I’ve been lucky enough to backpack the Teton Crest Trail twice, and this year we went from Teton Village to Leigh Lake. Both times, I went with a group of my girlfriends (we all met working at REI), and we had the best time. This post breaks down the itinerary of my first time on the trail in 2024.
If you’re interested in my other itinerary, check out my 2025 Teton Crest trip. I also wrote an overview of both trips that includes helpful information for planning your own trip. You can find that post here: Backpacking the Teton Crest Trail.
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Quick Facts
- Dates: August 19th-22nd, 2024
- Starting Point: The Teton Village Tram
- Ending Point: Leigh Lake Trailhead parking lot
- Total Mileage: ~40 miles
- Total Ascent / Descent: 8,704 ft / 12,157 ft
- Peak Elevation: 10,759 ft
My Trip Overview
Trip Synopsis:
- The day before we start: Pick up permits at the Grand Teton National Park visitor center, drop off an extra car at the Leigh Lake trailhead parking, get dinner in Jackson, and camp at Gros Ventre Campground.
- Day 1: Drive together to Teton Village, take the tram up, and enjoy some waffles at the top before we start. Backpack 9.4 miles to Fox Creek and set up camp.
- Day 2: Backpack 7.6 miles to Sunset Lake in Alaska Basin and hang out around the campsite for the rest of the day!
- Day 3: Pack up camp and prep ourselves for the longest day of the trip, 14.7 miles total (with 4,274 ft of ascent)! Start up Hurricane Pass, stop and have lunch at Lake Solitude, and work our way up the Paintbrush Divide. Set up camp at Upper Paintbrush, make dinner, and hit the hay immediately after.
- Day 4: Have a slow morning and enjoy the campsite now that we’re recovered. Hit the trail before 9 am and backpack 7.2 miles down to the Leigh Lake trailhead parking lot.
Leigh Lake Trailhead Parking on Google Maps
Teton Village Parking on Google Maps
Detailed Recap of the Trip
Day 1: Teton Village Tram to Fox Creek
Mileage: 9.4 miles
Total Ascent: 2,629 ft
Total Descent: 3,504 ft
We arrived in Jackson a day early, so we could pick up our permits at the Grand Teton National Park visitor center. After getting the permits, we dropped off our second car at the Leigh Lake trailhead, then went back into Jackson. We had dinner, purchased our tram tickets online, then went back to Gros Ventre Campground.
We woke up the next morning and drove to Teton Village to take the tram up to the top. There used to be a restaurant at the top that served waffles, so we enjoyed some before starting our hike.
There were so many beautiful wildflowers on day one, and it made the hike so beautiful. We stopped at Marion Lake for a quick snack and a dip in the lake. But maybe don’t swim in this one, because one of my friends came out with a leech on her leg. We all checked each other after, but maybe just wait to swim in one of the other lakes.
Right when we got to the Fox Creek camping zone, it started drizzling, so we quickly picked a site and set up our tents. It started pouring once the tents were set up, so we all rested inside until the storm passed. The rain was pretty off and on that evening, so we cooked dinner during one of the dry moments.
The storm made for a beautiful sunset, and we had arranged our three tents in a triangle, so we were all still able to hang out with each other while it rained, so it wasn’t too bad!
Day 2: Fox Creek to Alaska Basin (Sunset Lake)
Mileage: 7.6 miles
Total Ascent: 1,684 ft
Total Descent: 1,523 ft
We woke up with the sunrise, and it was drizzling, so the sunrise had a rainbow with it! It was beautiful. Today was our easiest day in terms of mileage and elevation gain, so we were excited to get started. We backpacked across the Death Canyon Shelf, through Alaska Basin to Sunset Lake, where we set up our camp.
It was a little before 2 pm when we got to our campsite, so we spent the afternoon just hanging out. We swam in the lake (no leeches this time), filtered water, and lounged.
That evening, we all ate our heaviest dinners and a lot of snacks, so we could lighten our load. We knew the next day was our longest mileage day, so we wanted to make it as easy as possible.
Day 3: Alaska Basin (Sunset Lake) to Upper Paintbrush
Mileage: 14.8 miles
Total Ascent: 4,274 ft
Total Descent: 3,027 ft
We got an early start because we knew we had a long day ahead. We started the day by backpacking up Hurricane Pass to this insane view of the Tetons. This is a great spot to take pictures, but it gets pretty windy, so you might not want to hang out for too long.
When we were done taking pictures, we hiked down Cascade Canyon, which totally reminded me of Hobbiton; there are so many little streams, with greenery and wildflowers everywhere.
We followed the trail up to Lake Solitude, which can also be a day hike in the national park, so it’s pretty heavily trafficked with day hikers. We stopped at the lake for lunch and used the lake water to cool down our clothes.
Next up was the ascent up to Paintbrush Divide. This was a pretty hard climb after all of the hiking we had already done, but it also had one of the most beautiful views of the Grand. From the ridgeline of Paintbrush Divide down to the Paintbrush camping areas, the terrain was very large, loose rocks, which took a lot of concentration because we were all exhausted. But honestly, it was pretty cool too, and I think it would’ve been easier going up rather than going down.
Our permit was for Upper Paintbrush, so we started looking for a spot. We had been hiking for almost 15 miles, so when we finally found the spot, we all just put our stuff down and crashed. We all helped get everyone’s dinners ready after we set up camp, and then we ate in the dark, followed by us all promptly going to sleep.
Day 4: Upper Paintbrush to Leigh Lake Trailhead Parking Lot
Mileage: 7.2 miles
Total Ascent: 117 ft
Total Descent: 3,027 ft
I woke up and watched the sunrise, and it was majestic, which I know sounds cheesy, but it really was. We had a slow morning eating breakfast and packing up camp. We took some time to stretch and just get our bodies ready for our last day. Before we left camp, we saw a fox run right by us, which was really cool!
We started hiking down Paintbrush Canyon a little before 9 am, and it was all downhill, so it was a pretty easy day. The trail took us down between Leigh Lake and String Lake, and we finished around noon at the parking lot for the Leigh Lake trailhead.
We all piled in the car and drove back to Teton Village to collect the other cars. We grabbed some food in Jackson and then started the drive home!
For my first experience of the Teton Crest Trail, I wouldn’t change a thing! My husband was kind enough to stay home and watch our one-year-old, so I could take the week to backpack with my friends.
If you’re looking for more information on planning your trip, like permits, bears/food storage, and more, check out my write-up on the two trips and my experience with the trail here: Backpacking the Teton Crest Trail.
If you’re new to backpacking, check out my Intro to Backpacking section of the blog, which includes some of the following posts that can make planning your trip easier:
