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Kayakers enjoying a day onLeigh Lake in Grand Teton National Park |
One of the most beautiful lakes in Grand Teton National Park is Leigh Lake, one of the string of lakes that lie along the base of the Grand Teton Mountain Range. Located north of String and Jenny Lakes beneath the Grand Tetons it couldn’t be in a prettier setting. Looking across the lake provides a spectacular view of Mt. Moran (12,605 feet). Leigh Lake is one of the larger glacial lakes in the Teton Range. The lake was named for Richard “ Beaver Dick” Leigh, who trapped this area in the mid 1800’s. Beaver Dick and and his wife Jenny who Jenny Lake was named for assisted the Hayden party that explored the region in 1872. This couple impressed the explorers to the extent that they named the lakes in their honor.
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Windy day at Leigh Lake, Grand Teton National Park |
Leigh Lake is located in Grand Teton National Park, in the U. S. state of Wyoming. The Grand Tetons loom over this 1,229-acre lake. Sandy beaches and swallow water dominate the eastern shore. The natural lake is 2 miles wide and slightly longer in length from north to south. Situated just southeast of Mount Moran. Leigh Lake provides sweeping views of the Grand Tetons and often reflect the peaks in its waters doubling the beauty of the area.
Access to the lake is by way of a hiking trail a distance of one mile and is an easy hike over level terrain. The Leigh Lake Ranger Patrol Cabin is located on the northeast shore of the lake and is on the National Register of Historical Places. Though many Grand Teton National Park's lakes are in the backcountry, some are more convenient and safer to get to than others. Leigh Lake is one of these.
Leigh Lake can be reached by canoe with a portage from String Lake or by hiking in about a mile from Jenny Lake Road.
Very few places in the world rival the setting Grand Teton National Park provides for anglers willing to test their skills on the many blue ribbon trout waters within its boundaries. There is good fishing, both spin and fly-fishing for Cutthroat, Brook and Mackinaw trout. Cutthroats range from 14 to 18 inches; mackinaw can reach dozens of pounds. |
