Field Guide

This route climbs slightly before arriving at a lake with exceptional views of the Grand Teton range. Even when the trail is crowded, you may find a spot to yourself on the water’s edge to wade and sun. Walk it counterclockwise for the best views, and extend the route two miles to Bradley Lake for further solitude.

This is something of a hidden-gem, just 35 minutes from Jackson but free of the heaviest crowds in part because it’s served by just 50 parking spots. Formerly a summer retreat for the Rockefellers, the buildings were removed and land incorporated into the park in 2007. Stop at the visitor center, a gorgeous LEED-certified building, to learn more about its reclamation.

Circling an alpine lake beneath towering mountain peaks, then ascending past a waterfall to a lookout at Inspiration Point, this trail is a crowd-pleaser — and very crowded by mid-morning. Shorten the route a few miles by catching a frequent motorboat shuttle across the lake, or rent a kayak to explore the shoreline from on the water.

A relatively flat trail through marshy areas frequented by wildlife, this trail works well on its own or as an extension of the Jenny Lake trail.

About an hour’s drive from town, this trail passes through resplendent groves of aspen and pine and sees few visitors.

Reached from the Colter Bay trailhead, about an hour’s drive from Jackson, this well-worn route tracks along the edge of a small peninsula into Jackson Lake, with plenty of wildlife and thinner crowds. There are boats for rent in the adjoining marina, though take cautions as weather conditions can change quickly.

This even, well-graded path skirts Grand Prismatic Spring, then enters the woods before emerging at a 200-foot waterfall. Continue a half-mile further to find impressive Spray and Imperial Geysers. Along the way, a short detour also climbs to the best overlook of nearby Grand Prismatic Spring’s otherworldly depths.

The “Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone” is one of the park’s most iconic sights: a chasm of pastel-colored stone with the 308-foot Lower Falls at its head. Walk between lookouts on this trail, culminating at Artist Point, the classic postcard vista.

Lamar Valley, in the northeast of the park, is among the best places to see Yellowstone’s megafauna including bison, grizzlies, pronghorn, and wolves. At dawn or dusk, it’s dotted with visitors armed with binoculars and scopes, scanning the hillsides. Escape into solitude up Slough Creek, which runs along an old wagon route, reaching a broad wildflower meadow within two miles (though the trail runs far longer).

Summit one of Yellowstone’s highest accessible peaks on this steady climb, which tops out at 10,243 feet, affording panoramic views of the park. Bighorn sheep frequent the alpine terrain above the treeline, and wildflowers dot the slope in summer. It’s slightly longer to climb from Dunraven Pass, but most visitors prefer that trail to ascending from the other direction, on the Chittenden Road.