Garnet Canyon, Mountain canyon in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, United States.
Garnet Canyon is a glacial trough in the Teton Range that runs from Bradley Lake to below the summits of Grand Teton and Middle Teton, where it holds the Middle Teton Glacier. It is bounded by Middle Teton to the west, Grand Teton, Teepe Pillar and Disappointment Peak to the north, and Cloudveil Dome and Nez Perce Peak to the south. Several large waterfalls lie inside it, among them Spalding Falls, Cleft Falls and Bannock Falls.
Garnet Canyon was carved by glaciers that retreated about 15,000 years ago at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum, leaving a U-shaped trough below the Grand Teton and Middle Teton. The canyon runs from Bradley Lake down to below those summits and holds the Middle Teton Glacier. It is bounded by Middle Teton to the west, Grand Teton, Teepe Pillar and Disappointment Peak to the north, and Cloudveil Dome and Nez Perce Peak to the south.
The canyon's name comes from the garnet crystals found in its rock, and the north fork leads to the lower saddle between Middle Teton and Grand Teton, the start of many classic Grand Teton climbs. The south fork climbs to a saddle between Middle Teton and South Teton, where easier routes up those summits begin.
The hike requires sure footing and good hiking boots, especially from mid-elevation onward where the terrain becomes steeper. Bring enough water, as the sun is strong in the upper open sections.
The canyon mouth is blocked by a boulderfield that must be crossed with Class 3 scrambling, using hands on rock, before the Meadows camping area appears above it. The canyon then splits into a north fork toward the lower saddle between Middle Teton and Grand Teton, and a south fork toward the Middle Teton–South Teton saddle.
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