#String lake to the paintbrush divide trial#

5 snow fields which my husband and I crossed without. Trail is in excellent condition and the views down Paintbrush Canyon were equally as impressive as on the ascent.

#String lake to the paintbrush divide trial#

(We started at the Phillips Pass Trailhead, though some hikers opt to trim a few miles - and a few thousand feet in elevation gain - by taking a tram or a gondola up from Teton Village.) Only near the northern terminus of our route, in Paintbrush Canyon, which is popular with day hikers, did the trail begin to feel even remotely congested. Completed this trial August 10 as an out and back hike from Paintbrush Canyon trailhead to Holly Lake, then beyond to Paintbrush Divide, totalling just under 18 miles. The trail offers some of the most spectacular views in the park, with the 10,700ft Paintbrush Divide offering panoramic views of Mount Moran, Mount Woodring, and Rockchuck Peak.

As expected, we encountered only a handful of other hikers along the southern stretches of the trail. This very strenuous 20 mile loop takes you up Paintbrush Canyon, over Paintbrush Divide to Lake Solitude, and down Cascade Canyon. The trail can be hiked in either direction, and we ultimately opted to hike counterclockwise. Parking is fairly limited, so we’d recommend getting there early to secure a spot. Given its remoteness and the limits on available permits, the Teton Crest Trail, by contrast, is well insulated from the threat of overcrowding. The trail to Paintbrush Divide begins at the String Lake Trailhead, just north of Jenny Lake. Some parts of the park, including the once little-known Delta Lake, have been so inundated by ever-growing crowds that they’ve helped spawn campaigns against geo-tagging their locations in photos shared on social media. Grand Teton National Park welcomed 3.3 million visitors in 2020, claiming fifth place - ahead of Grand Canyon - on the list of the country’s most-visited national parks.

Relative solitude, of course, is one of the trail’s other draws.