From the trailhead at South Teton Creek you enter the South Teton Canyon/ Alaska Basin Trail in a forested area right by South Teton Creek but you soon break out into open meadow terrain that compliments the surroundings groves of conifer and aspen all dwarfed by the cliff bands and peaks of this gorgeous glacial valley. The hiking is easy in the lower canyon and in spring and early summer there are numerous waterfalls. South Teton Creek Trail is in the Jedidiah Smith Wilderness and so all access is by foot or by horseback.

After about 2.7 miles you come to the Devil°s Stairs trail that breaks off to the right, If you choose to hike the Devil°s Stars Trail from the fork it is about 4.5 miles to Mt. Meek Pass which drops you down onto the Death Canyon Shelf. A sign warns that livestock is not recommended on the Devil°s Stairs Trail.

From the Devil°s Stairs trail fork it is another 5 miles to Alaska Basin. From here you enter a more forested area and the trail steepens, you start to encounter intermittent sets of practice switchbacks a warning of what is to come latter. The forest opens up regularly to reveal the cliffs above. This stretch reveals much of its glacial past because of the large areas of smooth rock polished by the glaciers that once scoured these valleys. The forest thins as you gain altitude and is relatively sparse by the time you reach Alaska Basin elevation 9,500 feet. This is a high alpine area that resembles the open tundra regions of Alaska. A group of small lakes can be found here called Basin Lakes.

Around the rim above Alaska Basin you will find Mt. Meek named after a mountain man of the region during the early 1800°s. You will also be able to view 11,938-foot Buck Mountain and Jedidiah Smith Mountain but towering above them all is the 12.514-foot South Teton, Alaska Basin is one of those magical places in the backcountry where you wish you would have to never leave.

If you wanted to do a loop trail the Devils Stairs Trail can provide you one, when you get to the Teton Crest Trail go south climb the Sheep Steps and after a while the Devils Stairs trail loops to the west and comes out at the Devils Stairs junction 2.7 miles from the South Teton/Alaska Basin trailhead, of course you could do that in reverse.

The Teton Crest Trail traverses Alaska Basin and from here you can connect to trails leading to Death Canyon°s Alaska Basin trail and drop into Death Canyon. You can head south climb the Sheep Steps and Mt. Meek Pass and drop onto Death Canyon Shelf where you can also drop into Death Canyon or you can continue south to Teton Pass.

If you head north on the Teton Crest Trail .06 steep miles brings you to scenic Sunset Lake and 2.7 miles from Alaska Basin you get to 10,400-foot Hurricane Pass. After you catch your breath not only from the altitude and climb but also from the breathtaking view Hurricane Pass treats you to. The Grand, Middle and South Teton tower above you yet Cascade Canyon drops at your feet hundreds of feet below. Mt. St John and Mt. Moran can be seen to the north if you can pick them out of the other majestic peaks of the horizon.

From here you can you can descend into Cascade Canyon and on to the String Lake trailhead in Grand Teton National Park. An ambitious but rewarding route is to head up North Cascade Canyon to Lake Solitude then over Paintbrush Divide then descends Paintbrush Canyon To String Lake Trailhead.

As you climb you enter whitebark pine territory, a favorite food for bears. Black bears are a common site on this hike but it is grizzly country also so be alert! Elk, moose and mule deer are also often seen. The cliffs of the southern wall of Alaska Basin sometimes provides a chance of spotting the bighorn sheep herd of the Tetons. During the fall bears feast on the abundant berries that flourish in the region. A few years ago a black bear here snatched a daypack setting beside a guy taking a break without the guy even seeing the bear. This stealthy bear is no longer with us.

Summer brings prolific wildflower displays with the balsamroot in early June. As the season progresses fireweed, larkspur, indian paintbrush, purple fleabane, columbine, and lupine proliferate turning every meadow of the region a sea of color.

There is trout fishing in Teton Creek and in the spring it is a major spawning area for the trout of the Teton River. Teton Creek hosts several different species of trout, such as rainbow trout, brook trout, and cutthroat.

This is a high elevation hike and you can expect to encounter snow into July. Expect summer time temperatures to range from highs in the 70s-80s during the day to lows of around 30 at night. Afternoon thunderstorms with lightning and rain showers are common in the summer. It can snow any day of the year and has, so visitors should come prepared for a wide variety of weather and temperature conditions. Remember Murphy°s Law and pack accordingly. A thunderstorm in the high country is something to behold but avoid them if you can, if you are doing a day hike start early.

Teton Canyon Campground is a good base camp for the west side of the Tetons. This campground lies adjacent to the South Teton Canyon and Table Mountain trailheads. It is wooded with aspen and pine trees. There are 19 universally accessible campsites, each with a picnic table and steel fire ring. This campground provides water hydrants and garbage dumpsters. There are vault toilets and a horse transfer station nearby. The campground is newly remodeled. Before you get to the campground there are numerous bushwhack campsites along the creek if you don°t like campgrounds.

Getting there

From Driggs Idaho drive 6.3 miles up Ski Hill Road you pass through the town of Alta WY then after about a mile you turn right up Teton Canyon Road, go a little more than 4 miles, where you will cross two bridges that are close together and are single lane, just before you get to the trailhead.