Grand Teton National Park, WY
A remote canyon route ending at a rocky alpine divide.
Overview
Map & elevation
Plan your hike
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Grand Teton Tour Guide
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 tourMore stories near here in the app
“…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
Owl Creek Trail is a 7.4-mile, one-way backcountry corridor from the Berry Creek junction through Owl Creek Canyon to Moose Basin Divide. The mapped segment climbs about 2,400 feet and takes roughly 7–9 hours for many hikers; that estimate excludes the approach from Glade Creek and the separate route needed to leave the Divide. Treat it as a demanding backcountry link, not a roadside day hike. Carry a map and navigation device you know how to use, and plan your access and exit before setting out.
The northern canyons are remote and hard to navigate. Stream crossings are unbridged and can be dangerous; water depth and current change with conditions, so be prepared to turn around if a ford is unsafe. The area has high bear activity. Backcountry camping requires a permit.
The route finishes at a rocky divide with distinctive formations and a broad view north into Owl Creek Canyon. For a photo, use the rocks and scattered conifers in the foreground to frame the open slopes and distant ridge.
Reach the approach at Glade Creek Trailhead, a small parking area south of Grassy Lake Road, 4.5 miles west of Flagg Ranch. There are no facilities there. From the road, other backcountry trails add mileage before the Berry Creek junction; Moose Basin Divide has no road pickup, so arrange an exit or return route. Grassy Lake Road typically opens after June 1, depending on conditions, because of grizzly bear migration. Pets are prohibited on park trails and in the backcountry.
Wildlife
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.
Keep exploring
ChallengingBerry Creek Trail6.6 mi · 4.5 hr · 2.3 mi awayA remote canyon walk for practiced, self-reliant hikers.
ChallengingWebb Canyon Trail9.9 mi · 10 hr · 2.9 mi awayA remote creek canyon that climbs steeply to Moose Basin Divide.
ChallengingSurvey Peak Trail2.5 mi · 2.5 hr · 5.2 mi awayA remote backcountry link that passes below the peak it’s named for.
ModerateGlade Creek Trail7 mi · 3.5 hr · 5.7 mi awayMeadow birds and a creek crossing reward this remote walk.
ChallengingBerry-Webb Canyon Loop34.2 mi · 1 day · 5.7 mi awayThree remote canyons, a high divide, and a serious backcountry commitment.
ChallengingBerry Creek–Owl Creek Loop20.1 mi · 9 hr · 5.7 mi awayA full-day loop through Grand Teton’s remote northern canyons.
ChallengingArizona Creek Trail15.8 mi · 8 hr · 6.8 mi awayA long forested return beside Arizona Creek and into the backcountry.
EasyFlagg Canyon Trail5 mi · 2.5 hr · 8 mi awayEasy 5-mile out-and-back along the Snake River's basalt canyon.
Campground · 4.1 mi awayLizard Creek CampgroundA forested basecamp on Jackson Lake near two national parks.
Scenic pullout · 4.3 mi awayGrand Teton North Boundary TurnoutSnap the wooden boundary sign on pine-covered Huckleberry Hill.
Picnic area · 4.7 mi awayMud Flats Picnic AreaOne table, a Teton view, and a changing Jackson Lake shoreline.
Scenic pullout · 4.7 mi awayHuck Fire TurnoutSee the forest patchwork left by the 1988 Huck Fire.
Sight · 5.8 mi awayJackson Lake OverlookTetons across the lake, and a visible story of fire.
Picnic area · 6.2 mi awayLakeview Picnic AreaA shaded lunch stop with Jackson Lake and Teton views
Scenic pullout · 6.5 mi awayArizona Meadows TurnoutA small pullout with a memorable camas food-history story.
Picnic area · 7.2 mi awayArizona Island Picnic AreaA quiet meadow picnic with a surprisingly grim namesake.Parkwolf’s Grand Teton ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
