cascade canyon trail

这条trail在过了inspiration point 的地方，要走完的话估计5-6英里，还是非常远的，我只走了一小截，迎面过来的人都说看到熊了，这里也是moose出没的地方，不过要带熊铃，喷雾等，足够的水，因为一路没有供应，完全野生注意安全

Unless you have too much energy, plan to take the boat across Jenny Lake. Hike up from the dock stopping at Hidden Falls. Uphill from there the trail gets steeper and in places narrower to Inspiration Point (although the one switchback looks like your at Inspiration Point, it's still uphill from there. From Inspiration Point to the forks of Cascade Trail is basically a gradual uphill - nothing like the climb to Inspiration Point. After about a 1/2 mile your view opens up in the canyon. The mountains are on both sides and sometimes the trail goes through boulder fields and sometimes trees. It's a long round trip, but if you have time (remember to make it for the last boat or you have to add 2 miles around Jenny Lake) the hike to Lake Solitude is rewarding. All in all a very nice hike!!!

Go as far as you like, the farther the better cause you get away from the crowds hiking to Inspiration Point. We took a full day and enjoyed it very much. Its a easy hike after Inspiration Point, fairly level.

We did this hike from the visitor centre around Jenny Lake via Hidden Falls and Inspiration Pt. Through Cascade Valley its your choice how far you keep hiking.As there is boat access across the lake a lot of non or inexperienced hikers make their way to check out Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point so it becomes akin to a New York sidewalk in peak hour but just have patience push on and enjoy the amazing scenery of the Canyon. Unfortunately we weren't lucky enough to see much wildlife but the scenery was enough.

Hiking the trail up through Cascade Canyon was one of our top reasons to return to Grand Teton National Park. We had intended making this hike during our 2011 visit, but the weather conspired against us. However, for this trip, we had ideal conditions. We got an early start for the hike so that we could take advantage of the first boat across Jenny Lake at 7:00 AM. Taking the boat ride saves time and a few miles compared to hiking around the lake and the fare for first boat of the morning is a deal at $5. I was shocked that there were not more folks waiting for the boat. We arrived at the dock about 6:50 AM and there was only one other couple ahead of use probably only twenty or so folks on the boat when we left the dock. Once off the boat on the far side of Jenny Lake, we got our gear in order and headed up the trail. Since we took our time getting off the boat and getting our packs adjusted, we had allowed the other hikers to get ahead of us, so we basically had the trail to ourselves as we left the trailhead, which just made the hike that much better. For the start of our hike, the weather was perfect at about 50 degrees F under blue skies with just a few puffy, white clouds. The hike changes character several times. The initial portion from the dock to Hidden Falls was along a temporary trail as the main trail was closed for maintenance. This part is dirt, mostly, and weaves through the trees and along the creek. There is a short spur that takes you to the Hidden Falls overlook. From the falls the trail continues up through the trees but starts to transition to more rocky as it works up along the canyon wall. There are several points along the trail that provide nice vistas of the peaks up the valley. The final section of the trail before reaching Inspiration Point is basically a rock shelf carved into the canyon wall. This section could be a bit hairy for folks with a fear of heights or edges, like me. But the trail is in pretty good shape and pretty wide, so I had no issues with this section.Inspiration Point is aptly named as it does provide a grand view across the lake and wide valley beyond. But the view is directly into the morning sun, so photos at this time of day were not great. Again, no worries as we’ll pass this way again this afternoon…or whenever we get back.From Inspiration Point the trail continues to climb through rocks, but as the trail was working generally west to east from Hidden Falls to Inspiration point. It is now heading westerly into Cascade Canyon. After a final climb, the trail “levels out” a bit and alternates in scenery from the next three miles or so to the split. OK, “levels out” means that there are no seriously steep elevation changes, but the trail is rising going up the canyon, but there are ups and downs along this entire stretch. We were now in Cascade Canyon, with its lush creek banks, boulder fields and imposing granite walls. While the walls of the canyon are impressive, the distance between them is considerable, so that there are wonderful views up the canyon from all along the trail. We had a lovely morning, perfect weather for hiking and we had the trail all to ourselves. We were taking our time and enjoying the views, so I figured that folks from the next boat would be closing in on us, but we had almost complete solitude on the trail for about two hours. The only other souls that we saw were backpackers coming down the canyon. I reckon they were out here camping last night and were on their way out. We saw three or four pairs of hikers coming out of the canyon, and everyone had a cheerful ‘good morning’ as we passed by.The skies were completely cloudless for our hike up the canyon. The only object in the sky now was the moon. We had been chasing it up the canyon since we got off the boat this morning. I was keeping an eye on the setting orb as I figured there might be a nice photo when it got near the walls of the canyon. And I was right, I think. As the moon continued its downward track and we continued up the canyon, there were several times when the big orb seemed to be in very close proximity to the granite walls. And several times I thought we had seen the last of the moon as it was slipping behind the canyon wall, only to see it reappear as we moved further up the canyon and thus changed the horizon just enough. Just an added little game, this playing tag with the moon, as we continued trekking up Cascade Canyon.As we walked, we kept a watchful eye out for animals. It was still early in the day and the first wave of hikers had already moved through, so there was a good chance of interesting sightings. Each time that we came to a pool in Cascade Creek, our radar went up looking for moose, but alas no big critters were seen in the water. We also scoured the boulder fields for little varmints and there we had more luck as we saw a couple Pika scurrying about. We saw one in the rocks just a few feet off the trail, so we stopped to watch him for a bit. He did sit still for a few photos, but otherwise just went on about his business. We also spotted a couple snakes on the trail as we went up the canyon (and later a third on our return trip). They were moving pretty quickly across the trail, so we did not get a good look about just seeing them from a distance was enough as we rarely see snakes when hiking out west. But our best critter sighting was yet to come.The trail runs between the creek and the base of the north wall of the canyon, often very close to the base of the granite wall. This actually works out well as we are near to the creek and the boulders at the base of the canyon well, which is great for critter sighting but also provides a grand view of the south wall that includes many grand granite spires as well as several waterfalls. We stopped several times to gaze at the creeks formed by the snow melt tumble down the mountain side. After about two hours, we were passed by a single guy then a young couple, probably folks from the second boat or maybe they hiked around the lake. Anyway, they were faster than us. However, we caught up with them about 15 minutes later as they were stopped on the trail. Seems there was a black bear on the trail ahead of them. They all had to retreat down the trail a piece and the bear was sort of pacing back-and-forth across the path. So we waited there in this open area of the trail, talking rather loudly, hands on bear spray and waited for the bear to do whatever it was the bear was doing. We heard other hikers coming of the trail behind us, another young couple, so we shouted out a warning. They joined our little herd, bear spray already unholstered. The single guy had the best view and was keeping an eye on the bear and after a few minutes, Yogi started working his way along the edge of the trees above the trail to get around us. Seems he did not want anything to do with us either. I reckon he was within about 50 feet of our location when he passed us and was in clear view. Sorry, no photos, we were all more focused on paying attention to what he was doing and did not try to record the event. We waited a bit longer for the bear to continue out of sight then we all started up the canyon. The rest of the folks were faster hikers and we were soon alone again on our hike.Back to the trail. While the creek and the canyon walls are constants, the details of both change to provide a variety of views and habitats. My favorites were the wide meadows where the creek slowed to a crawl. While we saw none, this looked like prime habitats for moose. The trail also passed along the base of several boulder fields, the remains of falls, some apparently fairly recent by the way the rocks were resting against the trees and cut stumps. The lichens in these rocks provided highlights of color against the otherwise grey field. Finally there are the forested areas. As we move further up into the canyon and gained in elevation, the trail did become more wooded. These were the least interesting stretches as the views were obscured, but they did provide a break from the sun. It was also in the wooded areas where the creek generally flowed faster and where we had some run-off creeks to negotiate but only one of these was really wide enough to cause any concern at all…and that was minimal.We reached the split in the trail after about 3 hours. This is the point where we opted to continue on up the North Fork toward Lake Solitude. But we had to take a little detour as the normal trail was closed as the foot bridge was out. The detour route cut through the woods to avoid the creek and it was a bit rough with a couple of logs to step over and a few branches that snagged us as we walked past. The detour trail reconnected with the normal trail just above the washed out bridge. Yep, it was a bit of a wreck. There was a crew of National Parks Service folks rebuilding the bridge and they were doing things the old-fashioned way. They were using the available timbers from the forest as the main structure of the bridge. There were chains, ropes and come-alongs in play as the crew dragged the new main beams up to the trail. It was a tough looking job but they seemed to be enjoying the work. Hats off to these folks who work so hard so the rest of us can play hard on the trails.The trail following the detour is a wooded stretch and on an uphill grade, but fortunately it is not a long haul before the trail breaks out of the trees and levels out a bit. At this point we started seeing patches of snow on the trail but also got the grand views looking up the North Fork of Cascade Canyon. The views up the North Fork show the rounded shape of the canyon, indicative of glacial carving. As we continued up the canyon, we crossed a few more small snow fields as the trail weaved through the fields of wildflowers and boulders and across the stream. There were also a few critters about, several birds as well as a couple marmots sunning themselves on the rocks. The snow fields were not so bad thus far, so we thought we still might have a chance of making it to Lake Solitude (although our pace was a bit slow to this point, what with the bear, the open backpack and just taking our time to enjoy the sights). However, we had not reached the avalanche area at the camping area yet, and when we did we quickly decided to take a conservative approach to the hike and save Lake Solitude for another visit. The snow field here was caused by an avalanche that occurred last winter. I guess it was at a hundred yards or more across and no telling how deep, although we did see the top of the camping area sign just poking through the top of the snow. The pine trees here were bent and twisted, but not all were broken. We walked out onto the avalanche area a bit, but there was no discernible path to follow. We did see some other hikers picking their way across the snow, but the going was slow and it just looked like a good way to get hurt, so we just took in the vista from here then retraced our steps back down the valley. I reckon it was about noon when we started the return hike. There were more clouds in the sky by now, but nothing ominous, yet there is always a chance of afternoon showers, so we opted to not dally on the return hike. We snapped a few more pictures on the hike out of the North Fork, but for the most part this was just a “keep on truckin’” return hike, but we still had our eyes open for critters and the lovely views from the trail. We did spot another snake and a juvenile pika but the highlight of the return trip was the black bear we spotted up in the boulder field north of the trail. He looked like a youngster, maybe the same guy we saw this morning. But he was moving along and apparently not worried about all the tourists watching him from the trail. We watched him move on up the hill before proceeding down the trail.As we got closer to Inspiration Point, the number of tourists increased dramatically. There were very few folks up in Cascade Canyon, but herds of folks near the beginning of the canyon and at the overlook. We paused for the views at Inspiration Point as well as to watch the critters; a few birds and golden-mantled ground squirrels scurrying about, looking for handouts from the tourist. Someone had dropped some M&Ms, so we scooped those up before the critters could get them (hey, chocolate is not good for dogs, maybe it is also bad for squirrels). Apparently there is a “hotspot” at Inspiration Point as we saw three or four folks huddled in an odd corner of the rocks yakking on their cell phones. Go figure. Of course, when the crowds increase so do the opportunities for “stupid people tricks” and this was no exception. The examples we saw fell into the “bad parenting” category as there were kids running amok, walking on the edge of the sheer drop-off, climbing on the cliff about the trail, chasing the squirrels, you know, being kids. Hey, that’s fine, kids will be kids, but just remember, this ain’t Disney World so there are not safety barriers to keep you from falling off the rides. We were back at the boat dock around 3:00 and had just a short wait for the boat back across the lake. We did not consider hiking back around the lake; 12 miles and 8 hours of hiking was enough for one day! But what a day! This was certainly an excellent hike and we were very fortunate to have had such lovely weather. Wonderful views for the entire hike and several animal sightings along the trail. Yep, this is a first rate hike and worth the return trip to Grand Teton to make it happen. Of course now we have to come back and try to make it all the way to Lake Solitude!

We hiked up to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point and the weather was so nice we continued up the Cascade Canyon Trail. It's a nice hike (no facilities at all so bring water and food with you) with just a little scrambling. We didn't make it all the way to the canyon because it was getting late and we didn't want to miss the Jenny Lake Ferry and while we had snacks with us, I was getting hungry!

Well worth the walk but it is very isolated as you get towards Inspiration Point! Views towards the falls both ways are reward enough for your efforts

This is about 9.6 miles round trip. Most people only go up to Inspiration point (VERY busy) which is about 2 miles from the trail head. If you want to escape the crowds, hike beyond Inspiration point. The first part of the hike is quite steep so take your time. After that the trail is mostly flat.If you go deeper into the canyon there is a good chance of seeing wildlife. It looked like excellent bear habitat and you go along the river most of the time so there is a chance of spotting moose. We went at the end of August and there were hardly any people on the trail once we passed Inspiration point. The canyon is beautiful, peaceful and quiet.

After reaching Inspiration Point, we hiked further up the Cascade Canyon Trail. We're glad that we did. We enjoyed views of the mountain stream along the way and were rewarded with another cascading fall, (We had seen Hidden Falls on the way to Inspiration Point.) Along with other hikers, we found a seat on the rocks and enjoyed the sight and sounds of the falling water while we enjoyed our snack lunch and water. You don't have to walk all the way up the trail; just walk as far as you enjoy and then head back down the trail. Once back at the boat dock, we were glad that we had purchased the round trip boat ride for a quick ride back across the lake. If you plan to hike Cascade Canyon Trail, be sure to take water and a lunch or snack. Also be sure to make noise along the way since it is bear country.

The Cascade Canyon trail provides a great way to really get out into the Tetons--to feel the air, hear the pikas and rushing creek, smell the pine and fir trees, and talk to people from nearly everywhere who love open spaces. The shuttle boat across Jenny Lake saves a bit more than 2 miles of trail each way, but the trail around the lake is also a beautiful way to get into Cascade Canyon. After the elevation gain to reach Inspiration Point, the grade of the trail is gentle, and, for a day hike, any distance up Cascade Canyon is worth the walk for getting to the creek and talus slopes and for seeing cascades in the side canyons and peaks to the north, south, and west.

The boat ride across Jenny Lake was nice. The hike to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point was also real nice. After that the part in Cascade Canyon was just OK. There weren't beautiful vistas as we expected. We went to the 4 mile point and it didn't change much. One hike we liked quite a bit was to Phelps Lake which begins at the Laurence Rockefeller Preserve. But do hike as far as Inspiration Point.

There are easy sections & more steep sections. The air is thin for those visiting from sea level altitudes. Take your time & enjoy. The water views are awesome. Go past Inspiration Point.

We hiked from the Jenny Lake visitors' centre to Inspiration point, and then carried on to Cascade Canyon. This allowed us to benefit from a few miles of quiet walking before we hit the crowds at Inspiration Point, and then several miles of quiet walking thereafter. Most visitors take the boat across the Lake, then walk up to Inspiration Point and back. If you walk a little further, you'll be rewarded with peace and quiet. The hike is varied, with wooded Lake-side walking, views down onto the Lake, views up to the Tetons, and meadow-side walking in the Canyon. Apart from a short climb at Inspiration Point, it is relatively flat.Note - we stumbled across a black bear on the path between the visitors centre and Inspiration Falls. Luckily, it responded well to us backing away. A little reminder to keep clapping and talking!

for an easy short hike from Inspiration Point to where you get some nice views where the mountains first 'open up'. The hike from Hidden Falls to Inspiration Point is more difficult, so take a break DRINK some water and go a bit further. Do not get too tired because the hike back down from Inspiration Point is more treacherous if you are tired. There are 3 areas you can stop along the way to Inspiration Point and all have wonderful views.

Cascade Canyon is very popular with the boat traffic and being close to Jenny Lake. It is not too crowded if you start early or don't mind hiking a little further than more tourists. The boat ride is fun for children, but you can also hike around Jenny Lake to get to Cascade Canyon where some of the most popular rock climbs are in the national park. A beautiful hike with great views and not too much vertical gain initially, but many options exist if you keep going up.