We’ve got the best hikes in Yellowstone National Park ranging from easy to challenging. The scenic hiking trails we’ve selected offer jaw-dropping views, geysers, colorful wildflowers, wildlife and so much more.
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Yellowstone offers an incredible 250 hiking trails. That’s 900 miles (1449 km) of trails.
And even if you want to get out of the car and not go for a real hike, you’re covered with 24 km (15 miles) of boardwalks. With so many to choose from, finding the best hikes in Yellowstone National Park can seem a little daunting. So we’ve narrowed it down to the best trails for every level of hiker.
Highlights of Hiking in Yellowstone
Yellowstone is the United States’ first national park. It spans three states; Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. The park’s claim to fame is its 10,000 geothermal features and impressive canyon views.
The upper geyser basin is the most visited area in Yellowstone and contains the largest concentration of hot springs found anywhere in the world. That includes Yellowstone’s most famous geyser, Old Faithful. It was the first geyser to be named and definitely lives up to its name, erupting every 20 minutes to 2 hours. It’s the most reliable in the park, so you can expect crowds.
It’s one of just 6 geysers that rangers predict eruptions for of the 500 geysers found in the park. Geyser eruptions for the most part are highly unpredictable and it pays to check the daily weather forecast for an optimum day out.
While the upper geyser basin is popular, there are over 150 active geysers in the area. Lone Star Geyser Trail, Spray Geyser, Norris Geyser, and Castle Geyser to name a few. There are minimal crowds when you explore the geysers after you’ve watched Old Faithful.
Or even better, choose geysers that require hiking to visit – a quick way to thin out the crowds. Since, surprisingly, most visitors to Yellowstone National Park don’t hike, opting for scenic drives instead and getting out at the most popular spots.
Besides the geysers, there are excellent opportunities to find many lakes, 200-foot waterfalls, lush forests, and beautiful wildflower meadow views to be explored. There are also plenty of mountain views! Its many natural features make it a treasure trove of scenic hiking trails that every avid nature lover needs to explore.
The park is also known for its fantastic wildlife and encounters with bears. Which includes big mammals such as grizzly bears, wolves, coyotes, bison, elk, and moose. Before planning your hike, check with the Visitor Center for any closures that may occur due to any wildlife, fires or varying weather conditions.
And if you enjoy backpacking, you’re in the backcountry environment. Yellowstone offers an incredible 293 backcountry campsites which can be accessed by some of our favorite hikes. I just love exciting hikes but my favorite has to be the waterfall hikes here in Yellowstone National Park
Besides the geysers, there are excellent opportunities to find many lakes, 200-foot waterfalls, lush forests, and beautiful wildflower meadow views to be explored. There are also plenty of mountain views! Its many natural features make it a treasure trove of scenic hiking trails that every avid nature lover needs to explore.
The park is also known for its fantastic wildlife and encounters with bears. Which includes big mammals such as grizzly bears, wolves, coyotes, bison, elk, and moose. Before planning your hike, check with the Visitor Center for any closures that may occur due to any wildlife, fires or varying weather conditions.
And if you enjoy backpacking, you’re in the backcountry environment. Yellowstone offers an incredible 293 backcountry campsites which can be accessed by some of our favorite hikes. I just love exciting hikes but my favorite has to be the waterfall hikes here in Yellowstone National Park.
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Best Time to Hike in Yellowstone
During winter Yellowstone gets loads of snow which usually doesn’t melt until late spring. The severe winter weather often causes road and facility closures which can impact your visit. It’s much better suited for snowshoeing or cross-country skiing.
The best time to visit for hiking is between summer and fall when the weather is more temperate – the perfect time to check out some of the 250 hiking trails.
During the summer months, the park remains open 24/7 so you’re free to enter and exit at any time.
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The Best Easy Hikes in Yellowstone National Park
Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail
Trail Length: 1.6 miles/2.6 km
Elevation Difference: 135 feet / 41 meters
Trail Type: Out-and-back route
Trailhead: Fairy Falls Trailhead, 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Midway Geiser Basin
This is one of the easiest hikes in Yellowstone, only a little over 100 feet of elevation gain that’s child-friendly. It leads to the most photographed thermal feature in all of Yellowstone, the colorful Grand Prismatic Spring. You’ll make your way up the busy trail with a shorter route to the top to arrive at a viewing platform that overlooks the Grand Prismatic Spring and Midway Geyser Basin Trails.
A photo-famous viewpoint you need to see for yourself. It’s gigantic and is the largest spring in the U.S. and the third largest in the world. At 370 feet in diameter, it’s larger than a football field. The trail is best done when the weather is clear but make sure to get there early as it can get busy and parking can be hard to find.
While you can hike to the Grand Prismatic Overlook at any time of day, it’s best to do it mid-morning or early afternoon after the sun has had a chance to burn off the steam coming from the spring.
You also have the option to extend your hike to Fairy Falls (see below).
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Fairy Falls Trail
Trail Length: 5.4 miles/8.6 km or 6.7 miles/10.7 km if you extend your hike to Spray and Imperial Geysers
Elevation Difference: 200 feet/61 meters
Trail Type: Out-and-back route
Trailhead: 1)Fairy Falls Trailhead, 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Midway Geiser Basin (which the route below is based on)
or 2) Fairy Falls Trailhead, north of Midway Geiser Basin. This route is longer, passes by Goose Lake but doesn’t include the Grand Prismatic Overlook.
If you’re feeling good after hiking to the Grand Prismatic Overlook, continue on to Fairy Falls. At 200 ft (61m) high, it’s one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Yellowstone. While it’s longer than some easier hikes, it’s well worth it and you’ll hike through lodgepole pine forests.
You’ll also have the option to extend it by hiking to Spray and Imperial Geysers, just an additional .6 miles (.97km) each way.
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Storm Point Loop
Trail Length: 2.5 miles/4 km
Elevation Difference: 100 feet / 30 meters
Trail Type: Loop
Trailhead: Storm Point Trailhead on the East Entrance Road
The Storm Point Loop is one of the best easy hikes in Yellowstone National Park. It starts off near Indian Pond and the popular trail is well-marked and offers excellent views of Yellowstone Lake. At the lookout point, you can enjoy panoramic views over the lake and enjoy a picnic.
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The Best Moderate Hikes in Yellowstone National Park
North Rim Trail
Trail Length: 8.2 miles / 13.2 km
Elevation Difference: 1495 feet / 456 m
Trail Type: Out and back (if you have 2 cars can make it a one-way hike and half the distance)
Trailhead: Parking lot for Wapiti Lake on the South Rim Drive, east of Chittenden Bridge located south of Canyon Village
While it’s possible to drive to most of the panoramic viewpoints of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, one of the highlights of Yellowstone I highly recommend hiking it. Excellent canyon views blew my mind. I’m sure you’ll love it too!
The pleasant hike of a slower pace will let you soak in the incredible views of the 20-mile (32km) long and 1000 feet deep (300 m) canyon for longer.
Plus, when hiking, you’ll get to see the Upper Falls, Crystal FallsOverlook, and the Lower Falls, before you reach the Grand View at the edge of the canyon. But the best is still to come. You’ll continue on to Inspiration Point for a must-see view of Yellowstone Falls.
The lower falls also feature the tallest waterfalls in the entire Yellowstone park! A staggering 308 feet (94m) tall beauty!
Not surprisingly the North Rim Trail is a popular hike in Yellowstone National Park so it does get busy. You can avoid plenty of crowds with an early start and to view Yellowstone Falls in the best light.
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Ribbon Lake Trail
Distance: 4.1 miles / 6.6 kilometers
Elevation: 577 feet / 176 meters
This stunning trail is the perfect moderate climb. A favorite among avid bird watchers. You can choose to do the whole route in a day or stay over at one of the campsites at Ribbon Lake. On the way, to this incredible hike, there are great features to see including sprawling ponds, lakes and thermal features. As you pass by rolling meadows you may even get lucky and for some see some epic wildlife and birds.
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Lamar River Trail
Distance: 33 miles / 52.9 kilometers
Elevation: 3605 feet / 1,099 meters
The Lamar River Trail offers you so many great hiking options. If you’re an avid backpacker, this popular backpacking route is a great choice with plenty of opportunities for backcountry camping. Or you could choose to make this an easy day hike. Make your way to Cache Creek or walk a little further to explore Lamar River.
This is a renowned bear country with LOTS of bear activity so make sure you keep your bear spray handy. There’s also plenty of grazing pronghorn and bison on this scenic trail which makes this one of the best hikes in Yellowstone National Park.
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The Best Challenging Hikes in Yellowstone National Park
Avalanche Peak Trail
Distance: 4.5 miles / 7.2 kilometers
Elevation: 2070 feet / 631 meters
The Avalanche Peak Trail is a popular route great for trail paths, hiking, snowshoeing, and wildlife viewing. This route features a lake and panoramic views at the top of summit trails. It’s a strenuous hike, even for experienced hikers so make sure to be prepared and have plenty of water with you. You can do this trail from May to September but make sure to check for wildlife closures.
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Specimen Ridge Trail
Distance: 16.9 miles / 27.2 kilometers
Elevation: 3,860 feet / 1,177 meters
Specimen Ridge Trail is definitely one of the more challenging climbs, but it’s also one of the best hikes in Yellowstone National Park. The paved trail is full of adventures, including a river crossing, some scree scrambles and stunning views of the dense forests of Mt. Washburn.
It’s also a hub for wildlife including black bears, elk, moose and bison among others. The trail is marked but it’s pretty easy to take a wrong turn so make sure to take a GPS or map with you. You should also stock up on plenty of water and bear spray.
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Petrified Forest Trail
Distance: 3.6 miles / 5.8 kilometers
Elevation: 1,775 feet / 541 meters
This short hiking trail in Yellowstone is pretty steep in some sections but you’ll be rewarded with unobstructed views of the valley below. With miles of trail some of the sections can be pretty muddy so you’ll need to have good hiking boots as well as poles. Although the dense pine forest offers shelter, there are loads of open portions on the groomed trail so make sure to get an early start, especially in summer.
Enjoy one of the best hikes in Yellowstone National Park and discover a uniquely wonderful and diverse landscape.
From Sky Rim Trail, Boardwalk trail, Continental Divide Trail, and many more there are plenty of trails to discover at Yellowstone National Park. There is even an excellent trail feature beaver habitats called Beaver Ponds Trail. Shoshone Lake, Lewis Lake, Trout Lake Loop, and Cascade Lake are some of the wonderful lakes that offer hydrothermal features. Don’t forget to miss out on any of these and more on your next Yellowstone National Park visit!
