Granite 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 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 glacier

Glacier

A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...

s which retreated at the end of the 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...

 approximately 15,000 years ago, leaving behind a U-shaped valley

U-shaped valley

A U-shaped valley also known as a glacial trough is one formed by the process of glaciation. It has a characteristic U-shape, with steep, straight sides, and a flat bottom. Glaciated valleys are formed when a glacier travels across and down a slope, carving the valley by the action of scouring...

. The canyon lies between Rendezvous Mountain

Rendezvous Mountain

Rendezvous Mountain is a large mountain massif located in the southern Teton Range. The highest point on Rendezvous Mountain is Rendezvous Peak . The west and northern flanks of the mountain are in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, while much of the remainder of the massif is in Bridger-Teton...

 to the south and Mount Hunt to the north. The trailhead for the canyon is on the Moose–Wilson Road about 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Teton Village. One of the most popular hikes from the trailhead is to Marion Lake, a roundtrip journey of 11.8 miles (19 km) which has an altitude gain of 1206 feet (367.6 m). Another popular hike involves riding the aerial tram located at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

The Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is a ski resort at Teton Village, Wyoming. Located northwest of Jackson and due south of Grand Teton National Park in Teton County, it is named after the historically significant Jackson Hole valley. The region is served by the Jackson Hole Airport.-Ski area...

 in Teton Village to the top of Rendezvous Peak, and then descending back to Teton Village by way of Granite Canyon. The descent from the summit of Rendezvous Peak back to Teton Village is an often steep one with an altitude loss of 4135 feet (1,260.3 m) in only a little more than 6 miles (9.7 km). The historic Upper Granite Canyon Patrol Cabin

Upper Granite Canyon Patrol Cabin

The Upper Granite Canyon Patrol Cabin was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps about 1935. The log structure is located in the extreme southwest backcountry of Grand Teton National Park. The cabin was built to a standard design for such structures, in the National Park Service Rustic style...

 is situated near the entrance to the canyon and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

in 1998.