Berry-Webb Canyon Loop

Berry-Webb Canyon Loop is a 34.2-mile lollipop route from Glade Creek Trailhead through Berry Creek, Owl Canyon and Moose Basin Divide, then down Webb Canyon and north beside Jackson Lake to return to the start. Plan for three or four days, not a day hike. The mapped line is 33.4 miles; another listed version is 31.4, but its exact route is unclear. Use the longer figure for planning and check that any route file includes the full return to Glade Creek.

This is a remote trip for fit, experienced backpackers who can navigate when the tread fades. The northern canyons have high bear activity, difficult wayfinding and stream crossings without bridges; those crossings can become dangerous. Willow thickets, braided channels and deadfall complicate the Berry Creek section. Bring navigation skills you can use without a clear path underfoot, and do not count on a short walk back to the road if conditions change.

From the trailhead, follow Glade Creek south for about 5.3 miles before turning west onto Berry Creek. The start is mostly level and open, with little shade. Small streams can dry late in the season, so do not treat them as dependable water. Berry Creek winds through lodgepole pine and meadow openings; lupine and columbine can flower there in midsummer. Route-finding gets harder in willow and around braided water, especially where the tread becomes faint.

The 1.6-mile Owl Berry cutoff leads from Berry Creek toward Owl Canyon. The route then swings through the canyon and climbs to Moose Basin Divide, about 9,720 feet high. The divide is the big payoff: broad views open toward Mount Moran and the surrounding basins. The climb and the creek crossings make this a slow section, not a place to plan a tight daily mileage target.

Webb Canyon is the steeper, rockier exit. Its wooded and open stretches alternate before the route turns north near Jackson Lake and follows the Glade Creek corridor back to the trailhead. The loop’s northern return closes the circuit; it is part of the full distance, not an optional shortcut.

Start at Glade Creek Trailhead off Grassy Lake Road, in the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, then cross into Grand Teton. Overnight backcountry permits are required, and the northern canyon areas have limits; specify your canyon itinerary when arranging the permit. Grassy Lake Road is seasonally closed until early June for bear activity. Pets are prohibited on park trails and in the backcountry. Bears, including grizzlies, frequent these canyons; elk and wolves are possible, but sightings are never guaranteed.