Grand Teton: Jenny Lake & Cascade Canyon

Grand Teton National Park begins immediately north of Jackson — the Cathedral Group of peaks rises 7,000 feet from the Jackson Hole valley floor in what is widely regarded as the most dramatic mountain-to-valley elevation gain in the lower 48 states. Jenny Lake is the gateway to the park's best single-day active itinerary: a short boat shuttle across the lake to the Hidden Falls trailhead, the 0.5-mile hike to Hidden Falls, the ascent to Inspiration Point overlook (360-degree panorama of Jenny Lake, the valley, and the Teton Range), and then the full Cascade Canyon trail into the canyon interior below the Grand Teton massif. The round-trip from the east shore to the canyon entrance and back covers 7.2 miles if taking the boat; the canyon trail extends as far as the Lake Solitude and Paintbrush Canyon junction for more ambitious days. One of the most spectacular day hikes in the American West.