Hike Lunch Tree Hill – Short Hike with a Big View

Lunch Tree Hill hike is one of the shortest and easiest hikes in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) with one of the biggest views. AND… it’s less than .5 mile round trip.

Less than half a mile.

That is perfect for those under a time crunch, for families, and/or for little or unenthusiastic kids.

.5 mile, the kids won’t have enough time to complain. Win-win!

And while this hike is shorter and easier than most, don’t equate it with being boring or one to skip.

While you aren’t going to get a high-calorie burn or workout, you are going to get:

• Fantastic Views
• History
• GTNP Geology
• GTNP Animal Info
• Possible Wildlife Viewing

That’s a lot for a half-mile hike!

The Hike

You can find the beginning of Lunch Tree Hill Trail off the northern edge of the back viewing area of Jackson Lake Lodge. The easiest way to get here is to go through the lodge and turn right.

The beginning is a little steep, but the trail is paved and short at two-tenths of a mile.

The sign will say “Lunch Tree Hill Loop Trail” but I highly recommend skipping the loop and just going up to the Rockefeller Monument and back. You’ll know you have reached the top when you get to the large rock with a plaque dedicated to Rockefeller.

View

The entire Teton range will be in full view, unobstructed, going up and back on this trail. The lake in the background is “Jackson Lake” and the island you see on the lake is “Donoho”.

The View from Lunch Tree Hill – Photo by: Richard Lee

Sprawling in the foreground to Jackson Lake and the Tetons are the green, wet, marshy Willow Flats.

History

Okay, here is why this hike is such a big deal.

In 1926, if Horace Albright, the superintendent of Yellowstone National Park hadn’t brought John D. Rockefeller and his family to the top of Lunch Tree Hill for a picnic lunch, Grand Teton National Park might not exist.

It is reported that John and his wife, Laura, fell in love with the Tetons and the landscape they viewed on this picnic, but were appalled by the encroaching commercialization of the area. Dance halls and gas stations littered the area. After the picnic with Albright, the Rockefellers eventually bought up the entire valley and gifted it to the U.S. Government to be placed under the National Park Service.

Thank you Horace Albright, and to the Rockefellers for giving us the Grand Teton National Park we have today.

At the top of the hill, is a large rock with a plaque marking the spot of “THE Picnic”. Don’t be surprised if kids want to climb on the rock.

Dedication to John D. Rockefeller

Photo idea: Have people sit on the rock and get the Tetons in the background. The plaque won’t show, but you can get that in a separate photo.

Geology

Along the path, you will find short, informative plaques every few yards. Two of the plaques are focused on the geology of the Tetons.

One plaque helps onlookers identify the “Grand Teton”, the tallest peak in the Teton mountain range, at 13,770 ft elevation.

View from Lunch Tree Hill. Photo: © Karen Phillips http://wishuponanrvstar.blogspot.com

The other is dedicated to Mt. Moran, the large, flat top mountain in direct view.

Mt. Moran was named after the artist, Thomas Moran, whose paintings and drawings of the mountains and surrounding landscape in the 1870’s helped convince Congress to make Yellowstone the first National Park.

Animals

There are also plaques identifying the animals that can be found in the Willow Flats. Moose, beaver and sandhill cranes especially love the wetlands, but any animal can roam through here including elk, deer, and bears.

Animal Info along trail

And while the Willow Flats is a good place for animals, you will need binoculars to see them from this vantage point.

This hike is perfectly named as it is a short jaunt to take the family and picnic at the top with a stunning view.

Go Back the Way You Came

As mentioned earlier, the best use of time is to go back the way you came instead of doing the full loop. The top of the trail is at the Rockefeller rock. When ready, retrace your steps back down the hill to the viewing deck of Jackson Lake Lodge.

Hope you see some wildlife, with or without binoculars!

If you have any additional questions, feel free to put them in the comments section.

Keep Your Eye Peeled for a Moose!

Jenn Cunningham
Founder, Explore GTNP