Marion Lake and Granite Canyon (Teton Village tram to Granite Canyon)

Grand Teton National Park (Teton Village and Granite Canyon Trailhead, south end of the park)

Marion Lake sits at about 9,250 feet near the head of Granite Canyon, at the south end of Grand Teton National Park. Because the Jackson Hole aerial tram lifts hikers to the top of Rendezvous Mountain, it’s one of the few places in the Tetons where you can reach a high alpine lake and spend most of the trip walking downhill.

The National Park Service lists “Tram to Granite Canyon via Marion Lake” as a 15-mile, one-night trip that starts and ends at Teton Village.

The hike

From the top of the tram, Hike 734 describes following the ridgeline southwest for about 0.6 mile, then taking the trail that drops steeply into the national park. The route crosses meadows and scattered trees, with several steep climbs over ridges, then a steep descent through a boulder field to the North Fork of Granite Creek. The Outbound gives the tram’s top as 10,450 feet.

Near the creek, a spur climbs about 0.7 mile to Marion Lake, according to Hike 734. Hiking Project calls it an alpine lake where many Teton Crest Trail hikers spend their first night, and The Outbound calls it “the perfect destination for an overnight trip.” Above the lake, Hiking Project describes an open plain with views of Housetop Mountain (10,439 feet).

From the lake, the route heads down Granite Canyon. Wikipedia describes the Granite Canyon Trail as about 8.2 miles from its upper junction with the Teton Crest Trail near Marion Lake to the Granite Canyon Trailhead at 6,378 feet, with about 2,600 feet of elevation change. The Open Canyon Trail joins from the north a little over a mile below the upper junction, and there are three permit camping zones in the canyon. Hike 734 notes that the forest thickens and mountain views fade as you descend, with creek crossings along the way. A 2016 Backcountry Post trip report found bridges at every crossing.

At the bottom, Hike 734’s route turns south on the Valley Trail and follows it around to the resort’s slopes, finishing down a ski run into Teton Village. Hike 734 puts the climbing at about 2,000 feet and the descent at about 6,100 feet for its version.

If the tram isn’t running, The Outbound describes reaching Marion Lake from the Granite Canyon Trailhead, past the lower and upper camping zones, for about 18.5 miles round trip and 3,700 feet of climbing. The NPS also lists a 20.2-mile Granite Canyon and Open Canyon loop via the Valley Trail.

Marion Lake is also on the Teton Crest Trail, so this trip makes a short sample of that route.

Tips

Check the tram schedule before you plan around it; we couldn’t confirm the 2026 season end.
Reserve or walk up for a permit. The Outbound notes Marion Lake doesn’t have many sites, which makes permits harder to get.
Watch for rockfall. A 2016 trip report describes hearing large rocks falling near one campsite in upper Granite Canyon.
Carry a bear canister. Hanging food is prohibited in the park.
Expect lingering snow early in summer. The 2016 trip found snow patches on the first mile below the tram in early July.

Camping

A Grand Teton backcountry permit is required. The NPS says one-third of sites can be reserved on Recreation.gov starting in early January, and the rest are issued in person no sooner than one day before your trip at the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center, Colter Bay Visitor Center or Jenny Lake Ranger Station. Each permit covers up to six people, and you can stay up to 2 nights per location.

Granite Canyon and Marion Lake are in the park’s Mountain Camping Zones, where you may camp anywhere inside the zone; The Outbound names the Upper Granite and Middle/South Fork Granite zones. The NPS asks campers to use previously occupied sites out of sight of the trail and 200 feet from lakes and streams, and campfires aren’t allowed. Food and scented items go in an IGBC-approved bear canister, which you can borrow free with your permit.

Inside Intel: On Backcountry Post, Jon Carbaugh’s group “picked a small campsite on a shelf at the upper end of the camp zone” in Granite Canyon so they could day-hike to Marion Lake, then moved down canyon to a spot with a large cliff across the creek that caught the evening light. They skipped a site farther up canyon after hearing large rocks fall nearby that evening.

Trail facts

Distance: 15 miles, tram to Granite Canyon via Marion Lake (NPS)
Route type: Point to point, starting and ending in Teton Village
Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous
High point: Top of the tram, about 10,450 feet (The Outbound)
Campsites: Marion Lake and Granite Canyon camping zones (permit)
Water: Granite Creek and Marion Lake; treat it
Permits: Grand Teton backcountry permit required
Bear storage: IGBC-approved canister required
Dogs: Not allowed in the backcountry
Trailhead: Teton Village (aerial tram); Granite Canyon Trailhead on the Moose-Wilson Road
Last verified: October 12, 2026

The Lowdown

The boulder-field drop to Granite Creek:

Below the tram, the route makes a steep descent through a boulder field to the North Fork of Granite Creek, part of about 6,100 feet of descent. Our pole tips cover longer poles downhill and easing knee load.

See the pole tips →

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.