Grand Teton National Park · Wyoming

Holly Lake Trail

0.8 mi of trail, end to end · about 600 ft of climbing · 9,138 ft–9,738 ft · earth surface · trail class Minimally Developed · hiking

Backcountry camps

9,138 ft 9,738 ft · 0.8 mi high 9,738 ft

Along the way South District Group Sites Holly Lake Group Site

Holly Lake the Park Service's write-up

7-9 Hours · no dogs · Summer, Fall · season Holly Lake is best accessed in summer after the snow melts and in fall before the first snow arrives. Hikers should use caution when traveling over snow and not attempt Holly Lake unless they have previous snow experience and the proper equipment.

Start String Lake

An alpine lake sits at the base of a rocky cliff surrounded by green vegetation.
A strenuous trail up Paintbrush Canyon leads hikers to Holly Lake. Photo: NPS Photo/A. Falgoust

Head into Paintbrush Canyon for a strenuous 13 mile hike to Holly Lake. Starting at the String Lake Trailhead, cross the bridge over the String Lake outlet, and continue along the western side of the lake. Follow Paintbrush Canyon up until you reach the Holly Lake junction. From there, it’s another half mile to the lake. This hike offers panoramic views of Paintbrush Canyon and Leigh and Jackson Lakes below.

Accessibility Holly Lake is a strenuous, 12.8 mi (20.5 km) RT out and back hike with 2,840 ft (870 m) of elevation gain and an average slope of 11%. The trail includes significant elevation gain and obstacles such as exposed roots and rocks, bridge crossings, and steep, narrow sections.

This hike on nps.gov

On the parks map

All 122 trails in Grand Teton National ParkFind a trailOn the parks mapPark on nps.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the National Park Service's public trails layer, the trailheads and the waterfalls, views, peaks and historic places along them the Service's public points of interest, read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end. The write-ups are the Service's own "things to do" text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the park's own site before you go.