend down into the valley along relatively steep slopes, giving the feeling of entering a hole. The valley is named for David E. (Davey) Jackson, a mountain man who trapped the area for beaver in the early nineteenth century.
Grand Teton National Park occupies the western half of valley along with the mountains for which the park is named. Jackson Lake is in the northern part of the valley and the town of Jackson, Wyoming is at the southern end. The average altitude of the valley is over 6,500 feet.
High altitude and steep mountain slopes on all sides of the valley oftentimes causes calm winter nights to be very cold, as radiational cooling from snow-covered ground creates cold air near the surface, which then slides down into the valley due to its higher density. In 1993, this effect during an already severe cold snap plunged the morning low temperature down to -56°F or -53°C in the valley, officially recorded by the National Weather Service. The state record low temperature was also recorded in the valley at Moran at -66°F in 1933.
The only town in the valley is Jackson, Wyoming, sometimes also mistakenly called Jackson Hole. Numerous elk use the valley as grazing range during the winter, and sleigh rides are offered to tourists. The Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and Grand Targhee ski areas, and nearby Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park are major tourism attractions in winter and summer, respectively.