The Grand (Mis)Adventure: Day 2- Paddle Boarding on String & Leigh Lakes in Grand Teton National Park

“The Grand (Mis)Adventure” is a blog series chronicling my fourteen-day-turned-seven-day adventure in July 2025 through the rugged, awe-inspiring northwestern corner of Wyoming. From hiking and backpacking along the Continental Divide to paddle boarding on alpine lakes and camping under the stars, I’ll be sharing the highs, challenges, and misadventures from my summer vacation that didn’t go quite as planned.

July 14, 2025

I love early mornings in national parks. The crowds are silent (and still sleeping), the morning sun softly illuminates the world, and wildlife are out doing their things. An early morning alarm had me heading out early from Gros Ventre Campground towards String Lake in the heart of Grand Teton National Park. Barely a month earlier if you asked me, I said I would never ever get on a standup paddle board – too scary, too watery, too dangerous! Fast forward, and here I am the owner of one, giddily anticipating my morning paddling on two of Grand Teton National Park’s lakes!

Grand Teton National Park Paddle Boarding Information

Using your SUP (or kayak or canoe) does involve some red tape within Grand Teton National Park. It is not as simple as “show up, launch into water.” Two things must occur before launching:

1. Watercraft inspection for aquatic invasive species (AIS)
   • Inflatable SUPs are exempt from needing to purchase a Wyoming AIS decal, but must still be inspected
   • Kayaks and canoes over ten feet in length will need to purchase a Wyoming AIS decal
   • Inspection is free, and available in Moose and Moran
     • I had to remove my inflatable SUP from the car and unroll it so the ranger could inspect each side of it. She also asked the last place I used it, the time since last used, and if it had been used outside of Wyoming.
2. Obtain a Grand Teton National Park non-motorized boating permit
   • $25 (2025 price) available online through recreation.gov or in-person at the Moose and Colter Bay Visitor Centers
   • Valid for one calendar year
   • Must be attached to the SUP (makes a cool souvenir if you ask me!)

Non-motorized watercraft are allowed on Jackson, Jenny, Phelps, Emma Matilda, Two Ocean, Taggart, Bradley, Bearpaw, Leigh, and String lakes. The Snake River is also open, but all other streams and rivers are prohibited.

More information, details, and complete regulations are found on the park’s website about boating.

(“But this is a lot to go through for a SUP… can’t I just throw it on the water?!” Sure… if you want to risk a fine – which I heard far exceeds $25 – and that is an asshole move… Wyoming’s waters have been kept safe from many invasive species, and this isn’t about you, it is about protecting the environment. Please don’t come to Wyoming with your SUP/kayak/canoe/boat if you are not going to take the steps you’re suppose to.)

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Whew… with all the legalities out of the way… let’s go SUP!

After a short entrance wait (but longer than I was expecting), I resumed my normal screeching about the Tetons and found myself so distracted by the views it was difficult to drive at times!

I chose the String Lake Canoe Launch as the beginning of the adventure, but one can use the String Lake Trailhead and Leigh Lake Trailhead to launch their non-motorized watercraft of choice. The canoe launch had the nicest path down to String Lake I felt. The early arrival meant securing easy parking in a shady spot, and a slow-going morning routine of inflating the SUP, drinking coffee, and eating breakfast could occur before hours spent on the water.

String Lake and Leigh Lake are connected by a short portage of about 150 yards (allegedly – it feels like miles…), and are very popular places for SUP, kayaking, and swimming. String Lake indeed looks like a string on the map, and is quite shallow (I bottomed out the SUP at one point!) so the water stays decently warm. At 5’10”, I could easily stand on the lake bottom in most places on String Lake. Grand Teton and Teewinot frame the view to the south, and as you paddle north Mount Moran comes into view.

Shocked by the warm waters, I immediately set course to the far end of String Lake, where I noticed a field of water lilies. The lake’s waters are insanely clear, and I enjoyed to seeing the entirety of the water lilies right down to their roots, and also the numerous fish searching for a meal along the lake bottom.

After the water lilies I headed north, where String Lake begins to narrow and become a lot shallower. Mount Moran began dominating my view to the north, though occasionally I turned around to admire the view I’d have on the way back as well.

After navigating a shallow rock portion, the portage to Leigh Lake appears on the right, right before the rapids and bridge over the outlet appears. I gathered up my SUP and began the 150 yard walk over to Leigh Lake. It wasn’t entirely challenging, just annoying to keep all my gear in place and awkward with a 10.5′ long SUP with trees and people.

Leigh Lake is a backcountry lake only accessible by foot or watercraft. In contrast to String Lake, it is much larger (2.4 miles/3.9 km wide and 2.8 miles/4.5 km long from north to south), deeper, colder, and windier. There are several boat-in backcountry campsites dotting its shore, and it also butts up to Paintbrush and Leigh Canyons. The lake can be enjoyed by hikers as well, as trails follow its shores.

I spied a few cute “islands” in Leigh Lake I paddled towards first, consisting of solitary trees and wildflowers. Though sometimes shallow, Leigh Lake is much deeper and colder than String Lake, so I applied my PFD (personal flotation device, or life jacket) as I do still have that strong fear of water. The wind was also creating choppy conditions, though it spelled a tailwind when it came time to head back to the portage location. I ended up sitting and kneeling most of the time while on Leigh Lake due to the choppiness.

A quick turkey sandwich was eaten at Boulder Island, but I did not stay long as the biting flies were terrible and I was being eaten chunk by chunk. Frustrated by the flies, I decided to work my way back to String Lake. I managed to not yeet myself off my SUP while flailing around, swatting at flies while standing – win!

String Lake was way more crowded with people upon my return, but I really could not complain with Teewinot and the Grand staring me down. I meandered by way back south, deciding to give the water lilies a final visit before calling it quits on the day’s water adventure, some four hours after I had began!

After packing the SUP and quickly changing out of my swimsuit, I headed out towards the main Jenny Lake area on the Jenny Lake Scenic Drive. It consisted mostly of a tree tunnel, but it was something new to do so not all was lost. Jenny Lake was the normal overcrowded mess with cars lining the highway for about a mile. I lucked out and was able to get a spot right at the visitor center. (Having MS comes with little-to-no perks, but two “glass half full” positives are the accessible parking and the Interagency Access Pass! I was really being hit at by the “high heat fatigue monster” at this point in the day, so I appreciated the close parking.)

After acquiring my passport stamp (the Jenny Lake Visitor Center was closed during my visit in 2020, so first time!) and buying a sad $5 ice cream bar, I walked the loop up to the campground, where I had managed to secure a reservation thanks to an availability alert on recreation.gov. After scoping out the campsite, I checked in and took to managing the two vehicle situation. Jenny Lake Campground only allows one vehicle at all times at a campsite (and no RVs or camp trailers), so I had to drive to the campsite first, drop all my needed belongings in the bear bin, and then park in the overflow parking lot for the night so the other person along for the trip could utilize their roof top tent for their camping accommodations.

I secured site #23, which was a lovely spot. Some campsites at Jenny Lake are close together, or have the tent pads close to the road through the campground, but #23 was spacious, close to the drinking water, had a tent pad set back from the road, and had no neighbors across from it. The downside is it was a long trudge to the restroom facilities (there is only one restroom building for the 50-site campground). Pay showers are available for $5 (giving you about 8 minutes), but I was so worn out at this point I opted for one of my bath wipes and dry shampoo instead (hey, I’d be hiking in the morning anyway!).

After a fajita dinner, I set up my tent and crawled in with a book for a bit of reading before calling it a night. The next day would be another early alarm for a nearly 11-mile hike up to Surprise and Amphitheater Lakes, so sleep was needed! Goodnight to another grand day of adventuring in Grand Teton!