Signal Mountain Summit

Signal Mountain is a 7,727-foot mountain above Jackson Hole. Its five-mile paved road climbs about 800 feet to two overlooks, an easy way to see the valley from above without taking on a long hike. Allow 30 to 60 minutes for the drive and stops.

The road is narrow and winding; trailers and RVs are prohibited. Get out at both overlooks to take in the changing angles on the valley. Parking and restrooms are available by the summit viewing area. The lodge, food and store are down at the mountain’s base by Jackson Lake, a separate stop from the summit.

On a clear day, five ranges ring Jackson Hole: the Tetons to the west, Snake River Range southwest, Gros Ventre southeast, Absarokas east and Yellowstone Plateau north. The Snake River winds south from Jackson Lake as a bright thread across the valley. For a wide photo, keep that river in the frame; it helps show the scale of the view.

The summit road is the low-effort way up. A separate moderate 6.8-mile out-and-back trail climbs the forested mountainside from Signal Mountain Parking Lot; it is a proper hike, not a short walk from the summit overlooks.

The mountain’s name is tied to the 1891 search for Robert Ray Hamilton, who disappeared while hunting in Jackson Hole. Searchers planned to light a signal fire on the summit when he was found. Seven days later, his body was found in the Snake River below Jackson Lake Dam; his hunting partner was suspected.

In early summer, yellow, pink and lavender wildflowers brighten the mountain’s silvery gray-green sagebrush. It gives the drive a different kind of payoff from the big panorama, especially on the open slopes.