The online visitor information, and vacation planner for our first National Park.
Trailhead #1: Steel Bridge parking area 1 mile south of the Midway Geyser BasinTrailhead #2: Fountain Flats parking areaDistance: 5 miles (8 km) from trailhead #1; 7 miles (5.5 km) from trailhead #2Level of Difficulty: Easy 197-foot Fairy Falls is one of the tallest waterfalls in Yellowstone, dropping into a shallow pool of very cold, … Read more
Trailhead: Pullout 1 mile (1.5 km) south of Fishing Bridge JunctionDistance: 3 mile (5 km) loopLevel of Difficulty: Moderately strenuous This trail climbs 800 feet in 1-1/2 miles (2.4 km) through a dense lodgepole pine forest. After a mile, the trail splits into a loop. The left fork is the shortest and least strenuous route … Read more
Trailhead: Pullout about 5.5 miles west of Canyon JunctionDistance: 8 miles (14.4 km) roundtripLevel of Difficulty: Easy This trail travels through intermittently burned lodgepole pine forest and past small marshy ponds to the lush meadows surrounding Cygnet Lakes, which itself is small and boggy. The trail is day use only, and the trail not maintained … Read more
Trailhead: Cascade Lake Picnic Area, 1.5 miles north of Canyon JunctionDistance: 4.5 miles (7.2 km) roundtripLevel of Difficulty: EasyThis easy hike is an enjoyable stroll through forested areas, open meadows and over small creeks. Look for wildlife and wildflowers in the spring and early summer months. Most years, this trail remains very wet and muddy … Read more
Trailhead: Entrance of Old Bunsen Peak Road, 5 miles south of MammothDistance: 2 miles to the summit (up to 10 miles roundtrip, depending on route)Level of Difficulty: Moderate As far as mountain scenery goes, this is one of the best short hikes in Yellowstone. The climb is fairly steep, climbing some 1300 feet in the … Read more
Trailhead: Clematis Gulch between Liberty Cap and the stone houseDistance: 5 mile (8 km) loopLevel of Difficulty: Moderate One of Yellowstone’s shorter loop trails, this is a scenic hike with little elevation change and a good chance to see some of the Park’s larger animal inhabitants, including elk, deer, pronghorn, moose and occasional black bear. … Read more
Trailhead: West end of Eleanor Lake across the road to the east of the small creekDistance: 5 miles (8 km) roundtripLevel of Difficulty: Strenuous This steep trail climbs 1,800 ft in 2.5 miles without the benefit of switchbacks, passing through a forested area and into an old avalanche slide area. It continues through a whitebark … Read more
Trailhead: 4.4 miles south of Norris on the Norris-Madison roadDistance: about 1 mile roundtripLevel of Difficulty: EasyNote: a new trail was cut in 2004, making this trail an even easier hike This is one of the overlooked yet wonderful very short hikes of Yellowstone. The trail, beginning as a boardwalk, meanders through a partially burned … Read more