Hiking Our National Parks (2)

As noted in Hiking Our National Parks (1), I tend to spend a lot of time in my favorite (to date) national park: Yellowstone. But, now that I’ve retired, I plan to experience many more of these national treasures. Like Yellowstone three other national parks I’ve spent many enjoyable hours hiking reside in mountainous areas: Denali (Alaska), Glacier (Montana), and Grand Teton (Wyoming). Below are a few photos of some the excellent trails in or near each of these three parks.

Jenny Lake Loop (a rather gentle 6.6-mile loop with great views of the Tetons especially Teewinot [12,325′] and lots of places to relax) – Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Jenny Lake Loop – Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Taggart Lake/Beaver Creek Loop (a truly beautiful 4-mile loop with great views of the Tetons) – Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Taggart Lake/Beaver Creek Loop – Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Mounts Reynolds and Clements from The Garden Wall Trail (one of my favorite hikes in the park with overnights at Granite Park Chalet is the 15 mile shuttle from Logan Pass back to Many Glacier, 7.6 miles from Logan Pass to Granite Park Chalet, this is a section of the Highline Trail) – Glacier National Park, Montana

Mountain Goat along the The Garden Wall Trail – Glacier National Park, Montana

Garden Wall view from Granite Park Chalet (visible on the upper left is the trail to the Grinnell Glacier Overlook) – Glacier National Park, Montana

Trail to the Grinnell Glacier Overlook – Glacier National Park, Montana

Swiftcurrent Pass Trail (the beautiful and downhill 7.6 mile connection trail back to Many Glacier from the Granite Park Chalet) – Glacier National Park, Montana

Bighorn Sheep along the Swiftcurrent Pass Trail – Glacier National Park, Montana

Swiftcurrent Pass (view from bottom of hike) – Glacier National Park, Montana

Swiftcurrent Pass Trail – Glacier National Park, Montana

Ptarmigan Tunnel Trail (another beautiful 10 mile out-and-back hike with spectacular views and a true gem waiting when you reach the tunnel) – Glacier National Park, Montana

View of Ptarmigan Lake from the PtarmiganTunnel Trail – Glacier National Park, Montana

View of Ptarmigan Tunnel from the north side of the mountain – Glacier National Park, Montana

Elizabeth Lake and Natoas Peak from the north side or Ptarmigan Tunnel – Glacier National Park, Montana

Gunsight Pass Trail (Another favorite hike via a park chalet is the 20 mile shuttle hike from Jackson Glacier Overlook [along the Going-to-the-Sun Highway] to Lake McDonald Lodge; it begins with a 13.6 mile hike to Sperry Chalet, then a 6.4 mile hike from the chalet to Lake McDonald) – Glacier National Park, Montana

Curtis & Ed, Gunsight Pass Trail – Glacier National Park, Montana

Lake Ellen Wilson, Gunsight Pass Trail – Glacier National Park, Montana

Curtis & Ed crossing below a waterfall, Gunsight Pass Trail – Glacier National Park, Montana

Mountain Goats, Sperry Glacier Overlook Trail (a steep challenging but wonderfully scenic 3.7 mile hike from Sperry Chalet to Sperry Glacier) – Glacier National Park, Montana

Alpine lakes, Sperry Glacier Overlook Trail – Glacier National Park, Montana

Narrow stairway cut through a wall of stone, Sperry Glacier Overlook Trail – Glacier National Park, Montana

Sperry Glacier, Sperry Glacier Overlook Trail – Glacier National Park, Montana

Friday Creek Hike (located at the end of the Denali National Park Road is Kantishna and the Backcountry Lodge whose guides lead wonderful hikes with breathtaking views of 20,320′ Mt. McKinley) – Kantishna, Alaska