Traversing the Teton Range—by foot.
BY SOPHIE TSAIRIS
The Teton Crest Trail is a point-to-point 35- to 40-mile trail traversing public land in northwestern Wyoming with over 9,000 feet of elevation gain. You can tackle it in a single ambitious push—or backpack it over several days if you prefer your adventures with a side of sanity.
My first time running this high-altitude route, the landscape proved an effective distraction from the physical effort. The Tetons burst from the valley floor without prelude or foothills, their granite peaks soaring into the Wyoming sky. As the miles accumulated, so did the sensory rewards: lupine, columbine, and geraniums painting alpine meadows in wild brushstrokes while crystalline streams carved their ancient paths through glacial moraines.
These mountains don’t simply invite adventure—they command it. They’ll steal your breath twice: first with their raw majesty, then with the thin mountain air. Count on both.
Regardless of your pace and timeframe, the TCT is a journey through multiple jurisdictions—Grand Teton National Park, Jedidiah Smith Wilderness, and the Bridger-Teton and Caribou Targhee national forests—each with their own character that will linger in your memory long after the delayed onset muscle soreness fades.
Season
The TCT is a high-elevation trail—you’ll be moving between 8,000 feet and 10,000 feet for most of your run, cresting above 10,000 feet in a few places. Depending on the year, your best window for a mostly snow-free trail and stable weather conditions is between mid-July and early September.
Access
Make it a road trip or fly into the Jackson Hole Airport right outside Grand Teton National Park. If you’re local to the area, this trail is an absolute must—hitchhike or catch a ride from a friend to your starting location. The TCT can be accessed by many different trails, allowing you to choose the best route for your skill level and timeframe. The full trail runs from the Phillips Pass Trailhead halfway up Teton Pass off Wyoming Highway 22 and ends at String Lake Trailhead in Grand Teton National Park, roughly 10 miles after turning into the park from Moose Junction.
+ Pro Tip: If you run fast, you might be back to town in time to enjoy tacos from Pica’s Mexican Taqueria, or a sloshy from Creekside Market and Deli.
Route
The south-to-north route provides endless views of the Teton Cathedral Group, the three tallest peaks in the park—the Grand Teton, Teewinot and Mount Owen. Beginning at Phillips Canyon trailhead on Highway 22, weave up the pass, past Rendezvous Peak, along Death Canyon, through Alaska Basin, and finish with a 3,000- foot climb up Paintbrush Pass and down Cascade Canyon to collapse in sweet relief in String or Leigh Lake.
If you’re traveling north to south, park at String Lake or Leigh Lake trailhead and run to Phillips Ridge off Wyoming Highway 22.
+ Pro Tip: Skip the last 4 miles and end your day at the top of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort; get yourself a waffle at Corbet’s Cabin (peanut butter bacon?!) and take the aerial tram down to the Village, saving your knees more than 4,000-feet of descent.
Logistics
Regardless of your direction, you’ll want to plan for getting back to your starting location. Your best options are to shuttle cars the day before, leaving one at the start and one at the end, or have a friend on call to pick you up when you finish. Coordinating a key swap with a runner completing the route in the opposite direction is perhaps the most efficient option—mid-route high fives encouraged.
+ Pro Tip: Hitch hiking into the town of Jacksonis also fair game.
The Necessities
Once you’re a few miles away from crowded trailheads, and if you’re lucky, you’ll spend many hours and miles without running into another human—plan accordingly.
Layers: A light-weight water-resistant jacket, hat, and gloves are always a good idea. Weather conditions can change quickly, and fast-moving afternoon thunderstorms are likely in summer. Be prepared for hot and cold temps and precipitation. Read up on lightning safety protocols.
Bear Spray: The drama unfolds at all scales: grouse bursting from trailside brush with heart- stopping suddenness; marmots whistling mockeries from rocky perches; moose appearing like prehistoric shadows in marshy meadows; and yes, both black and grizzly bears roaming in search of berries and bugs. Wildlife encounters aren’t rare exceptions here —they’re part of the experience. Expect them, respect them and prepare for them, even as your attention gets divided between scanning the jaw-dropping panoramas and watching your footing on technical terrain. + Pro Tip: Shouting HEY BEAR every few seconds while jogging uphill is proven to improve your VO2 max.
Water: The TCT offers frequent refill opportunities at streams and alpine lakes, meaning you can travel light with minimal water weight. Bring a reliable filter or purification method—the mountain water may look pristine, but Giardia is never on anyone’s adventure menu and will ruin the appeal of a post-run sloshy and tacos.
Snacks: So many snacks, and then add a few more snacks. You cannot bring too many snacks. The trail offers its own seasonal pantry: huckleberry, wild raspberry and thimbleberry bushes provide trailside treats for the knowledgeable forager. However, approach wild edibles with caution and certainty—several toxic lookalikes grow in these mountains.
Additional Safety Items: A headlamp and extra batteries —don’t get caught without them! Summer days are long, but if you end up out later than anticipated, you’ll be very happy to have a light. Grand Teton National Park now has widespread cellular service, but an inReach or satellite device is always a good backup.
Leave No Trace: Whenever possible, pack it in and pack it out. Nearly 4 million people visit Grand Teton National Park each summer. Be a responsible land steward: Leave only footprints and take only photos.
Slow The Pace
The TCT is most commonly done as a 3-5 day backpacking trip, allowing ample time to enjoy your surroundings. If you plan to make your adventure longer than a day, you’ll need a camping permit. Reserve your campsites in advance, or plan to camp outside of the park on Wilderness or national forest lands.
Plan your time strategically. If you can hit some of your highpoints in the morning—Rendezvous Peak, Hurricane Pass, and Paintbrush Divide—you’re more likely to enjoy the jaw-dropping views without the emotional and physical distress of the dreaded lightning stance (a calf-cramp-inducing position assumed by balancing on the balls of your feet and crouching as low as possible to minimize contact with the ground). There are plenty of beautiful and more protected areas to camp. I recommend Marion Lake, Death Canyon Shelf, Alaska Basin and the North Fork of Cascade Cayon.
Cut It Short
If you only have time for a half- or full-day adventure (pace dependent), the Paintbrush Canyon to Cascade Canyon loop boasts 19.9 miles, and 4,480 feet of elevation gain. You’ll reach the TCT’s highest elevation point, be rewarded by panoramic views, and the shorter outing still packs a punch in ample wildflowers, alpine streams and potential wildlife sightings.
Can’t Get Enough
The full Teton Crest Trail is 90 miles and traverses the entire Teton Range. Ask a local for more information on this unfrequented add-on, and be prepared for an off trail, exposed, epic sufferfest. Disclaimer: not for beginners—or most humans.
Trail Highlights
+ The TCT traverses the Death Canyon Shelf, a narrow plateau extending for miles from Fox Creek Pass to Mount Meek Pass. Paralleling most of Death Canyon to the east, its cliffs rise several hundred feet to the west. If you choose to make this a backpacking trip, be sure to snag a coveted campsite permit on this part of the trail!
+ Hurricane Pass is perhaps my favorite view from the trail. Overlooking the Grand, Middle and South Tetons, the pass is windswept and exposed. Below, Schoolroom Glacier clings to the mountainside; its meltwater feeds an impossibly blue tarn that seems to hover between earth and sky. On clear days, this high point offers a rare moment where photographs do justice to reality. Linger here if weather permits—views of this caliber deserve unhurried appreciation.
+ After dropping down the rugged high point (10,700 feet) of Paintbrush Divide into Cascade Canyon, cool off in Lake Solitude before descending the last 9 miles to your car.
Sophie Tsairis is the deputy editor of Mountain Outlaw. She has had plentiful adventures in the Tetons, learning the hard way to always pack more snacks, filter her water, carry extra batteries and hide her clothes from marmots while skinny dipping in alpine lakes.
