Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
to head up the hillside for 45 minutes, through meadows of July wildflowers and past buf-
falo wallows to a small patch of forest. Branch right along the steeper path and after 10
minutes' uphill climb you'll reach your first petrified tree stump by a bend in the trail,
about 40 minutes from the trailhead. Five minutes later comes the second stump, with a
third piece lying by the side of the trail. From here it's more uphill, past a volcanic out-
crop enclosing another fossilized tree and onto the ridgeline, where a side path offers a
steeper alternate route down to the main loop road.
The main trail continues up the ridge and after a couple of minutes branches right on a
subtrail, skirting and then traversing a small patch of forest to the stump of a
petrified gi-
ant redwood
. This fabulous tree would once have topped out at 200ft in height! Below
the huge stump are two thinner but taller upright trees and views back up towards the red-
wood's petrified roots. Dozens more fossilized trees lie scattered along the steep forested
slopes but they are dangerous to reach on the crumbling cliff face. The views over the
Lamar and Yellowstone valleys are simply superb.
The subtrail continues up the hillside to join the main trail just before a small cairn;
continue for 20 minutes uphill along the ridge to the summit of
Specimen Ridge
, marked
by a cairn. There are wonderful views from here of bison herds in the valley below, birds
of prey riding the thermals, and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River in the dis-
tance. Return the way you came - the views west are stunning.
Other Roosevelt Country Hikes
From the stagecoach road just north of Tower- Roosevelt Junction, the 7.5-mile
Garnet
Hill Trail
is an easy three-hour loop north of the Grand Loop Rd. The trail heads northw-
est along Elk Creek and then loops around Garnet Hill to return to Roosevelt Lodge. For
an extension, take a left at the Garnet Hill junction, a right to cross the suspension bridge
over the Yellowstone River, then drop down to Hellroaring Creek (add 2.5 miles). You can
also reach the trail from Hellroaring Trailhead, 3.5 miles west of Tower-Roosevelt Junc-
tion.
For a good day hike with fine fishing, try the first part of the
Slough Creek Trail
.
Head uphill past the patrol cabin to where the trail rejoins the river at the first meadow (a
4-mile round-trip), or continue to the second meadow or nearby McBride Lake (cross
Slough Creek) for a 6-mile round-trip hike. Be sure to take the right branch at the junction
with the trail that continues up to the Buffalo Plateau. There's also nice hiking along the
fishing trails that head up Slough Creek from the campground.
Pebble Creek Trail
to Warm Creek Trailhead (3K4) is a scenic 12-mile hike that re-
quires a vehicle shuttle. The trail heads up Pebble Creek for 10 miles through burns and
lovely wildflowers, crosses a pass, then drops down to the Warm Creek Trailhead and a
