Amphitheater Lake

From Lupine Meadows, the trail climbs under conifers, then opens onto shrub-covered slopes and views over the valley. Long switchbacks, narrow stretches and exposed roots and rock make the ascent strenuous; the average slope is about 13 percent. Surprise Lake comes first, then Amphitheater Lake sits another quarter mile uphill. They are separate lakes, not two names for the same stop. The route returns the way you came, so keep some strength for the steep descent.

Turn west from Teton Park Road about a mile south of South Jenny Lake Junction, then follow the gravel road about 1.5 miles to the trailhead. Its gravel lot can fill, and there is no parking along signed no-parking stretches. The trailhead has a vault toilet and bear-resistant food storage boxes; the lake has no visitor facilities or food service. Bring water for the climb. Dogs are not allowed on this route, and overnight camping requires a backcountry permit. The park recommends hiking in groups, making noise and carrying bear spray.

The best access is after summer snowmelt and before the first fall snow. Snow-covered terrain can make the route hazardous; attempt it only with snow-travel experience and proper equipment.

Glaciers carved hollows in the Teton Range that later filled with lakes and sharpened the surrounding peaks. The high range exposes ancient metamorphic gneiss and granite, with the park dating them to roughly 2.7 and 2.5 billion years old. A local climbing-history account says the lake served as a base camp for early north-side ascents of Grand Teton, and traces Disappointment Peak’s name to a 1925 climb stopped by a deep chasm between its summit and Grand Teton.

From the eastern shore, put the water in the foreground with Disappointment Peak rising above the basin. The wider view reaches Middle Teton, Grand Teton, Mount Owen and Teewinot. This is a photo stop earned by the hike, not a quick pullout; the lake and rock walls make the climb’s payoff clear in one frame.