Grasshopper Glacier, Glacier formation in Teton Range, Wyoming, United States
Grasshopper Glacier is an ice formation in the Teton Range located at approximately 11,300 feet (3,400 meters) elevation in northwestern Wyoming. The glacier consists of layered ice that contains preserved remains of grasshoppers, which gave it its distinctive name.
The glacier was substantially larger in the early 1900s, originally extending about 8 kilometers in length. Since then it has continuously retreated and fragmented into several smaller ice masses.
Scientists regularly study this glacier to document climate changes and analyze preserved specimens of extinct Rocky Mountain locusts within the ice.
The route starts at the Pacific Creek Trailhead and passes through forests and rocky terrain to reach the ice. Summer months from July through September provide the most favorable conditions for the hike.
Millions of grasshoppers are frozen within the ice layers and create distinct visual patterns visible in the frozen sections. These preserved insects provide rare research material for studying now-extinct grasshopper species from the Rocky Mountains.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
