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A beautiful, mellow ascent to the stunning Alaska Basin & Buck Mountain Pass.


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Map Key

10.2

Miles

16.4

KM

Point to Point

10,337' 3,151 m

High

6,964' 2,123 m

Low

3,408' 1,039 m

Up

36' 11 m

Down

6%

Avg Grade (4°)

32%

Max Grade (18°)

Dogs Off-leash

Features Fall Colors · Lake · River/Creek · Swimming · Views · Waterfall · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Family Friendly Mellow hiking as far as you want to go!

Plan accordingly for any sort of alpine weather as the upper portion of this trail is exposed to the elements & well above treeline. Significant amounts of snow may linger till mid-summer.

Description

From the Teton Canyon Trailhead, follow a straight shot on trail #027 all the way to Alaska Basin & Buck Mountain Pass, on the boundary of Grand Teton National Park.

The trail largely follows the beautiful South Teton Creek into the alpine zone of Alaska Basin. Expect incredible summer wildflowers and be on the lookout for moose and bear.

Though not commonly seen, this is grizzly habitat so be prepared with smart food storage practices & bear spray.

En route to Alaska Basin, the trail climbs steeply at times onto a series of benches. As you get into the Basin, you'll come upon incredible alpine lakes & waterfalls over ancient white granite. The trail is entirely doable, but you'll likely want to adopt a mellow pace to take in the flora, hydrology & geology that makes this area feel so unique.

Above Alaska Basin, you'll encounter the stunning Buck Mountain Pass, with its namesake looming high above you to the northeast. The trail is very well maintained, but expect some stimulating exposure & rocky terrain.

Contacts

Shared By:

Jason Smith with improvements by Osmel Estrada

Trail Ratings

  5.0 from 7 votes

#9

in West

#458

Overall
  5.0 from 7 votes
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Trail Rankings

#9

in West

#24

in Wyoming

#458

Overall
2 Views Last Month
4,556 Since Aug 10, 2015
Intermediate/Difficult Intermediate/Difficult

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Photos

Glowing rocks at sunset in the incomparable Alaska Basin.
Jul 22, 2019 near Moose W…, WY
A crossing of Teton Creek with Buck Mountain towering ahead.
Oct 18, 2020 near Moose W…, WY
Looking to the North towards the Teton Canyon Campground.
Jun 18, 2018 near Alta, WY
Our camp at Alaska Basin, some 9,500 feet above sea level.
Jul 24, 2019 near Moose W…, WY
Heading into Alaska Basin on the South Teton Trail #027.
Jul 26, 2016 near Moose W…, WY
Wildflowers in bloom along the Devil's Staircase in the Alaska Basin.
Jul 10, 2016 near Alta, WY

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Weather


Current Trail Conditions

All Clear 87 days ago
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Check-Ins

Aug 19, 2022
Atsuko Ohtake
Aug 21, 2019
Tyler Graber
Jun 9, 2018
James Park
A few spots where it looks like an avalanche had piled up a bunch of snow are still there covering up the trail, but were easy to navigate. 5.7mi — 2h 30m
Aug 20, 2017
Zack LaVergne
Hiked up to watch the solar eclipse. Alaska Basin didn't disappoint! 8.5mi
Sep 10, 2015
Kate Muller
Jul 28, 2015
Cameron Booth
One of the most rewarding hikes I've ever done, though pretty challenging in parts. Alaska Basin is beautiful! 9.2mi — 6h 00m
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