A Take to the Trails Hiking FALCON W H GUIDE® E R E T O Grand Teton H IK E S National Park ER IE S A Guide to the Park’s Greatest Hiking Adventures “FalconGuides point the compass to the H best spots to play, climb, hike, fish, and be.” i —CNN.com k i n E This is the authoritative guide Look inside to find: g s to all hiking trails—from short, s • Hikes suited to every ability e easy day trips to multi-day G nt backcountry adventures—in • Difficulty ratings, fees/permits, r i and best hiking seasons a a Grand Teton National Park, l n g famous for its rugged beauty, • A trail finder to help find just d e abundant wildlife and spectacular the right hike for you a T r mountain vistas. Located in • Invaluable trip-planning information e f o western Wyoming, Grand Teton • Full-color photos throughout t r National Park is one of America’s o e • Full-color GPS-compatible maps of v true wilderness gems. n e each trail r N y • GPS coordinates for all trailheads a and backcountry campsites a d t v For more than thirty years, FalconGuides® have set the standard for outdoor i e o n guidebooks. Written by top experts, each guide invites you to experience the n t u adventure and beauty of the outdoors. a r e l : Bill Schneider of Helena, Montana, has spent forty years hiking trails all P O across America. He is the author of twenty books and hundreds of magazine a u t articles on wildlife, outdoor recreation, and conservation issues. For more r fi information go to billschneider.net. k FALCON t Y Front cover photo of hiker on the Death Canyon Shelf by Greg Von Doersten; o back cover photo of Jackson Lake and Mount Moran by Bill Schneider. GUIDES® u r US $18.95 / Canadian $20.95 falcon.com M i 3 n rd d FalconGuides ® Ed Bill Schneider ® is an imprint of itio Globe Pequot Press n Hiking_GrandTeton_NP_4.indd 1 3/28/12 1:25 PM Hiking Grand Teton National Park Hiking_GrndTetn_3pp_CS5.indd 1 3/15/12 4:48 PM HELP US KEEP THIS GUIDE UP TO DATE Every effort has been made by the author and editors to make this guide as accurate and useful as possible. However, many things can change after a guide is published—trails are rerouted, regulations change, techniques evolve, facilities come under new management, and so on. We would appreciate hearing from you concerning your experiences with this guide and how you feel it could be improved and kept up to date. While we may not be able to respond to all comments and suggestions, we’ll take them to heart, and we’ll also make certain to share them with the author. Please send your comments and suggestions to the following address: Globe Pequot Press Reader Response/Editorial Department PO Box 480 Guilford, CT 06437 Or you may e-mail us at: [email protected] Thanks for your input, and happy trails! Hiking_GrndTetn_3pp_CS5.indd 2 3/15/12 4:48 PM HHiikkiinngg GGrraanndd TTeettoonn NNaattiioonnaall PPaarrkk Third Edition Bill Schneider Introduction: Hiking America's Most Famous Wilderness Skyline iii Hiking_GrndTetn_3pp_CS5.indd 3 3/15/12 4:48 PM FALCONGGUUIIDDEESS® © 2005, 2012 Morris Book Publishing, LLC Previous editions of this book were published in 1998 by Falcon Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to Globe Pequot Press, Attn: Rights and Permissions Department, PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437. FalconGuides is an imprint of Globe Pequot Press. Falcon, FalconGuides, and Outfit Your Mind are registered trademarks of Morris Book Publishing, LLC. Project editor: David Legere Layout: Sue Murray All interior photographs by Bill Schneider unless otherwise noted. Maps by Alena Pearce © Morris Book Publishing, LLC A previous edition of this book was catalogued by the Library of Congress as follows: Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Schneider, Bill. Hiking Grand Teton National Park / Bill Schneider. —2nd ed. p. cm.— (A Falcon Guide) ISBN 0-7627-2567-2 1. Hiking — Wyoming — Grand Teton National Park — Guidebooks. 2. Grand Teton National Park (Wyo.) — Guidebooks. I. Title. II. Series. GV199.42.W82G7367 2005 917.87'55 — dc222005040316 ISBN 978-0-7627-7255-1 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 The author and Globe Pequot Press assume no liability for accidents happening to, or injuries sustained by, readers who engage in the activities described in this book. Hiking_GrndTetn_4pp_CS5.indd 4 3/19/12 4:23 PM WILDERNESS is . . . The FREEDOM to experience true wildness . . . to hear only nature’s music . . . to study the little secrets of the natural world . . . and to enjoy the quiet and solitude so rare in the stressful life we now live. The CHALLENGE to learn and respect wild country . . . to be self-reliant . . . to take your time . . . to test your physical abilities . . . to courteously share the last blank spots on the map with others . . . and to fully enjoy your wilderness experience while leaving no trace of your passing. The OPPORTUNITY to discover why wilderness is priceless . . . to see the threats to your wilderness . . . to decide to devote part of yourself to preserving it . . . and to encourage others to do the same. —Bill Schneider Hiking_GrndTetn_3pp_CS5.indd 5 3/15/12 4:48 PM The Teton Range from Schwabacker’s Landing. National Park Service Hiking_GrndTetn_3pp_CS5.indd 6 3/15/12 4:48 PM Contents Acknowledgments ............................................................................................x Introduction: Hiking America's Most Famous Wilderness Skyline ......................1 Planning Your Trip ....................................................................................2 Using This Guide ......................................................................................7 Zero Impact ..............................................................................................9 Make It a Safe Trip ..................................................................................11 Be Bear Aware ........................................................................................15 Be Aware of Mountain Lions, Too ...........................................................21 Trail Finder .....................................................................................................23 Map Legend ...................................................................................................26 The Hikes Teton Village Area .......................................................................................27 1 Phelps Lake .............................................................................................28 2 LSR Preserve Small Loop .......................................................................32 3 LSR Preserve Big Loop ..........................................................................37 4 Marion Lake ...........................................................................................44 5 Rendezvous Mountain and Granite Canyon ............................................48 6 Death Canyon and the Mount Hunt Divide ............................................52 7 The Teton Crest ......................................................................................59 Jenny Lake Area ...........................................................................................67 8 Leigh Lake ..............................................................................................68 9 String Lake .............................................................................................72 10 Moose Ponds ..........................................................................................76 11 Taggart Lake ...........................................................................................79 12 Bradley Lake ...........................................................................................82 13 Garnet Canyon .......................................................................................85 14 Bearpaw and Trapper Lakes .....................................................................88 15 Surprise and Amphitheater Lakes ............................................................92 16 Jenny Lake ..............................................................................................95 17 Holly Lake ............................................................................................100 18 Cascade Canyon ...................................................................................104 19 Lake Solitude ........................................................................................107 20 Valley Trail ............................................................................................111 21 Paintbrush Divide .................................................................................115 22 The Grand Teton Loop .........................................................................120 Hiking_GrndTetn_3pp_CS5.indd 7 3/15/12 4:48 PM 0 Kilometers 10 Overview 0 Miles 10 Grassy Lake Road Flagg Ranch 34-37 River ke 89 na 191 S 287 We b b C a nyo n CARIBOU- Jackson TARGHEE GRNAANTDIO TNEATLON Lake 23 Colter Bay Two Ocean Lake NATIONAL Visitor Center FOREST PARK 26,29 30 31 EEmmmmaa Jackson MMaattiillddaa LLaakkee Lake Lodge Moran Canyon Elk 24,25,27,28 33 IIssllaanndd 32 287 26 Leigh Leigh Canyo n Lake LSSLoalkiteuCdaesPcaadiCneat nbCyraounsnhy8o,1n 4JLJLeeaann1kknn97eeyy,1,261 Teton Park RoadR iver Gr1aa33nn,7d7 T0e ftton 10,18,19,22 nake S 13,15,20 Garnet Canyon Avaallaanche Canyon 11,12 Death Canyon 1,6 Marionn L LaakkeeTTeOtG4op,rn5ae ,V7nnii ltlCaeag Cneyaonny oMMnoo2PLPLoossee--,hhaaWWii3llsskkeeoo lee n p RsRooaadd 1892916 MVCeiosniottoseerr Elevatio111194320n,6,, ,,024(80f0000e00e000t) 8,400 BRIDGER-TETOONN 7,200 NATIONAL 6,000 FOREST 390 Hiking_GrndTetn_4pp_CS5.indd 8 3/19/12 4:23 PM Colter Bay and Jackson Lake Lodge Area ..............................................128 23 Lakeshore Trail ......................................................................................129 24 Lunch Tree Hill .....................................................................................132 25 Christian Pond ......................................................................................135 26 Swan Lake and Heron Pond ..................................................................138 27 Willow Flats..........................................................................................142 28 Lookout Rock ......................................................................................146 29 Hermitage Point ...................................................................................149 30 Grand View Point .................................................................................153 31 Two Ocean Lake ...................................................................................156 32 Signal Mountain ...................................................................................159 33 Emma Matilda Lake ..............................................................................163 North Trails Area .......................................................................................167 34 Glade Creek .........................................................................................168 35 Elk Ridge .............................................................................................172 36 Jackass Pass ............................................................................................176 37 Moose Basin Divide ..............................................................................181 Preserving Grand Teton National Park ..........................................................185 Afterword: The Value of Guidebooks .............................................................186 Hike Index ...................................................................................................188 About the Author .........................................................................................189 Contents ix Hiking_GrndTetn_3pp_CS5.indd 9 3/15/12 4:48 PM