Grand Teton National Park: Hiking on the Taggart Lake Trail

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA.

Hiking in Grand Teton National Park is a marvellous pleasure for all hikers and nature lovers.

This wild park is located in Wyoming (USA), south of Yellowstone National Park. The highest  peak of the mountain range, called Grand Teton, rises at 13,769 feet.
Grand Teton National Park is part of a protected ecosystem, allowing an important fauna, composed in particular of wild mammals (bears, buffalos, deers and mooses, …) and a variety of flora (pine forests, spruces, shrubs, artemisias, etc …) to develop freely.
This environment is completely wild and should remain so.

On the recommendations of the park rangers, we choose the hiking trail “Taggart Lake Trail” to discover two glacial lakes, Taggart and Bradley Lakes. It is one of the most popular day hikes in the park (Duration 2-3 hours). The purpose of this “trail” situated at the foot of the Grand Teton range, is to be quickly and easily immersed into its wild environment, while enjoying breathtaking views on the mountain. No need to walk for hours to be in complete wilderness!

Grand Teton National Park Map

Click on the map to enlarge it:

carte du site nps.gov/carto

Access directly to the Taggart Lake Trail map

1. Hiking on the Taggart Lake -Bradley Lake Trail

The Grand Teton National Park offers many hikes of various duration to passing visitors.

On a very cool morning, we leave Colter Bay Village where we reach the Teton Park Road towards Jenny Lake. On the way, we benefit from the different viewpoints where visitors experience the scenary. It is breathtaking.

Grand Teton National Park – Teton range

We arrive at the car park, the starting point of the “Taggart Lake Trail”, located approximately at 3,5 miles south of the Jenny Lake Visitor Center. We already have a beautiful view of the rocky summits.
A hundred yards further, the path joins to the left the “Beaver Creek Trail” (blue path on our map) and continues to the right, toward Taggart Lake. We walk in the direction of the lake.
We cross a magnificent aspen forest whose trees wears the flamboyant colors of the fall season.

Hiking in aspen forest in Grand Teton National Park

Then the trail climbs and overlooks Taggart Lake. Walking on the open heights, we can marvelled at the Grand Teton mountains. The view is simply splendid.
And what a serenity!

Grand Teton chain: South Teton (12,513 ft), Grand Teton, Mt Owen (12,926 ft) and Teewinot (12,322 ft).

2. Taggart Lake

We continue in the direction of Taggart Lake which shores are within one mile. The view is breathtaking: the fir trees cover the lake shore and are reflected in the emerald and transparent waters. Overhanging the lake, the highest peaks of the chain rise in the clouds: South Teton (12,513 ft), Grand Teton, Mt Owen (12,926 ft) and Teewinot (12,322 ft).

We take a few pictures to capture this magical moment. Then, along the trail, we  discover a small cove so friendly that we decide to picnic there. We have lunch, seated on a stone, completely absorbed by the lake and mountains’ beauty. The weather suddenly darkens, reinforcing the dramatic and imposing landscape’s aspect.

Grand Teton national Park – Taggart Lake

Careful observation of the premises allows us to identify geeses and many other birds. We could also have crossed paths with some mooses or deers eager to drink. But we don’t have this chance today. We continue our way to Bradley Lake located about 1,5 miles from Taggart Lake.

3. Bradley Lake

The path rises somewhat along the wooden ridge and offers an excellent view of Grand Teton’s majestic summit, holding the surrounding clouds. The trail then goes down on the Bradley Lake’s shore from where we  admire, once again the Grand Teton chain’s reflection in the lake.

On the way back, the path narrows through magnificent pine landscapes, mountain streams, and aspen forests.

It is also possible to come back to the parking lot by the “Beaver Creek Trail” (blue path on our map) which lengthens the path by  1,4 miles.

Hiking on Bradley Lake’s shores

5. Conclusion

This hiking trail in Grand Teton National Park is a real crush! It is really ideal for anyone who wants to easily discover this magnificent natural environment surrounded by lakes, coniferous forests, streams, at the foot of one of the most famous mountain ranges.

Useful information to hike in Grand Teton National Park

Hiking Map “Taggart Lake Trail”

Click on the map to enlarge it:

By U.S. National Park Service, restoration/cleanup by Matt Holly – U.S. National Park Service

Where is it?

North-West of the US, in the State of Wyoming, 175 miles from Salt Lake City and 515 miles from Denver. It is located South of Yellowstone National Park.

When to go there?

Grand Tetons National Park is open all year-round. In Winter, check the seasonal road closures on the park website.

How to get there?

There is no public transportation to Grand Teton National Park. With a car you can get to the park:

– through the South entrance of Yellowstone National Park
– from Salt Lake City, drive on Interstate 15 then Highway 89
– from Denver, take Interstate 25 then Highway 26

Grand Teton lodging?

– There are several lodges in the Grand Teton national Park or outside. Book several months in advance!
– There are seven campgrounds in the park. Again, make reservation much in advance.

We stayed at Colter Bay Village, a charming lodge with mountain cabins. Book directly on the lodge website to widen your choice of rooms available. Indeed, the travel and booking websites only offers the most expensive cabins. (we did  not know that and we ended up booking a cabin for 6 persons because there was no more room available for 2 on the booking sites!). Imagine the hole in the budget !!!

A cheaper way to immerse in the scenary is to camp. Grand Teton National Pak counts 7 campgrounds. Be sure to reserve well in advance.

Hiking trail information?

– Duration and type: 3 to 4 hours, loop-trail
– Difficulty: easy
– Distance : ~5 miles (red trail on the map)
– Elevation: 300 feet