Jenny Lake East Shore Boat Dock

Jenny Lake East Shore Boat Dock is the covered ticketing and boarding pier on Jenny Lake’s south shore. This is where the passenger shuttle leaves for the west shore, the quickest way to reach the trail starts for Hidden Falls, Inspiration Point and Cascade Canyon. Canoes and kayaks are also rented here.

The shuttle crossing takes about 10 to 12 minutes. A separate narrated scenic cruise circles the lake in about an hour, so check which boat you are boarding. The shuttle does not require advance reservations; reservations are recommended for the cruise. If you would rather stay on shore, the south-shore trail between the east and west docks is about 2.5 miles.

Boat service is seasonal and runs in summer; dates and conditions vary, so check before planning around a crossing. The South Jenny Lake parking area is limited and fills in summer, and queues can stretch at peak times. Arrive early if you need to make a particular departure. Paved paths lead from the parking and visitor-center area to the dock, and the boats are wheelchair accessible. Use the visitor-center restrooms before crossing; there are no restrooms on the west shore. A nearby general store has snacks and drinks, while the dock itself is not a meal stop.

The dock faces Teewinot Mountain, Mount St. John and Cascade Canyon, with the Cathedral Group rising beyond the lake. The crossing gives you the view from water level, and the longer cruise follows the lake beneath those peaks. From shore, use the long pier and a shuttle boat to lead the eye toward the mountains; from a boat, leave some water in the frame to show how close the peaks feel.

Ice-age glaciers carved Jenny Lake’s basin and left moraines that helped hold the water in place. The lake reaches 256 feet deep. It was named in 1872 for Jenny Leigh, a Shoshone woman who assisted the Hayden Expedition with her husband, guide Richard “Beaver Dick” Leigh.