The Grand Tetons have some of the most spectacular views of lakes and mountains of all the national parks. The views around Jenny Lake are unforgettable. Before our visit my research kept coming back to Jenny Lake. Not the largest lake, but definitely the most written about lake. It wasn’t until I got there that I understood the reason. Providing a centerpiece of the park, Jenny Lake sits at the base of the Teton mountain range and the Cascade Canyon. Plan on spending at least half a day exploring this area.
Jenny Lake Area
The Jenny Lake area is a very busy location and has a visitor center with rangers and maps. There are also restrooms, dining and a lodge. The lodge is one of the first park hotels to fill up and it is worth the advance planning to try and get into this hotel. The lodge has rustic cabin style rooms with the best views and the most central location. The dining room has good food and it gears towards locally sourced food. Breakfast and lunch has fresh choices and always a good stop. During 2021, the Lodge is not serving lunch. Dinner at the Dining Room is an event consisting of a 5 course menu.
Parking
Challenges with parking come with the best features of the park. There is a very large lot that fills quickly. Most people arrive from sunrise to around 9am for their hike. Most people will spend easily 3-4 hours in this area. So plan to either arrive early morning or early afternoon. After lunch there is a steadier exit of people that does not occur from 10:30 – 12:00.
We could not find a space and turned a disappointment into an adventure. We went to the nearby String Lake Trailhead to spend some time in hopes parking would open up. We had planned on taking the boat shuttle, but decided to hike to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point from String Lake Trail instead
Jenny Lake Boat Shuttle
The Jenny Lake Boat shuttle leaves from the visitor center and takes you to the west side of the lake. The boats leave every 15 to 20 minutes and run all day. Hours vary based on season so check the website. The shuttle is a great boat ride and cuts 2 miles hike each way off of your trip to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. The tickets cost $18 round trip and $10 one way.
Many will hike over and take the shuttle back. If you change your mind once over there, you can take the shuttle back and pay once you reach the East dock. Our plan was to take the shuttle both ways because the hike to Inspiration Point was a climb and we wanted to conserve energy. But…Parking.
Hiking Jenny Lake
The entire Jenny Lake loop trail is 7.6 miles. It is a beautiful hike, but the real attractions are Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point which are 0.5 miles and 1.0 miles from the boat dock. Since we were at String Lake Hiking Trail, we realized we could get to the boat dock in a little over 2 miles of an easy hike. We may be old and novice hikers, but we can definitely handle that. SOOOO glad we did. Walked around the lake and saw overlooks and views of the lake. At one point we saw movement and an elk was walking nearby. We arrived at the boat dock with no problem.
Hidden Falls
The hike from the boat dock to Hidden Falls is 0.5 miles and has a moderate incline. We were there late spring and there was a huge snow melt going on. While walking up to Hidden Falls, we walked by Cascade Creek. To be honest I kept thinking that was the waterfall as it was so booming loud. We may have just been lucky with the snow melt but the power of the cascades was great. We sat to enjoy the sounds of the water (rest!) before continuing. You hit a junction where Hidden Falls is to the left and Inspiration Point is straight ahead. When you walk a year 25 yard, you are met with one of the best waterfalls. Again, maybe we were lucky with the snowmelt, but it was very powerful and you could stand close enough to fill the mist of the falls.
Inspiration Point
This part of the hike is a little steeper, but short. It is absolutely worth the trip up. There are a few points where you are walking near a ledge, but it does not feel dangerous at any point. My husband is not a fan of heights and he was comfortable. At the top there are amazing views of the lake and the mountains. After the long hike we decided to stay for a while to enjoy. This hike was the best thing we did in the park.
