Trip Overview
- Duration: 3 days
- Activity: Day hiking
- Total distance: ~28 miles over 3 days
- Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
- Permit: $35/vehicle park entry (7-day pass); no day hike permit required
- Best months: July–September; late September for elk rut and fall colors
- Nearest town: Jackson, WY (45 min south of main visitor area)
Why Grand Teton
The Teton Range rises 7,000 feet directly from the floor of Jackson Hole without any foothills — the most abrupt mountain front in the contiguous US. The park has 200+ miles of trail, 12 peaks over 12,000 feet, and a wildlife corridor connecting to Yellowstone that supports grizzly bears, wolves, moose, and the largest elk herd in North America. Jenny Lake, at the base of the central Tetons, is the focal point for most hikers.
Day 1 — Cascade Canyon
Take the Jenny Lake Shuttle boat ($18 round trip) from the east shore to the west shore — this cuts 2 miles of flat hiking and deposits you at the base of Cascade Canyon. From the boat dock, the trail climbs 0.5 miles to Hidden Falls (a 200-foot tiered waterfall) then continues 0.25 miles to Inspiration Point (825 ft above Jenny Lake, panoramic view down to Jackson Hole).
Continue up Cascade Canyon (9.5 miles round trip from west shore boat dock, 1,100 ft gain total) — one of the most spectacular glacially carved canyons in the Rockies. The canyon walls rise nearly 4,000 feet on both sides. Watch for black bears and moose in the willow flats at the canyon floor. The turnaround at the North Fork/South Fork junction has excellent views up into the Tetons.
r/nationalparks▲ 3.7k upvotes"Cascade Canyon is the best hike in the park. Take the boat. Go early. Don't skip Inspiration Point even though it's crowded — the view explains the whole park."
Day 2 — Taggart & Bradley Lakes Loop
The Taggart-Bradley Lake Loop (5.9 miles, 600 ft gain) starts at the Taggart Lake Trailhead and winds through forest burned in 1985 — now a fascinating mosaic of standing snags, lodgepole regeneration, and wildflower meadows that have colonized the openings. Both lakes sit at the base of the Teton walls with classic reflection views.
This is a quieter trail than Cascade Canyon, better for wildlife. Moose are frequently spotted in the willows along Taggart Creek. In late September, listen for bull elk bugling from the meadows near the Teton Park Road.
Afternoon option: drive north to String Lake for a flat 3.8-mile walk along a shallow lake with the Cathedral Group (Grand Teton, Mount Owen, Teewinot) reflected in the water. String Lake is the Tetons at their most photographable — no climbing, just pure scenery.
Day 3 — Paintbrush Canyon
The Paintbrush Canyon Trail (10 miles round trip to Holly Lake, 3,100 ft gain) is the hardest day of the weekend and delivers the most dramatic scenery. The trail climbs steeply from String Lake through old-growth forest into the lower canyon, passes wildflower meadows (Indian paintbrush blooms June–August), and arrives at Holly Lake — a cirque lake at 9,584 feet beneath the north faces of the Cathedral Group peaks.
For strong hikers: continue 1.5 miles and 1,100 feet above Holly Lake to Paintbrush Divide (10,641 ft) for a view that spans from the Tetons across Jackson Hole to the Gros Ventre Range. Return the same way or complete the full Paintbrush-Cascade Canyon Loop (19 miles) with the shuttle boat on the return.
Wildlife Notes
Grand Teton is one of the best parks in the US for accessible wildlife viewing. Moose are almost guaranteed in willow flats along the Snake River and at Oxbow Bend. Grizzlies and black bears are present — carry bear spray. Pronghorn are common on the sagebrush flats between Jackson and Moose. Bald eagles nest on the Snake River. The Oxbow Bend pullout at dawn is one of the most reliably wildlife-rich stops in the park.
Getting There & Staying
Fly into Jackson Hole Airport (the only commercial airport inside a national park) or drive from Salt Lake City (4.5 hrs) or Idaho Falls (1.5 hrs). Stay in Jackson (most services, restaurants, gear shops) or Moose (closest to the main park visitor area). The Dornan's Spur Ranch Cabins at Moose are excellent value and walkable to the park entrance.
