Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
picnic area parking lot, 1.5 miles east of the junction. Park in the lot just west of the picnic
area.
Several unofficial dirt trails climb the slopes behind the picnic area but the official
(signed) trail leads off from the picnic site left of the vault toilets to ascend a couple of
hundred feet and deposit you puffing on the rim of the
Yellowstone canyon
. En route the
trail passes several large erratic boulders, deposited in the valley over 10,000 years ago
from the Beartooth Mountains by slow-moving glaciers. You'll notice along this hike how
many of the Douglas firs have prospered in the moist, protective shade of these huge
boulders. The hike traces the canyon's north rim for a couple of miles, providing unob-
scured views down past the crooked canyon walls to the
Yellowstone River
and north and
east beyond rolling ridges to the peaks of the Absaroka Range.
The trail stays in open country on the ridgeline 800ft above the canyon floor for the
whole route. About 20 minutes from the trailhead you may smell sulfur, a sign that you
are about to pass 180-degree views of the Calcite Springs thermal area across the canyon.
Ten minutes further come fine views of the breccia spires of the Narrows. Look out for
bighorn sheep below the basalt columns at
Overhanging Cliff
.
The trail ends abruptly at a bald
hilltop lookout
that offers views down on the site of
the Bannock Indian ford, used by the Bannock to cross the Yellowstone River during their
annual hunting trips across the park. You can also see the Tower Falls region (but not the
falls themselves) to the right and the fire tower atop Mt Washburn in the distance.
From here you can retrace your steps to investigate the views of the canyon for a
second time, or alternatively take the trail left (northeast) for a few minutes to the three-
way junction with the
Specimen Ridge Trail
. Take a left at this junction to return down-
hill back to the road and the picnic area. (If you have some excess energy, you could as-
cend partway up Specimen Ridge along the Specimen Ridge Trail for fabulous views over
the Lamar Valley.)
Just before reaching the road, branch left at the trail register and cut cross-county back
to the trailhead, paralleling the road to join the large erratic boulder mentioned at the start
of the hike. Otherwise you'll have to hike along the road, an unpleasant end to a lovely
hike.
Lost Lake
Duration
2 hours
Distance
3.3-mile loop
