The Wandering Hart

Day 3 was spent entirely in Grand Tetons National Park. We got up bright and early to get to Jenny Lake before the parking lot filled (pro-tip: definitely get there early!). From the visitor center we took the park offered 10 minute ferry across the lake for $12 each. This cuts about 2 mi off your hike in each way you take it. We mostly did it for the experience of going across the lake but it’s a steep price so we opted not to buy the $20 per person round trip and hike the extra 2 miles on the way back.

The hike we did for the day was an 11 mile out and back (would have been 13 miles if we had avoided the ferry entirely) to Cascade Canyon Fork. Along the way we had stops at Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. Inspiration Point is a much shorter hike and provided beautiful views out over Jenny Lake. Be warned though: getting up to that point was the steepest part of the entire long trail and involved stairs.

From Inspiration Point it was a relatively flat hike along which we saw plenty of wildlife including a female moose with her baby, pika, and a yellow-bellied marmot. The hike also provides really nice views of the surrounding Tetons throughout. Honestly if you make it up to Inspiration Point and have the full day, I’d really recommend this hike! It’s really easy after Inspiration Point and offers lots of opportunities for pictures of the Tetons and wildlife.

After a lunch break at the end of the Cascade Canyon Fork trail we trekked back along the same path except this time we took the Jenny Lake trail instead of the ferry. The best part of the Jenny Lake trail was of course views of the lake but it also at one point had an overlook for Moose Pond and we got to see another moose. The trail isn’t too difficult either. I think it’s worth doing the ferry one way and trail the other overall just to experience both. Overall, the whole hike was amazing and we were ready for campfire and sleep by the end!

Travel Log posts are my version of a travel diary so I can record what my latest adventures were and anyone interested can follow along live.