Hermitage Point

Starting from the Colter Bay trailhead, you'll weave through a patchwork of lodgepole pine forest, open meadows, and marshy wetlands that feel more like Minnesota than Wyoming — until the Tetons punch through the treeline and remind you exactly where you are. The trail rolls gently rather than climbs, making the roughly nine-mile loop deceptively long without ever feeling punishing. You'll skirt Heron Pond and Swan Lake early on, both prime moose habitat, before the forest thins and deposits you at Hermitage Point itself — a quiet peninsula jutting into Jackson Lake with a panorama of the Cathedral Group that rivals the postcard views from Jenny Lake without the crowds. The return loop closes through more forest and meadow, making the whole thing feel like a proper backcountry day without the backcountry commitment. This one's perfect for hikers who want mileage and solitude over vertical gain.