Jenny Lake Hike

We hiked 12 miles which climbed over 2500 feet in the Jenny Lake area. The trail which started at the Jenny Lake Visitor Center took us partially around the lake to an amazing waterfall, Hidden Falls. From there it climbed dramatically to a beautiful overlook, Inspiration Point, which overlooked Jenny Lake and the surrounding area. From there we continued on Cascade Canyon Trail which took us through the mountain meadows of Cottonwood Creek. The trail followed the creek the whole way. We were able to see some beautiful wildflowers while gazing up at the Tetons. On our way back through the meadow we saw a mule deer and a bull moose. It is amazing to see these animals in their natural habitat.

This hike is a must do if you visit Grand Teton National Park. It is my favorite hike of the trip so far! We started at 8:45 and finished around 1:00. We were among the few hikers in the morning, but the trail really filled up on our way back. We were told that this is one of the most popular hikes in the area, so we would recommend starting very early in the day, possibly around 7:00 a.m. to avoid the crowds.

After our hike we were starving so we drove into Jackson to try a Mexican restaurant recommended by our river guide yesterday. We were both so hungry from our 12 mile hike we devoured our lunches! We then walked around the town and did a little shopping. Jackson has so many neat shops including souvenir shops, boutiques, and western stores. We only shopped for a few hours before the tiredness from our hike set in. We headed back to the campground for some rest. I took a two hour nap while Nick fished the Gros Ventre River behind our site. He caught 2 cutthroat and 2 white fish.

We spent the evening cooking brats, making s’mores, and sitting around the fire. This morning we woke up, packed up, and we are on our way to West Yellowstone.