See http://www.nps.gov/grte/ for
the Grand Tetons official site.
Note that all the trails are well defined and there are distance to go
markers at the start and at each trail junction.
Also note that the upper trails may still be snowed over until mid-July
or later. There were a number of snow patches heading up and down from
the Paintbrush Divide when I went July 23, but the other trails were
clear.
Wyoming Pictures (16 pictures)
String and Leigh Lakes
Directions:
String Lake-Leigh Lake parking lot
bathroom with sinks (no water fountain)
$20 per car for a 7 day pass or National Parks Pass
Trails:
2-person or so width, dirt trail that goes along String Lake and
Leigh Lakes. Pretty reflection views in the mornings.
Trail Length + Elevation:
Up to 2 miles one-way to end of Leigh Lake (1 mile to Leigh Lake),
fairly flat
Area:
Lower lakes with the Tetons above
Picture
When I did the hike:
July 2003 (couple of times); Thursday, August 28, 2007
Recommendation:
Definitely, good for a short hike or family hike.
Paintbrush-Cascade Canyons loop
Directions:
String Lake trailhead parking lot - the first parking lot
for the area.
Bathroom with sinks at nearby Leigh Lake parking lot
$20 per car for a 7 day pass or National Parks Pass
Trails:
For those who want a challenge and to see it all in 1 day, there
is this almost 20 mile, 3,845 feet gained monster loop. For those
who don't want the challenge, skip the divide and do the 2 lakes
on separate days. To start the hike, you can either go below or
above String Lake - there is little mileage difference between the
two. To go below, take the Leigh Lake trail (this is the prettier
way) for a mile, cross the bridge, and then after a little bit
you'll start to gain elevation for almost a mile before joining
up with the above way. To go above, cross the bridge near the
String Lake trailhead parking lot and then hang a right. The
one-person width dirt trail starts climbing right away and includes
an open area from an old fire (green though, not burnt out). After
about another mile from the Leigh Lake junction, the trail starts
heading up into the canyon. It's a foresty few miles with a
gradual elevation increase. Then come some switchbacks and some
open and rocky terrain. After several more switchbacks (not a
ton) and rocky terrain comes the junction for Holly Lake. Take a
right and you have about 1/2 a mile to go. Be sure to take a look
at the small lake shortly after the fork and take a short a trip up
the rocks for a good look down into Paintbrush Canyon. Holly Lake
is a nice sized mountain lake in a half-bowl. It took me almost 3
1/2 hours to get to Holly Lake (only took me 3 hours the 2nd time).
Rest and relax at the lake. If you're lucky, you'll have it to
yourself. If you're heading up the divide, rest and relax some
more, 'cause you have a really tough hike ahead of you. The up
starts right way heading away from Holly Lake and continues for
the next 2.2 miles to the divide. And a little ways past Holly
Lake, the trail gets rocky - small loose rocks. Add to that fun,
in addition to a harder grade, were a good number of snow patches
(weren't any patches in late August 2007). There were enough
prior footprints through the snow that I didn't need an ice ax,
but it was slow going and I put my sun glasses on due to the
glare. It took me 2 hours just to get from Holly Lake to the
divide. But I let out a big "YES" and "Woohoo!" when I reached
the divide. In contrast, it only took me 1 1/4 hours to hike the
2.2 miles from the divide down to Lake Solitude. The views
coming down from the divide are the reason to do the loop in this
direction as you can see Lake Solitude the whole way down and you
get glimpses at the small, precious Mica Lake (no trail to it)
[there are no views of Holly Lake until you are almost there].
Lake Solitude is a large sized mountain lake - and there will also
likely be others there. Rest and enjoy the lake, 'cause it's a
long hike down Cascade Canyon. I didn't find Cascade Canyon as
pretty as Paintbrush Canyon, but it does have some pretty views
of the peaks. It's a more open canyon with less shade until
closer to Jenny Lake. The last several miles are just a trudge.
After all the scenery along the loop, Inspiration Point (which
looks out on Jenny Lake) wasn't very inspirational and Hidden
Falls were pretty blah. Including breaks at the lakes and rests
along the way (many in Cascade Canyon), the loop took me a little
over 11 hours to complete [started at 7 am, finished at 6:10 pm].
Trail Length + Elevation:
6.2 miles, 2,535 feet from String Lake up to Holly Lake
2.2 miles, 1,310 feet from Holly Lake up to Paintbrush Divide
2.2 miles, 1,593 feet from Paintbrush Divide down to Lake Solitude
7.2 miles, 2,252 feet from Lake Solitude down to Jenny Lake
2 miles, fairly level from Jenny Lake to String Lake parking lot
Area:
Lower lakes, wooded areas, open areas, mountain lakes, waterfalls,
rugged divide. I saw elk (male, female, kid), moose, lots of
marmots, squirrels, and chipmunks. I didn't see any bear, but
it is bear country.
Pictures
When I did the hike:
Wednesday, July 23, 2003; Monday, July 28 (to Holly Lake and back);
Thursday, August 30, 2007; Thursday, August 11, 2011 (Holly Lake
[pass still snowed over with 2011 heavy snow pack])
Recommendation:
Needless to say, this is a tough, tough hike and you need to be in
really good shape to consider doing this in one day. The many
pretty views and sense of accomplishment when you reach Paintbrush
Divide are worth it. If you don't want to do the much harder loop,
you can do one-way separate hikes to Holly Lake and Lake Solitude
(and take 2 miles off the Lake Solitude hike by taking the shuttle
boat (fee) instead of hiking around Lake Jenny). Both lakes are
well worth visits. I liked the Paintbrush Canyon and Holly Lake
better than Cascade Canyon and Lake Solitude and re-did that hike
on my last day.
Lake Marion-Granite Canyon
Directions:
Teton Village tram station [note that the tram doesn't start until
9 am and stops at 6 pm]
bathroom and food at top of the tram ride
$15 (non-summer) or $17 (summer) for the tram trip up [don't need
a Park pass or park fee unless you park at the Granite Canyon
trailhead]
NOTE: The tram closed in 2006, so this hike is no longer
possible (unless you want to hike up the mountain, which would
make it a multi-day hike).
Trails:
This hike starts with a steep down as the trail goes down the
backside of Mt Rendezvous. Then you go up the next hill and down
the other side. Then a level area for about 1/2 a mile across a
plain and most of the rest of the way is open area (little shade)
to the lake. After going down and crossing a creek, the trail goes
up and up and up over a good-size hill. And then down the other
side of the hill to the canyon junction. Ahead is a steep .6
mile climb to Marion Lake. It took me about 3 1/2 hours to get
from the tram to Marion Lake - I was tired though (did the big hike
the day before), so most would probably get there quicker. Marion
Lake is a smaller sized mountain lake that isn't too impressive.
I didn't stay too long as the clouds started rolling in - it did
rain on me during the hike down. After Paintbrush and Cascade
Canyons, the hike down Granite Canyon wasn't very impressive.
There were lots of open areas, some tree areas, and occasionally
the trail went along the stream. Most of it descends gradually,
but there were a couple of ups and a couple of switchbacks down.
It's a long hike from the lake back to Teton Village. It took
me about 5 hours to do that stretch, including breaks along the
way (again, I was tired, so it was a slower pace and longer breaks).
Trail Length + Elevation:
Almost 6 miles from the tram to Marion Lake (lists 1,206 feet gained,
but I think it was more than that with the ups-and-downs)
The junction for Granite Canyon is .6 miles before Marion Lake
About 9.5 miles from junction down to and over to Teton Village
(includes 2.5 mile connecting trail), 4,135 feet lost
Area:
Down and up and down and up and down mountains, small mountain
lake, woodsy canyon
Picture
When I did the hike:
Thursday, July 24, 2003
Recommendation:
Only if you've already down the other Teton hikes. Lake Marion
was the least impressive of the mountain lakes I visited - and you
probably won't be lucky enough to see a moose cooling off in the
lake to make this hike worth it. But any mountain lake is worth
visiting. It's not an easy hike as it's an up-and-down-up-and-down
hike to the lake and those take more energy.
NOTE: The tram closed in 2006, so this hike is no longer
possible (unless you want to hike up the mountain, which would
make it a multi-day hike).
Surprise and Amphitheater Lakes
Directions:
In the Tetons, take the Lupine Meadows dirt road to the end.
chemical toilet in parking lot, no water
Note that the parking lot and overflow lots were full when I
finished my hike.
$20 per car for a 7 day pass or National Parks Pass
Trails:
The steepest trail in the park is also the most rewarding. The
one-person width dirt trail (some rocks higher up) starts fairly
level for less than a mile and then heads up along a ridge at
a decent grade for another mile or so. The trail is in the
trees most of the way. The fun starts as you zig-zag up the
mountain. It starts as long zig-zags and they get shorter the
higher up you go. There are 9 long zig-zags and 8 shorter ones.
Once they finally end, it is a short mild bit to Surprise Lake.
Surprise Lake is a pretty, small-sized mountain lake. A lot of
people only made short visits to Surprise Lake or even skipped
it all together, but I really liked this lake and even stopped
there again on the way back down. It took me about 2 1/2 hours
to get to Surprise Lake. Amphitheater Lake is only .2 miles
ahead, but it's all up. And it is the jewel of the park. It's
a good sized mountain lake and it's got the cathedrals (the 3
tallest peaks of the Tetons) looming above. Go a little above
the lake to the left and you might get some stunning reflection
views of the peaks on the lake. Stay a while and enjoy the
majesty. The hike up didn't leave me sore or tired
(surprisingly), but the hike down had my legs, knees, and feet
screaming in pain (it was my 3rd tough hike in 4 days). It
took me about 2 hours to get from Surprise Lake back to the car.
The second time I did this hike, I took a sidetrip to Garnet
Canyon - the junction for that trail is shortly after the 5th
switchback of the Amphitheater trail. The trail goes for 1.1
miles and ends at a boulder field (rock climbers continue on).
It is a short up to start and then fairly mild as the trail
rounds the bend. Turnaround at a good view up the valley of
the 2 peaks, just before the rock field - continuing will
just exert more effort and not give you any better views.
The trail goes through the rock field, walking on the loose
rocks. There are a couple of switchbacks ahead. The trail
ends at a boulder field with no easy way through it.
Trail Length + Elevation:
4.8 miles, 2,958 feet to Amphitheater Lake
Area:
Mostly tree area, with some open area during the zig-zags, 2
precious mountain lakes
Picture
When I did the hike:
Saturday, July 26, 2003; Thursday, August 30, 2007 (plus
Garnet Canyon)
Recommendation:
If you can only do 1 hike in the Tetons, this is the one to do.
You shouldn't visit the Tetons without doing this hike. [You
likely won't have the lakes to yourself, though. I saw lots and
lots of people during the hike.] If you have the energy, on
the way down, you can take an about .5 mile mild sidetrip for
Garnet Canyon - round the mend and turn around after a short
bit (don't go all the way up the canyon).
Taggart and Bradley Lakes
Directions:
Park in the Taggart Lake parking lot
non-flush toilet in parking lot, no water
$20 per car for a 7 day pass or National Parks Pass
Trails:
It's a fairly easy 2 mile hike along a one-person width dirt trail
to Taggart Lake, a good sized lower lake. It's a little bit of a
climb from Taggart to Bradley Lake. Bradley Lake is a little bit
smaller than Taggart Lake.
Trail Length + Elevation:
2 miles, small elevation to Taggart Lake
1 mile, about 300 feet from Taggart to Bradley Lake
2 miles back to the parking lot
Area:
Fairly open (old 1985 fire area) to the lakes and trees around
pretty, lower mountain lakes
When I did the hike:
Sunday, July 27, 2003
Recommendation:
A nice little hike for an easier day. If you go early enough,
you can avoid the crowds and have some pretty mountain reflections
on the lakes.
Ski Lake (Teton Pass)
Directions:
From Jackson, take Rt 22 (stop light at Rt 89-22 junction)
west towards Teton Pass. Heading up towards the pass,
just past a U-curve in the road a little bit before
reaching the pass (on the east side of the pass) is a dirt
parking area on the left (south) and just past that on the
right is turn for a gravel road (which is the start of the
hike).
No facilities.
Free.
Trails:
After (carefully) crossing Rt 22, walk up the gravel road
(Philip Canyon road) a short bit to the info sign.
Continue on the road a little bit and then take a left
at the sign for Ski Lake on to a packed dirt trail. The
trail stays just a little above the road for a ways as it
heads a mild up. The trail gets further above the road
and then heads left into the trees with a bit more of an
up (not hard). After a short down, the trail reaches a
large meadow. At the end of the meadow is a signed
junction - take a left for Ski Lake. The trail goes
through some trees and some meadows as it heads up (again,
not hard) and over to the lake, a little over a mile from
the junction. The small, circular lake was blah, not
scenic, smelly, and buggy when I was there (and, thus, I
basically turned around and headed back shortly after
reaching the lake).
Trail Length + Elevation:
2.5 miles, 850 ft one-way
Area:
Mountains, trees, blah lake
When I did the hike:
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Recommendation:
Nope. Your time is much better spent in Grand Teton
National Park.
Mammoth Hot Springs area - Yellowstone National Park
Directions:
In Yellowstone, in the Mammoth Hot Springs area, there
area parking areas in the lower terraces area alongside
the main road and in upper terraces area shortly on the
Upper Terraces Drive (loop). Park where ever you can
find a spot - you'll want to see both the upper and
lower areas.
$20 per car for a 7 day pass or National Parks Pass
Trails:
Almost everything is boardwalk and wooden steps as the
trails makes its way above and around the beautiful
Mammoth Hot Springs terraces. Pick up a brochure along
the way ($1) for more information about the area [grumble,
can't find mine]. I really liked the area to the upper
south with a pretty thermal spring on top of the terrace
and the area to the lower north with a colorful mound.
Trail Length:
about .5 mile
Area:
Thermal area
Picture
When I did the hike:
September 2006; Friday, August 12, 2011
Recommendation:
Absolutely. A unique area - one of the few terraces
in the world. Be sure to also do the Upper Terraces
Loop Drive.
Artists Paintpots - Yellowstone National Park
Directions:
In Yellowstone, about 4 miles south of the Norris junction
and 10 miles north of the Madison junction.
$20 per car for a 7 day pass or National Parks Pass
Trails:
The wide trail is an ugly, level walk through a thin forest/
brush with nothing interesting along the way for .5 mile.
After that is a loop (mostly boardwalk, some dirt) through
area that has a couple of thermal springs, some steam vents,
and some paint pots (bubbling mud) - they are spread out a
little bit compared to the Fountain Paint Pot area.
Trail Length:
about .5 mile walk to the area and then a .5 mile loop
Area:
Thermal area
When I did the hike:
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Recommendation:
Skip it - go to the Fountain Paint Pot area for
better thermal items.
Fountain Paint Pot area - Yellowstone National Park
Directions:
In Yellowstone, about 7 miles south of the Madison junction
and 8 miles north of the Old Faithful area.
$20 per car for a 7 day pass or National Parks Pass
Trails:
A short boardwalk loop around a thermal area, including
several thermal springs (with their stunning blue color),
a couple of small geysers, and a paint pot area (bubbling
mud).
Trail Length:
about .5 mile
Area:
Thermal area
Picture
When I did the hike:
July 2003; September 2006; Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Recommendation:
Absolutely. A must to see some interesting and pretty
thermal characteristics in a short area. Also do the
nearby Firehole Lake Drive for more neat thermal stuff
(the one-way loop drive starts about a mile south of
Fountain Paint Pot area).
Old Faithful area - Yellowstone National Park
Directions:
In Yellowstone, the Old Faithful area - between Madison and
Grant Village. Park in the area near the Old Faithful
Lodge.
$20 per car for a 7 day pass or National Parks Pass
Trails:
After finding out when the next Old Faithful eruption is
(and make sure you are there for the famous eruption),
head around on the boardwalk to the backside of the
geyser and take the bridge over the Firehole River and
walk the boardwalk loop through the thermal area that
includes a number of thermal springs and small geysers.
In 2011 I decided to walk more of the boardwalk area
than just the simple loop - glad I did as there were
many more neat thermal stuff, I got to see another geyser
erupt, and just generally enjoyed myself for a couple
of leisurely hours (did it in the morning before the
crowds arrived). The boardwalk was slick at some spots
with the water from the geysers and a cool morning.
Trail Length:
short to over 3 miles
Area:
Thermal area
When I did the hike:
July 2003; September 2006; Friday, August 12, 2011
Recommendation:
The most famous spot in Yellowstone. Do walk the
area behind the geyser instead of simply being a
tourist and only watching the geyser. And if you
have the time, take a longer walk in the geyser area.
Yellowstone Falls area - Yellowstone National Park
Directions:
In Yellowstone, at the Canyon Village junction, head
west into the village area and continue on the road
as it becomes a one-way road (early on is the right
turn for the road to Inspiration Point) that makes a
half-loop mostly along the canyon's edge. There are
a number of parking areas along the road. A little
bit south from where the half-loop comes out on the
main road is a short road to a parking area for
the short trail to the view of the Upper Falls. A
little bit further south on the main road is the
turn for the area on the west side of the canyon.
After crossing the bridge, the first left is to a
large parking lot for the Uncle Tom's Trail. The
road continues out to Artist Point [the park
re-modeled Artist Point in 2007 and that area was
closed when I was there].
$20 per car for a 7 day pass or National Parks Pass
Trails:
There are trails that going along both rims of the
canyon - for the east side, the trail goes from
Inspiration Point to the bridge; for the west side,
the trail goes from the bridge to Artist Point - but
most people (including me) make stops at the various
viewpoints and either enjoy the views from above or
talk short trails down to better views of the Grand
Canyon of Yellowstone and it's two large waterfalls.
On the east side: Inspiration Point has a nice view of
the canyon. Lookout Point (short trail down to a
better view) has the best view of the Lower Falls.
The last parking area is for a longer, switchback down
to the top of the Lower Falls (not that impressive).
The Upper Falls View is a down to a viewpoint of the
top of the Upper Falls (the Lower Falls is the prettier
of the two). All the trails are packed dirt and well
used. They are mostly switchbacks with few steps.
Remember, what goes down, must come up.
On the west side: To the top left of Uncle Tom's
parking area is a view of the Upper Falls. Uncle
Tom's Trail starts to the top right and heads through
the trees a short bit before reaching a junction -
take a right. A short bit ahead is another junction.
Straight goes to Artist point. A left will take you
down, down, down. It is not a trail, but a metal
staircase that has 350 steps. But the view from the
bottom is wonderful. You get a good view of the Lower
Falls from the side, a close up view of the canyon
walls with its orange, yellow, and green moss colors,
and, if you're lucky, you might even get a rainbow
in the mist. Of course, then you have to go back up
all those stairs.
Trail Length:
Varies as too how much you want to do - short or long.
Area:
Two massive waterfalls, large canyon.
Pictures
When I did the hike:
Tuesday, August 28, 2007; Friday, August 12, 2011
Recommendation:
A very pretty area. The Lower Falls is the prettier
of the two falls and the view from the bottom of
the staircase from Uncle Tom's Trail is my favorite.
Devil's Tower
Directions:
Hwy 24 to Hwy 110 and the park entrance. Follow the road to
the end.
Bathrooms in the parking area
$10 per car or National Parks Pass
Trails:
The Tower Trail is a 1.3 mile cracked paved loop around the
base of the tower. There are a number of rock mounds near the
trail that kids enjoy playing on. The 3 mile Red Beds Trail
is a little further from the tower and is a dirt trail - I
didn't go very far on it before turning around as it wasn't
that exciting and the views of the tower were much better
from the Tower Trail and I had a busy day planned.
Trails Length
1.3 mile Tower Trail
3 mile Red Beds Trail
1.5 mile Joyner Ridge Trail (not around the tower)
Area:
big Devil's Tower, thin woods
When I did the hike:
Sunday, July 31, 2005; Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Recommendation:
Devil's Tower is definitely worth a visit due to it being so
unique, but it's not really a hiking destination. Unless
you are using equipment to climb the tower, you probably
won't spend more than an hour or 2 here.