Wanting to spend more time in the mountains around lakes, but not feeling a hike with tons of elevation? Hiking Taggart and Bradley Lake Loop is the perfect answer. We decided on this hike in lieu of Delta Lake. It was toward the end of our trip and we were pretty tired and physically a little beat up. While these two lakes did not have the same secluded feel of Delta Lake, they gave amazing views of the Tetons with water in the forefront. And we even had a mountain rainstorm during our adventure too.
Bradley and Taggart Lake Loop
There are a few different options on where to start this hike, but the main trailhead is right off Teton Park Rd. From there it is an approximately 6 mile hike with 750 feet of elevation gain according to All Trails. Following the loop counterclockswise you don’t see much of either lake on the way out but there are a few glimpses. You do follow a nice snowmelt stream and pop in and out of forested areas. There are a few connector trails along this section that take you directly to Taggart Lake if you want to take a bit of a shorter hike.
At about the 2 mile mark you pop out at a view point for Bradley Lake. We opted to add about a half mile and hike along the Bradley Lake shoreline for a little bit before turning back. This was when the rain storm hit. It felt like a moment out of a movie. It was so picturesque and we had Bradley Lakes shoreline all to ourselves. Bradley Lake was definitely the more seclude of the two lakes on this hike.
We headed back toward Taggart Lake and the trail takes you along the lake shore. Unlike Bradley Lake, Taggart Lake was much busier. Plenty of people were here fishing and exploring with their families. Again, there are several options to make this hike shorter on the way back to the trail head. We opted to follow the full loop. It takes you along a mostly exposed elevation contour following a small stream. Make sure to bring the sunblock and hat, during the summer this section got really warm. This part of the hike was great, but also we were getting very hungry and were ready to be at the trail head where we had left our lunch. Looking back – we wished we had taken it with us to eat by the lake.
Before you go
Taggart and Bradley Lake Loop is another popular, less difficult hike in Grand Tetons National Park. With the minimal elevation and accessibility to two alpine likes, it is easy to understand why. The parking for these hikes is directly off the main road, and not very large, meaning it can fill up quickly. Are you sensing a theme with parking at the National Parks? For other hiking options, always check out either All Trails or the NPS website for Grand Tetons National Park. Both are great resources.
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, if you are up for the adventure.
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
- 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
Great article again Em, you knock it out of the park……
I forgot about the rain and missing out on lunch at the lake. But what a great hike!
Yea it was one of my favorites!