Death 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 trailhead for the canyon is located on a side road off the Moose-Wilson Road

Moose-Wilson Road

The Moose-Wilson Road is a road in the U.S. state of Wyoming. The road runs about through the Jackson Hole valley from its intersection with Wyoming Highway 22 east of Wilson, Wyoming on the south to Moose, Wyoming in Grand Teton National Park on the north end. The from the southern terminus to...

, approximately 5 miles (8 km) from the park headquarters at Moose, Wyoming

Moose, Wyoming

Moose is an unincorporated community in Teton County, Wyoming, United States, in the Jackson Hole valley. It has a US Post Office, with the zip code of 83012. The town is located within Grand Teton National Park along the banks of the Snake River...

. At the base of the canyon is Phelps Lake

Phelps Lake (Wyoming)

Phelps Lake is located in Grand Teton National Park, in the U. S. state of Wyoming. The natural lake is located at the entrance to Death Canyon in the southern section of the park...

 which was created by glacial activity. A number of hiking

Hiking

Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...

 trails are accessed at the mouth of the canyon and at Fox Creek Pass, at which point the Death Canyon Shelf, a relative narrow and level plateau, can be traversed. The canyon has many Whitebark Pine

Whitebark Pine

Pinus albicaulis, known commonly as Whitebark Pine, Pitch Pine, Scrub Pine, and Creeping Pine occurs in the mountains of the Western United States and Canada, specifically the subalpine areas of the Sierra Nevada, the Cascade Range, the Pacific Coast Ranges, and the northern Rocky Mountains –...

 stands, particularly near the tree line. At the junction of the Death Canyon and the Alaska Basin trails, the historic Death Canyon Barn

Death Canyon Barn

The Death Canyon Barn is a combination barn and ranger patrol cabin in Grand Teton National Park. The barn was built in Death Canyon on the Death Canyon Trail at its junction with the Alaska Basin Trail by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935 in the National Park Service rustic style...

 is preserved after being 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.