Surprise Lake
| Trail Features: | Subalpine Lake, Panoramic Views, Wildlife |  |
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| Trail Location: | Lupine Meadows Trailhead | ||||
| Roundtrip Length: | 9.7 Miles | ||||
| Trailhead Elevation: | 6732 Feet | ||||
| Total Elevation Gain: | 2830 Feet | ||||
| Avg. Elev Gain / Mile: | 584 Feet | ||||
| Highest Elevation: | 9550 Feet | ||||
| Trail Difficulty Rating: | 15.36 (strenuous) | ||||
| Parking Lot Latitude | 43.73458 | ||||
| Parking Lot Longitude | -110.74158 | ||||
Trail Description:
The hike to Surprise Lake in Grand Teton National Park begins from the Lupine Meadows Trailhead. To reach the trailhead turn west off Teton Park Road at Lupine Meadows junction, located 7 miles north of Moose Junction. The trailhead is located at the end of the gravel road, roughly 1.6 miles from the junction.
From the parking area the trail leads southward while following along the forested periphery of Lupine Meadows. This initial section of trail is mostly flat, but soon begins ascending after only one-third of a mile. The route passes through a mixed conifer forest of lodgepole pine, Engelmann Spruce, subalpine and Douglas fir.
At roughly two-thirds of a mile you'll enjoy a view of 13,770-foot Grand Teton and 12,928-foot Mt. Owen through the trees. Soon afterwards there will be another break in the canopy that offers the first good views of Jackson Hole.
At roughly 1.3 miles the trail begins ascending along a narrow ridgeline, with Burned Wagon Gulch on the left, and Glacier Gulch on the right. This section of trail also offers sporadic views of the Grand Tetons on either side of the ridge.
At just over 1.7 miles hikers will arrive at the Valley Trail junction. A turn to the left would lead you down to Bradley Lake and Taggart Lake. To continue on towards Surprise Lake hikers should proceed straight ahead at this junction.
Beyond the junction the trail makes a strenuous climb over a couple of long switchbacks. As you climb higher views of Jackson Hole will become even more prominent. Both Bradley Lake and Taggart Lake will eventually come into view as well. I highly recommend starting your hike as early in the morning as possible in order to avoid climbing the steep mountain slopes when the sun is blazing high in the sky.
At roughly 3.1 miles hikers will reach the Garnet Canyon Trail / Amphitheater Lake Trail split. The trail to the left travels 1.1 miles into Garnet Canyon where you'll enjoy some absolutely stunning views of Middle Teton. To continue on towards Surprise Lake hikers should turn right onto the Amphitheater Lake Trail, which was once known as the Glacier Trail. Both the Garnet Canyon and Glacier Trails were among the first hiking trails to be constructed in Grand Teton National Park.
From the junction the trail continues climbing on a moderately strenuous grade, while traversing over several more switchbacks. The sparsely wooded mountainside along this section of trail offers great views of Jackson Hole, as well as Bradley Lake and Taggart Lake. Along the way you'll pass through a long stretch of dead trees, the result of the pine beetle infestation that's impacted forests across the west.
At roughly 4.75 miles the trail finally levels out for a short stretch, and begins traveling along the edge of a small grassy meadow that offers another great view of Grand Teton. Several years ago we saw a large black bear foraging among the rotting trees here. Black bear sightings are quite common along this route. As a result, the park strongly urges hikers to travel in groups of three or more, make a lot of noise, and to carry bear spray while hiking in the Tetons.
Hikers should keep an eye out for a variety of wildlife along this route, such as mule deer and ruffed grouse.
Just beyond the meadow hikers will reach the short side trail that leads down to Surprise Lake. Once you arrive at the lake I recommend turning towards the left and walking a short distance for some outstanding views of Grand Teton from the southeastern shore of the lake.
After soaking in the scenery at the lake, I highly recommend continuing along the main trail to visit Amphitheater Lake, if you have the time and energy. From Surprise Lake it's only a quarter-mile walk along a moderate grade (climbing roughly 150 feet) to reach the eastern shore of Amphitheater Lake.
