Goodwin Lake Trail

Difficulty:  Intermediate      Trail Use:   Heavy

Length:   5.7 miles from Traihead to jct with Granite Cr Trail at Flat Cr Headwaters, ~3 miles to Goodwin Lake

Elevation:    8120 ft at Trailhead, 9516 ft at Goodwin Lake, 9600 ft at jct with Granite Cr Trail

Open to:  Hikers, Equestrian

Trail Highlights:

• The trail begins by winding through pine forest until reaching an open sagebrush hillside which it climbs fairly steeply, and has spectacular views of the Tetons.  The trail continues to climb through pine forest up to the ridge where it flattens out and cruises the ridge for a few miles.  Keep an eye out for black bears who frequent this area.
• The trail reaches the wilderness boundary and then begins to sidehill across an open, rocky slope.  This area has great views down into the drainage below. 
• The trail reaches a scree field and continues to climb up through pine forest until it crosses the creek and arrives at the lake.  While at the lake, please respect user trail and campsite closures.
• The trail continues past the lake and climbs steeply up to an open meadow underneath Jackson Peak.  You will notice a large cairn on the right which marks the trail that climbs up the peak. 
• The trail continues past here, winding through alpine meadows of wildflowers and sagebrush, offering great views of the Gros Ventre Mountains.  It eventually ends up at the headwaters of Flat Cr where it connects with the Granite Cr Trail.  There are several small ponds in this area as well as beautiful views of Gros Peak, Cache Peak, and the Flat Cr drainage.

Options:

• This trail is a popular out and back trip to Goodwin Lake, but is extremely popular and can be very busy during the summer months.
• There is a trail to Jackson Peak if you stay on the trail past the lake and climb up to the saddle.  The Jackson Peak trail is marked with a large rock cairn.  This is not a system trail so it does not receive routine maintenance.  The trail is however typically in good condition.
• At the headwaters of Flat Cr, the trail intersects with the Granite Cr Trail.  Taking a right will lead you up and over into the Cache Cr drainage, which can be followed back to Jackson. Taking a left will lead you up and over to Turquoise Lake and the Granite Cr drainage.  The Flat Cr Trail junction is on your left before climbing the divide up to Turquoise Lake.  

Important Information

• This trail enters the Gros Ventre Wilderness about 2 miles up.  See restrictions link below for more information.
• This trail is located on USGS quad maps for Turquoise Lake, 7.5 minute.
• Always check the posted information at the kiosks for maps, updated material on forest regulations and closures.

At a Glance