Garnet Canyon is located in Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park is a United States National Park located in northwestern Wyoming, U.S. The Park consists of approximately and includes the major peaks of the long Teton Range as well as most of the northern sections of the valley known as Jackson Hole. Only south of Yellowstone...

 in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Wyoming

Wyoming

Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...

. The canyon was formed by retreating glaciers which reached their last glacial maximum

Last Glacial Maximum

The Last Glacial Maximum refers to a period in the Earth's climate history when ice sheets were at their maximum extension, between 26,500 and 19,000–20,000 years ago, marking the peak of the last glacial period. During this time, vast ice sheets covered much of North America, northern Europe and...

 around 15,000 years ago. While Garnet Canyon is a less popular destination for recreational hikers than nearby Cascade Canyon

Cascade Canyon

Cascade Canyon is located in Grand Teton National Park, in the U. S. state of Wyoming. The canyon was formed by glaciers which retreated at the end of the last glacial maximum approximately 15,000 years ago...

 or Death Canyon

Death Canyon

Death Canyon is located in Grand Teton National Park, in the U. S. state of Wyoming. The canyon was formed by glaciers which retreated at the end of the last glacial maximum approximately 15,000 years ago, leaving behind a U-shaped valley. The trailhead for the canyon is located on a side road off...

, it is an important approach to many significant and popular mountaineering

Mountaineering

Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...

 climbs including routes found on Grand Teton

Grand Teton

Grand Teton is the highest mountain in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park, and a classic destination in American mountaineering.- Geography :...

, Middle Teton

Middle Teton

Middle Teton is the third highest peak in the Teton Range, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. The peak is immediately southwest of Grand Teton and the two are separated from one another by the lower saddle, a broad high ridge at . The Middle Teton Glacier is located on the eastern slopes of the...

, South Teton

South Teton

South Teton is the fifth highest peak in the Teton Range, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. The peak is south of Middle Teton and just west of Cloudveil Dome and is part of the Cathedral Group of high Teton peaks. The long Teton Range is the youngest mountain chain in the Rocky Mountains, and...

 and Disappointment Peak

Disappointment Peak (Wyoming)

Disappointment Peak is located in the Teton Range of Wyoming. It is in Grand Teton National Park and immediately southeast of Grand Teton. The peak is part of what is collectively known as the Cathedral Group, a region of the Tetons noted for particularly rugged mountains. Disappointment Peak...

.

The trailhead

Trailhead

A trailhead is the point at which a trail begins, where the trail is often intended for hiking, biking, horseback riding, or off-road vehicles...

 for Garnet Canyon is found at Lupine Meadows, and the canyon itself is reached after several miles of hiking through forest and switchbacks which climb a large lateral moraine

Moraine

A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past glacial maximum. This debris may have been plucked off a valley floor as a glacier advanced or it may have...

. The entrance to the canyon is guarded by a boulderfield that requires some Class 3 scrambling

Scrambling

Scrambling is a method of ascending rocky faces and ridges. It is an ambiguous term that lies somewhere between hillwalking and rock climbing. It is often distinguished from hillwalking by defining a scramble as a route where hands must be used in the ascent...

 to cross. Beyond the boulderfield is the popular camping area known as the Meadows, above which the canyon divides into north and south forks. The north fork leads up to the lower saddle

Mountain pass

A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...

 between Middle Teton

Middle Teton

Middle Teton is the third highest peak in the Teton Range, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. The peak is immediately southwest of Grand Teton and the two are separated from one another by the lower saddle, a broad high ridge at . The Middle Teton Glacier is located on the eastern slopes of the...

 and Grand Teton

Grand Teton

Grand Teton is the highest mountain in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park, and a classic destination in American mountaineering.- Geography :...

 and is the starting point for many classic climbs on Grand Teton

Grand Teton

Grand Teton is the highest mountain in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park, and a classic destination in American mountaineering.- Geography :...

. The south fork climbs up to a saddle between Middle Teton

Middle Teton

Middle Teton is the third highest peak in the Teton Range, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. The peak is immediately southwest of Grand Teton and the two are separated from one another by the lower saddle, a broad high ridge at . The Middle Teton Glacier is located on the eastern slopes of the...

 and South Teton

South Teton

South Teton is the fifth highest peak in the Teton Range, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. The peak is south of Middle Teton and just west of Cloudveil Dome and is part of the Cathedral Group of high Teton peaks. The long Teton Range is the youngest mountain chain in the Rocky Mountains, and...

 and is the starting point for some of the easier routes up those two summits.
Backcountry camping is allowed, by permit, in Garnet Canyon at areas designated by the National Park Service

National Park Service

The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...

. Camping permits can be obtained in advance via registration or in person at the Jenny Lake Ranger Station

Jenny Lake Ranger Station Historic District

The Jenny Lake Ranger Station Historic District comprises an area that was the main point of visitor contact in Grand Teton National Park from the 1930's to 1960. Located near Jenny Lake, the buildings are a mixture of purpose-built structures and existing buildings that were adapted for use by the...

.