There are places in Grand Teton National Park where the mountains are something you look at. Cascade Canyon is a place where you walk right into them.
The trail begins in the Jenny Lake area, beneath some of the Teton Range’s most recognizable peaks. From a distance, the mountains rise abruptly from Jackson Hole like a wall. Once you enter Cascade Canyon, however, that wall opens and the scale changes completely. Granite cliffs rise on both sides, streams tumble out of the high country, and the broad valley below disappears behind you.
The photograph above was taken on the Cascade Canyon Trail on September 19, 2007. It catches something photographs of the Tetons don’t always show: this isn’t simply a scenic overlook. It is rugged country, and the trail itself is part of the experience.
Getting into the Canyon
Most hikers approach Cascade Canyon from Jenny Lake.
The traditional route begins near the Jenny Lake Visitor Center and follows the lake toward the western shore. Many people shorten the trip by taking the shuttle boat across Jenny Lake. From the boat dock, the trail climbs past Hidden Falls and then to Inspiration Point.
Inspiration Point is a destination in its own right. From there, Jenny Lake lies far below, with Jackson Hole spreading eastward beyond it.
But continuing beyond Inspiration Point changes the nature of the hike.
The trail turns west and enters Cascade Canyon.
Almost immediately, the crowds tend to thin, and the scenery becomes more intimate. Instead of looking at the Tetons, you are surrounded by them.
A Canyon Made by Ice
Cascade Canyon owes much of its shape to the glaciers that once filled the Teton Range.
Moving ice carved deeply into the mountains, leaving behind the broad, steep-sided canyon seen today. The result is classic glacial terrain: towering rock walls, hanging valleys, waterfalls, and enormous accumulations of broken stone beneath the cliffs.
The trail follows Cascade Creek through much of the canyon.
Depending upon the season, the creek may be a roaring stream fed by snowmelt or a quieter mountain waterway winding through forests and open meadows.
The scenery changes constantly.
One stretch may pass through lodgepole pine and spruce. A few minutes later the trail emerges into an opening beneath massive granite walls. Aspen appear in places, adding brilliant yellow to the canyon in September.
That contrast is especially visible in the photograph. Autumn has begun working its way into the canyon, while much of the surrounding forest remains dark green.
The Mountains Close In
One remarkable thing about Cascade Canyon is how quickly the surroundings become wild.
Jenny Lake is never really far away, yet the canyon can feel remote.
Granite cliffs tower thousands of feet above the trail. Side canyons climb toward high alpine basins. Waterfalls appear on distant walls. Pikas and marmots inhabit the rock piles, and moose are frequently seen in the willow-covered areas along the creek.
Black bears also live in the region, and grizzly bears are part of the ecosystem throughout Grand Teton National Park.
This is not a landscaped mountain trail. The route includes rocks, roots, steep sections, and uneven footing. Snow can remain in shaded areas surprisingly late in the year, and mountain weather can change quickly.
The photograph captures that character well. The hikers are not walking along a manicured path. They are negotiating a trail cut into broken rock beneath a steep canyon wall.
And they are still relatively close to the beginning.
The Forks
Several miles into Cascade Canyon, the trail reaches a junction usually called the Forks of Cascade Canyon.
Here the canyon divides.
The South Fork leads toward Hurricane Pass, Schoolroom Glacier, and eventually the Teton Crest Trail.
The North Fork leads toward Lake Solitude, one of the classic hiking destinations in Grand Teton National Park.
For many hikers, Lake Solitude is the ultimate goal.
The trail climbs out of the main canyon into increasingly open alpine country before reaching the lake at roughly 9,000 feet elevation. From there, the surrounding peaks dominate nearly every direction.
It is a spectacular destination, but it makes for a substantial day hike. Starting in the Jenny Lake area and traveling to Lake Solitude and back means covering many miles and gaining significant elevation.
Cascade Canyon itself, however, doesn’t require reaching Lake Solitude to be worthwhile. A hiker can simply walk into the canyon as far as time and ability permit, then turn around.
There is no single point at which Cascade Canyon suddenly becomes beautiful.
It starts beautiful and keeps going.
September in the Tetons
The September 19 date on this photograph is worth noticing.
September can be one of the finest times to experience Grand Teton National Park. Summer crowds begin to decline. The air becomes cooler. Aspen and other deciduous vegetation begin turning yellow and gold.
The light changes too.
The high, harsh sunlight of midsummer gives way to the lower-angle light of early autumn. Shadows deepen along the canyon walls, while illuminated rock faces become almost luminous.
But September in the mountains also carries a warning.
Autumn arrives early at high elevations. A warm afternoon can give way to freezing temperatures overnight. Snowstorms are entirely possible. What looks like a pleasant fall hike in the valley can become winter several thousand feet higher.
The Tetons make their own weather.
Why Cascade Canyon Is Different
The American West has grander viewpoints. Some trails climb higher, run longer, and demand far more technical skill.
But Cascade Canyon has an unusual quality.
It provides relatively accessible entry into genuinely spectacular mountain terrain.
Within a surprisingly short distance, civilization seems to drop away. Jenny Lake disappears. The mountains close around you. Cascade Creek replaces the sound of cars and boats.
Then you look upward.
That is when the scale of the Tetons becomes apparent.
From Jackson Hole, the range looks enormous.
From inside Cascade Canyon, it feels enormous.
There is a difference.
And that may be the trail’s real attraction. Cascade Canyon doesn’t just offer another view of the Grand Tetons.
For a few hours, it lets you walk inside them.
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