A Few Good Hikes
Story by Rebecca Woods
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Photo: Wade McKoy/ FPI
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Wildflower meadows. Jagged peaks. Postcard-perfect valleys. Peaceful lakeshores. Magnificent waterfalls and colorful canyons. All are part of the scenic symphony performed each summer on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem’s 14 million acres of public land. The grand show is witnessed by the largest and most diverse wildlife population in the lower 48 states. Care to join them? First-class seats are found along the region’s 4,000 plus miles of trail. Terrain varies from easy-listening walks across bucolic grasslands to a full-orchestra crescendo of high peak scrambles.
If you have the luxury of time, good regional guidebooks and park and forest service rangers can direct you to hidden backcountry treasures worth a lifetime of exploration. The hikes below offer a quick introduction to the two national parks and six national forests that comprise this vast ecosystem, the opening notes of a wild lands masterpiece.
Ah, sweet music.
Jackson Hole & Grand Teton National Park
Hikers can’t resist the jaw-dropping beauty of the Tetons. The east shore of Leigh Lake offers the best backcountry views of Mount Moran in the park. The massive peak towers over 4,000 feet above the lakeshore, its rocky slopes mirrored in Leigh’s crystalline water. Wildflowers thrive in the lush understory of the forested trail, and moose are frequently spotted dining on aquatic vegetation near the shore. Walk as far as you wish; it is 7.4 miles roundtrip to the end of the trail. The path begins at the north end of String Lake Outlet parking area, reached by turning west at North Jenny Lake Junction.
A dawn or dusk 1.2-mile roundtrip walk along level Sawmill Ponds Bench is a satisfying way to start or end a summer day. The bench offers a bird’s-eye view into a riparian area frequented by wildlife and waterfowl. The trail is an old dirt road that once led to a small ranch occupied in the 1920s. Scattered timber, concrete footings, and cabin walls still poke through the sagebrush. The hike begins at a large pullout 1.2 miles from the Moose end of the Moose-Wilson Road across from park headquarters.
Literally dozens of wonderful trails outside Grand Teton National Park await exploration. Ski Lake is a 4.8-mile roundtrip hike popular among wildflower enthusiasts. Nestled in a cirque at the base of the southern Tetons, this charming tarn is virtually hidden until you are upon it. The trailhead is located halfway up Teton Pass off signed Phillips Canyon Road. Park at the start of that road or in the large unpaved lot across the highway 20 yards to the southeast.
Teton Valley
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Photo: Fed Pflughoft Square Top Mountain and the Green River Lakes are just two of the scenic jewels awaiting hikers to the Wind River Range. |
The four-mile roundtrip trail to 9,827-foot Peaked Peak offers sweeping fields of wildflowers and vistas into the west slope of the Teton Range that are second to none. At the main intersection in downtown Driggs, turn east onto Little Avenue and follow the signs to Grand Targhee Ski Resort. The hike begins right of the Dreamcatcher chair lift on the dirt service road. Hikes along the floor of Teton Canyon to the base of Devil’s Stairs, the Wind and Ice Caves and the Aspen Trail are also good half-day options. These and many longer excursions are detailed in Targhee Trails, a comprehensive guide to exploring the area.
Yellowstone
Visitors to the world’s first national park have over 1,000 miles of trail at their feet. Those on a tight time tether should not miss the South Canyon Rim Trail from Artist Point to the Upper Falls. The path follows the rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, a deep chasm cut by the powerful Yellowstone River. Both the Lower and Upper Falls are showcased on this 3.2-mile roundtrip excursion. Those in good physical condition can easily extend their canyon exploration with a spectacular side trip down Uncle Tom’s Trail. This short but very steep, one-mile path plunges 500 feet into the canyon via a series of steel-grate steps. It ends at a platform near the base of 308-foot Lower Falls, offering a close-up view worth every gasp on the way back up. Both trails are accessed off the South Canyon Rim/Artist Point Road, located between Canyon and Lake junctions.
The 4-mile Elephant Back Loop Trail one mile south of Fishing Bridge Junction leads to a superb overlook of Yellowstone Lake, Pelican Valley, and the Absaroka Mountains. And, while you certainly won’t have the place to yourself, the boardwalk around Upper Geyser Basin opposite Old Faithful Inn weaves through the largest concentration of geysers in the world. Inexpensive brochures available at the visitor center outline two- to four-mile loop walks.
Cody
Teddy Roosevelt pronounced the 52-mile stretch of road between Cody and Yellowstone the most scenic blacktop in the United States. Designated the Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway in 1996, U.S. Highway 14/16/20 follows the North Fork of the Shoshone River through the Absaroka Mountains to Yellowstone’s East Entrance. Thirty-eight miles out of Cody, at the end of an unimproved road 1.5 miles south of Blackwater Lodge, is the trailhead to the Blackwater Fire Memorial. This National Recreation Trail follows Blackwater Creek to a point near the origin of a 1937 fire that killed 15 CCC forest firefighters—the most deadly conflagration in the state to date. Those with time may wish to continue ascending the scenic trail beyond the memorial to the summit of Clayton Mountain, where outstanding views of Buffalo Bill Reservoir and the Continental Divide unfold.
Dubois
Traveling west out of Dubois on U.S. Hwy 26/287 towards Togwotee Pass, visitors soak in one of the most stunning roadside panoramas in the West—a two-mile stretch of stratified volcanic cliffs and pinnacles that soar over a thousand feet into the sky. Upper and Lower Jade lakes’ bottle-green waters reflect the colorful banded formations and surrounding countryside beautifully. The 4.8-mile roundtrip hike to the lakes is among the most rewarding half-day excursions in the entire region. The Jade Lakes trailhead is located adjacent to Brooks Lake Campground, accessed by turning off the highway onto the signed Brooks Lake Recreation Area access road.
Pinedale
Pinedale is the jumping-off point for trips into the Wind River Range. Forty summits top 13,000 feet in this dramatic Rocky Mountain chain, led by 13,804 foot Gannet, the highest point in the state. While oriented towards longer trips, Green River Lakes and Photographer’s Point are excellent day hikes. Green River Lakes is a 6.5-mile loop venture that showcases Square Top Mountain, the most photographed peak in the range. The 9-mile roundtrip hike to Photographer’s Point is rewarded with a show-stopping vista of the northern Wind River Range. But then, what would you except from a place called Photographer’s Point? Inquire locally for directions.
Rebecca Woods is a naturalist who has authored four respected guidebooks to the region: Jackson Hole Hikes, Targhee Trails, Walking the Winds, and Beyond the Tetons.
Copyright 2004 by FPI (Focus Productions, Inc)., P.O. Box 1930, Jackson, Wyoming 83001. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publishers.
Mountain Country is a free visitors’ guide published annually in May and distributed at hundreds of locations throughout Jackson Hole, Cody, and other regional communities. To receive a copy in the mail, send $5 to Mountain Country, P.O. Box 1930, Jackson, Wyoming 83001.
Publishers: Bob Woodall & Wade McKoy, dba Focus Productions, Inc. (FPI)
Editors: Mike Calabrese, Wade McKoy, Bob Woodall
Art Direction & Ad Design: Janet Melvin
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