This was an absolute incredible showing of the Tetons. While most people come to the park to get the full view of the range, we were wanting to get into the the Tetons. This trail had us right smack dab in the middle of the range and summiting the Paintbrush Divide.

Part 3: Hiking Paint Brush Canyon to Cascade Canyon Loop Trail

This was our hardest hike of the trip and it still wasn’t the hardest hike in the national park. From start to finish the hike was beautiful and gave you a little of everything. Dense forest, lakes, waterfalls, sweeping views above 10,000′, snow and canyon walls. There is the option of doing each canyon individually and having either Holly Lake or Lake Solitude your destination, but doing it as one hike made for an epic day.

Miles: 20.5
Elevation Gain: 4,463′
Trailhead Elevation: 6,800′
Parking Lot: String Lake Trailhead
Difficulty: Hard to Advanced earlier in the season due to snow.
Dogs: NOT Allowed
Time: With longer hikes, I do not like providing times because it will differ for all. But for planning purposes, if you are an avid mountain hiker, it may take you around 8-9 hours. If not, this trail can take up to 12-14 hours.
Water Safety: See at end.

The main start to this trail is right off String Lake. There is a big sign that you cannot miss.

This leads you right to the bridge that is the start and end to your hike. The moment we turned on the bridge we knew it was going to be an epic day.

We were greeted by a mom and fawn. It is amazing to me how we see deer everywhere and each time we still are a little bit in awe by them. We stepped aside since they were walking down the trail but they took a hard right into some greens for breakfast.

The first three miles or so is a gradual incline on compact dirt. This is bear country and there had been bear sightings on this section of the trail but we saw none.

Once the compact dirt ends you will reach your first sign. Make sure to take a right here.

After this sign you will start the climb through the forest and eventually you will starts to get glimpses of Paintbrush Canyon and then you will make it to the clearing.

The trail becomes rocky at this point and so it is a bit more technical.

At around six miles after quite a few switch backs, you will reach Jenny Lake. This is a great spot for a snack. On a clear and calm day it is a beautiful reflection lake surrounded by peaks and glaciers. Once you get to this point ask yourself how you are feeling. If it isn’t your day or the elevation is getting to you, this is definitely the spot you will want to turn around. This will make your hike 12 miles, which is still great!

Once you reach the lake you will see that the trail veers to the left. This is where the trail becomes a bit difficult. This is where it is good to have a download of the trail on your phone or watch. We didn’t and finding trail through snow, is not the easiest. Plus there is another trail that loops you back to String Lake and this is what we ended up on. We got distracted by the views.

We started heading down and at that moment, I knew something was wrong. There isn’t supposed to be a down before you reach the divide. UGH, but that view!

Because of this mishap, we ended up having to rock scramble. This was one of the hardest parts of the hike. It was about a mile of scrambling.

Then after the rocks, it turned into snow. We found the trail and saw how high we needed to climb.

From snow to rock to snow to rock it was a grueling climb to the top of the divide. It was mentally difficult as well because you could see people at the top making the final climb and it felt so far away. Can you see the guy at the top?

Take as many breaks as you need. Make sure to take at least one to take in the view.

When reading reviews about this hike most will tell you that it is a bit sketchy right before the top and the last bit of ice. It is a decent step up but it isn’t as bad as you would think and the snow is very compact.

We made it to the top! We had it all to ourselves. It was pretty amazing. The entire time, from Holly to the top we saw 3 people.

This takes you above 10,000′. The views that you can get from tis height are just simply amazing.

You have a short hike along the ridge. This allows you to take it all in. After the grueling climb, it was a pretty special moment. Once you feel the descent coming, you can take a look at Cascade Canyon.

The trail stays rocky and you are not finished with snow. It is a steep descent to Solitude Lake, your next destination. Solitude Lake is a popular day hike from Jenny Lake (shuttle) and so you will run into a lot of people from the lake to the end of the hike.

On a sunny day, Solitude Lake is quite mesmerizing. With ice chunks and its blue waters, along with the backdrop, it is one of the best in the Tetons. We were still happy with the cloud coverage, but might come back and hope for a sunny day!

Once you hit the lake the trail heads to the left. Even in July, it is wet and there was. alot of snow.

From the lake you still have a long 8 miles of downhill. One of the great things about this trail is seeing the difference between Paintbrush Canyon and Cascade Canyon. I would hate to have a favorite, but I think Cascade was it.

For a few miles you continue to have this amazing view of the Tetons.

It felt longer than it was. At this point in the hike, all I can think about is food. You would think that would have the miles go by quicker, but I think it has the opposite affect. When you hit Cascade Creek, you know you are getting close to Jenny Lake.

You will come to an intersection. At this point, you have the option of taking a shorter detour to the Jenny Lake Loop Trail that takes you back to your car, or you have the option of doing a detour to Inspiration Point or Hidden Falls. Both are popular amongst people doing the Jenny Lake Loop and people that take the shuttle across the lake. We took the short cut to Jenny Lake to skip all the people and I was just ready to be back to the RV.

The Jenny Lake Loop Trail is very popular. It is a 7 mile loop with only 456′ in elevation gain. This makes it a very family friendly trail and beginner friendly. We came across a lot of people making their way around.

You only hike a small section of the lake before you make it back to the bridge you first crossed at the beginning. To be honest, I had completely forgot about this bridge by the time we got to it and was so happy to glance to the left and see our RV!

That was it! An incredible 20.5 miles through the Tetons. Because of our wrong turn and a couple breaks, it was a 9.5 hour day. It is really important to know your limits and abilities on this hike. It is the most amazing experience, as long as everyone gets back safe.

Water Refill

Aside from your ability, having calories and water with you is very important. Carrying enough water can make your pack quite heavy and so depending on the trail you will not need to carry as much as you thought. This trail had many places to refill water from the start to Holly Lake and then from Solitude to the end. For hikes that we are carrying daypacks, we like to use our Grayl (video below), but if we are only in our running packs, we like using Salomon Soft Flask XA Filter. We each carry about 2-3 soft flasks to fill each time.

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