Parking
Use the Granite Canyon Trailhead parking area off Moose-Wilson Road; start here for the 13.4-mile round trip.
Overview
About Granite Canyon Trail
Why go
- Granite Creek, forest, and wildflower meadows accompany the long climb.
Heads up
- A strenuous full day with narrow, steep tread and switchbacks.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Grand Teton map
Full mapElevation6,398–8,209 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
2 active Grand Teton alerts
- ClosureConstruction closures and delaysConstruction is causing current road and area closures and delays across Grand Teton; use the signed Taggart Trail detour. - Moose-Wilson Road is closed between Moose and Laurance S.Official details
- ClosureJackson Lake boat ramps closed; Signal launch riskColter Bay and Leeks boat ramps are closed; Signal Mountain Boat Ramp is open, but water is below the ramp edge and loose cobbles make launching risky.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Grand Teton Tour Guide
Your drive to Granite Canyon Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Grand Teton National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Grand Teton audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Granite Canyon: A Full Day to Marion Lake0:00 / 0:27
“You're coming up on Granite Canyon Trailhead, the start of a long hike beside Granite Creek to Marion Lake.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Grand Teton Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Green Beneath Aspen Bark
- The Owl’s Listening Face
- Rockefeller Preserve: Listen Before the Lake Walk
- Underground Before Summer Ends
- 118 audio storiesacross Grand Teton’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Brown Bear, Gray Wolf, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 70 trails, 121 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“…We have been driving around with the audio tour and it has been informational and spot on. The whole family has been impressed. We used it for Yellowstone and Grand Teton.”
Trail guide
Hiking Granite Canyon Trail
Granite Creek out and backGranite Canyon Trail is a strenuous out-and-back from Granite Canyon Trailhead to the South…
Granite Canyon Trail is a strenuous out-and-back from Granite Canyon Trailhead to the South Fork Granite Canyon junction. Follow Granite Creek through forest and wildflower meadows, then return the same way. Plan 13.4 miles round trip and 7–11 hours; the mapped line follows the corridor one way for about 6.5 miles to the junction.
A demanding dayThe full route gains 2,190 feet over a long mountain walk.
The full route gains 2,190 feet over a long mountain walk. The tread is narrow and steep in places, with steps and switchbacks. This is a full-day effort, not a casual canyon stroll.
Start and rulesThis mileage starts at Granite Canyon Trailhead off Moose-Wilson Road.
This mileage starts at Granite Canyon Trailhead off Moose-Wilson Road. The Teton Village and Valley Trail access, and the Rendezvous Mountain tram descent, are different itineraries with different mileage. Pets are not allowed. Overnight backcountry travel requires a permit.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Grand Teton
172 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
195 sightingsBrown BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
32 sightingsGray WolfMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
1,816 sightingsMooseMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
614 sightingsBisonMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
738 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Grand Teton. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
