Stats, trail tips and important information regarding this trail are located at the bottom of the blog post. Unless explicitly noted, all pictures in this blog are owned by me and should otherwise not be used without expressed written consent.

Some of my bucket list hikes are not well known. Cascade Canyon is not one of those trails. 🙂 Grand Tetons National Park is one of the most iconic symbols of the US – majestic and beautiful. Hiking here, particularly on the Cascade Canyon Trail, feels like walking through a postcard. Its beauty is striking and in your face throughout the hike.

We decided to hike Cascade Canyon on a Wednesday afternoon due to work obligations. We finished up work, parked at Jenny Lake and visited the park store at Jenny Lake before heading out. This was the week of Labor Day, so the park (and Jenny Lake) was indeed quite busy but not obnoxiously so. There are so many routes you can take once you’re at Jenny Lake. For this hike, we elected for the following: Jenny Lake parking lot> Jenny Lake ferry to other side of the lake > Hidden Falls > Inspiration Point > Cascade Canyon > back the way we came.

The ferry tickets are $20.00 round trip per adult. You can also elect to hike around the lake to begin the hike. This adds some miles to the hike but I’m sure it is beautiful. The ferry was an enjoyable perspective though…

Once off the ferry, there is a mild scramble to reach the trail. We walked briefly along the lake before heading into the woods where the trail led us to the partially hidden but majestic Hidden Falls…

The viewing point for Hidden Falls was quite busy. There was also a cute little opportunistic deer mouse grazing in between hoomans…

You cross a beautiful wooden bridge (which you will see later in this blog post) and head towards Inspiration Point. This is a short distance from Hidden Falls, but there are some elevated switchbacks before you get there. Some beautiful mountain views are along the way…

I’m always mesmerized by aspen trees. The way the leaves flutter in the wind, the way the sun creates a glow through the light green… it’s so entrancing. We spotted quite a few aspen trees, which we were not expecting. We meandered through those switchbacks and soon after were the amazing views…

As evidenced by the tiny ferry in the water, Inspiration Point is up there! To get to this point, there is some effort required. But it is absolutely worth it.

Jason was so kind taking a picture of me at Inspiration Point. 😎 This ended up being my Facebook profile picture (something I change once in a blue moon)…

And another pic with the sun’s rays casting over the Teton Mountain Range. As you can see, Inspiration Point was not a place of solace. But wow, it was still so beautiful…

Obviously, I couldn’t help but take a video of this picturesque view…

After a brief snack we were off to Cascade Canyon Trail. Little did we know, the hike was going to be basically one big walking postcard.

But first, I’ve neglected to show you what the ratio looks like so far. Here’s the trail soon after we headed down Cascade Canyon beyond Inspiration Point…

Once you get into the open (a significant portion of the trail), the views are unimaginably breathtaking. Let me show you…

As we kept hiking, we were told by literally every hiker we passed that a moose was up ahead (yes, hikers are the friendliest group of people you will ever meet). Soon after, we were able to see the moose drinking some fresh mountain water…

We went on a wildlife tour the day before as well as Moose Pond. We saw several moose as a result. But they are such amazing-looking animals. And they are huge! Being from Louisiana originally (and now residing in Texas), seeing a moose is a real treat. Here is a close up… (Note: You’ll see Moose Pond Trail on my blogsite soon as well)

Waterfalls, mountainy layers, boulders, the Cascade River… just check this place out…

A hiker started approaching, but I did manage to snag an awesome video of this spot!…

Breathtaking.

I’m quite fond of my Google Pixel due to its top-of-the-class camera. Jason owns a Canon Rebel T51. We decided to both take a pic in the same spot. The next two pictures you can compare…

No clear “winner” but I must say that the Canon created greater picture depth than the Google Pixel phone.

The Grand Tetons, similar to Yellowstone, is absolutely rich with wildlife. Check out this cute little pika…

As we turned around to head back (yes, you can keep going – all the way over the mountain to Idaho), my calculations were telling me we were going to be pushing up on 6:00 PM arriving to the ferry pickup point. We hiked more briskly, but knowing we could hike around the lake if we had to. Here’s my clodhopping down the trail trying to get back in time lol…

But we weren’t so rushed that we couldn’t stop to take photos of the trail deer!

The deer in the Grand Tetons are definitely more acclimated to people than you’d expect. In another hike, the deer was 5 feet off the trail munching away as we walked by. 😂 This one mozied up the switchbacks and walked away.

And one last jaw dropping mountain photo before we finished the hike…

We crossed the bridge near Hidden Falls…

…and made it to the ferry with two whole minutes to spare (5:58 PM). Phew, that was close.

We made it back in time for a delicious but painfully annoying dinner. 🙃 But that’s another story.

Total Distance/Time: 8.85 miles in 4 hr 7 min (excludes soak time)
Calories Burned: 2,162
Trail Type: Out-and-back
Trail Features: Ferry boat, lake, 360-degree mountain views, river, moose, pikas, rock scree, deer, bear
Best Time to Hike: July-September
Difficulty Rating: 7.5/10
Trailhead Coordinates: 43.7687729, -110.7169989
Trail Tips:

• Parking. My proverbial parking tip. 🙂 This is a well-known trail so getting there early or late will afford you a greater chance to park. The parking lot is large but so is the volume.
• Ferry: Make sure to prepare to pay for the ferry. They take multiple forms of payment (not just cash). Also, the ferry’s last trip from the other side of Jenny Lake is 6:00 PM. It’s not the end of the world if you miss it – you can just walk around the lake. But if you’re feeling fatigued, you’ll want to get to the ferry pickup by 6:00 PM.
• Wildlife: Watching the wildlife is one of the best experiences of visiting the Grand Tetons. There are bears, moose and large elk in this park. Admire from a distance! And keep bear spray handy for protection.