Lake Solitude Grand Teton Hike
Lake Solitude is one of the more remote lakes of Grand Teton National Park. Reaching this tranquil and serene lake, tucked behind Grand Teton, is no easy feat. The minimum hiking distance to Lake Solitude is 14 miles (see option 2 below). We highly recommend this trail, as the entire hike has stunning views of the Tetons and Lake Solitude is gorgeous. There are a few different options for hiking to Lake Solitude, each with their own benefits.
Option 1: String Lake to Lake Solitude (what we did)
String Lake to Lake Solitude (out-and-back) is the shortest hike, without taking a boat, to reach Lake Solitude. Traversing through Cascade Canyon, with no major mountain passes, this light and gradual incline long - but doable.
Trailhead: String Lake
Distance: 18 miles round-trip. AllTrails said it was 16.7 miles, but it is definitely a solid 18 miles (we had two tracking devices).
Elevation: 2,516 ft
Option 1: String Lake Trailhead to Lake Solitude Out-and-back
Option 2: Jenny Lake to Lake Solitude
Jenny Lake to Lake Solitude (out-and-back) can be the shortest hike to reach Lake Solitude if you take the Jenny Lake Shuttle Boat (there is a fee) one, or both, ways to cross Jenny Lake. The shuttle boat shaves off ~2.5 miles each way which is a great way to save your legs at the beginning or end of the hike to Lake Solitude. We heard that at some points in the summer, if you take the boat before 7am it is cheaper and less crowded. Make sure to call Jenny Lake Boating to confirm their schedule before planning this hike. Their schedule changes frequently.
Trailhead: South Jenny Lake Parking Lot
Distance: 18 miles round-trip (13.5 miles taking ferry both ways)
Elevation: 3,000 ft (2300 taking ferry both ways)
Option 2: Jenny Lake to Lake Solitude Out-and-back
Option 3: Lake Solitude Loop from String Lake
We have also completed this loop and it tops our list as the best hike in Grand Teton National Park! Read more about the Paintbrush Canyon to Cascade Canyon Loop, which only adds a few miles in distance but a couple thousand feet extra in elevation. This hike starts and ends at String Lake but adds an additional leg through Paintbrush Canyon which eliminates the out-and-back through Cascade Canyon. Itโs recommended to do this loop counterclockwise, ascending Paintbrush Canyon and Paintbrush Divide, as the steep incline and loose dirt makes it difficult to descend. Then, descending Cascade Canyon (which we did in the out-and-back) affords you the best views of the Tetons during the whole descent!
Trailhead: String Lake
Distance: 20.5 miles
Elevation: 4,115 ft
Option 3: Lake Solitude Loop from String Lake
How to Hike Lake Solitude Trail
As mentioned above, we chose to hike to Lake Solitude from the String Lake Trailhead as an out-and-back through Cascade Canyon. Itโs a very long day hike at 18 miles, so we decided to forgo the loop through Paintbrush Canyon to save our legs a couple miles and a couple thousand feet of elevation. But WOW, was this an incredible hike and Cascade Canyon is absolutely beautiful.
The hike starts at String Lake Trailhead which has limited parking closest to the trailhead, so make sure to arrive early or you will add some additional mileage by parking in the overflow lots. The first couple of miles are fairly flat and wrap around the North side of Jenny Lake. Itโs such a beautiful way to start a hike, with unobstructed views of Jenny Lake and Grand Teton.
After a couple miles, as you reach the Western most point of Jenny Lake, there is a fairly uphill mile of climbing through a wooded section which leads you into Cascade Canyon. This section is fairly steep, so we took a few breaks to drink some water and shed some layers as we worked up a sweat. As the woods open up to Cascade Canyon, you will completely forget about the climb as the beauty alone will take your breath away. The next 3-4 miles have a very gradual incline and feel more like a walk as you make your way through Cascade Canyon with towering cliffs on either side and a meandering stream to your left.
Keep a lookout for wildlife as we saw several moose along this section walking in the streams and eating along the banks. Make sure to keep your distance, as moose can be very dangerous if they feel threatened or spooked.
As the trail turns to the Northwest, the final 2.5 mile ascent to Lake Solitude begins. This section of well maintained trail crosses several boulder fields. It is a steady incline with little shade and caused us to take several breaks. You might feel tired, but look over your shoulder at the beautiful views of Grand Teton behind you for encouragement. Keep pushing on as the Lake Solitude is completely worth it!
When you reach the lake, rest, soak in the views, and dip your feet into the icy glacier water. We spent a couple of hours at Lake Solitude. Pro tip: we highly recommend bringing a hammock as there are some great trees to lounge between on the East side of the lake. Other hikers told us we could charge for a chance to lay in the hammockโฆ.we always get a lot of comments on how great of an idea it was. After hiking 9 miles uphill, we have to agree it is quite a nice reward.
Make sure to leave enough time for the descent back to your car. It took us 4 hours and 45 minutes to reach Lake Solitude and roughly 2 hours and 30 minutes to descend, for an average pace of 27:45 min/mile. The descent provides unobstructed views of Grand Teton through the Canyon so try to focus on the beauty rather than your sore feet and tired legs.
Lake Solitude Hiking Essentials
Read More about Our Hiking List and REcommended Gear
As always, know the ten essentials for your hike as the hike to Lake Solitude will take you 9 miles away from the closest trailhead. And, it is better to expect the unexpected in the mountains. Weโve put together a list of our day hiking essentials which we run through before every time before heading out to the trails. In our experience, we have helped out several unprepared hikers with extra water and first aid. Make sure you have the essentials for your hike.
Read More: Day Hike Packing List
Other Grand Teton National Park Hikes
We also HIGHLY recommend Delta Lake hike which is a shorter, and an arguably more beautiful lake, directly below Grand Teton. Read more about our hike to Delta Lake which is accessed by an unmaintained and unmarked trail: Delta Lake Grand Teton Hike
We have also visited Lake Solitude by completing the Paintbrush Canyon to Cascade Canyon Loop. It tops our list as the best hike in Grand Teton National Park! Read more about the Paintbrush Canyon to Cascade Canyon Loop
