Grand Teton National Park
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PO Drawer 170
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming 83012
(307) 739-3300
- callen60
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33
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Editor Pick
Jenny Lake and Hidden Falls
- February 17, 2006
- Rated 5 of 5 by
callen60 from Ozarks, Missouri
Jenny Lake may be the world's most beautiful body of water. When we came upon it at the scenic turnout one morning, it was difficult to move on. The setting is spectacular: it's completely surrounded by the Tetons on its western and northern side. We ended up having our family portrait taken there by some new friends, and we all love that picture.
Jenny Lake is also the site of one of the park's main attractions: the pleasant hike to Hidden Falls. It's popular enough that unless you schedule it first thing in the morning, you'll find the trail pretty busy. When you get there, you'll know why: it's a modest climb along a series of cascades, leading to a beautiful 200-foot drop of pure whitewater.
You have several options for getting there: it's about 1.7 miles around the north shore of Jenny Lake to Hidden Falls. There's also a park concessionaire shuttle across the lake for $7.50 RT or $5 one way ($5/$4 for kids 6 to12). I'd recommend taking the boat at least one direction—Jenny Lake is a beautiful spot, located right underneath the Tetons, with wonderful views up at the mountains in almost all directions.
We took the boat both ways, so I'm not sure how much company you'll have if you hike around the lake. But once you get to the dock at the Cascade Canyon Trailhead, you'll certainly be part of a crowd on the last half-mile. It's probably the busiest trail I've ever been on (we were there about 1pm on the 4th of July). We hiked along with a group of 12 from the Teton Mountaineering School, who were beginning their ascent of Grand Teton. The whole crowd on the trail had a nice spirit.
The trail has a very modest elevation gain, about 150 feet. After taking you along some smaller but pretty cascades, it brings you out to the view of the falls. There are benches available if you'd like to sit and relax and watch the water for a while. The falls are called "hidden" because they are a little back in the woods: as you approach, you'll see a sign that says "Viewpoint 100 feet," even though you can hear and practically feel them.
Don't let the crowds scare you away from this spot. It's worth the trip.
The Jenny Lake scenic turnout is a little more difficult to reach than most (that, and our 9am arrival probably kept the crowds down). It's on a one-way stretch of road reached by heading west at the North Jenny Lake Junction on Teton Park Road. The first stretch is two-way; just before you reach Jenny Lake Lodge, it changes to one-way. From junction to turnout is about 2 or 3 miles; it's another half-mile to where this loop rejoins the Park Road.
You can find the schedule, fares, and more at the website for Jenny Lake Boating, the operator of the shuttle.
From journal Three Days in Grand Teton
Editor Pick
Chapel of the Transfiguration
- February 16, 2006
- Rated 3 of 5 by
callen60 from Ozarks, Missouri
This little log cabin of a church fits perfectly here in the park. About a half mile to the west of the main park road, its altar faces the Tetons--and has a picture window over it, so the congregation looks out at the beautiful mountains beyond. It's one of many places in this valley from which to view these amazingly scenic peaks.
The Chapel was built in 1925 and is still home to an Episcopal congregation. Two stained glass windows inside the small narthex commemorate the seasons in the mountains. The rustic interior, filled with log-crafted seats, holds maybe 80. The highlight is the wonderful view over the altar, but the whole site is picturesque and perfectly made for photo opportunities. It's well worth a quick trip: we spent a pleasant hour here just enjoying the setting, the building, and the scenery.
From journal Three Days in Grand Teton
Editor Pick
Phelps Lake Overlook
- February 16, 2006
- Rated 4 of 5 by
callen60 from Ozarks, Missouri
Unless you visit Grand Teton in the off season, you won't be alone in this beautiful park. Sometimes, that'll be okay—there are sites you wouldn't want to miss, even if you've got plenty of company at your side snapping pictures along with you. But if you're longing for a little solitude, this moderately strenuous hike is a good way to leave the crowds behind for 3 hours or so.
It's not trivial to get here: head south from Moose on Moose-Wilson Road, and after 3 miles, turn right. After another mile or so, it turns into a two-track road (you can't make it on the Moose-Wilson Road with an RV or motorhome). You'll pass a number of private cabins as you head for the ominous-sounding Death Canyon Trailhead. At the parking area, there will probably be a couple dozen other vehicles, too, since in addition to the day hike you're undertaking, this is a departure point for the backcountry. In fact, we had a little difficulty finding a place to park.
But the trail itself isn't as busy as it looks: during our afternoon ascent we only encountered about six to eight other groups of hikers. The trail is well marked and moves along a stream for a while before heading uphill. You're climbing 420 feet to an overlook of Phelps Lake, located on a wooded bluff above the beautiful waters below.
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Our family of five found it just about the right length and difficulty for an afternoon outing. The trail is just under a mile each way, and the combination of meadow and forest along the path, along with the terrific view at the top, make this a great way to spend a few hours. It won't give you perfect solitude, but it will get you off the pavement and away from the crowds.
If you want to keep going, you can head past the overlook and branch off the Death Canyon Trail to Phelps Lake itself. You descend the glacial moraine you just climbed and wind around to the east shore of the lake. It's just over another mile each way, and fairly steep.
From journal Three Days in Grand Teton
Editor Pick
Gros Ventre Slide
- February 16, 2006
- Rated 5 of 5 by
callen60 from Ozarks, Missouri
It's July 1927. Someone comes galloping into town screaming to get out. Minutes later, half a mountainside is carried through town on a wall of water.
For the residents of Kelly, WY, it was the second time the mountain moved in 2 years. In June 1925, the limestone side of Sheep Mountain suddenly slid down the hill and into the valley. The rubble created a natural dam on the Gros Ventre River, 225 feet tall and a half-mile wide, forcing the creation of Slide Lake. Folks in Kelly lived downstream for 2 years before that natural blockage gave way, which took the town and the lives of six residents with it.
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Even 80 years later, the marks of this enormous event still scar the landscape. The slide took the topsoil with it, and thus no forest has regrown in those spots—two large gashes on the mountainside that you can't miss. The forest service has made a terrific interpretive trail here, which takes you through the area in the Gros Ventre Valley where the slide came to a halt. There are piles of limestone boulders, trees still growing sideways, tangled masses of trunks and stumps, and other oddities that give you a real feeling for what happens when that much rock is on the move.
It's really worth making the trip out here, and if you do, I can almost guarantee you'll have the place to yourself. We were here on July 4th weekend, near lunchtime, and we saw no one else during our time on the trail. I wouldn't have thought to come out here if it hadn't been for a AAA guidebook, and the whole family was glad we did.
It's a pleasant drive across the flats to (new) Kelly and then a little bit farther: from Jackson Hole, take US 191 just inside the park boundary and bear right at Gros Ventre Junction and on to Gros Ventre River Road. Just past the campground, the road bears right and heads due east to Kelly and then heads north out of Kelly. After a mile and a half, Gros Ventre Road turns right. Keep going and you'll soon see the signs.
From journal Three Days in Grand Teton