Granite Canyon - Tram Route

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · Fall Colors · River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Utilize the facilities at Jackson Hole and ride the Aerial Tram to the top of Rendezvous Mountain.

On your way down to and on Granite Canyon, enjoy awesome wildflower views as there are multiple open meadows teeming with them.

In the early season, which is from May 28 to June 17, adult tram tickets costs $23. In the Peak and late season which is from June 18 to October 2, adult tickets cost $32.

Alternatively, you can do this run backwards and take the tram back down for free!

Starting from the top of the tram, head southwest on the Rendezvous Bowl service road as it winds down the bowl towards the National Park. From the service road, turn right onto Rendezvous Mountain trail. Starting as quite a steep route, Rendezvous Mountain switchbacks three times and drops into a small basin. The trail then contours around a ridge, lazily ascending slightly before descending to South Fork Granite Creek.

After crossing the creek, Rendezvous lazily ascends again and ends at a three-way intersection with Middle Fork Cutoff and South Fork Granite Canyon. Although mostly in the trees, Rendezvous Mountain trail has great views to the west of Housetop Mountain (10,439') and the general Granite Canyon area.

At the three-way intersection, turn right onto South Fork Granite Canyon. The trail descends directly to Granite Canyon itself from the Rendezvous Mountain trail. If you're traveling south to north, the orientation of this trail opens up some amazing views of the east/west mountains - most notably Mount Hunt (10,749') and Prospectors Mountain (11,241'), both to the northeast.

As you near Granite Canyon keep an eye out for the Upper Granite Canyon Patrol Cabin. This single-story cabin, built around 1935 on a log sill foundation using 14-inch timber, was put on the National Register of Historic Places on August 19, 1998. Additionally, the entire Granite Canyon area is teeming with wildflowers during the late Spring/early Summer months, so try to hit it then.

Once you've crossed Granite Creek, turn right at the intersection with Granite Canyon trail. This glacier-carved trail spans from Moose Wilson Rd at ~6,400' all the way to ~8,900', and terminates at an intersection with Fox Creek Pass. From the South Fork Granite Canyon intersection, head down (east) following Granite Creek all the way to the Teton Village Trail.

The Teton Village Trail generally contours along Apres Vous Peak (8,405') and terminates at Granite Ridge Rd. The trail rises twice, but never too steeply. Though deeply nestled in the trees, you'll have persistent views of the valley to the east, and mountains to the north. From Granite Ridge Rd. head south to the main Jackson Hole parking area.

Between the crags of the Tetons, ice age glaciers carved deep canyons. Today, the canyons contain dense conifer forests and open meadows of wildflowers. As elevation increases, wildflowers abound while trees become stunted and eventually shrub-like.“Krummholz” (German for “crookedwood”) plants are dwarfed forms that are treelike at lower elevations.

From treeline to valley floor, forests provide cover and food for many mammal species. Look for elk, mule deer, martens, red squirrels, black bears and snowshoe hares. Moose are a common sighting near the creeks that line these beautiful canyons.