Home > Things To Do & See > Teton Valley Idaho > Attractions > Parks & Trails in Teton Valley

The True Way to See Teton: The Parks and Trails in Teton Valley, Idaho

Teton Valley parks and trails weave through some of the most pristine wilderness and most amazing sceneries in Idaho. It's almost impossible to take it all in when you're in the thick of it. The mountains soaring miles overhead, the acre after acre of green forest, the purr and roar of trickling streams and white water rapids - all of the sights and sounds are so bountiful and vivid. They are likely to stick with you for the rest of your life, especially if you happen to live in this Eden on Earth!

Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Some of the best hiking, biking, and recreation trails - and some of the most memorable surroundings - are in the national monuments and parks in and around Teton Valley, Idaho, and nearby Jackson Hole, Wyoming. These natural wonderlands are catacombs of trails, rivers, lakes, and camping grounds.

Here's a short list of these top Teton Valley parks and trails, but by no means do they include all of the wonders in this part of Idaho and Wyoming.

Grand Teton National Park, in part, stands more than a mile above Jackson Hole. Its highest elevation is 13,770 feet, and twelve of this mountain range's peaks are above 12,000 feet. That's at an altitude where water freezes into glaciers, and the Ice Age seems more like the present than the past. On the other side of the range, though, is a slow descent into Idaho, and some of the best wilderness this side of the Pacific.

Cascade Canyon is one of the most popular hikes through this national forest. It takes you directly to Lake Solitude. Cross over this quiet body of water on a ferry, and you're conveniently back at the trailhead. The fun doesn't stop there, though. Hike up to 7000 feet and you reach the famed Inspiration Point and then wind your way through the canyon lands there. This hike provides a view that you will see in your dreams for years to come.

Garnet Canyon is another fantastic day hike, especially for beginners and trail joggers. Unlike Cascade, which can wear you out by the time you reach Inspiration Point, Garnet slowly works its way up to 2500 feet over the course of 4 miles. At the end, you'll find a climbers' base camp for the truly adventurous who are working their way up the peaks of the Middle and Grand Tetons.

Yellowstone National Park has been a national treasure since 1872, when the U.S. Congress declared it to be set apart so that future generations of Americans could enjoy its natural splendor. That makes it the first and oldest national park on the planet.

Midway Geyser Basin is among one of the best hikes in all of this gigantic national park. That is, it's a great hike if you like to work for your scenery. It spans nearly 16 miles, starting at the Midway Geyser Basin, but it takes you past some of the best sights in all of Yellowstone. The trail winds past Grand Prismatic and Fairy Falls. Then comes the Imperial Geyser, which blasts off every four minutes. From there, the hike is straight into a desolate and quiet part of the park for miles, until the trail finally passes the Mystic Waterfalls and Biscuit Basin.

Grand Teton Mountain, Grand Teton National Park

Lee City to Hoodoo Basin is another trail worth hiking. It takes you straight into some of the thickest and greenest forests in Yellowstone, until you actually raise up above the tree line. Possibly the neatest part of the hike is its destination, Hoodoo Basin. This eerie land is full of volcanic rocks that are shaped like animals and people. At night, local lore says the wind whips through the rocks, making a sound as if the whole basin is haunted. Plus, to add to the atmosphere, ancient Native American arrowheads, smoke rings, and obsidian pits litter the landscape.

For more information about Teton Valley Idaho please contact us.