Pets allowed
Not Allowed
Elevation Gain
585.00 ft (178.31 m)
Trail type
Loop
Distance
6.50 mi (10.46 km)
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This hike begins at the Taggart Lake Trailhead in the Grand Teton National Park. It's a great winter hike, as this trailhead is the farthest you can go inside the park before the road is blocked for the winter. The trail begins by weaving across a stream and heading up an incline up into the meadow. From there the trail is pretty flat across the meadow, providing beautiful views of the Tetons.

After the meadow, the trail splits. To the right you can head to Bradley Lake (an extra 2.5 miles added to the loop), or you can go straight to the left to Taggart Lake, making a nice 4-mile loop.  The trail to Bradley Lake leads into a lush pine forest with views of Taggart Lake from above. The trail then weaves in and out of the forest until Bradley Lake appears on the right. Follow as the trail loops back to Taggart Lake and then back to the trailhead.

Note that snow and ice are common on this trail as early as mid-November.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Congestion

Moderate

Parking Pass

National Park Pass

Pros

Short. Great views. Easy. Loop

Cons

Icy in winter. Crowds.

Trailhead Elevation

6,625.00 ft (2,019.30 m)

Features

Big Game Watching
Wildlife
Big vistas
Old-growth forest
Wildflowers
Big Game Watching

Location

Comments

07/25/2016
I did this hike back in August 2015 and it definitely met my expectations. I originally had seen a photo of Taggart Lake right before our trip and I knew it was a hike worth doing. It's not a difficult hike nor does the elevation climb too much, so as a quick day hike it works out great. We decided to go in the evening around 5pm to see if we could get a shot of the sun setting above the mountains. I'm starting to wish we tried for a sunrise shot because the reflections off the water would have made for a terrific shot. All in all I would definitely do this hike again. It has a couple spots for photos that just stood out from the rest. Once you climb the short elevation gain to get to the meadows, you find what looks like and old burned out area that gives way to a breathtaking vantage point towards the Tetons. The second photo I posted was from that hike. Hands down one of my favorite GTNP day hikes
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