A backpacker on the Teton Crest Trail crossing a high alpine meadow with snow patches, limestone cliffs on the left and the Teton peaks on the horizon

Teton Crest Trail Itinerary: 5 Days, Permits and Snow

About 36 miles (58 km) and more than 9,000 feet (2,743 m) of climbing along the crest of the Tetons, and the permit is the real hurdle.

35.7 mi · 5 days · Hard
By

Photo: GrandTetonNPS, Public domain

The Teton Crest Trail is the long backpacking route through Grand Teton country, from Phillips Pass, outside the park on the Teton Pass side, to String Lake, with more than 9,000 feet (2,743 m) of climbing. The park calls it a 39-mile (62.8 km) route from Phillips Pass to String Lake. The map line that the days below add up to starts at the pass itself and measures 35.7 miles (57.5 km), so it is about 3 miles (5 km) shorter than the park figure. The park does not publish a distance for the first stretch, and the walk up from the Highway 22 trailhead to the pass is not in our line, so use the park number for planning the full walk. The park calls it very popular and says its camping zones are full almost every night from late July to early September. It crosses Fox Creek Pass, Hurricane Pass and Paintbrush Divide and runs through Bridger-Teton and Caribou-Targhee national forests as well as the park.

This page walks it from south to north in 5 days and 4 nights, the same number of nights the park lists for its Granite Canyon to String Lake version (38.6 miles (62.1 km)). The park gives no day-by-day plan, so the split below is ours: the distances are measured along the map line from Phillips Pass, so treat them as a guide, and every night is in a park camping zone or camping area. You can start in three places: Phillips Pass (this page), the Granite Canyon trailhead if you want to stay inside the park, or the Jackson Hole aerial tram, which the park says saves about 4 miles (6.4 km) and 2,400 feet (730 m). The park also lists a Death Canyon to Paintbrush Canyon version at 37.1 miles (59.7 km) for 3 to 4 nights.

Two decisions matter, and they pull against each other. The first is when you go: before August the passes hold snow that needs an ice axe and crampons, while the zones are full almost every night from late July to early September. The second is how you get the permit, because this itinerary needs four different zones on four consecutive nights. About a third of permits can be reserved on opening day, and about two thirds go to walk-up in person the day before the start, where the park says the odds are high only if you are flexible. If the exact route matters, reserve on opening day. If it does not, plan to walk up and take what the ranger can build.

The Route on the Map

Each day in its own color, with the start and every night's stop numbered along the way.

Loading map...

Route line: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), simplified.

Day by Day

5 legs and 4 nights on the way, each in a different place.

  1. Marion Lake, a calm mountain lake below a tall limestone cliff with patches of snow, green meadow and a few pines in the foreground
    Day 1

    Day 1: Phillips Pass to Marion Lake

    Phillips PasstoMarion Lake

    Distance
    6.6 mi 10.7 km

    The short first day: you leave the forest at Phillips Pass and climb north into the Granite Canyon area to Marion Lake at 9,250 feet (2,819 m). Marion Lake is a camping area with marked tent sites, and the park's map asks you to use the tent pads and stay off the restored ground and the ridge. Campfires are not allowed.

    Sleep
    Marion Lake camping area · Backcountry campsite · How to book
    Water
    Creeks and Marion Lake; treat all water.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go
    Signal
    Spotty and unpredictable, as everywhere in the park backcountry.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go

    Photo: Goretexguy, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped

  2. Day 2

    Day 2: Marion Lake to the Death Canyon Shelf

    Marion LaketoDeath Canyon Shelf camping zone

    Distance
    3.9 mi 6.3 km

    The trail crosses Fox Creek Pass at 9,600 feet (2,926 m), on forest land, and then follows the shelf, a high bench at 9,500 to 9,700 feet (2,896 to 2,957 m) below the crest. The park lists Fox Creek Pass and the Death Canyon Shelf among the places that can dry up in late summer, so fill up before you climb in dry years. Mount Meek Pass, at 9,726 feet (2,964 m), is at the north end of the zone. The Shelf is an open zone with unsigned sites: camp at least 200 feet (60 m) from water and the trail.

    Sleep
    Death Canyon Shelf camping zone · Backcountry campsite · How to book
    Water
    Streams at the start; the Shelf can run dry in late summer.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go
    Signal
    Spotty and unpredictable.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go
  3. Two hikers on a scree trail above a pale green glacial lake below Schoolroom Glacier, near Hurricane Pass
    Day 3

    Day 3: Death Canyon Shelf to the South Fork of Cascade Canyon

    Death Canyon Shelf camping zonetoSouth Fork of Cascade Canyon camping zone

    Distance
    9.7 mi 15.6 km

    The longest day. You cross Mount Meek Pass and pass through Alaska Basin on forest land, where nights are free, then climb to Hurricane Pass at 10,400 feet (3,170 m) and drop into the South Fork of Cascade Canyon, where the zone runs from 8,000 to 9,900 feet (2,438 to 3,018 m). Hurricane Pass is one of the passes the park names for lingering snow, so this is the day an ice axe and crampons earn their weight before August. The park advises against crossing more than one pass a day, and this day has two (Meek Pass early, Hurricane Pass later), so treat it as a full day and start early; if the group is slow, the free forest nights in Alaska Basin split it.

    Sleep
    South Fork of Cascade Canyon camping zone · Backcountry campsite · How to book
    Water
    Streams along the way; late summer can be dry near the shelf.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go
    Signal
    Spotty and unpredictable.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go

    Photo: National Park Service, Public domain

  4. Lake Solitude, a deep blue lake reflecting rocky slopes with snow patches and the distant Teton peaks, a few pines along the far shore
    Day 4

    Day 4: South Fork of Cascade Canyon over Paintbrush Divide to Upper Paintbrush

    South Fork of Cascade Canyon camping zonetoUpper Paintbrush camping zone

    Distance
    8.3 mi 13.4 km

    Down the South Fork to the Cascade Canyon junction, then up the North Fork past Lake Solitude (9,035 feet (2,754 m)) to Paintbrush Divide at 10,700 feet (3,261 m), the high point of the trip and another pass the park names for lingering snow. The far side drops into the Upper Paintbrush zone (9,500 feet (2,896 m) to 10,000 feet (3,048 m)), an open zone where you camp away from the trail and water; the park asks for at least 200 feet (60 m) and fires are banned. Holly Lake at 9,410 feet (2,868 m) is a separate camping area with its own marked sites. Cross the Divide in the morning, before storms build.

    Sleep
    Upper Paintbrush camping zone · Backcountry campsite · How to book
    Water
    Streams in Cascade Canyon and Lake Solitude; Holly Lake lies below the zone on the way out.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go
    Signal
    Spotty and unpredictable.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go

    Photo: GrandTetonNPS, Public domain

  5. A creek winding through a green meadow in Paintbrush Canyon, with pines and snowfields on the slopes above
    Day 5

    Day 5: Upper Paintbrush to String Lake

    Upper Paintbrush camping zonetoString Lake Trailhead

    Distance
    7.1 mi 11.5 km

    The last day is a long descent down Paintbrush Canyon to String Lake. The park calls the Cascade Canyon and Paintbrush Canyon loop extremely busy in July and August, so expect day hikers near the bottom. Have your ride waiting at the String Lake trailhead.

    Water
    Holly Lake and streams in Paintbrush Canyon.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go
    Signal
    Spotty and unpredictable, better near the String Lake trailhead.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go

    Photo: NPS, Public domain

Permits

A permit is required

A park backcountry camping permit is required for every night you sleep in Grand Teton National Park, and the trail is mostly park land. It costs $20 per permit (non-refundable) plus $7 per person per night (refundable until five days before the start), with no pass discounts. About one third of the permits can be reserved on recreation.gov; the other two thirds are walk-up permits, issued in person at the Craig Thomas Discovery & Visitor Center, Colter Bay Visitor Center or Jenny Lake Ranger Station no earlier than one day before the start. A reserved permit must be picked up in person, no earlier than the day before the start and by 10 a.m. on the first day, or it is cancelled as a no-show. The permit holder must be on the whole trip, and the park says every night on a permit has to be used for the permit to stay valid. A permit covers up to six people, at most two nights in the same zone, and it is only valid for the zones and dates written on it. Four different zones in a row, as this page uses, means four zones that all need space on the same four nights. Nights on national forest land (Alaska Basin, Fox Creek Pass) cost nothing and appear on the permit without a charge, and the park's FAQ (last updated November 2023) says a trip that stays only on forest land needs no permit from either agency.

The lottery

There is no lottery. Reservations for the 2027 season (May 1 to October 31) open on January 11, 2027, at 8 a.m. MST on recreation.gov. Make an account first and book one permit for the whole trip: adding a second reservation to stretch a trip is not allowed. Which route you choose depends on how fixed your plan is. If you need this exact chain of zones, or your dates cannot move, try for the reservation on opening day, and if a zone you need is taken, do not book a placeholder, as the park asks. If you can bend, the walk-up quota is the larger share: the park says that in July and August people start lining up around 5 a.m. at the permit office on the day before the start, that the odds are high if you are flexible, and that rangers will build an itinerary from what is left. Before you leave home, recreation.gov shows a W or a number on zones that still have walk-up space. The things the park suggests bending are the start (Granite Canyon or the tram), the direction and the start day. Reservations changed online are limited to the advance quota, and walk-up space can only be used in person.

The official permit page

Getting There and Back

How to reach the start of the Teton Crest Trail Itinerary, and how to get home from the end.

The start

The trail is walked here from south to north, from Phillips Pass to String Lake. Phillips Pass is outside the park, on the boundary of Bridger-Teton and Caribou-Targhee national forests, above Highway 22 on Teton Pass. Our line starts at the pass itself. The Bridger-Teton lists a trailhead just off Highway 22 with a parking area on each side of the road; check its recreation page for the lot, the trail and the walk up to the pass before you go. The park lists two shorter ways in: the Granite Canyon trailhead, which keeps the whole hike inside the park, and the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort aerial tram from Teton Village, which the park says saves about 4 miles (6.4 km) and 2,400 feet (730 m) of climbing. The park says a fee is charged for the tram, so check the resort's tram page for the summer dates and the price.

The end

The trail ends at the String Lake trailhead, on the Teton Park Road, a long drive from Teton Pass. The park has no shuttle between trailheads: you arrange your own transportation, ride-hailing works inside the park, and hitchhiking is allowed with restrictions. Ride-hailing inside the park does not obviously cover the trip back out to Teton Pass, so decide before you start. The cleanest plan is two cars (leave one at String Lake, drive the other to the pass), or a private ride booked ahead. If you pick up your permit the day before, do it on the way, since the permit offices are inside the park.

Parking

Trailhead lots fill early on summer days, the park says, including String Lake and Granite Canyon. A backcountry permit lets you leave a vehicle at a designated park trailhead for the dates on it, and you give the make, model and plate when you reserve or pick up the permit. That is the park's rule: Phillips Pass is forest land, so ask the Bridger-Teton about overnight parking there. Death Canyon Trailhead is closed until June 19, 2027 for construction, which matters if you plan to use it as a way in.

Safety

  • Snow is the main risk on the early dates. The park warns that Paintbrush Divide, Hurricane Pass and Static Peak Divide stay snowy into summer and that an ice axe, crampons and the ability to self-arrest are musts, with the Teton Crest Trail named as one of the routes that demand them. Slips on snow can be serious and post-holing in knee to waist-deep snow is likely when the snow rots. The park says to plan on covering less distance than on dry trail and not to trust earlier tracks as the right or safest route. On snow, the 8 and 10-mile (13 and 16 km) days below do not hold, so add a day or pick a later date. Check the trail conditions and the snowpack map, and plan a lower route if your group has no snow experience.

  • Weather changes fast at 9,000 to 10,700 feet (2,743 to 3,261 m). Afternoon thunderstorms are common; the park advises staying off exposed ridges, passes and summits when they build, so cross the high passes in the morning. Wet and cold can bring on hypothermia even in summer.

  • Black and grizzly bears live throughout the park. The park requires food, trash and anything with an odor to be stored in an approved bear-resistant canister, except where storage boxes are provided. You can borrow a canister free with your permit. Cook and store the canister at least 100 yards (90 m) downwind of your tent, and never hang food. Make noise, hike in a group and carry bear spray.

  • The park says cell coverage in the backcountry is spotty and unpredictable and suggests a satellite communication device. Tell someone your route and your return day. Solo and off-trail hiking are not recommended.

  • Pace yourself above 9,000 feet (2,743 m). The park puts the speed at no more than 2 miles (3.2 km) an hour plus an extra hour for every 1,000 feet (305 m) of climbing, and advises against crossing more than one mountain pass in a day. The elevations run from the low canyons to 10,700 feet (3,261 m), and the park says that if altitude symptoms persist or worsen you should descend to a lower elevation.

Teton Crest Trail Itinerary: FAQ

Do you need a permit for the Teton Crest Trail?

Yes, a park backcountry camping permit is required for every night you sleep inside Grand Teton National Park. A trip that spends all its nights on national forest land does not need one. The permit costs $20 plus $7 per person per night, and reservations for 2027 open on January 11, 2027, at 8 a.m. MST on recreation.gov.

How long does the Teton Crest Trail take?

The park lists the trail from Phillips Pass to String Lake at about 39 miles (62.8 km). The line used here starts at the pass and measures 35.7 miles (57.5 km); the park does not say where the difference lies. Its Granite Canyon to String Lake version is 38.6 miles (62.1 km) over 4 nights. This page splits it into 5 days. Starting from the aerial tram saves about 4 miles (6.4 km) and 2,400 feet (730 m).

When is the Teton Crest Trail free of snow?

The park says canyon trails are snow-free by late July, but Paintbrush Divide, Hurricane Pass and Static Peak Divide can hold hazardous snow well into summer. It describes August and September as typically more enjoyable. Check the park's trail conditions page and snowpack map before you go.

Do you need a bear canister on the Teton Crest Trail?

Yes. The park requires an approved bear-resistant food container except where food storage boxes are provided, and permit holders can borrow one for free. Hanging food is prohibited inside the park.

Can you hike the Teton Crest Trail north to south?

Yes, and the park suggests that reversing a trip can make a permit possible when your first choice is full. This page describes the south to north direction, which ends at String Lake.

Is there a shuttle between the trailheads?

No. The park has no shuttle, so you arrange your own transportation between the ends. Ride-hailing services work inside the park and hitchhiking is allowed with restrictions. The two ends are far apart, so two cars or a ride booked ahead is the safer plan.

Can you get a Teton Crest Trail permit without a reservation?

Often, if you are flexible. About two thirds of permits are walk-up, issued in person one day before the start, and the park says people start lining up around 5 a.m. in July and August. The park calls the odds high if you accept different zones or a different start; a fixed chain of four zones leaves rangers little to work with. Check recreation.gov first: zones with walk-up space show a W or a number.

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