August 16, 2017

Cascade Canyon Trail


DISTANCE: 9.3 miles     ↠     DIFFICULTY: Hard

Park Entrance Fee    ↠     $15 Jenny Lake Boat Ride


Cascade Canyon Trail is a beautiful hike in Grand Teton National Park. It’s a 9.3 mile hike with a total elevation gain of 1351 ft.

My little brother Scooter and I had the best time this past weekend hiking through Cascade Canyon. We saw a black bear, we got caught in a rain and lightening storm, and even a little hail, but even in spite of all that we had a blast. I was just happy to be outside and exploring with my bro.

I’m truly the happiest out in the mountains.

 

Directions to Trail Head:

The trail starts at Jenny Lake. I suggest getting to Jenny Lake early in the morning to avoid the crowds and to find parking. Scooter and I pulled up to the Jenny Lake parking lot at 11:30am and it was packed – we ended up having to park on the main park road. Once we parked, we head down to the Jenny Lake boat ramp to take the boat across the lake towards Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. The boat ride costs $15. You have the option to hike around Jenny Lake to the trailhead – that will add 2.4 miles each way. Once you’ve gotten off the boat follow the signs for Inspiration Point and Cascade Canyon.

 

Hike:

The hike starts with a steep incline but don’t worry it’ll be the steepest part of the hike! The trail opens up into the mouth of Cascade Canyon. You’ll hike next to Cascade Creek and hike through the canyon where you’ll be surrounded by peaks. I found myself in awe during the whole hike – we were surrounded by the mountains, waterfalls, Cascade Creek, and the most breathtaking views. This is by far one of my most favorite hikes in Grand Teton National Park. It’s common to see wildlife on this trail- Scooter and I saw a black bear which is the first bear I’ve seen all summer!

Eventually the trail comes to a “fork” which is where we turned around. I wish we could have gone all the way to Lake Solitude -which is another 2.5 miles – but we were caught in rain, lightening, and hail so we thought it was best to head back since we didn’t know how long the storm would suppose to last. Luckily the weather cleared up as we made our way back – next time I’ll be making the trek all the way to Lake Solitude.

On our way back we hiked up to Inspiration Point which looks out over Jenny Lake. This little detour added .6 miles to the hike but it was totally worth it for the views!

The tank I’m wearing is from Girl Get Outside – shop HERE!

What to Pack:

  • Backpack
  • Hiking shoes
  • Sunscreen
  • Food/Snacks/(we brought beer)
  • Water
  • Bear Spray

 

What I Wore/Packed:

 



 

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