Leigh Lake via String Lake Trailhead

Alta, WY
4.8
8 Reviews
Leigh Lake via String Lake Trailhead
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Details

Distance
2.84 miles
Elevation Gain
105 ft
Route Type
Out-and-Back

Features

Romantic
Family Friendly
Lake
Wildlife
Beach
Swimming Hole
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About this place

Added by Christina Adele Warburg-Hon

Short hike or paddle to beautiful white sand beaches at the foot of Paintbrush Canyon and Mt. Moran in Grand Teton National Park. You'll be rewarded with a warm, clear lake with wildlife abounding.

Leigh Lake is absolutely stunning with about as many recreational activities as you can imagine for a lake. It is a short flat one mile hike from the trailhead at String Lake to Leigh. Once you get there can go as far along as you wish along the 2 mile lakeshore. You can also Kayak, Canoe, or SUP with a small well marked portage from String Lake if you wish. Once you get there, the lake has numerous white sand beaches for you to lay out on when you aren't enjoying the relatively warm water or as you fish.

If you are paddling, you may wish to explore the western side of the lake which is much more unexplored and less crowded than the eastern shore. There are also several islands within the lake which are definitely worth exploring.

If backpacking and camping is your deal, there are many backcountry sites along the lake for you to utilize, just make sure you get a permit from a park visitor center.

One thing to be aware of is that this is absolutely bear country. I have never done this hike and not seen a bear. Please be extra careful about your food storage and definitely travel in groups and carry bear spray. Grand Teton National Park usually ends up having to euthanize at least one bear from this area a year, because it has gotten too many food rewards from people who are not careful. Don't be that person and enjoy Leigh safely for both you and the wildife.

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Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and be sure to follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly.
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Drew Thompson
4/16/2022
Beautiful Stretch of Trails
This main section of the park, though busy is can't miss. We biked from Taggert Lake and visited Jenny Lake and then hiked these ...
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Natalie F
7/26/2020
Great hike!
Tetons are so pretty! All the lakes and mountains make it something else! This was an excellent hike! We went later at night on ...
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Patrick caldwell
1/7/2017
Leigh lake's mystic isle
Camped on the shore of leigh lake in 2014. Amazing place! Any word on if mystic isle is off-limits? I have a falcon guide ...
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Elyse Clark
6/24/2016
Gorgeous, Serene Lakes
Christina and the other reviewers aren't joking about the bear spray-I was hiking in a group of three and saw a grizzly cub about ...
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sUnday MeXiA
6/3/2016
Love It In The Fall
I especially love this hike in the fall. Vivid colors! Take a rain coat and bear spray. I have counted hundreds of people ...
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Bethany Taylor
4/22/2016
The Best!
Man that girl in the red backpack is super cool
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Jason Hatfield
12/30/2015
Another great lake in the Tetons and a lot fewer people than Jenny Lake.
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Andrew Slaton
10/22/2015
Leigh and String Lakes are must see
In all of the short hikes in GTNP, String and Leigh are my favorites. These lakes are incredibly beautiful and offer photographers tons of ...
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