Paintbrush Canyon - Cascade Canyon Loop

The Paintbrush Canyon–Cascade Canyon route is a 19.9-mile loop from String and Leigh Lakes Trailhead. It climbs Paintbrush Canyon past Holly Lake, crosses 10,700-foot Paintbrush Divide, drops to Lake Solitude, and follows Cascade Canyon to Jenny Lake before returning by Inspiration Point. Plan 11 to 14 hours and about 4,480 feet of total gain. This is a very strenuous, high-altitude day, not a casual lake walk. The loop mapped here climbs Paintbrush first and descends Cascade after the pass; the long uphill comes earlier, with the Teton views ahead of you on the descent.

From String and Leigh Lakes, follow the lake trail to Paintbrush Canyon. The first miles pass through forest and gain gradually, with occasional looks back toward Leigh Lake. Bridges, steps, exposed roots and rocks break up the dirt tread, and the grade steepens into switchbacks as you climb. Holly Lake is about 5.6 miles from the trailhead, at the foot of Mount Woodring. It’s a worthwhile place to pause, but it’s still well before the hardest part of the hike.

Above Holly Lake the trees thin and the trail climbs through open alpine slopes to Paintbrush Divide. The pass is about 1.7 miles beyond the lake and 1,290 feet higher, at roughly 10,700 feet. The final slope is steep and rocky, with loose scree and talus. Wind can be fierce, and snow often lingers into July or later on the pass and the scree field. Don’t cross snow without prior snow-travel experience and the right equipment; ask at Jenny Lake Ranger Station about conditions before committing to the high route.

From the Divide, the trail drops about 1,665 feet over 2.4 miles to Lake Solitude, at 9,035 feet. Grand Teton, Mount Owen and Teewinot rise beyond the water, with steep rock walls enclosing the basin. This is a natural rest stop about halfway through the loop. For a photo, frame the lake with the peaks behind it rather than filling the shot with water alone.

After Lake Solitude, the route follows its outflow down a glacially carved canyon, past creeks, small waterfalls, meadows and high cliff walls. The descent eases compared with the Divide, but it’s a long stretch and the miles start to add up. Willow and marshy sections are places to watch for moose; sightings are possible, never guaranteed. Paintbrush and Cascade are both U-shaped valleys shaped by glaciers, and walking through both makes the route’s scale easy to read from the trail.

The full route reaches Jenny Lake, climbs briefly to Inspiration Point, then follows the lake’s north shore and the String Lake connector back to the trailhead. The views along the shore make a good finish, though it can feel long after the high-country miles. A marked shortcut just before Inspiration Point skips that climb and joins the lakeside path; take it if you need to shorten the finish, but it changes the mapped full-loop line.

Use String and Leigh Lakes Trailhead at String Lake; its parking often fills early in summer and fall. No food vendor was identified at the trailhead or along the route, so plan for a full day away from services. Day hiking does not require a backcountry reservation, but camping overnight does require a permit. Pets aren’t allowed on park trails. If nearly 20 miles is too much, Holly Lake is a 5.6-mile one-way destination from the same access, making an 11.2-mile return without the Divide or Cascade Canyon descent.