The most iconic area of Grand Tetons National Park? Jenny Lake. You see it everywhere, and it is made to be accessible to all. Ferry across the lake, hike around the lake, hike above the lake, learn about the history of the Teton Mountain range. It can all be done at Jenny Lake. We chose to hike around the lake to view Hidden Falls, and I explored further to Inspiration point and Cascade Canyon. This hike is great for kids, and you can opt to take it around the entire lake as a loop, an out and back, and also a one-way hike.
Hiking Jenny Lake Shoreline to Hidden Falls
Many people start the hike around the Jenny Lake shoreline from the Jenny Lake visitors center. Because we did not want to try to find a parking spot in this busy area, we opted to drive a little further to Lupine Meadows Road and park at a small trail head lot for a connector trail to the lakeshore hike. This also shortened our hike by about 2 miles r/t from the listed distance of 5 miles on All Trails. The trail has minimal elevation change along the shoreline, and the entire hike has great views of the lake. The shore is lined with wild raspberry plants and other flowers. We were sadly a few weeks late for ripe wild raspberries to be a trail snack.
My two favorite parts of the shoreline trail hike were Moose Pone – aptly named as there was a cow hanging out in the water as we hiked past. Ironically this was the largest wildlife we saw the entire trip besides the bison in Yellowstone. And it was on one of the most highly trafficked trails. The second favorite thing was the butterfly’s on the rocks along the lakeshore.
Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point
The name does not indicate the reality – hidden falls is very much not hidden. There were TONS of people here. Hidden Falls is the main destination for most people who are exploring around Jenny Lake. The stream leading up to hidden falls cascades down the Jenny Lake and can be a bit deceiving making you think you are at the destination before you actually are. The falls itself is massive!
I also opted to trek up to inspiration point, which provides a great view of Jenny Lake and the entire Teton Valley. Also incredibly crowded with other tourists and hikers. To escape a bit of the crowds I hiked about 1.5 miles into Cascade Canyon. Like Yellowstone, in Grand Tetons National Park the farther you hike the more secluded the trails become. I welcomed break from all the other people exploring the park. Cascade Canyon goes about 4.8 miles back and is a major access point to the back country of Grand Tetons National Park.
Before you go
Hidden Falls is one of the most popular hikes in Grand Tetons National Park. Why? It is accessible by hike and by boat. So for those not so inclined to hike around Jenny Lake, you simply pay $20 r/t per adult for a boat ride across the lake. No reservations are available, and the tickets are bought near the Jenny Lake visitors center. The parking here fills up quickly and can be a limiting factor in taking the ferry or going to the Jenny Lake area of the park in general. Find more hiking options and more to do in Grand Tetons National Park at the NPS website.
Unlike its neighbor to the north, Grand Tetons National Park is a bit smaller, but definitely still just as mighty. Its runs the length of the Teton mountain range and has much more rugged and steep hiking terrain. This also allowed us to find some more secluded hiking than we found in Yellowstone.
Like most national parks, Grand Tetons National Park is not very dog friendly. Rightfully so with all the wildlife. My pup Winter sat out on this adventure. The park fees are standard, and they do honor the national parks pass if you have one, which of course we did.
But wait – there is more
There is so much more to Grand Tetons National Park than what is featured in this blog post. Check out the National Parks Page on the website to see all the other adventures we had over our 10 days visit. These adventures include:
- Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point
- Two Oceans Lake and Grand View Point
- Hiking Taggert and Bradley Lake Loop
PLUS on this trip we spent time in Yellowstone National Park hiking and exploring.
- Geyser Basins of Yellowstone
- Artists Point – Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
- Hiking to Ribbon Lake
- Boating on Lake Yellowstone
- Hiking to Natural Bridge
- Driving All of Yellowstone in 1 Day + All the fun roadside viewpoints and stops
- Hiking Cascade Creek Falls