Are you going to Yellowstone National Park this summer and looking for a guide on great hikes to go on while you’re there? Then you’re reading the right article. Yellowstone possesses over 40 different hikes and more than 900 miles of trails that will accommodate everyone’s hiking needs. Some hikes are longer and more challenging, while others are less than a mile long and easy enough for a family to tackle.

With so many hikes available it’s hard to say what hikes are the best, but here is a list of 10 hikes to go on regardless:

1. Fairy Falls

First on the list is Fairy Falls. This hike is pretty easy and leads you to a spectacular waterfall. Once you get to the trailhead from the parking lot, you’ll walk through a lodgepole pine forest. Once you reach the falls, you can walk an extra half mile to see some geysers. Round trip is about six miles long.

2. Clear Lake/Ribbon Lake Loop

Next is Clear Lake/Ribbon Lake Loop and it’s also a pretty easy hike. It winds through meadows and forest, and passes by three backcountry lakes. You can hike to Clear Lake (3.0 miles), Lily Pad Lake (4.0 miles), or do the full loop (6.0 miles). Clear Lake is a hydrothermal area so be sure to stay on the trail.

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3. Mystic Falls

Mystic falls is cool because it starts just north of Old Faithful. The trail basically climbs pretty steeply to an overlook of the falls. If you want to make a loop hike, you can go a quarter of a mile farther and continue on the trail until it meets Little Firehole Meadows Trail. The trail is about 2.0 miles long.

4. Storm Point

After Mystic Falls is Storm Point. This hike starts at Indian Pond and then crosses a meadow and forest before reaching the tip of Storm Point. Once you reach Storm Point you’ll find great views of Yellowstone Lake and the surrounding mountains. The hike is about 2.3 miles round trip and a pretty easy hike.

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5. Lone Star Geyser

Lone Star Geyser also starts near Old Faithful and features a geyser. The trailhead starts at Kepler Casacades pullout and follows the Firehole River until you reach the geyser. Lone Star Geyser erupts every three hours at a height of 30-45 feet.  The hike is about 4.8 miles round trip.

6. Elephant Back Mountain

Elephant Back Mountain is also a great hiking trail. It’s moderately difficult and total distance is about 3.5 miles. This trail climbs for a mile or so and takes you through a lodgepole pine forest before reaching a junction. If you continue another half mile you’ll be able to see Yellowstone Lake.

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7. Riddle Lake

Riddle Lake is another easy hike and the total distance is about 5 miles round trip. It crosses the continental divide and runs through the forest and marshy meadows to a little lake. This trail is usually open until July so check with park rangers before trying to hike it.

8. Shoshone Lake

Shoeshone Lake hiking trail is about 5.8 miles round trip. The trail runs along the edge of the forest and through open meads to the lake. You might see a moose while you’re there so keep an eye out.

9. Mount Washburn

For you hikers who like a more strenuous hike, this is a great one for you. The climb for this trail is about 1,400 feet as you ascend up the mountain. The crowning feature of this hike is reaching the top of the mountain and seeing a panoramic view of about 20-50 miles in all directions. Additionally, you’ll see wildflowers and possibly some bighorn sheep. You can expect the hike to be about 6 miles long round trip.

10. Pelican Creek

Pelican Creek is also a great trail. You’ll start at Pelican Creek bridge near the Fishing Bridge Visitor Center, and make your way through the forest and follow the creek. This trail is about half a mile long.

 

1. Uncle Tom’s Trail
Uncle Tom’s Trail is not much of a trail but rather a bunch of paved inclines followed by just over 300 steps. Uncle Tom descends more than 500 feet to a platform, allowing you to take in a view of the Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon. Although many people may attempt the descent, only the truly dedicated should actually do it. Whether you’re an expert or amateur, you’re sure to be out of breath on this slow ascent to the trailhead.

2. Queen’s Laundry

One of the most obscure places to visit in the entire park is this aging log cabin that was proposed by a superintendent in 1881 to serve as a bath house for guests. Unfortunately the plan didn’t take and the building was neglected. One of the hardest places to find in the entire park, the Laundry is only for devoted explorers.

3. Lamar Valley

Almost every morning you can find a crowd gathered on the side of the road in Lamar Valley looking for a sighting of the local wolves. Vacationers love to wake up earlier to catch the sun rise amongst the rivers, streams, and bison. By the time the wolf watchers arrive, you’ll already have acclimated yourself to the weather and have some amazing photos to go with it.

4. Lonestar Geyser
With over 2/3 of the world’s geysers located inside the park, it can be a daunting task deciding which ones to watch. Huge crowds gather around Old Faithful – the park’s most famous geyser – at all hours of the day. But if you feel like stepping off the well-worn boardwalks and taking a short hike for a private showing that won’t disappoint, be sure to check out Lonestar.

5. Grand Prismatic Spring
The largest hot spring in the US, Grand Prismatic is among the most popular sights in Yellowstone. There are only two ways to view this colorful creature: on the boardwalk or off the grid. Ignore the endless stream of tour buses heading for the Midway Geyser Basin and drive south towards a parking lot for Fairy Falls. From there look for a faint path and head to the top of the hilltop. You’ll be heavy breathing, but you won’t regret it once you work your way through the tree filled path and take in the beauty.