Hiking Guide: Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point

Contents

Overview

Hidden Falls is a magnificent 100-foot waterfall on Cascade Creek in the Grand Tetons. It’s found near the bottom of Cascade Canyon.

The fastest approach is to ride a shuttle boat across Jenny Lake and hike 0.6 miles to Hidden Falls from Jenny Lake Trailhead, where the boat drops you off.

Jenny Lake Boating operates the shuttle service and charges $18 for an adult roundtrip ticket. Boats leaves the dock every 10-15 minutes and aren’t reservable.

If you miss the last boat back (at 7pm) or purchase a one-way ticket, you can return via a 2-mile hike around the east side of the lake.

I highly recommend hiking up to Inspiration Point after seeing Hidden Falls. It’s 0.5 miles and 200 feet elevation gain from the waterfall and gives you a fabulous view of Jenny Lake and Teewinot Mountain.

The view of Jenny Lake from Inspiration Point

Quick Facts

Distance: 1.9 miles
Hike Time: 2 hours
Elevation Gain: 400 feet
Fee: $35 for a 7-day pass to Grand Teton National Park, $18 for an adult roundtrip Jenny Lake Boating shuttle
Dogs: No
Difficulty: Easy

Hiking the Trail to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point

We got to Jenny Lake Visitor Center at 2:30pm on a Monday and the parking lot was full, but we found a space to parallel park along the road in.

There was some confusion among other groups about where to walk to get to the boat dock. We had been here earlier in the week, so we had a vague idea of where to go.

Maia next to the Jenny Lake Boat Shuttle sign

There was a sign pointing toward the asphalt path heading north, so we followed it. Once we got to the lake, we bore left and found the dock (to our right) within a few minutes.

In hindsight, the path to the east of the visitor center is a more direct approach.

We purchased our tickets at the dock and waited in line for 15 minutes of so, then boarded the arriving boat after its passengers got off.

In my opinion, the boat ride itself is worth the money! It’s a fun experience to zoom across Jenny Lake and take in immense views of the Grand Tetons.

Once you get off the boat, bear left and follow the trail through the forest, 0.6 miles to Hidden Falls. The trail has a moderate incline and it’s just enough to get your heart pumping.

Our little family in front of Hidden Falls

From Hidden Falls, backtrack to the most recent junction and bear left to continue 0.5 miles to Inspiration Point. This is a great place to do lunch!

The trail to Inspiration Point is steep and exposed, so be careful!

You can continue up Cascade Canyon Trail for miles and miles if you want, but remember the last boat leaves at 7pm. If you miss it, you are not out of luck though. There’s a 2-mile trail that goes around the eastern edge of Jenny Lake and returns to the visitor center.

Map

Location

Whether you ride the boat shuttle to Jenny Lake Trailhead or hike the whole way there, you will start at Jenny Lake Visitor Center. It’s located off of Teton Park Road (to the left), 7.9 miles from the turnoff on U.S. Highway 191.

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