The easiest hikes in Grand Teton National Park, by the numbers
Of the 118 trails in Grand Teton National Park in our dataset, 32 (27 percent) rate easiest on the gain-and-distance scale we use, run 1 to 6 miles and climb 500 ft or less; these are the 25 with the lowest rating.
Second Creek Trail has the lowest rating: 15 ft of gain over 2.2 miles, 7 ft per mile.
Across the 25, gain runs from 15 to 383 ft and distance from 1.1 miles to 4.7 miles; the median gain is 129 ft and the median distance 1.9 miles.
14 of the 25 are point-to-point routes; the rest are out-and-back (9) or loop (2).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Second Creek TrailNorthwestern Wyoming | 2.2 | 15 | 7 | 1% | 6,807 to 6,855 | 8.1 | |
| 2 | South Fork Granite CanyonNorthwestern Wyoming | 1.9 | 32 | 17 | 19% | 8,040 to 8,833 | 11 | |
| 3 | Hermitage Point Trail | 1.3 | 52 | 40 | 12% | 6,800 to 6,887 | 11.6 | |
| 4 | Granite Canyon Trail | 1.3 | 60 | 46 | 11% | 6,341 to 6,492 | 12.5 | |
| 5 | Jackson Lake Overlook TrailNorthwestern Wyoming | 1.2 | 82 | 68 | 7% | 6,785 to 6,847 | 14 | |
| 6 | Spur TrailNorthwestern Wyoming | 1.6 | 72 | 45 | 4% | 6,649 to 6,716 | 15.2 | |
| 7 | Hurricane PassNorthwestern Wyoming | 1.9 | 66 | 35 | 25% | 9,628 to 10,513 | 15.8 | |
| 8 | Alaska Basin ShelfNorthwestern Wyoming | 1.9 | 74 | 39 | 14% | 9,839 to 10,401 | 16.8 | |
| 9 | Emma Matilda Loop Trail | 1.1 | 129 | 117 | 28% | 6,738 to 7,009 | 16.8 | |
| 10 | Hermitage Point Trail | 3.1 | 51 | 16 | 8% | 6,819 to 6,898 | 17.8 | |
| 11 | Jenny Lake Lodge | 2 | 89 | 45 | 10% | 6,786 to 6,911 | 18.9 | |
| 12 | Lakeshore TrailNorthwestern Wyoming | 2.3 | 89 | 39 | 4% | 6,781 to 6,822 | 20.2 | |
| 13 | South Jenny Lake Walkways | 4.7 | 53 | 11 | 13% | 6,776 to 6,923 | 22.3 | |
| 14 | Hermitage Point Trail | 1.4 | 185 | 132 | 4% | 6,802 to 6,852 | 22.8 | |
| 15 | Boulder Ridge TrailNorthwestern Wyoming | 1.2 | 217 | 181 | 18% | 6,631 to 6,815 | 22.8 | |
| 16 | Phelps Lake TrailNorthwestern Wyoming | 1.5 | 175 | 117 | 17% | 6,637 to 6,790 | 22.9 | |
| 17 | Lake Creek TrailNorthwestern Wyoming | 1.9 | 162 | 85 | 15% | 6,539 to 6,668 | 24.8 | |
| 18 | Phelps Lake Loop Trail | 1.8 | 184 | 102 | 18% | 6,491 to 6,808 | 25.7 | |
| 19 | Conant PassNorthwestern Wyoming | 2.1 | 158 | 75 | 11% | 8,461 to 8,802 | 25.8 | |
| 20 | Hidden Falls Horse TrailNorthwestern Wyoming | 1.7 | 259 | 152 | 14% | 6,812 to 7,131 | 29.7 | |
| 21 | Open Canyon CutoffNorthwestern Wyoming | 1.3 | 357 | 275 | 24% | 7,056 to 7,413 | 30.5 | |
| 22 | String Lake Loop Trail | 1.3 | 383 | 295 | 26% | 6,801 to 7,127 | 31.6 | |
| 23 | Teton Crest - Survey Peak TrailNorthwestern Wyoming | 2.3 | 237 | 103 | 16% | 8,324 to 8,647 | 33 | |
| 24 | Teton Village TrailNorthwestern Wyoming | 1.9 | 294 | 155 | 20% | 6,453 to 6,672 | 33.4 | |
| 25 | Rendezvous MountainNorthwestern Wyoming | 3.1 | 183 | 59 | 27% | 8,752 to 10,021 | 33.7 |
How this list is ranked
Rating = the square root of 2 x elevation gain (ft) x distance (miles), the gain-and-distance formula Shenandoah National Park publishes for its own trails. Bands: under 50 easiest, 50 to 100 moderate, 100 to 150 moderately strenuous, 150 to 200 strenuous, 200 and over very strenuous.
This list: band easiest (under 50), 1 to 6 miles, no more than 500 ft of gain, ordered by rating asc, miles asc, capped at 25. The rating column is computed from the miles and gain printed in the same row, the numbers each trail page uses, so every row can be checked from the row itself. The rating says nothing about exposure, scrambling, altitude or conditions.
Only trails with a full page count, so "Grand Teton National Park" here means the 118 trails in Grand Teton National Park in our dataset, not every trail in Grand Teton National Park.
Each trail page shows the full elevation profile behind these numbers and the same data drawn as a topographic print, made to order. Start with Second Creek Trail.
Easiest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other parks in our dataset.