My second time backpacking the Teton Crest Trail started at Teton Village and took us to the String Lake parking lot. I got to go with the same group of my girlfriends that I did the trail with the year before (we all met working together at REI). This post breaks down my 2025 trip, which has a slightly different itinerary from the year before.
If you’re looking for more in-depth information on planning your trip, check out my overview of both trips, where I share info on permits and other need-to-know information: Backpacking the Teton Crest Trail. And if you’re curious about my other itinerary, read about my 2024 Teton Crest trip here.
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Quick Facts
- Dates: August 5th-8th, 2025
- Starting Point: The Teton Village Tram
- Ending Point: String Lake parking lot
- Total Mileage: 33.4 miles
- Total Ascent / Descent: 5,021 ft / 8,509 ft
- Peak Elevation: 10,573 ft
My Trip Overview
Trip Synopsis:
- The day before we start: Pick up permits at the Grand Teton National Park visitor center, drop a car off at the String Lake parking lot, get dinner in Jackson, and camp at Gros Ventre Campground.
- Day 1: Drive to Teton Village and take the first tram up, and get waffles at the top (it was the last year to do this!). Backpack 9.6 miles to Fox Creek and set up camp.
- Day 2: Backpack 7.1 miles to Sunset Lake in Alaska Basin and hang out around the campsite for the rest of the day!
- Day 3: Pack up camp, backpack up Hurricane Pass (take pictures with the Tetons!), and hike a total of 9.2 miles to our next campsite: Cascade North.
- Day 4: Wake up early and hit the trail before 6 am. Backpack 7.5 miles down and around the northwest side of Jenny Lake to the String Lake Parking lot. Load up in the car, go back to the other car at Teton Village, and hit the Bunnery for breakfast before driving home!
String Lake Parking Lot on Google Maps
Teton Village Parking on Google Maps
Detailed Recap of the Trip
Day 1: Teton Village Tram to Fox Creek
Mileage: 9.6 miles
Total Ascent: 2,015 ft
Total Descent: 2,841 ft
We got to Jackson, WY one day early, so we could go to the Grand Teton National Park visitor’s center to pick up our permits. We originally only had permits for Fox Creek on night one, and Alaska Basin for two nights, but we snagged a last-minute permit to Upper Cascade for our last night! (Shout-out to the ranger who helped us out with that). Before heading back to our campsite for the night, we enjoyed some dinner in Jackson.
The next morning, we woke up early and packed up camp. We made a quick stop at the Bunnery for some breakfast pastries before going to Teton Village and catching the first tram up. Because it was the last year they would have them, we stopped for waffles at the top before starting our hike.
For lunch, we stopped at Marion Lake, same as the year before, but this year we didn’t swim in it (beware of leeches!).
Because it wasn’t raining when we got to Fox Creek, we had time to scout out a better campsite than the year before. So we found a great spot and had everything set up by 4 pm! We wandered around and found a small lake near our campsite. My friend Bekah led us in some yoga and stretching before we went back to camp for dinner.
After dinner, we played Phase 10 and just generally had a good time together. We all watched the sunset and then went to bed for the night.
Day 2: Fox Creek to Alaska Basin (Sunset Lake)
Mileage: 7.1 miles
Total Ascent: 1,243 ft
Total Descent: 1,167 ft
Per usual, we all woke up and watched the sunrise before packing up camp. Because this was our second year as a group, we knew what campsite we wanted at Sunset Lake that afternoon. So, my friend Marin and I packed up before everyone else and set out to claim our spot. I had a Garmin InReach Mini and an offline map, and my friend Peg, in the other group, had the same, so we all felt safe enough splitting up for the morning.
Marin and I started our hike around 7:30 am and hiked across the Death Canyon Shelf and through Alaska Basin, making it to our campsite around 10:30 am. We set up a tent and relaxed until the rest of our crew got there around 1 pm. In hindsight, we did not need to split up, because even once our group was reunited, we were the first group there by a long shot.
Once everyone was reunited, we enjoyed the lake to ourselves as other groups started showing up and setting up camp. The afternoon consisted of filtering extra water, more yoga and stretching, Phase 10, and an early dinner. We played more cards that evening while we waited for the sunset, and then we all went to bed.
Day 3: Alaska Basin (Sunset Lake) to Upper Cascade
Mileage: 9.2 miles
Total Ascent: 1,443 ft
Total Descent: 2,870 ft
We all took our time in the morning and started hiking a little after 9 am. The wildflowers past Sunset Lake and before the ascent up Hurricane Pass were gorgeous. The top of Hurricane Pass has an epic view of the Tetons, so we stopped for photos and then continued on our way.
It was pretty windy on the ridge, so I had to pull out my puffy coat. Meanwhile, we took a detour to the glacier lake, and one of my friends went swimming!
We hiked down Cascade Canyon and then up the trail to Lake Solitude, towards our next campsite at Cascade North. Around 2:45 pm, we took the campsite that the ranger recommended to us when we picked up the permit. (It’s one of the first campsites on the right of the trail.)
This was probably one of my favorite backpacking campsites I’ve stayed at because the view was INSANE. It also had a river close by that made filtering our water super easy. Plus, it was secluded from other campsites and hikers, despite being close to a popular hiking trail in the park.
Once the tents were set up, we just relaxed around camp, ate dinner, and played games in our tents. Later that evening, we peeked our heads out of our tents to see the sunset, and we noticed the most beautiful alpenglow on the Grand Teton! We all got outside and watched the sunset before going to bed, and it was beautiful!
Day 4: Upper Cascade to String Lake Parking Lot
Mileage: 7.5 miles
Total Ascent: 320 ft
Total Descent: 1,631 ft
The night before, we talked about starting early, so we could get down in time to hit The Bunnery for breakfast. We started hiking a little before 6 am and made it down in less than three hours!
On the way down, we ran into a few moose that were really close to the trail. Moose are beautiful, but they also terrify me, so we were very cautious and gave them plenty of room. We also found a patch of wild raspberries! So we got to enjoy some fresh fruit after four days.
When we made it back to the car, we piled into the car to head back to our other cars at Teton Village.
We all met up at The Bunnery for breakfast (sorry to the other patrons; we probably were so stinky), and it was delicious! Then we all said our goodbyes to our friends in the other car, and we started the drive home.
Even though our itinerary was pretty similar to the previous year, it felt like such a different trip and experience. I was lucky enough to have my parents in town while I was gone to watch my toddler. I’m so lucky to have an amazing support system that allows me to go on these trips with my friends!
If you’re looking for more information on planning your trip, check out my write-up on the two trips and my experience with the trail here: Backpacking the Teton Crest Trail. I include information on getting permits, bears/food storage, and more in that post.
For additional help planning your trip, check out my Intro to Backpacking section, which includes some of the following posts:
