Grand Teton is one of the best national parks to hike in. It contains so much variety, from hiking around lakes and ponds to going through wet meadows and sagebrush plains and eventually making your way into beautiful alpine forests and mountain peaks that Grand Teton National Park is famous for.

I’m Cheryl and I live in Utah, just four hours away from Grand Teton. I visit almost every year! I prefer to do easy-to-moderate hikes. I have partnered with Luke Gott, who has worked at Grand Teton National Park and prefers more adventurous, back-country hikes. Between the both of us, we hope there will be a hike or two that is perfect for you.

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1. Jenny Lake Trail

• Distance: Approximately 7.1 miles (11.4 km) round trip
• Elevation Gain: Minimal; relatively flat terrain
• Estimated Hike Time: About 3–4 hours
• Trailhead: Jenny Lake Trailhead
• Location: At Jenny Lake Visitor Center, off Teton Park Road
• Parking: Large parking area, but fills early (before 8:00 am is best)
• Alternative Access: Take the Jenny Lake Shuttle Boat to shorten the hike

Jenny Lake is the most popular area in Grand Teton National Park! Here you can see a visitor center, paddle in the water, or even take a boat shuttle across the lake! There is also a store and a ranger station. We really enjoy the outdoor displays as well. You can learn all about these on our blog post, How To Have a Perfect Day at Grand Teton: Jenny Lake, Inspiration Point and Hidden Falls.

To hike around the lake, park in the large parking lot by Jenny Lake Visitor Center. From there, you can proceed either way around the lake. It’s really simple! The trail is mostly packed dirt, flat, and shaded. There is a good chance you could run across wildlife, including deer, elk, moose, and bears. Make sure to bring your bear spray!

You’ll have great views of the Teton Mountain Range as well as the pristine Jenny Lake. Although this hike is easy, going around the entire lake is a commitment and takes a few hours. We prefer to cheat and use the shuttle boat (costs ~$20 for a round trip ride) because it only takes 12 minutes to get across the lake and saves our hiking steps so we can see more of the park later!

PRO TIP: Get to Jenny Lake a few minutes before the shuttle boats start running (usually 7:00 am) to avoid having to park on the road because the parking lot is filled up. If you are a late riser, try coming around 3:00 pm when it starts clearing out.

How to Do Jenny Lake, Hidden Falls, & Inspiration Point

2. Hidden Falls/Inspiration Point Trail

• Distance: Approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) round trip, if you use the boat shuttle
• Elevation Gain: About 450 feet (270 meters)
• Estimated Hike Time: Around 1.5–2.5 hours
• Trailhead: Jenny Lake Trailhead
• Location: Jenny Lake Visitor Center
• Parking: Same as Jenny Lake, use shuttle boat to shorten the hike

This is the prettiest view of the Jackson Valley and my favorite waterfall in the park. Plus, I know that you can cheat hiking around Jenny Lake and just take the shuttle boat to save your hiking steps and time. This is the #2 hike we tell people to do because it is so pretty. Young children can do this hike, but keep a close eye on them because there are some steep drop-offs.

To get here, park at the Jenny Lake Visitor Center and take the 12-minute boat road across Jenny Lake. From the boat dock, follow the signs to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. The trail is steep but manageable for most visitors. Look for the Hidden Falls sign to avoid missing the falls. When you get to Inspiration Point, you’ll have panoramic views of Jenny Lake and the Jackson Hole Valley. 

PRO TIP: There are no bathrooms or garbage cans on this side of Jenny Lake!

3. Cascade Canyon Trail

• Distance: Approximately 9 miles (14.5 km) round trip from Jenny Lake Trailhead (or approximately 3.5 miles 7 round trip if using the boat shuttle to Inspiration Point).
• Elevation Gain: 1,100 feet (335 meters) from Jenny Lake Trailhead (or 450 feet (137 meters) from the boat dock).
• Estimated Hike Time: 4–6 hours round trip from the Jenny Lake Trailhead (or 1.5–2.5 hours from the boat shuttle drop-off).
• Trailhead: Jenny Lake Trailhead
• Location: Jenny Lake Visitor Center
• Parking: Same as Jenny Lake, use shuttle boat to shorten the hike

If you’re up for more hiking after you finish Inspiration Point, continue on the trail. It leads into beautiful Cascade Canyon. The full trail goes 3.5 miles one way through the canyon, but even if you set a timer and hike for 15-30 minutes before turning around, you’ll be glad you did; it’s gorgeous. On the way back down, signs will point you to the path for the boat dock (not the same path you came up).

Once you get past the uphill portion of the hike (not easy but at least you are on switchbacks and not scrambling), you will reach a beautiful canyon with crystal clear water and great wildlife. I’ve personally run into a moose family in this valley (make sure to keep a distance in this situation) that was napping near the shallow waters. Keep an eye out for Pikas, too.

Make sure to LOOK UP on this trail, the mountains to the left are some of the Tetons most famous, first is Mount Teewinot, second Mount Owen, and finally the Grand Teton! 

4. String Lake

• Distance: Approximately 3.7 miles (6 km) round trip
• Elevation Gain: Minimal; mostly flat
• Estimated Hike Time: Around 1.5–2 hours
• Trailhead: String Lake Trailhead
• Location: North of Jenny Lake, along Jenny Lake Road
• Parking: Moderate lot, fills early due to popularity

String Lake is a fairly easy and less populated stroll that takes you around a lake that will mirror the mountains in front of you. To reach String Lake, take Jenny Lake Road until the final parking lot, and make sure to get there early as overflow traffic can flow over quite quickly. Once you have arrived in the parking lot, the lake will be visible and the trail that surrounds it as well. Due to this lake being shallow, it’s relatively warm compared to the rest of the lakes and makes a great day spot to go for a swim, kayak, or, my personal favorite, paddleboarding. 

If paddleboarding or kayaking is in play, I suggest following the calm lake north and finding out why its name is String Lake. This lake follows a string-like path that resembles a currentless river and will eventually lead you to the tip of the much larger Leigh Lake. The String Lake hike follows the river in a similar fashion, making it a great time no matter how you approach it. 

5. Taggart Lake Loop

• Distance: Approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) round trip
• Elevation Gain: Around 300 feet (91 meters)
• Estimated Hike Time: About 1.5–2 hours
• Trailhead: Taggart Lake Trailhead
• Location: Off Teton Park Road, about 3 miles north of Moose Junction
• Parking: Large dirt parking lot, fills quickly in peak season

This beautiful hike is nearly as awesome as Inspiration Point and Hidden Falls. Once you get past the boring service road beginning, it takes you through cascades, aspens, meadows, glacier boulders, and pines before arriving at a beautiful lake with views of the mountains. It’s mostly uphill but not too steep and has flat sections. This is a great hike for families because you can play in the water once you arrive. We’ve only gone there and back, but you can take some longer side loops if you’d like.

The parking lot typically fills early and stays full most of the day. If it’s full when you visit, you can usually park on the road. Otherwise,  consider returning around 4:00 pm as it will clear out. This is a very popular hike and the park will most likely start renovations on the parking lot and trail soon. 

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6. Phelps Lake Overlook Trail

• Distance: Approximately 3 miles (11.3 km) round trip
• Elevation Gain: About 725 feet (221 meters)
• Estimated Hike Time: Around 3 hours (to visit the preserve also)
• Trailhead: Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Trailhead
• Location: Off Moose-Wilson Road, south of Teton Village
• Parking: Small lot with limited spaces, often fills up by mid-morning
• Alternative Access: Phelps Lake Overlook Trail from the Death Canyon Trailhead (off a dirt road past the White Grass Ranger Station)

This is a great hike for families because it’s relatively easy and it starts at the Laurance S Rockefeller Preserve, which has a great visitor center for kids. There is also a waterfall experience, which is just a small waterfall by the visitor center that you can stand in if you wish.

We don’t think this hike is quite as pretty as Taggart Lake, but we enjoy that it takes us through dense pine forests, open meadows, and along the lake’s shoreline. Phelps Lake is a great spot for picnicking too! While the trail is not considered fully accessible, portions of it are.

Like many of the other popular hikes in the park, parking here is difficult and feels up early. I recommend arriving around 4:00 pm as the crowds clear out! That will give you time to explore the visitor center and do the hikes.

7. Grand View Point

• Distance: Approximately 5 miles (8 km) round trip
• Elevation Gain: Around 1,000 feet (305 meters)
• Estimated Hike Time: About 2.5–3.5 hours
• Trailhead: Two Ocean Lake Trailhead
• Location: Off Pacific Creek Road, near Jackson Lake Lodge
• Parking: Limited space

Grand View Point is the only hike on this list that doesn’t sit either below or in the Grand Teton Mountain Range. This hike is a short drive from Jackson Lake Lodge and takes you through a tough hill climb to a ridge that overlooks the entire Grand Teton Valley. From the height of the ridge, the entire mountain range, Jackson Lake, and the untouched Two Oceans Lake backcountry area are visible. 

Two Oceans Lake is famous for its high grizzly bear population and I’ve personally seen bears wandering in the valley below. I recommend bringing binoculars for this hike as with this hawks’ nest view, you can see everything! 

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8. Paintbrush To Snow Drift Lake Trail

• Distance: Approximately 9.1 miles (14.6 km) one way
• Elevation Gain: About 3,840 feet (1,170 meters)
• Estimated Hike Time: Around 6–8 hours one-way
• Trailhead: String Lake Trailhead
• Location: North of Jenny Lake
• Parking: Moderate, fills quickly

When driving through the Grand Tetons, every view is spectacular, but there’s one valley that may catch the eye. In the middle of summer, Paintbrush Canyon is teeming with wildflowers that give it a painting-like image from a distance. This valley sits directly to the South of Mount Moran and can be accessed via the backside of String Lake. Near the first parking lot of String Lake, follow the path south until you hit the bridge and follow it until it bends right. This trail will lead you to Paintbrush Canyon.

Paintbrush Canyon is vibrant in midsummer and just before fall, where aspen trees allow for blooming reds, greens and yellows to go along with the wildflowers in the valley. This trail is long…and you’ll need to start early to beat the midday heat. But the reward at the top is Snow Lake, where a dip in this lake will restart your body for the hike down. Above you tower Mount Woodring (my first mountain climb!) and its endless scree field to the top. In Paintbrush Canyon you’ll also get views of the Southern Teton Mountain Ridge as they overlap each other in a tangle of a view. 

9. Delta Lake

• Distance: Approximately 10 miles (16 km) round trip
• Elevation Gain: About 3,150 feet (960 meters)
• Estimated Hike Time: Around 5–7 hours
• Trailhead: Lupine Meadows Trailhead
• Location: Off Teton Park Road, south of Jenny Lake

As a former employee in the Grand Tetons, I was told not to give the location of Delta Lake away as, due to its TikTok popularity, it had been left in tatters with trash by underprepared hikers. But to be fair, there’s a reason it’s popular. An argument could be made that Delta Lake is the prettiest lake, as well as having the best views of any lake in the Grand Tetons. This hike begins in Lupine Meadows, a trailhead leading to most of the larger hikes in the valley, namely Garnet Canyon (access to climbing the Middle and Grand Teton) and Disappointment Peak, and is well known to leave you exhausted the next day. 

This hike is unmarked due to over-usage, but at the end of the seventh switchback (the side facing NorthEast) at Lupine Meadows, there will be a path leading to Delta Lake. This hike involves a bit of rock scrambling to reach the lake and I highly recommend having a trail map via a hiking website to avoid getting lost. But once you find this lake, its breathtaking view of Disappointment Peak and the Grand Teton will make the hike worthwhile. 

10. Grand Teton Multi-Use Pathway

• Distance: Approximately 20 miles (32 km) one way
• Elevation Gain: Varies; generally gentle slopes
• Estimated Bike Time: Around 2–3 hours one way
• Multi-Use Pathway: Runs parallel to Teton Park Road and Highway 89, connecting Jackson to Jenny Lake
• Parking: Various parking areas along the pathway

The Grand Teton Multi-Use Pathway isn’t a hike I would recommend but it’s a wonderful trail that connects the town of Jackson to Jenny Lake. I’ve biked portions of it and love the views of the Tetons I see as I ride. It would also be perfect for a nice run!

It’s paved, so it could work for someone who would like to be out on a trail but has accessibility issues. Just keep in mind that portions of it have hills that I would be really careful on if I was pushing a wheelchair.

GOOD TO KNOW: This is the only trail dogs are allowed on at Grand Teton. Different rules apply to trained service animals.

Helpful Tips

• Carry bear spray if you are doing any backcountry hikes. There are both black and grizzly bears in the park. You may even need it if you encounter a moose. You can purchase it within the park at the visitor centers/stores.
• You don’t have to be a major hiker to enjoy the trails at Grand Teton. I have taken my young children on Phelps Lake, Taggart Lake, and Inspiration Point/Hidden Falls.
• You can swim in the lakes, but most people don’t. The lakes at Grand Teton are 55-65 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. It’s comfortable to wade in a bit but too cold for a complete submersion (at least for me). The shores are rocky as well.

Best Places to Eat After Your Hike

If you’ve worked up an appetite, there are quite a few good restaurants to grab a bite! We suggest

1. A drink from the Blue Heron at Jackson Lake Lodge. They have great views of the Tetons from their outdoor seating area.
2. Nachos from Signal Mountain Lodge. It’s the biggest pile of nachos you’ll ever see!
3. Dornans Pizza and Pasta from the roof top. Amazing food with amazing views (adults only up here…kids can eat downstairs)

For more ideas for great places to eat in Grand Teton and Jackson, check out our blog post, The Best Places To Eat in Jackson and Grand Teton.

Anything Else I Should Know?

Yes! Hiking is just one of the many things you can do in Grand Teton! We have created a 2-3 Day Itinerary that gives you step-by-step instructions to help you see the best areas of the park in the most efficient way. Every activity comes complete with an estimated time frame, cost, and star rating to help you prioritize your time.