Two Ocean Lake: Uncrowded Easy Hike in the Grand Tetons

The beautiful loop around Two Ocean Lake proves there are, in fact, easy hikes in Grand Teton National Park. Whether you’re looking for a laid-back trail between big hikes, want to ditch the crowds, or you’re hoping to spot a moose or bear, add Two Ocean Lake to your Tetons itinerary. 

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The easy-going Two Ocean Lake hike shows off a completely different side of Grand Teton National Park. Not only will you get well off the beaten tourist path, you’ll also see postcard-worthy scenery beyond the iconic rugged peaks of the Teton Range.

Make no mistake—those distinctive craggy mountains are still in view, but in the distance. On this loop hike, you’ll see more open meadows and grasslands, perfectly framed by dense pine forest and rolling hills. 

It’s a truly beautiful landscape defined by contrasts, and it really shows off in the late summer into fall. Wildflowers start to pop in July, then get replaced by golden foliage. 

This trail delivers everything people seek out in Wyoming, including wildlife galore!

Tip: In addition to details about the Two Ocean Lake hike, we included a ton of extra info. How to get to the trailhead, the best time of year, what to pack, other things to do nearby, and more! Use the Table of Contents below to jump directly to (or skip!) specific sections.

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Two Ocean Lake Trail Highlights

• Location: Grand Teton National Park, near Moran Junction
• Distance: 6.4-mile loop
• Elevation: 400 feet
• Difficulty: Easy to moderate
• Pets allowed? No
• Detailed trail notes + directions

The landscape surrounding Two Ocean Lake highlights just about everything we’ve all come to love about the Tetons: mountain views, lush forests, sprawling meadows, aspen groves, and plenty of wildlife residents. 

Even better, though, you can enjoy it without fighting crowds. This quiet section of the park has a very, very different feel than busy areas like Jenny Lake and Jackson Lake. 

Speaking of Jackson Lake, another thing that makes this one of the best easy hikes in Grand Teton National Park is that there are multiple route options. Connect to (or start from) Jackson Lake Lodge, take a side trip up to Grand View Point, or hike around Emma Matilda Lake.

Because of the distinct lack of crowds, Two Ocean Lake is also a fantastic place to paddle. Make a day of it and bring an inflatable kayak or paddleboard to explore from the water!

Do you have an annual national parks pass yet? This amazing pass gets you into all 63 national parks, plus 2,000+ other federal recreation sites. Think national monuments like Mount Rushmore, national recreation areas including Lake Powell, and many others! Read all about it HERE!

Two Ocean Lake Route Details

You can hike the loop around Two Ocean Lake in either direction, but the general recommendation is to go counter-clockwise, heading right at the trail kiosk in the parking lot. 

This is the North Two Ocean Lake Trail, also called the North Shore Trail, and it offers fabulous views of the Teton Range to the west. 

Hiking this direction means the mountains are in front of you the whole time. It also makes the most logistical sense if you’re connecting to Grand View Point or Emma Matilda Lake. 

Setting out, you’ll walk along a narrow, grassy path with the forest on your right and intermittent views of the lake on your left. Pretty quickly, you’ll cross a footbridge over the lake’s outlet into Pacific Creek. 

The next part of the hike takes you through open meadows with several stands of aspens to your right and rolling, tree-covered hills up ahead. In this section, the trail swings you away from the lakeshore, then brings you right up to it for a pretty decent stretch at around ¾ of a mile.

This stretch has the best views of the Cathedral Group and Mount Moran across the lake, although they’re excellent from many points along the 3-ish miles alongside the north shore. The trail is also almost completely flat on this entire side of the lake. 

Photo tip: if pictures are one of your main priorities, don’t hike Two Ocean Lake in the middle of the day. The sun will be directly overhead, creating a lot of glare (see example above!).

As you hike along the north shore, you’ll continue weaving toward and away from the lake several times. You’ll mostly hike through open areas, but close to the lake’s far (west) end, you’ll pass through a few sections of dense forest.

We saw lots of elk and deer—and heard several other animals in the treeline—on this first half of the hike. Make lots of noise and pay close attention to your surroundings, checking the forest to the sides and turning around every so often. 

Right around the 3.4-mile mark (the halfway point!), you’ll come to two trail junction signs close to one another. To complete the loop, take the South Two Ocean Lake Trail. If you’re up for a bit more adventure, though, take the one-mile detour up to Grand View Point. 

It’s 1.1 miles each way and a fairly steep 630-foot elevation gain, but the stunning views are well worth the effort. From the viewpoint, you’ll have 360-degree views over Jackson Lake and the Teton Range to the west, and Emma Matilda Lake and Two Ocean Lake to the south and east.

If you’re just hiking the Two Ocean Lake trail on this particular adventure, finish the loop by hiking along the lake’s southern shore.

The trail junction marks a noticeable change, where you’ll now hike through dense forest, away from the lake, rather than across open meadows. Look for trees with orange blazes marking the trail, shown in the picture below.

This area is so starkly different, it almost feels like you’re hiking somewhere else entirely. Except for one big meadow, the lake views are mostly non-existent, and everything is very green and wet, reminiscent of a moody, mossy forest in the Pacific Northwest. 

Most of the trail’s elevation gain is also in this section, with a few steep-ish, rugged (but mercifully short!) stretches. 

Just over four miles in, you’ll walk by a huge field laden with huckleberries in late summer. Between this and the thick surrounding forest, you definitely want to make plenty of noise as you hike on this side of the lake. 

At about 4.7 miles, a descent brings you out of the forest and across a large meadow. This short stretch offers the first (and only) real head-on lake views on the southern shore, and they are spectacular. You may spot wildlife in the hills or drinking on the shore from across the lake. 

After walking through and then along the edge of the meadow, you’ll walk under tree canopy again before emerging back at the parking lot.

If you brought up a kayak or SUP, the best access point to the lake is in the lot near the picnic tables.

Add-ons to the Two Ocean Lake Trail

We mentioned that there are a few different route options and additions to this hike. As you can see, there are actually a ton! Here are the details on a few of the most popular.

Grand View Point

The side trip to Grand View Point is the shortest variation. Doing this adds just over 1.1 miles each way and about 560 feet in elevation gain, bringing your total distance to 6.8 miles round-trip.

Emma Matilda Lake

Sitting almost directly south of Two Ocean Lake, it’s easy to explore Emma Matilda Lake while you’re in this area. There’s a one-mile connector trail from the Two Ocean Lake parking lot, so you have a few options.

The best option is a 9.7-mile loop that includes Grand View Point. Although the distance certainly doesn’t scream ‘easy,’ it actually is—other than the trek up to the overlook.

On this route, you’ll hike around the north shore of Two Ocean Lake, go up to Grand View Point, then drop down to Emma Matilda Lake. There, hike along the north shore and connect back to the parking lot at Two Ocean Lake.

There’s actually also a 13.2-mile route that follows Emma Matilda Lake’s southern shore after descending from Grand View. This is the ‘official’ one the park recommends, but to be honest, the views really aren’t much better or different than the shorter route.

Jackson Lake Lodge

Finally, you can reach Two Ocean Lake from Jackson Lake Lodge (or vice-versa). For an all-day adventure, start and end your hike from the lodge. Or, alternatively, detour there for a drink or bite to eat with incredible views.

This option includes Grand View Point and adds 4.1 miles to your total distance each way, for a ‘grand’ total (see what we did there?) of 14.6 miles.

Know Before You Go

Two Ocean Lake is a straightforward, fairly easy hike in Grand Teton National Park, but there are still several things to consider as you plan your outing. 

Getting to the trailhead

The Two Ocean Lake trailhead is between Jackson Lake Lodge and Moran Junction, in the northeastern section of Grand Teton National Park. It’s about 30 minutes from the lodge.

From Route 191 (the main highway that runs alongside the Teton Range from Jackson Hole up into Yellowstone National Park), turn onto Pacific Creek Road 1.5 miles north of Moran Junction. 

Go about two miles, then take a left on (gravel) Two Ocean Lake Road, following it for 2.5 miles to the trailhead. There’s one pit toilet in the lot, and enough parking for about a dozen vehicles. 

Cell service

We had service intermittently (and very fleetingly) with Verizon, both on the trail and driving to the trailhead. As we took photos, one of us would notice that we happened to have a bar or two, but it was typically gone again the next time we looked. 

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How difficult is the Two Ocean Lake Trail?

The Two Ocean Lake hike is easy enough for beginner hikers and children. AllTrails rates it as moderate, but we personally think that’s mostly due to the distance. 

The most challenging aspects of the hike are narrow wooded sections where the trail climbs uphill on the south shore. Even on these short stretches, the elevation gain is fairly gentle, and the trail is nearly flat otherwise. 

How long does the Two Ocean Lake hike take?

Plan on roughly three hours to hike the whole loop around Two Ocean Lake. Your pace will of course impact the total time, and it’ll take about an hour longer if you take the side trip to Grand View Point.

Best time of year to hike Two Ocean Lake

Without any hesitation, Two Ocean Lake is at its best in the fall. Thanks to the abundance of aspens, this entire section of the national park puts on quite a show between mid- to late September and mid-October. 

As you can see from the photos throughout this post, it’s a leaf-peeping paradise!

Summer is also a wonderful time to hike Two Ocean Lake, and the lower elevation means the trail is often snow-free earlier in the season than others. Later in the summer, usually from late July through early September, this is a prime area for huckleberries. 

Wildlife on the Trail

One of the best things about hiking Two Ocean Lake is the wildlife! A wide variety of animals are quite active in this area, likely a result of it being far less crowded than other parts of the Tetons. 

This is prime bear habitat (both grizzly bears and black bears), and the area is known for frequent sightings. You may also see elk, mule deer, moose, coyotes, and birds galore. We didn’t see any bears, but we did see plenty of signs of them along the trail, and we saw elk. 

Wolves and mountain lions also live near Two Ocean Lake. While it’s unlikely that you’ll actually see them, it’s good to be aware of this and keep a close eye (and ear!) on your surroundings on this hike. 

Tips for Hiking the Two Ocean Lake Trail

• Be bear aware. Bears—and other big game animals—absolutely hang out around Two Ocean Lake. Familiarize yourself with basic bear safety, make lots of noise as you hike, and carry bear spray.
  • You cannot fly with bear spray, even in checked luggage. Rent it at the Jackson Hole Airport, or at Bear Aware’s two other Jackson locations.
• Bring bug repellent. Since the trail closely follows the lake, biting insects like mosquitoes can be pretty brutal in the summer. We love this DEET-free lemon eucalyptus spray and PARA’KITO wearable wristbands.
• Wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. The grasses and willows grow TALL in the meadows along this trail, and you’ll want some protection for your legs and feet.
• Bring an inflatable kayak or paddleboard. With a lack of crowds and easy shore access, Two Ocean Lake is a fantastic place to paddle around.

What to Bring on Your Two Ocean Lake Hike

Even though it’s an easy hike, you’ll want to have some essentials. Beyond the basics (sturdy hiking shoes, a quality hydration pack with water bladder and plenty of water, plus snacks), here are several items you may not necessarily think to bring along.

• Bug spray
• Bear spray. Remember, you can’t fly with it, but you can get it at the airport or from Bear Aware.
• Binoculars
• Microfiber towel, if you plan to paddle or swim
• Sun protection, such as reef-safe sunscreen (it’s better for the environment all around), a wide-brimmed hat, and light layers
  • We prefer lightweight long-sleeved shirts with built-in UPF like the FREE FLY Bamboo Lightweight Hoodie II or Mountain Hardwear Crater Lake Long Sleeve Hoody, and always have a packable rain jacket in our daypacks
• Navigation – again we HIGHLY recommend AllTrails+…especially in the mountains!
  • Even if you’re not sure the premium subscription is for you, sign up for the free version at the very least. Use our link to TRY a 7-day free trial of AllTrails+!
  • If you hike often in national parks and other wilderness areas, the Garmin InReach Mini is well worth the cost. Also a great gift for outdoorsy folks!
• Backup battery for your phone
• Headlamp and extra batteries (‘just in case’ items we ALWAYS have in our packs!). We LOVE both the BioLite HeadLamp 325 and Petzl Tactikka.
• Waterproof cover for your hiking pack 
• Extra plastic bag for packing out trash. ALWAYS practice Leave No Trace!

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