Turquoise Lake Llama Trek
Llama Treks
5 Days, 4 Nights 24MI / 38KM
Trip Highlights
If you’re looking to maximize adventure in just five days, this Jackson Hole area hiking trip delivers unforgettable scenery, wildlife, and backcountry magic—all with minimal pack weight thanks to our trusty llamas! Perfect for early summer (late June and July), this trek offers prime opportunities to see wildflowers in full bloom and spot elk, moose, bighorn sheep, bears, eagles, and more. Starting just 45 minutes from Jackson Hole, we hike up stunning Granite Creek, camp beneath towering peaks, and spend two nights at the breathtaking Turquoise Lake. A summit option on Day 3 rewards hikers with jaw-dropping views, and we finish the journey with a relaxing soak at historic Granite Hot Springs while your guides handle the gear. With gourmet backcountry meals, scenic campsites, and star-filled skies, this trip is the perfect blend of comfort, adventure, and wild Wyoming beauty.
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Pristine Valleys & High Ridges
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Stunning Mountain Views
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Mountain Solitude
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Pristine Campsites
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Refreshing Granite Hot Springs
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Breathtaking Alpine Ridge Hike
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Abundant Wildlife Habitat
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Trip Details
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Trip Type
Llama Treks -
Trip Length
5 Days, 4 Nights -
Daily Hiking Distance
6-7 mi -
Group Size
2-12 Guests
- day by day itinerary
- logistical and travel information
- gear and clothing lists and more
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Is This Trip Right For me?
Our hike to Turquoise Lake is steadily uphill for both days. The trail is maintained but rocky and rugged in much of the time. If we hike up Cache Peak, it is mostly off-trail and difficult hiking.
Difficulty Level
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Solitude Level
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Trip Itinerary
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.
Day 1
Shuttle to Trailhead: 45 minutes
Hiking Mileage: 6 miles
Elevation Gain: 1000 feet
This Jackson Hole Area llama trek begins in Jackson, where we’ll pick you up at your hotel for transport to the trailhead. Our hike takes us along Granite Creek, one of the most majestic and beautiful rivers near Jackson Hole. It’s crystal clear waters make for excellent drinking, fishing and soaking tired feet! We’ll hike in and out of forests, through stunning meadows, and along the banks of the creek, always keeping an eye out for wildlife. This valley is famous for being home to lots of moose, and we’ll also watch out for elk, deer, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, bears and wolves.
We’ll make camp at the edge of a meadow overlooking Granite Creek. Once camp is set up you’ll have some time to enjoy the area by strolling through the meadows, photographing wildflowers, fishing, glassing for wildlife, or just relaxing. This evening we’ll build a roaring campfire and eat a hearty backcountry dinner as the fading light of the late, northern sunset settles in the west. What a day to be alive!
Day 2
Hiking Mileage: 6 miles
Elevation Gain: 1500 feet
Today we’ll enjoy a stunningly beautiful hike along Granite Creek as it ascends into the subalpine zone. Our route takes us further upstream along Granite Creek to subalpine forests and lush meadows. Our destination is Turquoise Lake, a charming lake tucked into the high country of these spectacular mountains. We’ll set up camp and have a couple hours to enjoy the lake and surrounding area. You can soak up the high alititude sun rays from the shores of the lake, wet a line (for those who like to fish), go on wildflower walks, take photographs, or just relax. We’ll reconvene for a roaring campfire and fantastic dinner to cap off this amazing day.
Day 3
Hiking Mileage: varies
Elevation Gain/Loss: varies
Today we’ll sleep in and enjoy a feast of a breakfast, hot coffee or tea, and a relaxing morning. It’s a layover day to do with what we please. There are several fantastic day hiking options that your guide will present to you, or you’re welcome to relax in camp, fish, or spend the day however you would like. Many guests choose to climb Cache Peak (10,384′) which is a 4 mile roundtrip hike from camp, and offers absolutely stunning views of the Tetons and all mountains around Jackson Hole. It’s a rare opportunity to have a day to spend in a place as beautiful as this!
Day 4
Hiking Mileage: 6 miles
Elevation Loss: 1500 feet
Today we leave the high country behind and begin descending back down Granite Creek. It’s amazing how different this perspective is from the hike in, when we were staring at the high country and lush alpine peaks of the Gros Ventre Wilderness. Now, as we hike, we’re gazing at a series of lush valleys, cut by ancient rivers, and distant peaks on the horizon. We’ll keep a sharp eye out for wildlife, as today is an excellent opportunity to see moose and elk. We’ll set up camp along Granite Creek and enjoy one last celebratory dinner in the backcountry.
Day 5
Hiking Mileage: 6 miles
Elevation Loss: 1000 feet
Shuttle to Jackson Hole: 45 minutes
We’ll enjoy a big breakfast and relaxing morning before leisurely breaking camp. Today’s hike takes us back down Granite Creek to our trailhead. Once back at the trailhead, you’ll have the wonderful opportunity to soak at Granite Hot Springs, which is an established hot spring pool in one of the most picturesque valleys you can imagine, while the guide gets the trailers loaded. Soak your tired muscles in steaming, thermal-fed water while you reflect on the past three days. Once the guide is done packing up and everyone has soaked, we’ll shuttle back to Jackson Hole for the conclusion of our journey.
Trip Dates
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What's Included
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Pack llamas to transport the majority of gear and food
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Trained hiking guide(s) with years of personal wilderness and hiking experience, medical certifications, and a passion for leading people into breathtaking landscapes. See Guide Bios.
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Top-of-the-line tent, backcountry sleeping pad and multi-day backpack
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High quality, synthetic sleeping bag (professionally laundered after every use)
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Use of trekking poles
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All meals are included from breakfast the first day through lunch on the last day
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Roundtrip transportation from your hotel in Jackson Hole, WY; Victor, ID or Driggs, ID
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Bear safety equipment including bear spray cannisters and food-hanging gear
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Emergency equipment including a company-issued first-aid kit and communication device
What's Not Included
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Clothes, raingear, and footwear -
Sunscreen, toiletries and personal items
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Waterbottles and a headlamp or flashlight
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Guide gratuity (industry recommendation is 10-15% of trip cost)
Accommodations
BACKCOUNTRY SLEEPING
Tent Camping
Sleeping on this trip 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
Campsites vary 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 trekking adventure. We carefully design our itineraries with campsites in mind.
Trip Logistics & FAQs
Where Do We Meet?
At 5:00 PM the evening before Day 1, your guide will conduct a virtual orientation meeting (via conference call) at 5:00 PM 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.
Travel Details
This trip begins and ends in Jackson, WY, with pick-up also available in Driggs and Victor, ID.
You can fly into:
- Jackson Hole – some hotels and several transportation companies provide airport shuttles.
- Idaho Falls – small, more affordable airport; Salt Lake Express (208-656-8824) offers 2 daily shuttles between Idaho Falls and Jackson.
- Salt Lake City – Salt Lake Express (208-656-8824) and Alltrans (800-652-9510) offer daily shuttles (4.5 hours). Advance reservations required.
Pre and Post-trip On Request Lodging
We secure limited amounts of pre and post trip lodging in Jackson, Wyoming as an optional add-on for guests of this trip. This lodging is on request, and is available on a first come, first serve basis. If interested, please reach out directly to our team to check availability.
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 Precautions
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. Guides adhere to standardized risk management protocols in case of any potential or actual incident, and all tours carry an emergency communication device and comprehensive first-aid kit. Additionally we have a “24/7” system through which guides or guests can reach Wildland support personnel at any time.
If you have any further questions about safety, please contact us at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) for more information.
Hiking with Llamas
Ideally you desire to be on a trip with llamas, by this we mean that a trip with stock animals is different than a backpacking trip in many ways. One big difference is that it takes time for your guide to get all the animals loaded and ready to go in the morning and to unload gear and care for them once we arrive in camp. Also the pace of a llama trip can be a bit slower than you would walk without a pack and you’ll be expected to hike with the group.
On a llama trip the animals tend to take on a focus of the trip. These trips are most rewarding when the clients want to interact with and help out with caring for the llamas. The tradeoff for not having to carry a large backpack is that llamas do require extra work from their guide/handlers. If you are choosing a llama trip solely on the basis of not having to carry a backpack and do not wish to interact with a llama, you need to speak honestly with your Adventure Consultant about this and potentially add another Wildland Guide to your trip to cover the extra workload of caring for the llamas.
Reviews
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Jenny B
2 years agoAbsolutely amazing in every possible way.
This trip was absolutely amazing in every possible way. The scenery is unbelievably gorgeous, the llamas were fun, the food was outstanding, and both Noah and Paris were exceptional! I have always wanted to do a backpacking trip in the Teton/Yellowstone area, but honestly, I was a little hesitant. Being with Noah and Paris though, I immediately felt completely comfortable and not once did I feel even the slightest bit of fear. They are both so knowledgeable, professional, attentive to each of us, patient, genuine, FUN, and they brought such a positive energy to the group. Noah and Paris’ day started before and ended after ours every single day, yet they still made sure we were completely taken care of and that we were each having an amazing experience. I can’t say enough good things about them! As for the food, it was literally perfect and total gourmet!! I absolutely loved it. I also liked the itinerary of this trip. I liked having a full day once we got to Turquoise Lake to do whatever we wanted. It was nice having a little time to just soak it all in and not have to pack up and move on. I truly don’t have one single negative thing to say about this trip. It was perfect in every way, and most definitely one that I will remember forever. I’ve come to realize there is a certain standard you can expect from a Wildland trip, and Noah and Paris delivered that in a big way!
Andrew P
4 years agoFantastic Trip!
What a fantastic trip! Everything about it was an amazing experience in the wilds of Wyoming and our guides, Katie and Matt made it an especially comfortable adventure. They so have it together and their experience was critical to our success. The llamas helped with the burden of our gear, but I especially loved hiking with them because they made the experience ancient and eternal. They have been traveling like this for thousands of years and it was easy to feel connected to generations that passed through this country before us under more difficult circumstances. The terrain is glorious—meadows, mountains, streams and wildflowers—and we only saw two other hikers in our first three days. And just three more after that. The solitude and nature were beautiful. We had some rain for two days which changed our plans and tested our love of nature and so we hiked out a day early. Even that was a fun and rich experience. Katie and Matt contacted WT and when we arrived at the trailhead campground we were greeted by a warm tent and cots setup by the llama wranglers, Beau Baty, Marshall Anderson, and Tyson. And Tyson was only two days away from getting married! That lucky woman is marrying one gracious man. Their hospitality and concern were incredibly generous, and they provided a welcome finish to a great adventure. Everything about this trip was glorious including the challenges. Our guides Katie and Matt were two of the hardest working, gracious people I’ve ever met, and they were intent on making sure we had the proper gear, good meals, and a great trip. And we did! We will use WT again in the future and remember this trip for a long time.
Lizzie B.
5 years agoFantastic Trip!
This company can’t be beat! The guides and the llamas are fantastic! We have had two incredible trips with them. Everything was perfect! I was traveling with younger kids and the guides did such a beautiful job of making it fun both times! The destinations, the gear, the food...all of it! We will be back for a third trip next summer!
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