If there is one place almost everyone who visits Grand Teton National Park goes, it is Jenny Lake. This pristine mountain lake is much, much smaller than Jackson Lake in the Colter Bay area. Its smaller size means that it can be easily crossed by boat, or you can hike all the way around it if you want to.
There is a visitor center at Jenny Lake, but when we visited it was closed due to the pandemic. There is also a general store that was open with limited capacity while we were there. Jenny Lake has the largest parking lot in the park, but it can still fill up and you will see many people parking along the road.
For a more visual look at Jenny Lake you can watch our Vlog on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJLTeJ2d8wM
Rock Beaches
Walking down the paved paths from the visitor center area toward the like will take you to the rocky beaches of Jenny Lake. From here you can view the majestic Grand Tetons and go wading or swimming in the shallow water.
You come to this area first when you arrive, but we did it as a relaxing activity after our hike. The beaches are not very large, so if it is crowded it might take a bit to find a space. Walking along the path above the beaches is also fun though. It is paved and has interpretive signs all along it.
Jenny Lake Shuttle Boat
If you want to do any of the hikes on the west side of the lake (like Hidden Falls which we did), you can hike around the lake or you can take the shuttle boat. The hike around either side of Jenny Lake to the trailheads is about 2 miles. This was a little far for us to do with Lucy and then do the hike and then hike back, so we opted for the shuttle.
The shuttles on the east side of the lake leak from a dock at the south end. It is $18 for an adult and $10 for a child to make a round trip. The shuttles leave every 15 minutes or so. Even though it was busy at the lake and they were practicing social distancing we had no trouble getting on a shuttle right away on the east side.
On the other hand when we finished our hike and wanted to come back we had to wait in a long line of about an hour to get on the return shuttle. By this point we might have been able to hike back around the lake, but we had already paid for the round trip so we just waited.
The boat service also operates scenic cruises on Jenny Lake, but these were not running during our visit due to Covid-19 precautions.
Hike to Hidden Falls
From the docks on the west side of the lake you can start several hikes. The one we chose to do was Hidden Falls. This hike is about a mile roundtrip with the option to continue on from the falls turn off to inspiration point if you choose (adding about another mile to the trip).
The hike to Hidden Falls is not difficult and Lucy who was two at the time was able to walk most of the way. Of course this meant that we were regularly getting passed by people along the trail but that was not a problem in most places. There is a fair amount of elevation gain along the way, which makes sense as the boat is essentially dropping you off at the base of a mountain.
After a short way along the trail you come to a very impressive cascade crossed by a bridge. At first we thought maybe this was the waterfall, but we had not gone very far yet and it did not seem very hidden.
We continued on and eventually came to the real falls. They are called hidden falls because you can’t really see them until you have arrived, although you can start hearing them earlier. The falls are a very impressive sight and well worth the easy hike to get there.
Sum Up
Jenny Lake should be on the must do list of everyone visiting Grand Teton National Park. It is conveniently located just a short drive from the main road going through the park. Despite its popularity, it is still fairly peaceful in many places. I would love to go back someday with a paddle board or kayak to more fully experience the lake.
