E-Z but Different Hikes between Jackson Hole and Glacier

[Frank Petronio]

Taking our 9-year old to Jackson Hole > Yellowstone > Glacier (US side) towards the end of July.

Looking for EASY 0.1 to 3 mile hikes for the entourage. Not doing the Thalman-esque Toho Ultralight and I am in no condition anyways. But surely there must be a few choice gems that a million other tourists won't know about about... so what do you suggest?

[Marc B.]

You're a tourist, (a city slicker), and sounds like you've never been to Glacier before. Stay with the tourists!
Park Ranger resources are already stretched thin. Don't become a statistic. This is Grizzly bear country, too.

Many of the trail elevations are above 4,500-5,500 ft, and higher...thin air, (gasp-hack-wheez).
Last year, the 'Going to The Sun Road' didn't open until mid July, (heavy snow and avalanche dangers).
Snow fall and precipitation levels this year have been comparable to last year, with slightly warmer temps.
Your best info on trail conditions...in July, will be day-by-day from the Rangers at the park.

Stunningly beautiful views abound around every curve in this park, and many are visible from the GTTSR.
You would be very hard pressed to find a concentration of so many vistas in any other place in the Americas.
This is the magical and unique beauty of Glacier/Waterton Parks.

Lake McDonald and Grinnell Glacier areas will probably afford you the best of Glacier Park, in the shortest, safest,
and most comfortable amount of time. Plan for at least a minimum 2-3 day stay within/around the park.

Keep a full set of winter thermals in your vehicle...just in case. If camping, warm sleeping bags are a must.
A Propane or White Gas space heater is nice to have, too. Cook with the same fuels, or Sterno.

Bare minimum filter assortment...I would ensure I packed an 81B, a Polarizer, and a Red 25 in my kit.

[Greg Miller]

It is hard to avoid touristy in Glacier NP since the road system is limited. But few people ever get out of the parking lot. A rewarding yet easy hike that I think your daughter would love is the is the Highline Trail from Logan Pass summit. The views are amazing, and close-up encounters with wild, but tame, mountain goats are almost guaranteed; big horn sheep are also not uncommon. It would be an out and back hike so you can make it as short or long as you want and the first miles are relatively flat and groomed.

There is a 2.4 mile easy hike around Swiftcurrent Lake. The bonus here is that the road into the Many Glacier Hotel often has grizzlies foraging for food on the hills above the road.

On a 2 week backpack through GNP we never encountered grizzlies in the back country. But even with a group of 7 adults, it was still a bit unsettling - the lush vegetation and wind and water noise meant that a close encounter was always possible. I would not go on lightly visited trails with only 2 adults and a child.

[Nathan Potter]

I would second Gregs comment on Logan Pass trails. At about 6700 ft. the gasping for air won't be bad at all and you'll be in the vicinity of some nice alpine flora and views. Most of the tourists won't venture too far from the parking lot. I like the Hidden Lake Trail, part of which is a boardwalk til you reach the crest of the col. You can go as far as the first views of Hidden lake to the west over the divide and turn back or go all the way to Hidden Lake. Although occasional grizzlies roam in the Hidden lake vicinity.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

[Ivan J. Eberle]

+1 for Hidden Lake Trail. Lots of tourists but early on a snow-showering mornings or late in the afternoon crowds thin out a bit-- even in July!
Swiftcurrent Lake and Grinnell Glacier I can't recommend with a 9 year old as they were lousy with G. Bear sows with cubs last I was there, in 2010.

Chief Joseph and Beartooth Highways NE corner of Yellowstone have pretty astounding views and shouldn't be missed.

[Frank Petronio]

Thank you much!

[Erik Larsen]

Frank,
Avalanche lake in Glacier is a nice and pretty destination hike through a forest ending at the lake. It is not a hidden treasure, probably lots of folks. A nice place to pack a lunch up to.

Grinnel glacier is very pretty as well. If you are worried about bears, just wait at the trail head until a car load of Floridians with small children show up and follow them at a distance - the bears love those tanned kids and won't give another thought to pasty New Englanders:)

If you want to spot some moose you can hike out of the Swift current inns parking lot towards bull head lakes. Of the half dozen times I've been there I've always seen huge bulls grazing in the lakes up the swift current pass trail. Out of the same parking lot you can head up to Iceberg lake, maybe a little more hiking than you want - 4 or 5 miles I think and bear central.

Two Medicine lakes will give you a little more solitude but is a beautiful place as well, especially at sunrise. You can hike around the lake or you can catch a boat or rent a canoe and go to the opposite side and probably have the place to yourself.

Glacier is a spectacular place IMO, I'm sure you and your family won't have any trouble finding hikes that strike your fancy.

Your daughter will probably love JellyStone park, you and your wife will invent new cuss words as you are dodging RV's and tourist who have never seen an elk before and decide to stop in the middle of the road and marvel at this strange new creature for 15 minutes while a traffic jam a half mile long piles up behind them:) it really is an interesting place with features that are truly odd and beautiful. The young mind of your daughter will soak it up while you and your wife reach for another Valium. If you enjoy fly fishing, it is a Mecca, there are rivers and great fishing all over the park.
The trip sounds like fun, I hope you guys enjoy it!
Regards
Erik

[Frank Petronio]

Yeah I figure that smart healthy bears wouldn't want me because I'd send their cholesterol off the charts but the ladies would make a nice snack. Sounds like just being mellow and going with the flow is the recipe, I am seriously thinking of only taking small format.

[civich]

Something with which to impress the wife and little one whilst sitting about the campfire at night:


In light of the rising frequency of human/grizzly bear conflicts, the National Park Service is advising hikers and fishermen to take extra precautions and keep alert of bears while in the field.

“We advise outdoorsmen to wear noisy little bells on their clothing so as not to startle bears that aren’t expecting them. We also advise outdoorsmen to carry pepper spray with them in case of an encounter with a bear.

It is also a good idea to watch out for fresh signs of bear activity. Outdoorsmen should recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear feces: Black bear feces is smaller and contains lots of berries and squirrel fur. Grizzly bear shit has little bells in it and smells like pepper.”
(-Edited for content and truthfulness)

[Ken Kapinski]

The thing about Yellowstone is something like 99% of the people never leave the road or the boardwalks. Get on a trail and the people all but vanish. With over 1000 miles of hiking trail in the park there is much to chose from. I personally like anything in the Canyon area, definitely my favorite part of the park. DeLacy Creek trail, a nice meander that takes you to ShoShone Lake, Nez Perce Creek, you can make this as long or as short as you like. Its almost flat for the first 5 miles. Fairy Falls, Mystic Falls, Trout Lake, Black Canyon, pick a trail hike till you are tired and turn around. Don't forget to take a dip in the Boiling River. BRING BEAR SPRAY! I assume you are driving, so when you leave the park drive up over the Bearthooth Pass. Once on top get out, hike around, have a picnic, enjoy the view. Outside the park, Big Timber Falls in the Crazy Mountains, Hyalite Canyon outside of Bozeman has a lot to offer, Lewis and Clark Caverns near Three Forks is a lot of fun, or check out one of the many ghost towns (http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/mt/moalpha.html) in the state. Endless opportunities. Check this (http://getlostmt.com/) site out too.

Ken

[mmerig]

Here are some choices in the Jackson Hole area, from short and easy to more difficult. Late July is peak tourist season, and anything with an easy trail and interesting view will have some or a lot people around. Just brief summaries below, let me know if you want more detail.

1. The Wedding Tree. A popular spot for you guessed it, because of easy access and nice panoramic views of the Teton Range. The site, among big Douglas fit trees, is on a gentle ridge off of the Gros Ventre road on the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Park on a turnout and walk west about 200 yards. Beyond here, the Gros Ventre road takes you east into less-traveled country rich in wildlife; you'll probably see bison on your way here. The Gros Ventre River, especially above Upper Slide lake, has beautiful meanders that are easily viewed from the road or from short strolls away from it.

2. Summit of Rendevous Mtn. The aerial tram at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort gets you here. The main Teton range is north of Rendevous. The summit ridge affords some easy hiking for various views and alpine plants that should be in peak bloom.

3. Freds Mtn. A ski lift at Grand Targhee Resort, which is 20 miles east of Driggs, Idaho gets you to the top. The views are of the west side of the main Teton Range, and in my opinion, are more photogenic than from Rendevous peak, and it is less crowded and I think cheaper. There is a trail that leads south to a saddle and then east along a steep side hill for other interesting views from a high ridge. This option may be a bit ambitous. The first photos of the Teton range (1872, wet glass plate) were taken from this ridge by William H. Jackson.

4. Taggart Lake. A mostly flat hike into a low-elevation lake at the foot of the Teton range, in Grand Teton National Park, with views up Avalanche canyon. A popular hike, but typically not hordes of people.

5. Lower Cascade canyon, Grand Teton National Park. This is a very popular canyon, but if you go early (before 8 AM), it should be very quiet. There is a boat ride across Jenny Lake that takes one to the mouth of the canyon. Hiking to Inspiration point may be tough, but if you make it there, it is worth going a little further to where the canyon flattens out and the north escarpment of the Cathedral group comes into view- one of the most stunning alpine mtn. views in North America. The boat ride saves about 2 miles of hiking, and an early ride usually takes off at 7 AM if there is a mountain guide and clients going out. The Jenny Lake - Hidden falls area is the most crowded front-country area in the park, with most people milling around between mid-morning and about 5 PM. Avoid these times and it is much more pleasant.

6. Teton Pass area. The relatively gentle mountains south of the pass (small parking area here) is accessed by a dirt road that passes a TV repeater site wihin a 1/4 mile. A side-hill and ridge walk beyond here provides view of Jackson Hole and most likely, given the time of year, peak wildflower colors. Continuing to the rim (about 1 1/2 miles) gets you to nice views of the Snake River Range

7. Ski Lake. The trail-head is about 2/3 up the Teton Pass road (Wyoming Rt 22), thus saving some uphill hiking. It is about 2 1/5 miles in to the lake, which sits in a sub-alpine cirque on the Mt. Glory massif. Mostly visited by local hikers, so may not be too crowded.

8. The Grassy Lake road (AKA reclamation Road), which traverses the low country between Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, starts near Flagg Ranch and ends near Ashton, Idaho. Like the Gros Ventre road, it accesses less-travelled country, but it has less open vistas but nice forests and meadows. Easy hikes from the road, but the driving may be a little tiring and long. This area is a grizzly bear stronghold.

There are lots of uncrowded, short hike opportunities from the highways and other paved roads in Jackson Hole if you don't mind walking off trail on easy terrain and follow your own whimsy. There is a lot of wildlife in the Jackson Hole area, and you can usually see many types in the morning or early evening.

As for dangerous animals, cow moose with calves are the most common threat. Both black and grizzly bears abound; carry bear spray just in case. Mountain lions, which are common, are rarely aggressive, but are known to chase or attack sole children . Wolves are also common, but attacks on humans anywhere are extremely rare. They are curious, however, and some have come near me to check me out.