Emma Matilda Lake. National Park Service
33 Emma Matilda Lake
Description: Like the Two Ocean Lake hike, this route traverses the gentle, forested terrain around a large mountain lake on a little-used trail
Start: Emma Matilda Trailhead
Total distance: 10.5-mile loop
Best season: July through Sept
Maps: Earthwalk Press Grand Teton map; National Park Service handout map (some maps do not show the trail around the west end of the lake, so refer to the park service handout map)
Finding the trailhead: From the Jackson Lake Junction, drive east on US 287 for 2.6 miles and turn left (north) on Pacific Creek Road. From the Moran Junction, drive west on US 287 for 1.2 miles and turn right (north) onto Pacific Creek Road. Once on Pacific Creek Road, drive 1.5 miles and park at a turnout on the left (west). When we checked the trailhead for this revision, there was no sign marking it. If you come to the Two Ocean Road turn, you’ve missed it, so backtrack 0.5 mile. Technically, the park service doesn’t consider this an official trailhead, which is why it and the first junction have no signs. Park at the trailhead, which has limited parking space. No trailhead facilities. Trailhead GPS: 45.870033 / -110.50175
The Hike
Emma Matilda and Two Ocean Lakes offer a gentle beauty quite unlike the high peaks for which Grand Teton National Park is so well known. Even though you definitely get the feeling of being in the backcountry, these trails aren’t even shown on the park service backcountry brochure, which is maybe why I didn’t see another hiker on the entire circuit around Emma Matilda Lake.
This hike, like Two Ocean Lake to the north, is in the northeast corner of the park, which has been spared the popularity of the hikes up the canyons of the Teton Range. I hiked the north shore first in the morning because it is more open and offers great views of the Teton Range across the lake.
From the trailhead, it’s 0.5 mile to the junction with the loop trail around the lake. This junction is in a big meadow and was not signed when I was there. Several unofficial trails make it even more confusing, so be alert to get on the correct trail. To follow this hike description, go right (northwest) at this junction and start hiking along the north shore of the lake. Don’t go extreme right and get on an unofficial trail, which takes you back to Pacific Creek Road. After the junction, you face a small climb to get to the ridge above the lake. At 2.2 miles, turn left at the cutoff trail to Two Ocean Lake.
Most of the north-shore trail goes through sagebrush meadows, aspen stands, and a mixed-conifer forest, often offering up a nice view of the lake with the Teton Range as the backdrop. The smell of sage accompanies you most of the way. In the fall, the aspens turn the landscape gold, and in the spring the abundance of arrowhead balsamroot gives a yellow flair to the entire north shore. One section of the north shore is well into the natural process of recovering from a forest fire.
Emma Matilda Lake. National Park Service
When you get to the Grand View Point Trail, go left (south) on a trail (not shown on some maps) along the west end of the lake. In another 1.4 miles, you reach a confusing section of the trail. Stay alert between here and the Oxbow Bend Trail junction. This is a triangular junction with the trail to Christian Pond and Jackson Lake Lodge. If you plan to take a short side trip to Christian Pond to see the swans or visit Jackson Lake Lodge before heading back to the trailhead, go right (west). If you aren’t interested in a side trip, go left (east). In the next 0.3 mile, two more trails join the main trail from the south. Go left (east) at both the Christian Pond and Lookout Rock Trail junctions. In other words, to stay on the main route, take left turns only.
Lookout Rock lies between the two junctions and is a great place to relax and have lunch. You get a better view of the lake from this overlook than from anywhere else on the forest-lined south-shore trail until you get near the east end of the lake when the forest opens up to reveal the big jewel of a lake called Emma Matilda. Unlike the openness of the north-shore trail, the mature forest of the south shore blocks the view of the lake, but this is still a great walk in the woods.
Just before you get to the junction where you started the loop, you cross a footbridge over the outlet of the lake. When I hiked this trail, the local beaver population had appropriated the bridge as a good base for a dam. Unfortunately, the dam was backing up the entire lake, so the trail crew had to go in later that summer and undo these ultra-ambitious beavers’ dreams. From this junction, take a right (southeast) and walk the last 0.5 mile to the trailhead.
Camping: No camping allowed along this route.
Options: You can take this loop in either direction with no extra difficulty. You can also hike the loop around Emma Matilda Lake by starting at the Two Ocean Lake, Grand View Point, or Christian Pond Trailheads. For an unusual option, hike half the loop, go over to Jackson Lake Lodge for lunch, and hike back to the east end of the lake.
Side trips: When you get to the west end of the lake, you can take a 3.6-mile trail (round-trip) to the top of Grand View Point for a great view of the Teton Range and Two Ocean Lake. You can also take a 2-mile (round-trip) trail over to see Two Ocean Lake. Lastly, you can take the short side trip over to see nesting trumpeter swans at Christian Pond.
Miles and Directions
0.0Emma Matilda Lake Trailhead
0.5Beginning of loop around Emma Matilda Lake
2.2Cutoff trail to Two Ocean Lake Picnic Area; turn left
4.9Junction with Grand View Point Trail; turn left
6.3Junction with Christian Pond Trail; turn left
6.5Junction with Lookout Rock Trail; turn left
6.6Lookout Rock
6.7Junction with Oxbow Bend Trail; turn left
10.0End of loop around Emma Matilda Lake
10.5Emma Matilda Lake Trailhead