JACKSON, Wyo. — There are a lot of things that make mountain towns unique — access to the outdoors, beautiful weather, a close-knit community — but one often overlooked piece of the story is stickers. From bumpers to bus stops and bikes to bar tops; you name it, there’s probably a sticker on it in Jackson Hole.
Where stickers live
“Sticker slapping” — sticking a sticker in a public place, usually without permission — is common around town and a few businesses are known for their tacky (pun intended) décor.
D.O.G. — Down on Glenn — the popular walk-up burrito window has layers and layers of stickers covering the outside of the building. A long-standing local business, D.O.G. caters to locals who need a quick burrito after a night out or to fuel up for their next adventure. Stand in line at any given time and your eye might catch a few of the artifacts buried underneath the layers.
Snake River Brewing also puts sticker culture on full display. The holding tank outside the restaurant is covered as high as people can reach, and some are so tall that you might wonder how they even got there.
If the walls at the Stagecoach Bar could talk … they might have a few stories after 80 years. Situated at the base of Teton Pass, the Stagecoach has been a watering hole that has stood the test of time. A collection of old photographs depict the early days in Wilson — the first ski line on the Grand Teton and the time Bob Dylan played alongside Bill Briggs. An often overlooked piece of history is the door behind the bar covered in stickers that tells countless stories of its own.
Pearl Street Bagels is also a purveyor and canvas for sticker culture in Jackson Hole. Along with free stickers of their logo, they sell stickers that allude to their highly controversial decision to not toast their bagels like “Death by Toasting.” In response, a variety of other stickers have popped up around town commenting on the no toast policy, like “I toast my Pearl Street Bagels.”
Wilson Backcountry Sports is another source for local-centric stickers. The locally-owned bike shop has a variety of satirical stickers poking fun at e-bikes, Wilson moms and the ski bum lifestyle.
The old “billboard” near the top of the Glory bootpack, which was actually used to bounce radio waves, was the site of heavy sticker slapping over the years. As far as people could reach — or climb — there were stickers. The structure was recently removed from the mountain since it no longer serves a purpose. For many, it was a spot to take a quick break and maybe admire the eclectic collection of stickers before reaching the summit.
Stickers as a badge of honor
If you ski at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, you might notice stickers covering the helmets of the youngsters in ski school. The mountain has a kids’ adventure map, showcasing the “kid’s names” for runs on the mountain. The ski-schoolers get a sticker for each run completed, like “Mr. Toad’s” or “Princess Woods.” By the end of the season, kids have every inch of their helmets covered with their accomplishments.
Stickers as political/social commentary
In a small transient town like Jackson, political and social issues become a community discussion. With issues such as housing, employee shortages and the ever-rising cost of living in the valley, stickers have become a way to anonymously comment and make light of those topics in a tangible, meme-like way.
Because stickers have been slapped for the past few decades, some have turned into cultural artifacts. “Don’t let the hole lose its soul,” is a classic sticker that signified the sentiment of residents wanting to retain the character of the town. The sticker can still be spotted, and at any bar in town, you can find someone to debate the topic with.
Wildlife in the Jackson Hole region is also a huge part of the fabric of the community. Cars around the valley can be seen with “I brake for wildlife” or “I brake for migration,” an attempt to urge other drivers on the road to slow down and be aware of wildlife on the roadways.
Over the past few years, Jackson and mountain towns across the country have gone through changes. With new homes, hotels, condos and apartments being built all across town, artifacts of a time passed still remain in certain corners of the community. Regardless of the subject matter, stickers reflect the cultural moment, past and present, of our little town.
This story originally appeared in the 2023 Locals’ Guidebook. Pick up a copy of the 2025 Locals’ Guidebook today!
