The Woodland Trail is a scenic easy trail in Grand Teton National Park perfect for those looking for a peaceful nature walk ending at Phelps Lake.
Woodland Trail Trail Basics
1-2 Hours
2.8 Miles Roundtrip
Out-and-Back Trail
240 Feet
Duration: 1-2 Hours
Walking from the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center to the overlook at the south end of Phelps Lake along the Woodland Trail takes between one to two hours estimated time to complete.
Distance: 2.8 Miles Roundtrip
The trail straight back to the lake is 1.4 miles each way. To go there and back makes the entire distance 2.8 miles round trip.
Type: Out-and-Back Trail
As with many trails in Grand Teton, the Woodland Trail to Phelps Lake is an out-and-back hike. You will start at the Rockefeller Preserve Center and walk northeast to the lake then come back along the same pathway.
Elevation Change: 240 Feet
Most of the elevation gain along this trail is near the beginning to the middle. Once you are about halfway through the main trail, it mostly levels out.
Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
The best time of year to visit Grand Teton is in the late spring through early fall. Moose-Wilson Road is closed seasonally in the winter, making this area inaccessible. Summer is the peak season in the park, so the most crowded, but it’s also the best time of year to visit due to the mild summer temperatures.
Time of Day: Any
You can walk on this trail any time of the day but it’s best to get an early start due to the small parking lot at the visitor center.
Amount of Shade: Moderate
For the majority of the trail, you are walking through dense forests of lodgepole pines and spruce trees, so you have a lot of shade along the way.
Difficulty: Easy
Overall, the Woodland Trail is an easy trail. It is a dirt path with some elevation change, but nothing unmanageable.
What Makes Woodland Trail a Great Hike?
The Woodland Trail to Phelps Lake is a great trail for a family to do. You can go out and back along the Woodland Trail or make the entire loop going out via Woodland and back on Lake Creek Trail, or vice versa.
When you reach the end, there is a great place for gorgeous views of Phelps Lake, the sixth largest lake in Grand Teton National Park. You can see the surrounding mountains and get a look at the mouth of Death Canyon. We took a break at the overlook for some snacks and water. This wasn’t a very busy trail, but there were a few other groups so we had someone there to take a photo of our whole group.
For those who are more adventurous and want to go on a full day hike, you can continue along the Phelps Lake Loop Hike which will take you around the entire lake. From the visitor center, the park service has this listed as a 6.6-mile hike.
Scenery on the Woodland Trail
Start of the Trail
A short distance after you start the trail from the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center, you’ll come up to a small manmade waterfall on the right side of the trail. Continue until you come to the fork in the trail. The Lake Creek Trail continues to the left across the bridge. Stay to the right to keep walking on the Woodland Trail.
Phelps Lake
Large rocks on the dirt path
On the Trail
As you walk along the trail, you are walking through both areas of dense forest and open meadows of a variety of wildflowers with occasional views of Lake Creek. Continue along until you pass Boulder Ridge Trail, which is about the halfway point in this hike.
End of the Trail
As you get near the lake, you will come up to the intersection with Phelps Lake Loop Trail. Take a left at this junction and cross Lake Creek. The trail ends at a small loop that goes around a vault toilet. We kept to the right and got to the alpine lakes overlook. Behind the lake, we had expansive views of the Tetons over the glacial lake.
Notable Places on the Hike
About half of a mile into the trail, you will cross Moose-Wilson Road. Be careful because cars will come quickly up the road.
Small child-sized stop sign warning you that you are about to cross the road
The boys were shocked that the sign was shorter than they were!
Woodland Trail Trailhead Information
Park Name: Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park is located in the northwestern part of Wyoming. The closest airport is Jackson Hole (JAC), which is also the name of the closest town to the park. We flew into Jackson Hole but stayed just over the mountain in Driggs, Idaho on our first trip to the park and in Victor, Idaho on our second trip to the park.
Finding the Trailhead
There are many trail heads that start out in the area. From the Preserve, make sure you are following Lake Creek Trail then stay to the right to head north and walk along the Woodland Trail.
Markers Along the Trail
There are very few markers along the trail. Keep an eye out for route guides to make sure you stay on the correct path. Otherwise, you might end up taking a more scenic route to the lake unintentionally.
Nearest Restrooms
There are flush restrooms at the Laurence S. Rockefeller Preserve Discovery Center when it is open. Otherwise, there is a set of vault toilets in the parking area for the preserve. You'll also find vault toilets at the end of the trail near Phelps Lake.
Parking Area
To get to the trailhead for the Woodland Trail, you'll need to get to the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center which is located down Moose-Wilson Road, a paved road with portions of it dirt road only open to passenger vehicles (no trailers or RVs are allowed on the road). The visitor center is about 5 miles south of Moose Junction. There is very limited parking so try to arrive early to guarantee a parking spot.
Other Trails at this Trailhead
- Lake Creek Trail
- Aspen Ridge Trails
- Phelps Lake Trail
- Boulder Ridge Trail
- Old Ranch Trail
- Woods Trail
Tips for Woodland Trail
- The official Phelps Lake Overlook hike is accessed from the Death Canyon Trailhead along the Valley Trail and Death Canyon Spur Trail.
- Grizzly and black bears are known to frequent this area, so make sure to carry bear spray with you.
- Other animals you may see include mule deer, moose, river otters, bald eagles, hawks, and ospreys.
- You cannot easily get to the edge of the lake from this overlook.
Accessibility Information for Woodland Trail
Dirt
Paved
Trail Type: Dirt
Most of the trail is over a dirt path with a moderate grade near the beginning of the trail. From the visitor center, there is a short accessible trail that you can take to the manmade waterfall at the beginning of the Lake Creek Trail.
Parking: Paved
The parking lot for the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve is a paved lot with only a few handicap-accessible parking spaces available.