Skip to content

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park is home to some of the most extraordinary and other-worldly hiking trails in the world. Since it’s situated on top of a supervolcano, many trails feature some kind of thermal features as a result of the thinner crust under the park, with no two features appearing the same. Many of Yellowstone’s more popular trails are easily accessible and easily walkable boardwalks that wind people safely around the thermal features. These include walks around the Upper, Midway, and Lower Geyser Basins, Mud Volcano, and Artist Paint Pots. A few trails even show off some of the park’s natural beauty, such as multiple trails around the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River and Specimen Ridge. Hundreds of more miles of trails bring visitors deep into the wilderness, some areas being the most remote in the Lower 48. With over 1,000 miles of trails, Yellowstone has something for everyone to experience something truly unique.

Must Do Hikes
Easy: Lone Star Geyser
Moderate: Point Sublime
Strenuous: Heart Lake

Gibbon River Flowing Out of Wolf Lake

Wolf Lake

The Wolf Lake Trail is a moderate 4 mile hike to a serene glacial lake on the Solfatara Plateau in Yellowstone National Park.

Rain Showers Beyond Ice Lake

Ice Lake

Hiking to Ice Lake is an easy 0.25-1.3 mile hike in Yellowstone National Park, depending on how much of the lake you want to see.

Pond Along Dogshead Trail

Dogshead Trail

The Dogshead Trail is an easy 4.75 mile trail that brings hikers to the shores of Shoshone Lake in Yellowstone National Park.

Rainbow Below Brink of Lower Falls

Brink of Lower Falls

The Brink of Lower Falls is a moderate 1 mile round-trip hike to the brink of the gorgeous Lower Falls in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River.

Clouds Passing Above Yellowstone Lake

Storm Point Trail

The Storm Point Trail is an easy 3 mile lollipop loop that brings hikers to a beautiful point along the shores of Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park.

Grasses Lining Goose Lake Shores

Goose Lake

Goose Lake is an easy 2.25 mile hike along the Fairy Falls Trail in Yellowstone National Park to a gorgeous glacial lake.

Imperial Geyser Erupting Below Forest

Imperial Geyser

The Imperial Geyser Trail is an easy 3.25 mile hike in Yellowstone National Park that features a stunning waterfall before reaching a backcountry geyser.

Logs Below Fairy Falls

Fairy Falls

The Fairy Falls Trail is an easy 2.5 mile hike that brings hikers to a stunning 200 foot waterfall behind the Midway Geyser Basin.

Yellowstone Lake Below Hill

Lake Overlook

The Lake Overlook Trail is an easy 1.8 mile lollipop loop that brings hikers to a hilltop providing a stunning view of Yellowstone Lake and beyond.

Grasses Along Duck Lake Shore

Duck Lake

Duck Lake is an easy 0.5 mile trail to a beautiful glacial lake, originating at the West Thumb Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park.

Shell Spring Erupting

Biscuit Basin

Biscuit Basin is an underrated but beautiful area of the Upper Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park. The boardwalk hike through the basin is an easy 0.6 mile lollipop loop that features gorgeous hot springs and geysers with an optional hike to extend the scenery to Mystic Falls.

Mystic Falls

Mystic Falls

The Mystic Falls Trail is an easy 1.2 mile hike in Yellowstone National Park to a stunning waterfall emanating mist among sublime cliffs filled with thermal features. It’s accessed from the Biscuit Basin boardwalk in the Upper Geyser Basin and travels upstream along the Little Firehole River to its destination.

Morning Glory Pool Under Clouds

Morning Glory Pool

The Morning Glory Pool hike is an easy 1.4 mile hike in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park, originating from Old Faithful Geyser and ending at a stunningly colorful hot spring. It’s one of Yellowstone’s most sought-after hot springs, with its striking color attracting many people who visit.

Midway Geyser Basin and Grand Prismatic

Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail

The Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail is a short 0.85 mile hike that brings visitors to a stunning partially aerial view of one of the world’s largest hot springs, Grand Prismatic Spring. The hike is easy going for the bulk of the trail until ascending toward the overlook.

View from Point Sublime

Point Sublime

Point Sublime is lookout along the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River at the end of a 1 mile trail along the South Rim of the canyon in Yellowstone National Park.

Heart Lake Below Mount Sheridan

Heart Lake

Heart Lake is a massive glacial lake tucked away in Yellowstone National Park’s wilderness, where hikers are rewarded with isolation, solitude, and a completely wild landscape surrounding them for miles. At roughly 7.5 miles, it makes for a great day hike, and an even better overnight destination.

Pool Below Waterfall Along Cascade Creek

Terraced Falls

The 2 mile hike to Terraced Falls is not only isolated and secluded, but also features some of the most waterfalls you’ll find along such a short distance. While it’s not the most accessible hike, it will reward its visitors with magnificent waterfalls, both large and small, culminating in the 180 foot, Terraced Falls.

Artist Paint Pots

Artist Paint Pots

The Artist Paint Pots hike in Yellowstone National Park is a 1.1 mile loop hike that brings hikers past unusual and fascinating hot springs and pools.

Black Pool and Moon

West Thumb Geyser Basin

The West Thumb Geyser Basin Trail is a an easy 1 mile boardwalk trail that brings visitors past gorgeous hot springs and geysers along the shore of Yellowstone Lake.

Bison Sleeping at Mud Volcano

Mud Volcano

The Mud Volcano Trail is a moderate 0.8 mile trail in Yellowstone National Park that brings hikers past amazing examples of mud pots.

Sunset Lake

Black Sand Basin

The Black Sand Basin boardwalk trail is an easy half-mile hike in Yellowstone National Park that brings hikers past stunning hot springs.

Turquoise Pool and Stars

Midway Geyser Basin Boardwalk

The Midway Geyser Basin is an easy 0.75 mile boardwalk hike in Yellowstone National Park that brings hikers past beautiful hot springs, including the signature Grand Prismatic Spring.

Moose Falls

Moose Falls

Moose Falls is a short and easy 0.1 mile hike in Yellowstone National Park that brings hikers to a beautiful 30-foot waterfall along Crawfish Creek.

Fountain and Clepsydra Geysers

Fountain Paint Pots

The easy Fountain Paint Pots trail in Yellowstone National Park has the unique distinction of being one of the only easily accessible walks in Yellowstone that has great examples of all four types of thermal features.

Beaver Ponds and Mountains

Beaver Ponds Loop

The 5.75 mile Beaver Ponds Loop is an excellent hike to get you away from the crowds at Mammoth Hot Springs, as well as provide you with fantastic views over the surrounding landscape.

Harlequin Lake Reflections

Harlequin Lake

Harlequin Lake in Yellowstone National Park is a short and sweet 1 mile round trip hike for anyone wanting to take a break around the Madison Junction area.

Lone Star Geyser Eruption

Lone Star Geyser

Lone Star Geyser is a punctual cone geyser in Yellowstone National Park, most easily accessed via an easy 2.5 mile hike just up the road from Old Faithful.