The trail to the right leads to the outlet between Leigh Lake and String Lake and eventually back to the String Lake parking lot. After you have pulled away from String Lake, rising above a serene meadow, you’ll come to a “Y” junction with the Paintbrush Canyon trail, which will be on your left. Part of this trail is out in the open, which gives you a great perspective on String Lake. This trail will lead you just above the west shore of String Lake, which is another beautiful setting. Turn left here you’re 1.3 miles from the Paintbrush Canyon trail. Just before the String Lake parking area, you’ll come to a signed junction with a trail to your left. This can be a busy section of trail and if you get an early start, you’ll be glad that you missed the crowds.
You’ll also enjoy the sight of Sleeping Indian rising far off in the distance above the lake. The view of Jenny Lake from this section of trail is gorgeous, and you can also look back and get a few good perspectives on the Cathedral Group of the Tetons. Call (307) 734-9227 for the current schedule and be sure to find out when the last boat of the day is.įrom the west boat dock, you’ll follow the trail along the Jenny Lake shoreline for about a mile and a half north toward String Lake. shuttle for much of the summer, and you’ll want that head start. If you’re planning to do this hike in one day, I’d recommend taking the shuttle. You can either hike two miles of Jenny Lake shoreline from the South Jenny Lake area to the west boat dock, or ride the shuttle. This article will describe the trail starting at the west Jenny Lake boat dock, hiking along the shore of Jenny Lake to String Lake, then climbing up Paintbrush Canyon to Paintbrush Divide and descending to Lake Solitude and returning via Cascade Canyon. This option requires you to gain most of the 4,000 feet of elevation within about seven miles between String Lake and the Divide, so it is challenging. However, hiking up Paintbrush Divide and then coming down through Cascade Canyon gives you head-on fantastic views of the Grand Teton between Lake Solitude and the Cascade Canyon forks. Walking up Cascade Canyon to Lake Solitude allows you to gain much of the elevation on this hike relatively gradually before you make the 1,700-foot climb from Lake Solitude to Paintbrush Divide. You can start from the south Jenny Lake area and hike along Jenny Lake back to the Cascade Canyon trailhead to begin your loop (about 24 miles, round trip), you can ride the Jenny Lake Boating shuttle across Jenny Lake to the Cascade Canyon trailhead (about 20 miles roundtrip) or you can start at the String Lake parking area (again, about 20 miles).Īnd you can hike the loop clockwise or counterclockwise. You have a bunch of options on this hike. The rest of this adventure opens up earlier – it is possible to get to Lake Solitude in June, for example. There are some steep, barren slopes between Holly Lake and the divide. Paintbrush Divide melts relatively late in the season, so unless you’re armed with an ice axe, you’ll probably have to wait until August. Woodring and the less-traveled terrain of the northern Teton range. And the views of the mountains from the divide are fantastic, particularly of Mt. On the divide, you’ll look down on Grizzly Bear Lake, Mica Lake and Mink Lake, as well as Lake Solitude. From a distance, you’ll see Leigh Lake and Jackson Lake as you climb Paintbrush Canyon. You’ll also hike along Jenny Lake and near the shores of String Lake. There are plenty of campsites along this trip – Paintbrush Canyon has backcountry camping zones above and below Holly Lake, and there is another below Lake Solitude in the North Fork of Cascade Canyon.Īlong the way, you’ll walk right by two gorgeous alpine lakes: Holly Lake and Lake Solitude. This trip can be done as a day hike, but you’ll also run into a bunch of people that make it an overnighter. Of course, the loop is almost 20 miles and you gain about 4,000 feet of elevation, so you’ll feel some pain once you get home. You’ll see some of the most beautiful terrain in the park. From there, you descend to Lake Solitude and follow Cascade Canyon back to Jenny Lake.
This kind of hike is just what the Tetons are all about! You’ll hike up Paintbrush Canyon, past Holly Lake, and cross Paintbrush Divide. The Lake Solitude / Paintbrush Divide loop is one of the most dynamic all-around hikes in the Tetons, offering two gorgeous alpine lakes, fantastic views from 10,700 feet above sea level, and a good chance to see wildlife. The Paintbrush Divide – Lake Solitude Loop Posted by Jim Steele on August 26th, 2008 filed in Grand Teton National Park
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