Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DAY HIKES
Even if you drive every road in Yellowstone you'll still see only 2% of the park. Easily the
best way to get a close-up taste of Yellowstone's unique combination of rolling landscape,
wildlife and thermal activity is on foot, along the more than 900 miles of maintained trails.
Hiking is also the best way to escape the summer crowds. Only 10% of visitors step off the
road or boardwalks, only half of those venture further than a mile and a paltry 1%
overnight in the backcountry. It's one thing to photograph a bison from your car, it's quite
another to hike gingerly past a snorting herd out on their turf. So pick up a map, pack some
granola bars and work at least a couple of the following great hikes into your Yellowstone
itinerary.
The following hikes are grouped according to region and then listed in approximate
rising order of difficulty. Note that the park uses a three-character code (eg 2K7) to identify
both trailheads and specific backcountry campsites, and we have included these wherever
useful.
See the Hiking charts on
Click here
f
or an overview of hikes. For a rundown of our per-
sonal definitions of what is an easy, moderate and difficult hike,
Click here
.
Mammoth Country
Hikes in the relatively low-elevation area around the park's North Entrance highlight scenic
canyons, panoramic peaks and numerous lakes, streams and waterfalls, all under the back-
drop of the Gallatin Range. This is one of the park's hottest regions in summer and is one
of the first regions to be snow-free in spring. Consider hiking early or late in the season or
outside of midday.
Beaver Ponds Trail
Duration
2½ hours
Distance
5 miles
Difficulty
Easy-moderate
Elevation Change
350ft
