Alaska Basin via Teton Canyon (Basin Lakes and Sunset Lake)

Jedediah Smith Wilderness, Caribou-Targhee National Forest (Teton Canyon Trailhead near Alta, west side of the Tetons)

Alaska Basin is a high, lake-dotted bowl on the west side of the Tetons, just outside Grand Teton National Park in the Jedediah Smith Wilderness. The Teton Crest Trail passes through it, but you can also walk in from the Teton Canyon Trailhead near Alta, Wyoming, without a national park permit.

Hiking Project notes that almost all of the Alaska Basin drainage is outside the park, and that the lakes basin is the most popular area.

The hike

Teton Hiking Trails describes the route from the Teton Canyon Trailhead, at 6,950 feet, up the South Teton Trail. Hiking Project says the forest opens up after about a mile, with wildflowers in early summer. At about 2.7 to 2.8 miles, the Devil’s Stairs (Teton Shelf) trail branches right; the main route bears left and follows the South Fork of Teton Creek for much of the way up the canyon.

Near 8 miles you reach the Teton Crest Trail in the basin, with Sunset Lake reached by a left turn at one junction, according to Teton Hiking Trails, and the Basin Lakes, the largest of which is Mirror Lake, at roughly 8.3 miles. Teton Hiking Trails gives the high point as 9,568 feet and the round trip to the Basin Lakes as 16.6 miles with about 2,635 feet of climbing.

From the basin, Hiking Project’s Teton Crest Trail description climbs past Sunset Lake to Hurricane Pass, where the trail enters Grand Teton National Park and Schoolroom Glacier comes into view. Going the other way, the Sheep Steps climb out of the basin to Mount Meek Pass and the Death Canyon Shelf.

Those connections make a loop possible. Hiking Project’s Alaska Basin Big Loop (25.1 miles, about 6,420 feet of climbing) climbs Devil’s Staircase to the Teton Shelf, follows it about 3 miles past The Wedge to Mount Meek Pass, drops down the Sheep Steps into Alaska Basin, crosses the South Fork of Teton Creek and passes Sunset Lake. It suggests two nights with about 8 miles a day. Girl on a Hike, who did a 22-mile version as a long day in July 2022, found the Teton Shelf poor for camping, with few trees and little water, and found the trail faded for about half a mile near Sunset Lake.

Hiking Project describes the basin as having “many streams and springs” and warns that “Bears are commonly seen in Alaska Basin.” It also asks campers to stay a reasonable distance from lakeshores and pitch on packed dirt or rock slabs instead of alpine meadows, which are easily damaged.

For the full traverse, see the Teton Crest Trail. Farther south on the same national forest, Idaho’s Palisades Lakes is another lake overnight.

Tips

Arrive early on weekends. Girl on a Hike says the trailhead parking fills by 9 a.m.
Bring a bear canister. Hiking Project says trees for hanging food are scarce in the basin.
Expect a ford. The South Fork of Teton Creek is crossed in the basin.
Turn around before afternoon storms. Teton Hiking Trails suggests turning around before noon.
Keep dogs out of the park. Girl on a Hike says dogs are allowed here but can’t go past Buck Mountain Pass into Grand Teton, and suggests keeping a leash handy for wildlife.

Camping

On national forest land, Hiking Project and The Outbound say no permit is needed. The Jedediah Smith Wilderness rules sign limits groups to 20 people and 20 head of stock, bans camping within 200 feet of any lake or 100 feet of any stream, and says campfires are allowed “except at Sunset Lake, Alaska Basin, Moose Lake, and Fox Creek Pass.” Where fires are allowed, use existing rings and only small, dead wood from the ground.

Food, drinks, toiletries and garbage must be unavailable to bears day and night: hung at least 10 feet up and 4 feet from any vertical support, or stored in a bear-resistant container. The Caribou-Targhee’s food storage order 04-15-23-217 applies March 1 to December 1 each year on the Teton Basin Ranger District, through December 1, 2028. If you cross into Grand Teton, you’ll need a park permit and an approved canister.

Inside Intel: Girl on a Hike wrote that around Sunset Lake “There were also some great camping spots in the area,” with very clear water. The Outbound’s Teton Crest Trail page calls Sunset Lake “a highly recommended place to camp with stunning views of the basin.” Remember the fire ban and the 200-foot lake setback there.

Trail facts

Distance: 16.6 miles round trip to the Basin Lakes (Teton Hiking Trails); 25.1-mile loop via the Teton Shelf (Hiking Project)
Route type: Out and back, or loop
Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous
High point: About 9,568 feet at the Basin Lakes route’s top (Teton Hiking Trails)
Campsites: Dispersed camping; Sunset Lake and Basin Lakes area are popular
Water: South Fork Teton Creek, Basin Lakes, Sunset Lake, streams and springs; treat it
Permits: None reported on national forest land; Grand Teton permit if you camp in the park
Bear storage: Hang or bear-resistant container (canister recommended)
Dogs: Allowed on the national forest; not in Grand Teton
Trailhead: Teton Canyon Trailhead, near Alta, Wyoming
Last verified: October 12, 2026

The Lowdown

No campfires in Alaska Basin:

The Jedediah Smith Wilderness bans fires at Sunset Lake and across the basin, so plan to boil water and cook on a camp stove. See the stoves backpackers rate.

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Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.