The DeLacey Creek hike is an easily moderate 3.1 mile (one-way) hike down to Shoshone Lake in Yellowstone National Park. As the lower 48’s largest backcountry lake, it makes for a spectacular destination to rest on its wild shores.
DeLacey Creek Trail Description
The DeLacey Creek Trail begins on the opposite side of the road from the trailhead, so use caution when crossing the highway. From the trailhead, you’ll descend easily into the dense forest, the road noise quickly fading away. The trail soon levels out, beginning a lengthy but easy saunter through the woods. DeLacey Creek itself makes an occasional but brief appearance along the way.
At roughly 1 mile in, the forest will begin to thin out into a nearby meadow. You’ll cross small tributaries before winding above the creek and back into the forest. Through the trees, you’ll see some beaver ponds creating wetlands below.
As the meadow widens more, the trail will wander along the treeline. Passing up and over a small hill, you’ll emerge into a widening meadow. The trail meanders along the edge of the meadow, as you soon catch your first glimpse of the lake in the distance ahead.
Cutting more into the forest, the trail then soon starts wandering along the wetlands meadow again just inside the trees. DeLacey Creek will join the trail once again as it clearly empties into Shoshone Lake just ahead. You’ll make a quick jaunt through more forest, then emerging onto the shore of the immense 8,000+ acre lake. There are no roads accessing the lake, so you won’t hear any motors or engines of any kind. This winds up giving it a palpable wild feeling that’s hard to come by at such a large body of water. Stay as long as you’d like, and when ready, head back out the same way you came in.
Getting There
From Old Faithful, head south on the Grand Loop Road for 9.1 miles. Passing Isa Lake at Craig Pass along the way, look for the trailhead on your left.