Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
park's fanciest and most expensive lodging and dining can be found at the historic and tony
Jenny Lake Lodge.
In much the same way that Old Faithful embodies the Yellowstone experience for many
visitors, so too does Jenny Lake conjure up all that is wonderful about Grand Teton. A scen-
ic drive from North Jenny Lake to South Jenny Lake skirts the water and affords breathtak-
ing views of the Grand Teton, Teewinot, and Mount Owen. Those who are more interested
in solitude would be well advised to get off the main drag here, away from the crowds and
into the wilderness.
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Jenny Lake
In 1872 an English-born mountain man, known widely as “Beaver Dick” Leigh for his
enormous front teeth and his penchant for the animal, guided Ferdinand Hayden around
the Tetons. Hayden named the lovely alpine lake for Dick's wife, Jenny, a member of the
Shoshone tribe. Tragically, in the fall of 1876, pregnant Jenny took care of an ailing Native
American woman, not knowing the woman had smallpox. Jenny and all four of her children
became ill. Her baby was born just before Christmas and, along with Jenny and the other
four children, died within a week. Beaver Dick buried his family in Jackson Hole.
Despite its tragic namesake, Jenny Lake is indeed one of the most beautiful and beloved
spots in the park. From cruising across the lake to hiking along its shores, there are an end-
less number of ways to enjoy this idyllic spot.
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Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point
One of the area's most popular hikes is to the spectacular
Hidden Falls.
From Jenny Lake's
south shore, the hike follows a moderate 2.5-mile trail with 550 feet of elevation gain to
the cascade. Visitors who want to put fewer miles on their feet can take the
Jenny Lake
Shuttle
(307/734-9227,
www.jennylakeboating.com
,
hours change monthly mid-May-late
Sept., $12 adults round-trip, $7 one-way, $6 children round-trip, $5 one-way), which runs
every 15-20 minutes throughout the day, to shorten the hike to 1 mile with 150 feet of elev-
ation gain. The hike to Inspiration Point, a breathtaking overlook 5.8 miles round-trip with
700 feet of elevation gain from the trailhead, or 2.2 miles round-trip with 420 feet of eleva-
tion gain from the boat shuttle, earns its name.
