Explore the Tetons the Hard Way in Avalanche and Cascade Canyons
Link two of Grand Teton's deepest and most spectacular valleys via a high pass.
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- Distance: 17.4 miles
- Type: Point-to-point
Joining obscure, trailless Avalanche Canyon and popular Cascade Canyon gives as complete a Teton experience as anything in Grand Teton National Park. You’ll enjoy five-star scenery, a pass well above 10,000 feet, and adventurous but straightforward cross-country hiking. This 17.4-mile, point-to-point trek can be done in a long, arduous day, but take two or three to enjoy great campsites at Lake Taminah, Snowdrift Lake, and the South Fork of Cascade Canyon.
From the Valley Trail north of Taggart Lake, turn west onto the unmarked use trail to Avalanche Canyon (it’s often blocked by sticks) just before the Valley Trail begins climbing the low ridge separating Taggart and Bradley Lakes. Obscured in spots and challenging to track across talus slopes (look for cairns), the use trail is otherwise obvious much of the way to Lake Taminah.
From there, you’ll navigate cross-country, but it’s an uncomplicated hike up the canyon. Find the breaks in the cliff bands below Taminah and Snowdrift Lakes to avoid any scrambling. (Hiking up Avalanche and down Cascade makes this routefinding much easier.) At 10,680-foot Avalanche Divide, pick up the good spur trail into the South Fork of Cascade Canyon, then follow maintained trail all the way to Jenny Lake.
Get current conditions, alerts, and permit info on Grand Teton National Park’s website.
Need to Know
You’ll need solid routefinding skills to pick your way through this route. Check current conditions in the canyons before you set out: Heavy avalanche activity can leave the terrain littered with dead trees, which can slow your progress significantly.
Getting There
Start at the Taggart Lake trailhead, three miles north of Moose Visitor Centeron Teton Park Road. Leave a second vehicle at Jenny Lake Visitor Center, just minutes farther up the road, or hitch a ride back to Taggart post-hike. Catch a shuttle boat across Jenny Lake from the Cascade Canyon boat launch to avoid hiking an extra 2.3 miles around the lake. See jennylakeboating.com for prices and schedules.
-Mapped by Michael Lanza