Welcome back to another hiking diary post. I have a series here on my blog where I share my experience and photos from the most epic hikes that I’ve done.

STEP-BY-STEP HIKING DIRECTION TO NATURAL BRIDGES, OREGON

Delta Lake is located in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. The trail is rated as hard, so come prepared.

Length: 7.2 mi | Elevation Gain: 2,247 ft | Route type: Out & Back

The Delta Lake via Lupine Meadows Access

First, you’d want to look for The Delta Lake via Lupine Meadows Access trail on the Alltrails app. I find that following the directions on the app is the most helpful because it is an unofficial, unmaintained trail.

The trailhead also leads to Amphitheater Lakes Trail, Bradley Lake, Taggart Lake, and Surprise Lake. It is a very popular trailhead in Grand Teton National Park, so arrive early if you can otherwise the parking lot would fill up pretty fast.

When you get near the lake, there are several boulder fields to navigate. Just follow the stacked rocks as they’re there to help you stay on the right trail path and not get lost.

MY HIKING EXPERIENCE:

My partner and I hiked Delta Lake on September 24, 2021.

We arrived at the trailhead at around 11 pm, and the main parking lot was already almost half-filled. Since we were tight on our schedule and wanted to get to the lake by sunrise, sleeping in our car at the parking lot made the most sense. It was quite cold, and we could hear the elks from a near distance.

We packed bear spray, had on some layers, and started hiking at around 4:30 am.

It was one of the toughest hikes we had ever done. The inclination was rough. I was hot and cold and had to keep on taking out and putting my layers back on constantly. I had to take many food and water breaks and breaks so that I could catch my breath. My partner also had stomach problems, so I’d recommend eating a light meal or trying to go to the bathroom before doing this hike.

Once we arrived at around 7:30 am, 30 minutes after sunrise, there were only a couple at the lake. They stayed overnight in a tent by the lake and said it was freezing. Because of the lake positioning, the lake was literally in shade, and it was so dark up there early in the morning. I ended up taking a nap at one of the rocks and made sure warm sunlight hit my face. More people started to show up at around 10 am and even a lot more people at around noon.

HIKING DELTA LAKE BEST TIPS:

The trail is best done as a summer or fall hike.
No need to hike super early, but planning to arrive at the trailhead before 8 or 9 am would be best since the parking lot fills up quickly due to its popularity.
Plan your bathroom trip before hiking by eating a light meal the day before and go before you do this hike
Bring enough food and water
Take as many breaks as you want and take your time because it is a hard climb
Stay on trail (since it’s an unofficial trail, try to follow other people’s footsteps) and follow the path on the Alltrails app to make sure you’re going on the right trail path.