Beautiful and (mostly) serene, that’s Leigh Lake in the Tetons.

Watch the video HERE!

We set out early for Leigh Lake, hoping to get in a decent hike before the MAJOR crowds arrived. When we arrived at the parking lot, it was still fairly empty and we got a great parking spot. First things first, take a picture for a large gaggle of guys heading out on an overnight backpacking trip. They were going to have an awesome time!

The first leg of the trail was well-loved, with a number of folks coming and going near the short and sweet String Lake. When we made the turn to Leigh Lake, things. got. quiet. Like really quiet.

Not outfitted this time around with bear spray (which made me nervous), we first popped over to the portage area of Leigh Lake and then decided to go a little further down the trail. There were a number of good “beach” spots along the path, and about a mile around Leigh Lake we stopped off at one.

It was stunning.

From that point we turned around and started heading back towards the trailhead. It became apparent that we had not run into any one because we were one of the first folks LEADING around the lake on the day. Every 5-10 minutes we ran into another group.

Post-hike, we grabbed our snacks and went to the picnic area over by String Lake and watched the masses trying their hands at kayaking, canoeing, and stand-up-paddleboarding, which was fun, although no longer serene.

Moral of the story: go to Leigh Lake, take bear spray, make it around the lake without psyching yourself out.

Happy Hiking, friends!