Hike of the Week: Teton Crest Trail

Welcome to Paria's “Hike of the Week”. This series highlights an outstanding day hike or backpacking trip. This is a weekly series that highlights an outstanding day hike or backpacking trip. The goal is to inspire you to want to get out and see these places for yourself. I know for us, just seeing amazing photos and reading about a great hike is enough to get us motivated.

This week's hike is the Teton Crest Trail in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park.

Featured Photo: Grand Tetons (photo by Greg Holtfreter)

Why This hike?

This renowned Grand Teton National Park hike winds and climbs along the interior ridge of the Teton Mountain Range. Jam-packed with divides, passes, peaks, and valleys, this is a trek for anyone who wants to experience all points of a mountain range.

The trail is full of alpine lakes, like Marion Lake and Leigh Lake. Once upon the summit of Rendezvous Mountain or upon entering Hurricane Pass, the iconic three peaks of the Grand Tetons are framed for the next several miles of the hike.

Since the hiking season for the trail is so brief, it coincides with a time of magnificent bursts of foliage color, lupine beds, and bubbling mountain streams daintily lined with bluebell flowers.

The mix between peak and valley hiking provides endless views of nearby Jackson Hole, Teton Village, and the Teton peaks. Then, you follow the spine of the craggy Tetons. By the time you hit the ending trailhead, you’ll have taken in the foliage at its finest and the mountains in their most vast and intimate form.

Distance: 39 miles
Type: Point-to-point
Difficulty: Strenuous
Elevation gain: 9,000 feet
Best time to visit: July-September
It offers easy access from nearby Teton Village.
The area is well-known and well-mapped.
It's close to National Park amenities and ranger contacts.
There are many different camping areas to choose from.
Mid-summer is best for wildflowers.
Some of the highlights include Marion Lake, Death Canyon Shelf, Paintbrush Divide, and Alaska Basin. The trail offers a mix of sweeping views, lots of streams, evergreen forests, alpine lakes, and jagged mountains as the backdrop.
Wildlife you may see includes wolves, elk, bighorn sheep, and moose.

Before you leave home, keep the following in mind:

This is a strenuous and lengthy hike with lots of steep ups and downs.
Teton country is bear country, so a bear canister is needed.
You'll need to arrange transportation from String Lake Trailhead back to Teton Village.

How Do I Get There?

First things first, getting to the trail. Flying into the Jackson Hole Airport (JAC) is the easiest way to get to the area. From the airport, renting a car is the most convenient option and what we'd recommend. This allows you to get around more easily before you head out on your trek. You’ll need a car to pick up your permit and gather the last of your supplies, including bear spray and fuel. Note that your permit must be picked up at one of the National Park Visitor Centers, which are not located in Jackson.

If you'd like to try public transportation, the START Bus serves Jackson and the nearby Teton Village where you'll be starting your hike. However, it does not serve Jenny Lake or String Lake, so you can't rely on it to get back to Jackson. The area has a lot of taxi services which you can use. The National Park rangers maintain a good list, so ask for it when getting your backcountry permit. The final option is to hitchhike, which is actually a reasonable way to go. The park sees a lot of traffic during peak months, so there is a very good chance that you'll be able to get a ride back to Jackson or Teton Village. As far as hotels on a budget go, The Hostel is a good option and less than a mile from the trailhead.

Map of Recommended Route

The following map shows our recommended route.

Click the "Load Interactive Map" button to load the correct map. Once loaded, you can navigate along the route and view recommended campsites.

For even more detailed mapping, including being able to print a copy for yourself, click the "Open in CalTopo" button at the top of the map once it's loaded into view.

We recommend a 5-day, 4-night itinerary, each with a full 8-hour day of hiking. That will also give you plenty of time to explore and check out the beautiful landmarks along the way. The total distance is about 39 miles.

There are three different ways you could start this trek and all three are about equidistant. They all begin at Teton Village. You could hike right out of Teton Village along the Valley Trail and north toward the Granite Canyon Trailhead. If you do this, make sure to park your car at the Ranch Lot which is the long-term parking area for Teton Village. You could also get someone to drop you off at the Granite Canyon Trailhead, and come get you from the final trailhead at String Lake. Or third, you could take the Aerial Tram from Teton Village west toward South Fork.

Day 1 - Granite Canyon Trailhead to Marion Lake (8.3 miles).
Day 2 - Marion Lake to Death Canyon Shelf (6.3 miles)
Day 3 - Death Canyon Shelf to South Fork Cascade (7.8 miles)
Day 4 - South Fork Cascade to Upper Paintbrush (9.5 miles)
Day 5 - Upper Paintbrush to String Lake Trailhead (6.5 miles)

Note: If you have difficulty getting a permit for Marion Lake, which is a very popular site with limited space, you can opt for the Upper Granite Camping Zone. This area is less than a mile before Marion Lake.

Trail Description

Day 1 - Granite Canyon Trailhead to Marion Lake

The steep ups and downs start right away. Most hikers like to opt to take the tram to the top of Rendezvous Mountain. From here, the switchbacks start pretty much right away. You'll go down into a bowl and back up again, with views of Mount Hunt. The next couple of miles take you in and out of trees and wildflower-filled meadows. You'll cross a creek and head towards Granite Canyon.

The next descent is to Middle Fork Creek and back up another ridge of Granite Canyon. Several more ups and downs will give you incredible views of the canyon and Rendezvous Mountain. Finally, you'll reach the breathtaking campsites at Marion Lake.

Day 2 - Marion Lake to Death Canyon Shelf

After leaving Marion Lake, you'll pass through more scenic meadows before topping the Continental Divide. You'll technically be out of the park for a while and in the Jedediah Smith Wilderness. More meadows will give you views of three of the Teton Peaks, Fossil Mountain, and Spearhead Peak.

After crossing Fox Creek Pass, you'll get great views of the mountains towering over Death Canyon Shelf and more flowery meadows. After winding along the shelf for a bit, you'll reach your camping area for the night.

Day 3 - Death Canyon Shelf to South Fork Cascade

On your next day, you'll start by climbing to Meeks Pass with views of the mountain itself. While crossing a bench past here, you get views of the Teton Shelf cliffs and the Wedge. Next is a steep descent along Sheep Steps to Teton Canyon. The hiking gets a little easier for a while as you cross Teton Creek before getting to Basin Lakes. This area leads to the basin you'll be camping in, which is filled with meadows, lots of lakes, and knolls. The Alaska Basin campsites are nearby too, but are often crowded.

Day 4 - South Fork Cascade to Upper Paintbrush

Early on your fourth day, you'll head down to Sunset Lake. Steep steps await on the other side of Teton Canyon. Next is Hurricane Pass, which gives you views of more of the Teton summits and Mount Moran further away. More switchbacks lead to views of Schoolroom Glacier. Up ahead, you'll see a beautiful waterfall near the bottom of South Fork Canyon.

Next, you'll head towards Lake Solitude. You'll near the North Fork of Cascade Canyon before reaching its camping area. After that is quite a rocky area before seeing the Cathedral Group and Wigwam Peaks. Further on, you'll cross a stream near another waterfall. Past here is another bridge before reaching Lake Solitude. The camping area here is another option.

If you continue, you'll head toward the Paintbrush Divide. The terrain is a mix of rocks and meadows with excellent views of the lake, Mount Owen, and several of the Teton peaks. More switchbacks await on the other side of the divide, but you'll get views of Thor Peak and Leigh Canyon before reaching your campsite for the evening.

Day 5 - Upper Paintbrush to String Lake Trailhead

On your last day, you'll be in and out of the trees and talus areas in the beginning. You'll start to get views of large Lake Jackson. After crossing a bridge near a Leigh Lake outlet, you'll traverse String Lake's shore before reaching the parking area.

What Will I Need?

This trail is one of the more well-known US hikes, so the routes are well mapped and in good condition. However, Teton country is bear country, so having a bear canister is required. The Grand Teton website has a list of approved bear canisters, too, to make your search for the perfect food storage easier. The park will even lend you one for free if you don’t have one, but this is based on first-come-first-serve.

The best times to hit the Teton Crest Trail are August and early September. July could be mosquito-y and late September onward could be filled with unpredictable weather and snow. As a result, we recommend a warm sleeping bag or quilt rated to at least 20 degrees and an insulated sleeping pad. You don't want to be caught in high alpine conditions without a good way to keep yourself warm at night. A lightweight backpacking tent will go a long way in keeping you comfortable too. A lightweight dry sack is recommended to keep your gear dry. Plus, you might want some trekking poles to help with all of the steep inclines.

Our Tri-Fold trekking poles fold down to just 15-inches when not in use, making them a great options for backpackers. They can be a lifesaver on water crossings or very steep climbs. You'll find a lot of the latter on the Teton Crest Trail!

If there's anything else you need to complete your pack, visit our full line of high-quality, affordable backpacking gear.

Shop Backpacking Tents
Shop Ultralight Tarps
Shop Backpacking Quilts
Shop Down Sleeping Bags
Shop Insulated Sleeping Pads
Shop Backpacking Pillow
Shop Folding Trekking Poles
Shop Titanium Cookware
Shop Tent and Tarp Accessories

Finally, to make sure you don't forget something at home, use our Ultimate Backpacker's Packing List. It even includes a convenient printable checklist!

Do I Need a Permit?

Yes! You can apply for a permit into the Grand Teton National Park between the first Wednesday in January until May 15. Checking out the backcountry reservation website will provide you with the most recent information on the trail and the link in order to reserve a permit. If you aren’t able to reserve a permit for the dates or routes that you want and if you have a flexible schedule, first-come-first-serve permits are available, too, 24 hours prior to your hike.

Resources

Jackson Hole Airport
START Bus
The Hostel
Virtual Hiking Tour
Permit Information
Bears and Backcountry Food Storage
Teton Crest Trail at Backpackers Review
The Hiking Project - Teton Crest Trail
Grand Teton National Park Backcountry Trip Planner

Conclusion

Have you hiked the Teton Crest Trail? Do you have other outstanding hikes that you'd like us to write about? Please share your feedback in the comments.