Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [211]
Youngsters 8 to 12 can join Young Naturalist programs at Colter Bay or Jenny Lake and learn about the natural world for 2 hours while hiking with a ranger. Sign-ups are at the visitor centers (the fee is a mere $1), and the kids will need basic hiking gear.
Evening campfire gatherings on a variety of park-related topics take place at the Gros Ventre, Jenny Lake, Signal Mountain, Lizard Creek, and Colter Bay campground amphitheaters.
Day Hikes
COLTER BAY AREA
Lakeshore Trail
2 miles RT. Easy. Access: Marina entrance.
Originating in the Colter Bay area, this short jaunt starts at the marina and leads out to pebble beaches on the west side of Jackson Lake. The trail is wide and shady, and views of the entire Teton Range leap out at you from across the lake when you arrive at the end of the trail.
TRAILS FROM THE HERMITAGE POINT TRAILHEAD
The Hermitage Point Trailhead near the marina is the starting point for an interesting variety of trips ranging from 1 to 9 miles. With careful planning, it's possible to start the day with a hike beginning at Colter Bay that leads past Cygnet Lake across Willow Flats to Jackson Lake Lodge (where you can stop for lunch). Then, after a break, take the same path and return to Colter Bay in time for the evening barbecue. All told, that's 10 miles round-trip.
When choosing your route, keep in mind that the three trails running through this same forested part of the Colter Bay area—Heron Pond Trail, Swan Lake Trail, and Hermitage Point Loop—have virtually identical foliage and terrain. The numerous options can be confusing, so carry a map.
Hermitage Point Loop
8.8 miles RT. Moderate. Access: Swan Lake/ Heron Pond trail intersection.
This trail goes through a thickly forested area to the isolated Hermitage Point, a peninsula jutting into Jackson Lake, from which you can look across the bay to the Signal Mountain Lodge. If you're seeking solitude, this is an excellent place to find it, though you should check with rangers before leaving—this is bear country.
Heron Pond Trail
3 miles RT. Easy. Access: Hermitage Point trailhead.
If you take this trail in the early morning, you will improve your chance of seeing the beavers that live in the pond. This is bear territory as well as a home for Canada geese, trumpeter swans, and moose. Wildflowers are part of the show in the early summer—look for lupine, gilia, heartleaf arnicas, and Indian paintbrush. The first 200 yards of the trail are steep, but after reaching the top of a rise, it levels out and has only moderate elevation gains from that point on.
Swan Lake Trail
3 miles RT. Easy. Access: Hermitage Point trailhead.
Finding swans at Swan Lake requires a trip to the south end, where a small island offers them isolation and shelter for nests. From Swan Lake, it's only .3 mile through a densely forested area to the intersection with the trail to Heron Pond. Hermitage Point is 3 miles from this junction along a gentle path that winds through a wooded area that is a popular bear hangout.
Willow Flats
5 miles one-way. Easy. Access: Horse corrals at Colter Bay.
An alternative to mountainous, forested trails, this trip from Colter Bay to Jackson Lake Lodge takes you across marshy flats where you'll have an excellent view of the Tetons and a good chance of seeing moose and other wildlife. You begin by skirting the sewage ponds at Colter Bay (sorry), then pick up a trail east to Cygnet Lake. Instead of looping back to Colter Bay, you take a spur that crosses Pilgrim Creek going east across the flats. You can hike in either direction, but drop a car at each end if you don't want to double back on foot.
JACKSON LAKE LODGE AREA
Christian Pond Trail
1 mile RT. Easy. Access: 200 yards south of Jackson Lake Lodge entrance (it's unmarked, so look carefully).
This trail begins with a half-mile walk through a grassy, wet area to a pond with nesting trumpeter swans and other waterfowl. You can circle the pond, adding another