Christian Pond Trail -- Starting with a half-mile walk through a grassy, wet area to a pond with nesting trumpeter swans and other waterfowl, this is a short trail for all skill levels. If you're more ambitious, you can circumnavigate the pond, adding another 3 miles to the trip. In May and June, this is a great wildflower walk; but the area is also prime habitat for bears, so check with rangers before venturing onto the trail. The south end of the pond is covered with little grassy knolls upon which the birds build their nests and roost, and beavers have constructed a lodge here, too. It's a restful sanctuary, but one that's often infested by gnats and mosquitoes, so be sure to apply a coat of insect repellent.
1 mile round-trip. Easy. Access: The trail head is some 200 yards south of the entrance to Jackson Lake Lodge, most easily accessed from the Jackson Lake Lodge corrals. It's unmarked, so look carefully.
Signal Mountain Summit Trail -- Venturing up this uneven trail will give you a few fine hours of quiet trail time with views of the mountains, wildflowers, and, at the pinnacle, a grand panorama of the glacially carved valley. After negotiating a steep climb at the beginning of the trail, you'll come upon a broad plateau covered with lodgepole pine, grass, and seasonal wildflowers. Cross a paved road to a lily-covered pond, and just beyond you'll come upon two different trails up the mountain -- take the right one up (ponds, maybe moose and bear) and the left one down (open ridges with views).
8 miles round-trip. Moderate. Access: The trail head is near the entrance to the Signal Mountain Lodge, or you can drive 1 mile up Signal Mountain Rd. to a pond on the right and pick up the trail there.
Photo Op -- A wide-open meadow near the summit of Signal Mountain presents an excellent opportunity to look to the west for photos of both Mount Moran and the Teton Range. The best time to take those photos is before 11am, when the sun will be mostly at your back, or in the early evening, when the sun will be lower in the sky to the west.
