July 3rd ~ Grand Teton National Park
Tim and Joanne at Hidden Falls
There is construction going on at Jenny Lake, and the parking situation is dismal. We were advised to get there before 9:00 in the morning unless we could levitate our car. WELL, we did not get out and about when we had planned, so early afternoon, we were prepared to play the go in circles, and wait for a spot to open.
People were parked along the roadway for about a mile from the main lot. It did not look good. But, Luck was a Lady, and in a very full lot, we found a spot on our first pass…
There are a couple of options if you want to see Hidden Falls. #1 – You can take a hike from the Visitors Center, which is approximately 4.8 miles round trip and is rated moderate. Or, the second option is to take a shuttle boat across the lake, and then a 1 mile hike.
Can you guess which one we chose? Hint:
Shuttle boat on Jenny Lake
Gus got to go along for the ride
The hike follows along beside a narrow river, still swiftly flowing with all of the melted snow run off. It is rated easy to moderate with a 200 foot elevation gain. Hidden Falls was a treat to see with a 200 foot cascade. You can also continue on to Inspiration Point, but in 2017, that requires doubling back as the direct through trail is currently closed.
Hidden Falls
The weather got gloomy and we stopped in at Jackson Lake Lodge to weather the storm and get a bite to eat. The lodge is open beamed, with a magnificent view of the mountains and lake.
Inside the lodge
View from Jackson Lake Lodge
The weather cleared again and a late afternoon exploration drive took us to the top of Signal Mountain.
Top of Signal Mountain
Gus thought the view was pretty awesome too. Grand Teton Mountains in the background.
We are all taking time to smell the flowers
White flowers
We took another side road, (I think it was Pioneer something??) to look for moose. Still being elusive, but we did see a gorgeous bull elk and a marmot family of mother and two youngsters.
Look at this beautiful guy! Just grazing in the wild flowers.
The mother marmot was a bit bigger than a very large house cat, but she scurried off before I got a good picture of her.
Young Marmot
GRATITUDE MOMENT: Today I am grateful that we missed a downpour and our timing worked out perfectly to sit and enjoy both the view and a meal at Jackson Lake Lodge.
Coming next: Our time in Yellowstone National Park
A Note From Abroad 
Hope a spot opens soon and you enjoy the day. Thanks for posting!
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We got lucky!
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Oh looking forward to hearing about Yellowstone.
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Post about Yellowstone coming soon…
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Pingback: Jenny Lake and Hidden Falls – disasterandweatherblog
Really stunning photos as usual!
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Thank you John
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Beautiful photos! We’ll be heading to Grand Teton in July next year, so thanks for the boat tip.
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Enjoy your time in the Tetons! We found the area stunning to say the least. FYI, if you will be there on the 4th of July, there is a rodeo right next door in Jackson Wyoming with some top notch contenders and fireworks following.
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Lovely pics. Marmots are so cute. One came home with my hubby in the wheel well of his truck on one of his climbing trips. He couldn’t figure out what was squeaking. Boy was he surprised. He said he and the neighbors rounded it up, and he had to drive all the way back up the mountain to take it back. He said it wasn’t the same mountain because that was several hours away, but he took him to a mountain. Hopefully the poor guy didn’t have a family somewhere.
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Oh My! What a wild ride that must have been for that little marmot. That was a nice gesture that your husband returned him to the mountains. I hope the little rascal found a new clan.
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I know, I worried about that too.
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Glad to hear you found a spot! We passed on that area of Jenny Lake due to traffic, so thank you for sharing your photos of the falls and boat ride. Looks like a wonderful place to be.
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It was touted as one of the highlights for Grand Teton NP. I enjoyed it, but the views of the mountains, especially early in the morning was my favorite. Hard to beat!
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Beautiful bull elk and cute little marmot! The hidden Falls was hidden from us when we were there 😦
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Yes, unless you know about them, you would drive right past Jenny Lake and the hike there.
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Beautiful shots. We loved this spot more than Yellowstone. Aren’t the Teton breathtaking?
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Well, I can’t say that that I love the Tetons more than Yellowstone, as they are BOTH magnificent and offer greatly different highlights. Yellowstone has long been one of my very favorite destinations, but I can certainly see why the Grand Tetons could win your heart, as they did ours.
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Beautiful outing! Thank-You for sharing
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You are welcome!
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Such a beautiful and majestic place. Loved all of your photos and descriptions. Isn’t it the best to find a surprise parking spot?
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We decided we must still had some good karma 🙂
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I’m sure there’s a moose … somewhere along this journey … any day now. 🙂
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I’m still looking 😢
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Why walk when you get take a boat ride? Beautiful photos. Love the elk and marmot.
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I think you and I must be kindred spirits. Some times walking can be overrated 😬
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Fun boat ride and good place to wait out the weather
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Good to see the proper view from Signal Mountain. We drove up, but there were fires to the north and so much smoke drifting that the view was very hazy.
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Anabel, that is a shame your view was hindered by smoke. It really was quite lovely. Glad we could fill in a piece for you.
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Exceptional photos of the scenery, but that elk was truly posing! Enjoying your trip from humid and soggy North Georgia! 🙂
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He was gorgeous, wasn’t he! So thoughtful of him to pose for us.
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