Choosing which hikes to do in Yellowstone National Park just got a whole lot easier with this list of top trails.
There’s no shortage of places to hike, most hiking naturally leads you through stunning mountains, alpine fields or winds along the coast. There are few places where you’ll find hissing geysers that shoot water hundreds of feet into the air one minute and then multicoloured hot springs and bubbling mud pools the next.
Yellowstone is a national park that likes to keep its visitors guessing and given it has more than 1000 miles of trails to explore, trying to figure out which hikes will give you the most variety can feel a little overwhelming (plus you don’t want to miss out on something if it can be helped). To spare you from hours of searching online, here are a handful of easy walks, day hikes and multi-day treks that showcase Yellowstone’s remarkable landscapes.
1. Mount Washburn Trail
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Distance: 6.2 miles
- Duration: 3-6 hours
- Elevation: 1400 feet
- Hike type: Out and back
- Wheelchair accessible: No
- Trailhead: Dunraven Pass
Hike up to the fire tower on Mount Washburn for views that stretch as far as the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Yellowstone Lake and the rolling Absaroka Range. Sure, it might not be the best option if you want to go into full do-not-disturb mode (it’s one of the park’s most popular day hikes during summer), but the views are worth the extra trail traffic.
Starting from the Dunraven Pass Trailhead, you’ll walk a steady incline that wraps along the side of Mount Washburn before continuing along a mile-long series of switchbacks. The final stretch flattens out as you reach the summit. Take your time to soak up the views from the rocky outcrops along the way and keep an eye out for grazing bighorn sheep. Grizzlies also roam the area, but an encounter is unlikely when it’s busy.
2. North Rim Trail
- Difficulty: Easy/moderate
- Distance: 7.6 miles
- Duration: 3-4 hours
- Elevation: 1000 feet
- Hike type: Out and back
- Wheelchair accessible: Yes (the section between Grandview Point and Lookout Point is accessible)
- Trailhead: Inspiration Point
You can drive to several viewpoints in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – but hiking the North Rim Trail is way more fun. Starting at Chittenden Bridge and ending at Inspiration Point, you’ll skirt along the canyon rim, crossing Cascade Creek and a few snack-stop worthy viewpoints along the way. The trail then branches off to the brink of both Upper Falls (109 feet) and Lower Falls (308 feet), where you can feel the force of the river as it plunges into the canyon below.
3. Avalanche Peak
- Difficulty: Strenuous
- Distance: 4.6 miles
- Duration: 3-5 hours
- Elevation: 2100 feet
- Hike type: Out and back
- Wheelchair accessible: No
- Trailhead: Avalanche Peak Trailhead
Looking for views and a workout? Enter Avalanche Peak. This hike offers some of the best views in the house, with 360 views over the Rocky Mountains, Lamar Valley and Yellowstone Lake. But it doesn’t come without working up a sweat. The upward trail climbs 2000 feet in elevation in just over two miles (phew) and the loose scree terrain really fires up your calves. However, as one of the park’s more strenuous trails, it also tends to be quieter than some of the other day hikes. For the best conditions, hike the Avalanche Peak trail between June and October when it’s mostly snow-free.
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4. Fairy Falls Trail
- Difficulty: Easy/moderate
- Distance: 6.5 miles
- Duration: 3-5 hours
- Elevation: 105 feet
- Hike type: Out and back
- Wheelchair accessible: No
- Trailhead: Grand Loop Road (located between Midway Geyser Basin and Old Faithful)
The Fairy Falls Trail is a great day hike if you’re looking to see some of Yellowstone’s geothermal features. Starting about one mile south of Midway Geyser Basin, you’ll cross the Firehole River before taking a quick detour to an overlook that offers an aerial view of the Grand Prismatic Spring – the largest hot spring in the park – and the nearby Excelsior Geyser. The path then passes a few smaller hot springs before leading you through a lodgepole pine forest to the 200-foot Fairy Falls, one of Yellowstone’s tallest front-country waterfalls.
5. Electric Peak
- Difficulty: Strenuous
- Distance: 20.6 miles
- Duration: 1-3 days
- Elevation: 3343 feet
- Hike type: Out and back
- Wheelchair accessible: No
- Trailhead: Glen Creek Trailhead
Fancy climbing the most prominent peak in northern Yellowstone? At 10,969 feet, Electric Peak is the tallest mountain in the Gallatin Range. This is a challenging backcountry route that’ll have you snaking along exposed cliff edges, for which you’re going to need Class 3 scrambling skills. It’s not for the faint-hearted or novices, but there are first-class views all the way up.
It’s doable as a day hike if you’re fit and the weather’s on your side, but if you wanted to take it slow, you can spread the journey over two days with an overnight stop at one of the two backcountry campsites that are located just over halfway. If scrambling isn’t your thing, you can hike most of the trail and call it quits when you reach the Class 3 section. Electric Peak is best hiked between June and September.
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6. Lamar Valley River Trail
- Difficulty: Easy
- Distance: 8.6 miles
- Duration: 3-5 hours
- Elevation: 780 feet
- Hike type: Out and back
- Wheelchair accessible: No (note: several pullouts have enough room to move around in a wheelchair and there is an accessible restroom at the Lamar River stock trailhead)
- Trailhead: Lamar River
Weaving through the heart of the Lamar Valley, this family-friendly hike is a Yellowstone classic – and one of your best chances of seeing the park’s diverse wildlife. As you hike along the scenic trail, past colorful wildflowers, sagebrush meadows and the rushing Lamar River, keep your eyes peeled for herds of bison, elk, deer, antelope and bighorn sheep. If you’ve always dreamed of spotting a wolf, this a great place to join an expert wolf tracker for an opportunity to search for this elusive animal.
For a longer and slightly more strenuous hike, you can continue on to Cache Creek from the Lamar Valley River Trail.
7. Mammoth Terraces Trail
- Difficulty: Easy
- Distance: 2.8 miles
- Duration: 1 hour
- Elevation: 300 feet
- Hike type: Loop
- Wheelchair accessible: Yes (Upper Mammoth Terrace and some Lower Terrace Boardwalks)
- Trailhead: Mammoth Terraces parking area
It might be one of the shorter and easier trails on this list, but the sights you’ll encounter at the Mammoth Hot Springs are among some of the park’s best. The scalloped terraces with cascading water almost look like giant mushroom caps. These large sloping limestone deposits are home to dozens of pools that have bright orange, yellow and green colours thanks to heat-loving bacteria that thrive in mineral-rich water. And don’t be alarmed by the rotten-egg smell… it’s just the sulfurous gas bubbling to the surface through the limestone.
8. Lone Star Geyser Trail
- Difficulty: Easy
- Distance: 4.8 miles
- Duration: 2-3 hours
- Elevation: 121 feet
- Hike type: Out and back
- Wheelchair accessible: Yes
- Trailhead: 3.5 miles south of Old Faithful Overpass
Most visitors head straight to Old Faithful, Yellowstone’s most famous geyser. But if you’re up for a five-mile hike, you can watch an equally impressive geothermal show with a fraction of the crowds at Lone Star Geyser. Erupting roughly every three hours, this large cone geyser belches water up to 45 feet in the air before transitioning into a steaming phase that makes a loud hissing sound. The whole thing lasts for 10 to 20 minutes. Timing is key, so be sure to check the eruption times at the visitor centre.
Safety tips for hiking in Yellowstone National Park
Hiking is one of the best ways to see Yellowstone, but it’s important to do it safely and responsibly. The park is huge and the weather can change quickly.
- Let someone know where you’re going and what time you expect to return
- Watch wildlife from a distance, never approach animals and follow the local advice for hiking in bear country
- Stay on the designated trails and boardwalks
- Check the daily weather forecast and be aware of lightning above the treeline
- Pack and wear the appropriate clothing and be prepared for temperature drops and rain
- Stay hydrated and bring plenty of water and high energy snacks
- Do not go beyond the marked zones or enter the hot springs or geothermal features
Explore Yellowstone with an expert local leader on a small group adventure with Intrepid.
