Two Ocean Lake Trail

Attempted to hike this Oct 22. Trail is closed due to bear activity in the area. Can drive to lake and the views are phenomenal, but alas no hiking here for us.

Great just missed 399.

Easy hike. No wildlife to speak of. Doesn’t mean you aren’t cautious and carry bear spray. East side of lake is Aspens, open and great views. West side is evergreens, lush forest and intimidating at times. Undergrowth is right on you width of trail and unnerving as a bear could spook or moose. Overall beautiful!

Very quiet on saturday morning. Saw a big bull moose in the distance in an open area on the drive in. Saw another younger bull moose right near the parking lot. The fall colors were in full swing and sooo pretty to look at. Southern side of the lake you'll be in dense forest then north side opens up into more open patchy aspens/shrubby terrain thats fun.

Gravel road takes you to the small parking lot. This trail is thru beautiful forests and some sunny meadows, but is not near the lake. We did the North side first and finished coming around the South side. Well groomed trail with some horse poop. It was a pretty walk and a great way to get acclimated to the altitude.

So this trail was not what I was expecting of a trail that literally encircles a lake. You can't even see the lake for 80-90% of the hike, and even when you can, you are never close enough to the water to be able to throw a rock into it. In fact, you are closer to the lake when you park the car than you ever are during the hike. We hiked this in early September and had no issues with bugs as some have mentioned. The trail is not overgrown, it's well worn and easily followed. What it is, however, is very narrow. You will have branches and the like brushing your legs most of the time. One unique thing about this trail is that the terrain/vegetation varies quite a bit from the north to the south sides of the lake. The southern half is thickly forested and mostly shaded. The northern half is more like a sagebrush prairie that is mostly open and will have you yearning for some shade if you hike it when it's 87 degrees like when we did it. If you hike this trail when the sunflowers are in bloom, then add another half a star or so to my review score. This trail perhaps suffers more than anything else by the fact that there are several truly world class hikes only minutes away from this one. TLDR: I like a little bit more lake with my lake hikes.

Nice hike. No bugs. Go to Grand View, it’s worth the extra 2 miles and it’s the only part that is kinda tough.

I'd only recommend this hike if wildflowers are in bloom at this elevation or you're going at dawn or dusk for potential wildlife sightings. We went midday in late August and it was disappointing (Steve Daugherty said it best). - can't see the lake for 80-90% of the hike - if there's any wildfire smoke you won't be able to see the Tetons at all (and even if there isn't, only the N half has potential views of them as the S half of the hike is forested) + no mosquito/fly issues + easy-to-follow trail - very closely grown trail, with sage brush and trees scraping at your legs + unique vegetation from the N to S end -- N is sagey and seems like prime moose territory at dawn/dusk, and S is forested. Wear sunscreen if only for the N half--it bakes you. It was the least populated trail we saw besides the Teton Crest, but it also has a very small trailhead so we got the last parking spot when we arrived. It'd be quite the drive to arrive at a full parking lot and a road where parking on the sides is prohibited.

It was a very nice trail, nothing crazy. The northside is very well-kept but the south side of the trail was very overgrown.

Looking for an alternative to the crowded Jenny Lake and Phelps Lake hikes on a Saturday in July, we decided to try Two Oceans Lake. Even though the trailhead was crowded, we only encountered two other groups (a couple and a family of three) on our hike. Loved the change in scenery — from rolling meadows filled with wildflowers for as far as the eye can see to Aspen groves to lake and Teton views to a more wooded, steeper section toward the end. The trail is mostly flat and my sister remarked that it was more of a walk than a hike, but I’d say it’s perfect if you’re still adjusting to the altitude and want some beautiful views without the crowds. It’s a dirt road getting there and can be bumpy. Taking one star off for the bugs. The flies were incessant at times, buzzing around your head. Bring bug spray and your patience!

Excellent trail for birding and escaping the crowds. Saw lots of birds but no other wildlife. We did the full trail counter clockwise (northside then southside). Arrived at 9:15am (Friday 8/7) and were one of the first to the parking lot. We saw about 20 people all day, almost all of them only on the north side. Lots of bugs, especially the first few miles. We managed with long pants, long sleeves, and lots of deet. Face coverings also helped. Pants also recommended for dense brush along trail.

Wonderful hike to get views of the Tetons, a lake and not be over run by people. We did the extension up to grand view point. The wild flowers were amazing, but please don’t pick them for your own photo shoot....There were signs of a bear but no sighting, so bring bear spray! Also note no dogs are allowed, please read all signs before heading out.

Great trail to get away from the crowds in the Tetons.

Low-level difficulty, high-level bugs! I did the full loop counter-clockwise (north side, then south side) and it was a pleasant, peaceful route. I encountered only one other solo hiker and one group of three people. No wildlife sightings. The scenery (wildflowers, lake with mountain backdrop) was a bit more impressive on the north side, though the south side had more shade so was nice for the second half of the hike. There is more up/down on the south side, but nothing daunting. Make sure you're prepared for the bugs, especially on the north side...they were unrelenting! Even with bug spray applied, I still ended up with several bites. Long pants and sleeves would probably help with protection.

Great little hike! Passed a moose and very few people early in the day. I also had my beloved blue bathing suit fall out of my backpack while jogging, if anyone finds it, please leave it at the visitor center.

If you like mosquitoes, this hike is for you! Luckily it was overcast when we did it and could wear a few more layers, otherwise we would have been more bothered by them. We stayed on the north side the whole time. We were going to finish the loop on the south side, but saw too many bear tracks to feel comfortable. Didn’t see any bears or moose, but lots of swans, geese, ducks, pelicans, woodpeckers, finches, and more! Not sure why it’s rated as moderate, it’s fairly flat the whole way. Only saw one other group the whole time. The wildflowers and serenity of the trail and lake made for a beautiful and unforgettable hike!!

Easy loop. Lots of bugs. Beautiful meadows. Evidence of bears but didn’t see any. Not much incline so good for most fitness levels.

Awesome hike, went early about 7am and saw 3 bull moose in the first mile. I would suggest just walking the right side of the trail ,but continue on to grand view trail to the view and back. about 8.5 miles.

Stunning! Started around 7AM & saw nobody. Ran about 2 miles in & back. Don’t let the mosquitos at the start deter you, they’re not bad once you get going.

Tremendous amount of mosquitos at the trailhead. We started along the north side of the lake and turned back as we were with 4 small kids and weather was becoming an issue. The mile out we did was very nice and great for families. Didn’t see much wildlife but likely due to the time of day as we were there in early afternoon.