Formed by glacial movement thousands of years ago, these easy lakeside runs explore Grand Teton National Park’s pristine glacial lakes nestled along the eastern slopes of the mountains.
LessResting at the mouth of Death Canyon, this run offers an easy, yet beautiful trail run around one of the Teton's most coveted glacial lakes. Roughly 6.5 miles in length, this loop offers stunning views of Albright Peak and Prospectors Mountain as it ventures through stands of spruce, fir and lodgepole pine. As with the other lakeside trails in the Tetons, the run is spectacular in the early morning hours.
Resting along the northeastern edge of the Grand Teton itself, Jenny Lake offers an easy lakeside run with stunning mountain views. The loop is easy to follow, never steep, and great for anyone looking for some exercise on their visit to Jackson Hole or the National Park. Fed by glaciers, the lake is nearly 1,200-acres—one of the largest within the Grand Teton National Park, plus reaches an estimated depth of 423 feet!
Beginning at the mouth of Avalanche Canyon, this run explores two of six glacial lakes resting at the foot of the Teton Mountains. As mapped, the route first follows Taggart Lake Trail, then spurs onto Bradley Lake Trail, offering even better mountain views from a slightly higher elevation. For a shorter run, skip the Bradley Lake Trail and simply follow the Taggart Lake trail for an easy ~3-mile round trip run.
Just a few miles north of Moran Junction, this easy ~10k run around Two Ocean Lake offers impressive views of the Teton skyline, the high peaks of Mount Mora,n and Grand Teton clearly distinguishable from the rest. Formed by glacial activity, the surface of the lake rests at nearly 6,900' above sea level, many of the visible mountain peaks towering well above 12,000'.
Run along the shores of Leigh Lake, a glacial lake resting along the eastern slopes of Mount Moran, the 4th highest peak in the Tetons. One of the easier runs in the park, many suggest an early morning start to enjoy the sunrise as it illuminates the mountainside with a stunning array of colors. Many consider Leigh Lake an excellent alternative to Jenny Lake, offering a similar experience, but often without the crowds.
This run is a longer alternative to the classic Two Ocean Lake loop, beginning at the same trailhead and sharing much of the same path. Both Two Ocean and Emma Matilda Lake have a surface elevation near 6,900 feet, with many of the high peaks in the Teton Range towering well above the lakes at 12,000 feet. Many of the mountain peaks are a full mile above the surface of the lakes!