Wyoming, Montana and Idaho · 6 trails · picked by Nova Bound
Photo: NPS/Diane Renkin, public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Yellowstone is the world's first national park and still one of its strangest: rainbow hot springs, roaring geysers, a canyon of yellow rock and valleys full of bison and wolves. It's huge, with hours of driving between areas, so give it at least three or four days and base yourself in two different spots. Mornings are best for wildlife and for steam rising off the geyser basins. Most highlights are short boardwalk walks, so we've mixed those with a few real hikes.
TRAILS
1 OF 6
Grand Prismatic Overlook
Difficulty
Easy
Length
1.2 mi
Elevation gain
100 ft
Midway Geyser Basin · Fairy Falls trailhead — From the boardwalk, Grand Prismatic Spring is mostly steam. From this hillside overlook, you see the whole thing: a blue center ringed in yellow, orange and red, bigger than a football field. Go late morning on a warm, sunny day, when steam is thinner and colors pop. Keep walking another couple of miles to Fairy Falls for a 200-foot waterfall.
Photo: Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
2 OF 6
Upper Geyser Basin to Morning Glory Pool
Difficulty
Easy
Length
2–3 mi
Elevation gain
Under 100 ft
Old Faithful · Old Faithful Visitor Center — Watch Old Faithful erupt, then follow the boardwalks and paved path past Castle, Grand and Riverside geysers to Morning Glory Pool, a deep, flower-shaped spring. More active geysers are packed in here than anywhere else on Earth. Check the predicted eruption times at the visitor center and plan your walk around them. Easy, flat and good for all ages.
⚠︎ Stay on boardwalks and trails in all thermal areas.
Photo: User:MatthiasKabel, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
3 OF 6
Brink of the Lower Falls
Difficulty
Moderate
Length
0.7 mi
Elevation gain
600 ft
Canyon · North Rim Drive — A steep set of switchbacks drops to a platform right at the lip of the Lower Falls, where the Yellowstone River pours over a 308-foot drop. You feel the roar in your chest. Afterward, drive to Artist Point across the canyon for the classic postcard view of the same falls. The climb back up is short but steep at 8,000 feet, so take it slowly.
⚠︎ Closed in winter.
Photo: Yellowstone National Park from Yellowstone NP, USA, public domain, Wikimedia Commons
4 OF 6
Mount Washburn via Dunraven Pass
Difficulty
Hard
Length
6 mi
Elevation gain
1,400 ft
Canyon · Dunraven Pass trailhead — The best summit hike in the park follows an old road up to a fire lookout at 10,219 feet. From the top you can see across much of Yellowstone, and on clear days all the way to the Tetons. Bighorn sheep often graze the slopes, and the wildflowers in July are superb. Afternoon thunderstorms are common, so summit by midday.
⚠︎ Dunraven Pass road is seasonal and opens later than most. Grizzly country: carry bear spray.
Photo: Yellowstone National Park, public domain, Wikimedia Commons
5 OF 6
Trout Lake
Difficulty
Easy
Length
1.2 mi loop
Elevation gain
150 ft
Northeast · Northeast Entrance Road near Pebble Creek — A short, steep climb through Douglas fir leads to a small lake in a mountain bowl near the Lamar Valley. In early summer you can watch cutthroat trout spawning in the inlet stream, and otters sometimes show up too. Pair it with a dawn drive through the Lamar Valley for bison, pronghorn and, with luck, wolves. Bring binoculars.
Photo: Eran, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
6 OF 6
Lone Star Geyser
Difficulty
Easy
Length
4.8 mi
Elevation gain
Under 100 ft
Old Faithful · Lone Star trailhead — An old service road follows the Firehole River through quiet forest to a lone geyser with a tall, cone-shaped mound. Lone Star erupts roughly every three hours, and there's a logbook at the site to help you guess the next show. It's a great escape from the Old Faithful crowds, and bikes are allowed on the paved part.
⚠︎ Grizzly country: carry bear spray and hike in a group.
Photo: Yellowstone National Park from Yellowstone NP, USA, public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Plan your Yellowstone trip
The Nova Bound app builds the whole trip around these trails: where to stay, where to charge, and what to see each day. Coming soon to the App Store.
Distances are round trip unless noted, from NPS.gov and rounded. Trails, permits and road openings change; always check nps.gov before you go. Trail write-ups by Nova Bound.