Big Bear Lake or Jackson Hole?

Neither is a swimming destination, but Big Bear Lake makes a swim slightly easier. Its lake reaches around 19°C in midsummer, and the supervised swim beach at Meadow Park gives families a safe spot, though most of the shore is rock and granite with only small sandy patches.

In Jackson Hole the realistic option is String Lake, shallow and sandy-bottomed, which only warms properly in late summer. Jenny Lake stays bracing and the Snake River is for floating, not swimming.

Jackson Hole eats noticeably better. Valley money supports more chef-led dining rooms than a small town would normally have, and the menus have a regional character, with elk, bison, Rocky Mountain trout and huckleberries in everything from sauces to ice cream, plus a summer farmers' market on the square.

Big Bear Lake sticks to hearty resort food: diner breakfasts, burgers, barbecue, Mexican plates and brewpub pints. Many visitors simply cook in their cabins. Neither place has street food or cheap variety.

Jackson Hole has more to see, though still only a day's worth. The National Museum of Wildlife Art is a genuine collection, and the barns of Mormon Row and the log Chapel of the Transfiguration, framed against the Tetons, are memorable stops.

Big Bear Lake has the Discovery Center on forest wildlife and a small museum on the 1860s gold rush, with a dirt-road drive past mining remains in Holcomb Valley. The chalet-style Village is modern, so there is little architecture to seek out.

Jackson Hole has the livelier evenings, within limits. Winter après-ski at the foot of the lifts in Teton Village gets loud, and the historic saloon in town with saddles for bar stools and a country dance floor is a proper Western night out.

In Big Bear Lake, an evening out means a brewpub, a sports bar or a pub in the Village, and most people head back early to the fire. Neither town has clubs or stays up late.

Both are true mountain bases, but Jackson Hole is on another scale. The Tetons rise sheer from the valley, Grand Teton National Park begins minutes from town and Yellowstone is within a morning's drive. Grizzlies, moose, bison and the wintering elk herd make wildlife part of every day, and the tram at Teton Village serves very steep, serious terrain.

Big Bear Lake is gentler and more approachable: an alpine lake for kayaks, paddleboards and fishing, two ski areas with reliable snowmaking, the Pacific Crest Trail and short climbs to Castle Rock and Cougar Crest. The San Gorgonio Wilderness offers a bigger challenge nearby.

Big Bear Lake has more places to drive to, even if the mountain roads are slow. Lake Arrowhead's lakeside village is about an hour away, the Oak Glen apple orchards make a good autumn outing, and Riverside's Mission Inn and old citrus-era streets fit an easy day. Palm Springs, Temecula and Los Angeles are possible, if long.

From Jackson Hole, outings are almost all into the parks rather than to other towns. The Idaho farm towns of Victor and Driggs over Teton Pass are a pleasant drive, but nothing nearby is worth a full day for itself.

Both work well for families, in different ways. Big Bear Lake is built around easy fun: snow play and sledding for children who rarely see snow, the Alpine Zoo with its rescued bears and bobcats, an alpine slide, go-karts and pedal boats, all close to the cabin.

Jackson Hole suits families who like being outside, with moose and bison spotted from the car, Junior Ranger badges, a sleigh ride through the elk herd and the summer rodeo. It has no zoo or theme attractions, though, and days involve long drives. Both towns have thin air and cold nights.

In both, you will want a car, and the centres are the only walkable parts. Big Bear Lake is reached by steep mountain highways that can need snow chains and crawl on busy weekends. Once there, a bus and seasonal trolley link the Village with the ski areas, but cabins are spread through the forest.

Jackson Hole is easier to fly into, with its airport just north of town, and a bus runs the 20km to Teton Village in ski season. There is no public transport into the parks, so wildlife watching and trailheads depend on driving or guided tours.

Jackson Hole offers more worth buying. Its boardwalks are lined with galleries of Western and wildlife art, and you can find handmade cowboy hats, boots, leather goods, turquoise jewellery and high-end mountaineering gear, alongside a few upscale boutiques.

Big Bear Lake's Village is a short browse of fudge shops, bear-themed souvenirs, a few antique stores and outfitters renting ski and lake gear.

Big Bear Lake is the more affordable of the two, particularly midweek and out of season, when a shared cabin and home cooking keep costs down for a family or group. Winter weekends and school vacation periods push rates up sharply, and lift tickets and gear hire add up.

Jackson Hole is among the most expensive places to stay in the United States, with resort prices for rooms, meals, rental cars and guided trips. Its trails, viewpoints and roadside wildlife cost little once park entry is paid, and staying over the pass in Idaho or travelling in the quiet months helps.

Big Bear Lake has very little on stage. A small community arts centre puts on local theatre, school shows and the odd touring act, summer adds free concerts by the lake, and the long-standing autumn Oktoberfest fills a beer hall with Bavarian bands. Most other evenings, live music means a guitarist in a bar.

Jackson Hole has more to offer, above all in summer. The Grand Teton Music Festival, which dates back to the 1960s, gathers musicians from top American orchestras for several weeks of classical concerts in a timber hall at Teton Village, and chuckwagon suppers with cowboy songs and country bands in the saloons add a Western flavour that Big Bear lacks. Once the summer season ends, though, both towns are left with little more than community theatre and bar bands.

Natural hot springs give Jackson Hole the edge for unwinding. One pool sits in a forested canyon south of town, reached in winter by snowmobile or dog sled, and a park of soaking pools lies beside the Snake River. Luxury resort spas cater to sore skiers.

Big Bear Lake has no springs or bathing tradition. Rest there means the cabin itself, with a wood stove, a deck among the pines and a private hot tub. It is at its most peaceful midweek, away from the crowded winter weekends.