Granite Creek Backpack
Jackson, WY
5.0 (4 reviews)Trip Highlights
- Pristine River Valleys
- Amazing BIG Mountain Views
- Abundant Wildlife Habitat
- Refreshing Granite Hot Springs
- Day Hike to Alpine Ridge
- Mountain Solitude
- Pristine Campsites
Description
If you’re looking to pack a lot of fun into a short backpacking trip outside Jackson Hole, this one is a great choice! This 3-day trek features an amazing amount of hiking, scenery, and diversity. It is a fantastic early summer trip (July) and a fantastic one for wildflowers and wildlife. There is an abundance of deer, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, fox, wolves, bears, birds of prey and other wildlife in these mountains!
Originating a short 1-hour drive from Jackson, this trip takes us up pristine Granite Creek, where we’ll enjoy constant views of the high country towering above us. We’ll camp in the same camp both nights, where Granite Creek is just a stone’s throw away. On day 2, conditions permitting, we’ll hike to the crest of an alpine ridge for incredible views of Pyramid Peak (11,170 feet) and hike along one of the most beautiful ridges in the Gros Ventre mountain range. Our final day takes us back down Granite Creek, where we’ll cap off the trip with a soak in rustic Granite Hot Springs (a developed hot springs facility).
$1095 Per Person
DIFFICULTY LEVEL 3
Our difficulty ratings are based on a scale of 1-5, tours with a rating of 1 being least difficult, tours with a rating of 5 being most difficult
- Backpack Weight:
- 25-35 pounds
- Daily Hiking Distances:
- 6-7 miles
- Most Elevation Loss:
- 3250 feet
- Most Elevation Gain:
- 3250 feet
- Quality of Trails:
- Maintained trails and off trail
- Additional:
- Our hike to the top of Pyramid Peak is mostly off trail and involves rugged hiking up forested and talus slopes.
Participants should:
- be active, healthy people
- exercise several times per week
- be comfortable hiking 6-8 miles per day in hilly or mountainous terrain with a 25-pound backpack
SOLITUDE LEVEL 5
1 least solitude, 5 most solitude
We rate this Jackson Hole backpacking trip a solitude 5. You can expect to see one or two other groups of hikers per day.
TRAVEL TO JACKSON
All Beyond Yellowstone trips begin and end in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Jackson Hole has an airport served by United, Delta, and American Airlines. One can also fly into Salt Lake City and drive to Jackson Hole. It is a 4.5-hour drive from Salt Lake City to Jackson Hole on good roads.
Shuttle from Jackson Airport to Town
A Black Car Service (307-413-2572) provides private airport transportation. Advance reservations are recommended.
Shuttle from Salt Lake to Jackson
Salt Lake Express (800-356-9796 or 208-656-8824) and Alltrans (800-652-9510) offer daily vans from Salt Lake City to Jackson Hole. Advance reservations required.
Private Trips
Travel in perfect company by booking a private trip exclusively for your group!
Our sliding scale for private trips is based on the final number of guests in your group. Rates are per person and do not include sales tax, national park fees or guide gratuity. The final rate is based on the actual number of guests on the trip and may adjust based on cancellations or additions.
Please Note: you can also enjoy a private trip at our normal scheduled rates by filling any empty tour to capacity. However, if group members drop from the tour those spots will automatically become available on our website for instant booking. By purchasing a private trip at the rates listed below, your trip will remain exclusive to your group regardless of cancellations.
Private Rates FOr This Trip
- 2 People: Rate x 2.5
- 3 People: Rate x 1.75
- 4 People: Rate x 1.25
- 5+ People: Rate x 1.15
*all rates are per person
Learn About Our Private Trips
View Private TripsITINERARY
Day 1
- Shuttle to Trailhead: 60 minutes
- Hiking Mileage: 6 miles
- Elevation Gain: 950 feet
This Jackson Hole backpacking trip begins with a pick-up at your hotel (in Jackson Hole) and transport to the trailhead. Our hike takes us along Granite Creek, a fantastically majestic river flowing out of the Gros Ventre Mountain Range. We’ll hike upstream along Granite Creek, which takes us in and out of forests and through wildflower-laden meadows. This valley has a large moose population so we’ll keep our eyes peeled, and we’ll also watch out for deer, elk, mountain goats, bears, bighorn sheep, a variety of raptors and wolves.
We’ll set up camp at the edge of a meadow overlooking Granite Creek, and this will become our home for two nights. Once camp is arranged you’ll have time to enjoy the immediate area by strolling through the meadows, snapping pictures of wildflowers, fishing, spotting for wildlife, or just relaxing. This evening we’ll get a roaring campfire going and wolf down a hearty backcountry dinner as the fading light of the late, northern sunset dies out over the western horizon. What a place to be alive!
Day 2
- Hiking Mileage: 10 miles
- Elevation Gain/Loss: 1,950 feet
Today is one for the photo albums! We’ll get up early, have a quick breakfast and set out to take advantage of the daylight. Today’s hike takes us off-trail to a high ridge for amazing views of Pyramid Peak (11,170 feet). The hike is steep and rugged but only requires carrying a day pack. Once at the top of the ridge, we’ll soak up the views before hiking northwest along an alpine ridge. We’ll be able to see all the way to the Tetons and beyond as we traverse this high ridge. Eventually we’ll head back to camp, completing a grand day of hiking. We’ll commemorate our hike with another big dinner and roaring campfire, before retiring for some much-deserved sleep.
Day 3
- Hiking Mileage: 6 miles
- Elevation Loss: 950 feet
- Shuttle to Jackson Hole: 60 minutes
We’ll enjoy a big breakfast and leisurely morning before breaking camp. Our hike takes us back down Granite Creek to our starting point. Once back at the trailhead, you’ll have the choice to enjoy soak in Granite Hot Springs, which is a developed hot spring pool in one of the most beautiful settings you can imagine, while the guide gets the gear loaded. After your soak, we’ll shuttle back to Jackson Hole for the conclusion of our journey.
Please Note: We always do everything in our power to follow the set itinerary, however it can change occasionally based on temporary access restrictions, weather, lodging/campground availability, guest ability/injury, natural events like fires and flooding, and other potential causes. Normal terms and conditions apply to trips with itinerary changes.
TRIP DATES & BOOKING
AVAILABLE TO BOOK
This trip is available and bookable online! Click on the date to register now or contact us online to book through our award-winning customer service team!
GOING FAST
This trip has 1 or 2 spots remaining and is bookable online! Click on the date to book now or contact us online to book through customer service.
REQUEST A RESERVATION
This trip is exclusively booked through customer service due to logistics with lodging, permits, staffing, availability, or something else. Please contact us online or call us at 800-715-HIKE (4453) to request a reservation.
Don't see your dates? Call us! We may be able to add new trip dates.
800-715-HIKE (4453)Trip Details
What's Included
- Top-of-the-line tent, backcountry sleeping pad and multi-day backpack
- High quality, synthetic sleeping bag (professionally laundered after every use) – or bring your own.
- Use of trekking poles
- All meals are included from breakfast the first day through lunch on the last day
- A professional, knowledgeable, certified Jackson Hole hiking guide
- Roundtrip transportation from your hotel in Jackson, Wyoming to the trailhead and back
- Bear safety equipment including bear spray cannisters and food-hanging gear
- Emergency equipment including a company-issued first-aid kit and satellite phone
- A Lifetime Hiking Membership entitling you, your spouse and dependents to a discount of 10% off any Wildland hiking trip after your first one (must book directly with us to receive the discount)!
What's Not Included
- Clothes, raingear and footwear (see recommendations)
- Sunscreen, toiletries and personal items
- Water bottles and a headlamp or flashlight
- Guide gratuity (industry recommendation is 10-20% of trip cost)
Click here to see a printable, downloadable trip information packet with more detailed guidance about what to pack.
Meals: What To Expect
All of our hiking and backpacking tours include a diversity of tasty meals packed full of critical carbohydrates, proteins and fats. We carry foods that travel well in the backcountry – rice, pastas, lentils, beans, couscous, packaged meats, nuts, breads, oatmeal, granola, and more.
For optimal taste and energy, we supplement all our meals with spices, herbs, oils, cheeses, butter, sugar, and fruits and vegetables (fresh and dried). In addition, we provide you with with an assortment of trail mix, snacks, and dried fruits to eat at your own discretion.
We regularly accommodate vegan, vegetarian, kosher and non-gluten diets and will make adjustments for food allergies. These and other special dietary requests may require an additional fee.
Gear We Provide
We provide all group gear which includes the following:
- Deuter or Osprey backpacks
- Sierra Designs, Kelty or Big Agnes tents
- Sierra Designs, Kelty, Big Agnes and Mountain Hardware synthetic-fill sleeping bags (or bring your own)
- Thermarest or Big Agnes sleeping pads
- Leki trekking poles
- Cooking stoves and cookware
- Bear spray cannisters and food-hanging gear
- Company-issued first-aid kit
- Emergency communication device(s)
What Gear To Bring
We ask that you supply a couple of gear items on your hiking tour. These items are two 1-liter water bottles per person and either a headlamp or flashlight per person. Basic items like sunscreen, bug repellent (where and when applicable), lip balm, and toiletries are also important.
Additionally, some guests choose to bring their own sleeping bag. We supply high quality, synthetic fill bags that are professionally laundered after every trip. Synthetic fill is non-allergenic, insulates when damp and stands up well to repeated washings, but is heavier and bulkier than down. If you’re able to bring your own down sleeping bag, there are multiple benefits. If not, we’ve got you covered!
What Clothes to Bring
When you register for this tour you’ll receive access to a printable, downloadable trip information packet with detailed guidance about what clothes to pack (click here to see it now.) All trips require a sturdy pair of hiking shoes or hiking boots, rain gear, and our recommended clothing system. A minimum of three pairs of wool or synthetic hiking socks are also required.
Trip Logistics
How do I Register?
Reserve your spot today! In the Trip Dates & Booking section of this page, the green and red dates are bookable online by simply clicking on the date, and blue dates must be booked through our customer service team for a variety of possible reasons. To email our customer service team, you can click here to get the ball rolling. Our adventure consultants will confirm availability, and if you’re ready to register we’ll email you a link to a registration profile. You’ll have 72 hours to complete your profile (and that of any dependents) and pay the deposit.
Feel free to call us for more info – we’re here 7 days a week!
Where Do We Meet?
Your guide will conduct a virtual orientation meeting (via conference call) at 5:00 PM the evening before your trip begins to review the packing list, communicate the first day’s logistics and answer any last minute questions you have. Your guide will give you the phone number for this call during the pre-trip contact approximately 10 days before your trip start date.
Early on the morning of Day 1 your guide will pick you up from your accommodations in Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Driggs, Idaho; or Victor, Idaho.
Click here to see a printable, downloadable trip information packet with more detailed guidance about flights, shuttles, recommended lodging and more.
Start/End Times
You can expect the first day’s pick-up time to be between 5 and 7 am, although the exact time will depend on current weather and road conditions. We will drop you off at your hotel on the final day no later than 7 PM.
Safety Considerations
Your safety is our top priority. Our hiking tours are led by professional hiking guides, all of whom are wilderness-certified first responders or EMT’s, each with years of guiding and wilderness experience. We’ve developed comprehensive risk management protocols that our guides adhere to in case of an emergency, and all tours carry an emergency communication device. If you have any further questions about safety, please contact us at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) for more information.
Guides
Your tour will be led by a trained, experienced professional with a solid guiding background, years of personal wilderness and hiking experience, medical certifications, and a passion for leading people into breathtaking landscapes. Check out our Meet Our Team page for staff bios.
Guide Working Parameters
Guides are required to take 8 hours off each 24-hour period to sleep, recuperate, take personal/down time…etc. In addition, as part of the 8 hours off they must sleep/rest or be in their tents/rooms uninterrupted for a minimum of 5 hours each night. We ask guests to respect these requirements and to not interrupt guides’ off time and sleep time unless there is a true emergency.
Group Size and Age Restrictions
The standard group size on backpacking trips is 6 guests and 1 guide, with a maximum of 12 guests and 2 guides. If you have more questions about group size, please give us a call at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) and we’ll answer all your questions.
Age restrictions are as follows:
- 12 and older to join scheduled tours (mixed groups)
- 5 and older to join private tours, with final approval and specific logistical requirements (such as porter or stock assist) determined on a case by case basis
Weather Around Yellowstone
Average Temperatures (Fahrenheit)
| Month | High | Low |
|---|---|---|
| June | 70° | 42° |
| July | 80° | 47° |
| August | 78° | 45° |
| September | 68° | 37° |
Accommodations
BACKCOUNTRY SLEEPING
Tent Camping
Sleeping on backpacking trips is in premier 1-person, 2-person or 4-person backcountry tents. Solo travelers, and anyone else who requests it, are issued single tents. Top-of-the-line self-inflating sleeping pads and synthetic-fill sleeping bags (professionally laundered after every trip) are also provided.
BACKCOUNTRY CUISINE
Fresh & Delicious
Meals from breakfast Day 1 through lunch the last day are fully included and prepared by your guide. We never use dehydrated backpacking meals, instead serving freshly prepared, delicious backcountry cuisine made with a variety of common and specialty ingredients that travel well in the wilderness.
AMAZING CAMPSITES
In the Action
Of course campsites vary tremendously by destination, trip and even by the individual day of a trip. However, you can expect to camp in beautiful areas that put you right in the action to make the most of your backpacking adventure. We carefully design our itineraries with campsites in mind.
Trip Reviews
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Lauren L.
Terrific Guide
Wow Grace is just terrific, a great sport who clearly lives the life. I'm thrilled to have met her.
Tracy S.
Excellent Trip
Excellent trip and our guide Grace was amazing. Loved the food and beautiful scenery.
Michael H.
Loved Everything About This Trip
The trip to Granite Creek was amazing! The views were breath taking and the food was great! Can’t beat blueberry pancakes for breakfast. Loved everything about the trip and will be taking another one. I’m hooked on hiking now!
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