Palisades Creek
Campground
Campground · 5.2 mi from the trail
Idaho · Hiking · Near Jackson
Upper Lake Bench
- 2.6 mi
- round trip
- 374 ft
- climb
- 6,947 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Sep
- best months
Caution at last check
Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 23 h ago
Is Upper Lake Bench open right now?
No closures listed
The Forest Service lists no closures for Caribou-Targhee National Forest.
As of · Source: USFS · Caribou-Targhee National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Upper Lake Bench is an easy hike of about 2.6 miles in the Palisades Ranger District of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest in Idaho. It's a short, low-elevation outing, with a total climb of about 374 feet from a low point of around 6,654 feet to a high of about 6,947 feet. The trail is natural-surfaced and open to both horses and bikes, so it works well for a variety of outings. The route is out and back, so you can plan on a round trip of about 2.6 miles. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Swan Valley show July highs around 85°F with lows in the mid-40s, and September still runs in the mid-70s. That station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the bench run cooler. Upper Lake Trail and Upper Palisades Creek both lie about half a mile away. Dry Canyon and Vacation Canyon Trail are within about a mile and a half, and Palisades Campground is the nearest town.
Around this trail
Add any of these when you start a tripSleep close Eat after If it rains Antler Arch
Attraction
In town
Places © OpenStreetMap contributors
More in JacksonLocal outfitters
- The Virginian RV Park18 mi away
- Greys River Cove20 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Jun–Sep
Best time to visit Upper Lake Bench
Best months: June–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
30° / 11°
10 wet
Feb
35° / 14°
9 wet
Mar
45° / 22°
10 wet
Apr
56° / 27°
12 wet
May
66° / 35°
13 wet
Jun
75° / 41°
10 wet
Jul
85° / 46°
8 wet
Aug
84° / 44°
8 wet
Sep
75° / 37°
8 wet
Oct
59° / 29°
8 wet
Nov
43° / 20°
9 wet
Dec
32° / 12°
9 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Swan Valley, ID, 7.6 mi away at 5,397 ft. The station sits about 1,600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
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Upper Lake Trail
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Upper Lake is a 3.62-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,341 feet of elevation gain.
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Upper Palisades Creek
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6.03-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 310 ft elevation gain.
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Chicken Springs
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SPRING CANYON
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4.7-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 958 ft elevation gain and loss.
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East Fork Palisades Creek
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4.74-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 532 ft elevation gain.
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Dry Canyon
~2 min drive
7.81-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,672 ft elevation gain.
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CORRAL CANYON
~9 min drive
2.96-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 990 ft gain and 6,408 ft max elevation.
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Chicken Springs Ridge
~5 min drive
5.45-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 47 ft of elevation gain.
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Vacation Canyon Trail
~2 min drive
6.06-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 3,604 ft gain and 9,375 ft max elevation.
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RAINEY CREEK
~10 min drive
1.08-mile out-and-back trail at 5,795 ft elevation in Idaho.
