Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Retrace your steps back out of the canyon and haul yourself back up 45 minutes to
Bunsen Peak Rd, from where it's a fairly dull 3.2-mile (1ΒΌ hour) trudge along the aban-
doned dirt road back to the Bunsen Peak Trailhead. After 20 minutes look for a pair of
antlers by the side of the trail shortly before views of the upper Gardner River. In the early
morning and evening, hikers often spot wildlife (elk, bison, waterfowl and otters) in the
meadows and ponds of
Gardner's Hole
, near the parking area. Look for muskrats in the
roadside pond.
Sepulcher Mountain
Duration
7 hours
Distance
11.5 miles
Difficulty
Difficult
Elevation Change
3400ft
Start/Finish
Beaver Ponds/Sepulcher Mountain Trailhead (1K1;
Click here
)
Nearest Town/Junction
Mammoth
Summary
A long but varied and incredibly scenic loop hike that offers superb views over
half the park and gives a secret peek at hidden thermal features of the Mammoth terraces.
The first half of this three-quarter day hike is a cardio workout, gaining almost 3500ft, be-
fore descending through meadows and forest in a long but leisurely stroll back. It's a re-
lentless climb but it's well graded, offering plenty of interest en route. The hike starts at
the same trailhead as the Beaver Ponds hike so you can park anywhere in the Mammoth
area. Trails Illustrated's 1:63,360 map No 303
Mammoth Hot Springs
covers the route.
After 20 minutes the Sepulcher Mountain trail branches left away from the Beaver
Ponds trail, then 25 minutes later continues straight at a junction with the Clagett Butte/
Snow Pass Trail. Continue up through burnt meadows, past an easily missed pond on your
right, before ascending steeply up onto a ridge where you'll get your first views of Sep-
ulcher Mountain and the impressive Gallatin Range to the west. The trail winds below the
ridgeline through patches of forest and sagebrush to a viewpoint overlooking Gardiner
and the lower Paradise Valley, north of the park boundary. As you continue the ascent,
look for a cairn marking the path along the ridgeline to the tomblike rocky outcrops that
give Sepulcher Peak its name. At a second cairn junction take the right branch for one
minute to awesome views of the Paradise Valley and a well- deserved lunch spot. The
