There are so many amazing hikes in Grand Teton National Park, but Hidden Falls is one of the most popular. This hike starts at the Jenny Lake Visitor Center and runs almost five miles to a beautiful waterfall. The great thing about this hike, though, is that instead of walking around the lake, you can take a boatride and cut this hike down to just over a mile. This made the hike easy enough that Grandma came with us!
Jenny Lake Shuttle
We took the easy version of this hike and got tickets to ride across the lake at the Visitor Center. The boat ride is short and not very scenic, but it does shave nearly four miles off the hike. Tickets for the Jenny Lake ferry cost $18/adult and $10/child. Our kids love the ride across the lake, too.
Hidden Falls Trail
From the boat dock, the hike climbs slightly toward the foot of the waterfall. It is fairly rough and rocky, but the slope is gentle, and the trees are thick. There are a few bridge crossings along the way, and the trail follows along the river. As you near the waterfall, you come to another pretty wooden bridge that spans the river below the falls. Take the trail to the left of the bridge over to an overlook for Hidden Falls. If you cross the bridge, you’ll head to Inspiration Point. There are signs to show the way.
Hidden Falls is a wide, beautiful waterfall that cascades around a hundred feet. The waterfall is especially powerful in early summer when we like to visit. The trail leads to an overlook at the foot of the waterfall that is perfect for taking photos. In our opinion, Hidden Falls is the Old Faithful of Grand Teton National Park.
Inspiration Point
The trail that crosses the bridge leads up to Inspiration Point. After it crosses the river, the trail climbs quickly and steeply up toward an overlook for Jenny Lake. This hike adds another 1.0 mile to the distance (1/2 mile up to the top and then 1/2 mile down). It also adds a lot of huffing and puffing as it is quite a climb. We took this side trail to the first overlook, but we didn’t make it to Inspiration Point with the varying levels of hikers in our group.
Tips for Families
Though the trail to Hidden Falls is busy, it is very doable for almost all active hikers. Best of all, it leads to one of the most picturesque places in Grand Teton National Park. To read about our other favorite hikes in this national park, visit our Grand Teton Kid Hikes post.
- Hike distance: 1.0 mile RT via Jenny Lake Shuttle
- Shuttles run every 15 minutes, so it’s easy to catch one. Check times for the last shuttle so you don’t miss it.
- This trail is very busy, so be prepared to share the trail.
