Hike to Holly Lake through Paintbrush Canyon

The hike to Holly Lake can begin from the Jenny Lake Trailhead, or from the Leigh Lake Trailhead, located just north of Jenny Lake (shorter option).

From the parking area walk down towards the Jenny Lake Trailhead and follow along the edge of the lake heading North. You will come across a small bridge off to your left around 2 miles, which will lead you to the Paintbrush Canyon Trail, or you can continue along String Lake. If you choose to continue along, be sure to cut across before you hit Leigh Lake to meet up with the trail.  Be sure to take the trail leading up the switchback on the right which continues towards Paintbrush Canyon.

At the trailhead you'll enjoy some great views of 12,325-foot Teewinot Mountain and 11,144-foot Rockchuck Peak. As you proceed along the shores of String Lake, you'll also be able to catch a perfect view of Mt. Moran.

Near the mouth of Paintbrush Canyon, you'll begin passing through an extremely long stretch of huckleberries, which will go on almost continuously for the next mile or so. You'll definitely want to make a lot of noise as you pass through this section of trail. In grizzly country it's always a good idea to travel in groups of at least three people. You should also carry bear spray, and know how to use it.

At 3.5 miles from the Paintbrush Canyon Trailhead, hikers will reach Paintbrush Canyon Creek, and at almost 3.8 miles will arrive at an overlook that offers a pretty good view of Leigh Lake.

At roughly 3.9 miles the trail crosses over the creek, and shortly thereafter emerges into fairly open terrain. Here you'll have some great views into Paintbrush Canyon.

As the trail climbs, the creek will now be on your left side, but for the most part will be hidden by willows. As you proceed higher the trail also passes through several long sections of chest high vegetation. You'll definitely want to make a lot of noise and be "bear aware" throughout this area as well.

At roughly 4.4 miles you'll reach a very short section of trail that was damaged by a flash flood. As the trail climbs higher it will pass over two additional damaged areas, all of which are very short sections that shouldn't be an issue.

Above the flash flood zone the trail begins passing through a large boulder field. The trail itself becomes fairly strenuous. Much of the upper portions of the route traverses over fairly rocky and rugged terrain. Though not necessary for this hike, trekking poles may be helpful along this section.

As you continue to climb higher you'll have some outstanding views of Leigh Lake and Jackson Lake towards northeast.

At roughly 6 miles, hikers will reach the Holly Lake junction. The trail to the left continues on towards Paintbrush Divide. This hike offers a great view inside the canyon and will end up bringing you to an outcrop overlooking Holly Lake. If you want to go directly to the lake, you should turn right here at this junction. Just beyond the junction the trail passes a small pond, which shouldn't be confused with Holly Lake, which is a stones throw further.

This extremely long, but spectacular hike travels roughly 21 miles. I marked this trail as intermediate not because of the difficult terrain, but mainly because of the distance. Camping is available in a couple of locations, allowing backpackers to split this hike into multiple days if desired.

Hikers should also note that snow and ice can remain in the upper portions of Paintbrush Canyon through July. Higher up, near the divide, snow usually remains until mid-August. Early season hikers should check on conditions with a ranger before deciding to hike this trail.