Amphitheater Lake Trail

I finished my Yellowstone trip and my 2009 travels with a fantastic hike in Grand Teton National Park, north of Jackson, Wyoming. Purple Mountain and Mount Washburn Trails were warm-ups for this eleven-mile climb up the foothills of the Teton Range to a splendid alpine lake right near the treeline.

Notwithstanding a late arrival at my hotel the previous night, I started early in the morning, picking-up breakfast and some sports drinks while driving the Lupine Meadows trailhead. I intended to drive straight there, but couldn't resist stopping for several views of the mountains especially one at Cottonwood Creek Turnout with the golden aspens in the foreground, which I actually backtracked to snap a picture.

Despite the stops, I reached the trailhead in time to start the hike around 9:00 AM. After only a few hundred flat yards, the trail began it's relentless 3,000 ft climb up the mountainside. To the right, I could catch only a few glimpses of the imposing mountains through breaks in the forest. After about a half mile running south—parallel to the face of the mountain—the trail bent right and started running along a 'toe' of the foothills, a ridge with dropoffs on either side. I tried to catch a peek of the mountains ahead, but the trees and hills limited commanded the view.

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Two miles in to the hike, I reached the first trail junction. Beyond this point, the serious climbing started. Several switchbacks angled up the steep face of the hill alternating between open and forested hillside. After mile-plus of this scenery, I reached a second trail junction and sat down for a couple minutes to rest. Again, beyond this junction, the landscape changed. The climb remained steep, but white, moss-covered boulders gradually took over. The air also smelled of a pleasant pine forest as the lodgepoles gave way to more gnarly conifers.

I took more frequent breaks as I trudged up the last few miles of trail. At 11:49 AM, I reached Surprise Lake (elev. 9,540 ft.) just a short distance downhill from the end of the trail at Amphitheater Lake. Leaving the trail, I walked along the shore of the lake to find its outlet. Here, the views of Garnet Canyon and Jackson Hole encouraged me to stop, rest and snack for a spell, which I did even though I couldn't find a comfortable boulder—out of the hundreds piled about—to sit.

At 12:15 PM, I left Surprise Lake and completed the last ten minutes of the trail to Amphitheater Lake (elev. 9,698). True to its name, the lake resides in a natural amphitheater with Disappointment Peak rising in the back, and Jackson Hole opening out in front. Very scenic to be sure, but I wanted to see the majestic Teton Peaks from up close, or at least as close as a bumbler like me is apt to get so I continued passed the end of the official trail.

My extra efforts were amply rewarded. A rough trail disappeared halfway up a ridge to the north of the lake. Scrambling of the rocky terrain, I reached a precipice overlooking Glacier Gulch. I had gone as far as I could prudently go, but straight ahead was Mount Owen. I mistook this the second tallest peak for Grand Teton, the tallest mountain the range—only after returning and sorting through pictures did a realize the error. No matter, the view was truly grand and a satisfying conclusion to the hike.

Well, I did still have to hike down the mountain, but that was a breeze compared to the ascent. On the climb, I had been so preoccupied the route and mountains ahead that I didn't consider the vast valley stretching out behind me. On the down hike, most evident in the breaks in the forest halfway down, Jackson Hole filled my field of vision. Making good time, I reached the car at 3:20 PM and promptly began the drive back to Salt Lake City.

Trip Statistics
Length: 11.4 miles
Time: 6 hours 18 minutes
Elev. Change: 3,327 ft.
Max Elev.: 10,048 ft.


This is a very, very rough approximation of the route Amphitheater Lake Trail takes up the face of the Grand Tetons. The arrow points to the approximate location of Amphitheater Lake and partially covers Grand Teton. Mount Owen is the peak immediately

Elevation Profile