If you are visiting the Grand Teton National Park and are looking for an absolutely gorgeous hike, you need to put the Taggart Lake/Bradley Lake loop on your list of hikes to do. This is a super chill, easy to moderate hike with gorgeous views and landscape changes that fill every step of this hike. It is a heavily trafficked six mile loop with an elevation gain of 760 feet.
The trail starts at the Taggart Lake Trailhead. There is a large parking lot with plenty of spaces, but, on busy days you may be waiting a bit for a spot to open up. There are also trash cans, recycling bins, and bathrooms right at the lot. Here are the coordinates to the trailhead:
The trail starts off looking like a dirt road for the first quarter mile or so. Once you pass into the tree line it reveals a gorgeous landscape of rivers and foot bridges.
About a mile and a half from the beginning of the trailhead you will see a trail sign pointing you to Taggart Lake to the left and Bradley Lake to the right. We chose to do the trail counter clockwise which didn't disappoint in the slightest. So, if you want to follow in our footsteps, take a left to Taggart Lake first.
When you take the trail to Taggart Lake there is a dramatic landscape change that happens. It turns into a forest of tall skinny trees with very little leaves and branches for the first ten feet from the ground or so. It is something like you would picture in a "Lord of the Rings" type of forest.
After you pass through that stretch of forest the trail opens up to Taggart Lake. It is a beautiful lake resting under the Grand Tetons and perfect for taking a dip and having a food break. If you can catch the water while it's still, the lake will reflect the Tetons perfectly. It is absolutely surreal.
Once you're done at Taggart Lake you're going to want to continue your journey to Bradley Lake. Do not take the Taggart Lake trail back to the fork. We've made that mistake the last time we came here. You want to continue on the trail that hugs Taggart Lake and continues past it. From here it is a very straight forward hike and this is where it becomes a little more moderate. It climbs in elevation and gives you a beautiful view of the lake you just came from.
Continue on this path all the way to Bradley Lake. Bradley Lake is absolutely breathtaking. If we had to choose one lake to spend more time at over the other it would be here. Hopefully you don't have to make a sacrifice on either one, but, if you do. Hang here.
As always safe travels, be adventurous, and pack it in pack it out!