Paintbrush Canyon - Cascade Canyon Loop

This is the crown jewel of Teton day hikes, and it earns every bit of that reputation with a punishing 20-mile loop that climbs nearly 4,000 vertical feet. Starting from the String Lake trailhead, you'll wind through Paintbrush Canyon's wildflower-choked meadows before the trail rears up toward Paintbrush Divide — a lung-searing push above treeline to nearly 10,700 feet where the entire Teton Range unfolds like a topographic map come to life. The descent drops you past Lake Solitude, a glacial tarn sitting in a cathedral of granite with the Grand Teton towering directly overhead. From there, Cascade Canyon carries you out through a gentler, shaded valley with waterfalls threading down the canyon walls. Most hikers go counterclockwise (up Paintbrush, down Cascade) to tackle the steeper, more exposed climb in morning shade. This is a trail for experienced hikers who want a single day that delivers everything the Tetons have to offer.