Paintbrush Divide Trail
What to Expect
Safety Advisory
The divide sits above ten thousand feet with zero shelter — electrical storms develop rapidly on summer afternoons and the ridge is the highest point around. If clouds are building, descend immediately.
Snow fields on the north side of the divide can persist through late July and sometimes into August. Without microspikes or an ice axe, a slip on hard-packed morning snow above the rocky talus below is genuinely dangerous.
This is prime grizzly and black bear territory, especially in Paintbrush Canyon. Carry bear spray accessible on your hip, not buried in your pack, and make noise through the brushy lower canyon sections.
Trail Details
Pro Tips
Most hikers tackle this as part of a loop combining Paintbrush Canyon and Cascade Canyon — go up Paintbrush and descend Cascade, not the reverse. The Paintbrush side is steeper and far more punishing on the knees going down.
Start before dawn from the String Lake trailhead to hit the divide by midday — afternoon thunderstorms roll in fast above treeline, and you do not want to be on that exposed saddle when lightning starts popping.
The views from the divide itself are spectacular, but the best photo spot is actually about a quarter mile down the Cascade Canyon side, where you get Lake Solitude framed perfectly against the Grand Teton.
