Top Trails: Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Andrew Dean Nystrom

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Top Trails: Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks - Andrew Dean Nystrom


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      Hike

      4.2 miles, Out-and-back, or 7 miles, Loop

      Difficulty: 1 2 3 4 5

       Cache Lake and Electric Peak

      An ambitious and challenging summit hike that offers some of the park’s best views, along with a big sense of achievement and a side trip to a charming lake. It’s best done as an overnighter.

       TRAIL 4

      Hike, Backpack

      21.5 miles, Out-and-back

      Difficulty: 1 2 3 4 5

       Gallatin Sky Rim Trail

      A demanding but scenic ridgeline hike in the northwest corner of the park that promises rugged peaks, volcanic cliffs, and huge views.

       TRAIL 5

      Hike

      16.3 or 18.4 miles, Loop

      Difficulty: 1 2 3 4 5

       Howard Eaton Trail

      This short downhill section of Yellowstone’s longest trail traverses good wildlife habitat and a wide variety of picturesque terrain, including geothermal areas, boulder fields, and the scenic shoulder of Terrace Mountain. It’s most enjoyable if you can arrange a shuttle.

       TRAIL 6

      Hike

      4 miles, Point-to-point, or 6.6 miles, Loop

      Difficulty: 1 2 3 4 5

       Mammoth Hot Springs

      A network of wooden boardwalks offers a closeup look at the most accessible thermal area in the northern half of the park. While Yellowstone’s most famous geysers wow audiences with their predictable, instantly gratifying performances, Mammoth’s mercurial hot-spring terraces are impressive for both their human history and their drawn-out natural development.

       TRAIL 7

      Hike

      1 mile, Loop

      Difficulty: 1 2 3 4 5

       Osprey Falls

      A strenuous add-on to the Bunsen Peak Loop, this infrequently visited waterfall awaits at the head of the impressive Sheepeater Canyon. After a long, flat stretch along an abandoned service road through a regenerating burn area, you plunge 800 feet into the deep, narrow canyon.

       TRAIL 8

      Hike, Bike

      10.0 miles, Out-and-back, or 10.2 miles, Loop

      Difficulty: 1 2 3 4 5

       Beaver Ponds Loop

       TRAIL USE

      Hike

       LENGTH

      5.5 miles, 2.5–3 hours

       VERTICAL FEET

      ±400

       DIFFICULTY

      – 1 2 3 4 5 +

       TRAIL TYPE

      Loop

       SURFACE TYPE

      Dirt

       FEATURES

      Child Friendly

      Stream

      Autumn Colors

      Wildflowers

      Birds

      Wildlife

      Great Views

      Historic Interest

      Geologic Interest

      Steep

       FACILITIES

      Visitor Center

      Restrooms

      Picnic Tables

      Phone

      Water

      The most popular moderately difficult loop near Mammoth traverses a range of habitats and provides the opportunity to see a wide variety of wildlife, including the occasional black bear.

       Best Time

      The trail is hikable May–October. During summer, the exposed portions of the route are hot and dry. Wildflowers bloom early here, and aspen groves color the hillside starting in September. Wildlife is most abundant in spring, fall, and winter. The beavers are at their busiest in the late afternoon.

       Finding the Trail

      From the Grand Loop Road junction in front of the Albright Visitor Center, the Sepulcher Mountain/Beaver Ponds trailhead (1K1) parking area is 0.25 mile south toward Norris Junction. The signed trail-head is at the foot of Clematis Gulch, between an old stone park-employee residence and the dormant hot-spring cone known as Liberty Cap. There are parking lots on both sides of the road, but private vehicles are not allowed to park in the tour bus parking area next to the new restroom facilities.

       Logistics

      This day hike is one of the only short loop hikes in the northern half of the park and is frequently recommended by rangers at the Albright Visitor Center. It’s also a favorite with park employees early and late in the season. Given all this, it can get busy at times.

image

       Trail Description

      From the trailhead parking areas 1 near the northern base of the Mammoth Hot Springs terraces, look for a trailhead sign on the main road pointing the way up Clematis Gulch, between the dormant Liberty Cap hot-spring cone (to your left) and the old stone house next to the restroom facility and tour bus parking area (to your right).

      Beyond the Sepulcher Mountain trailhead, 2 the path crosses Clematis Creek a couple of times on wooden footbridges as it climbs into shady mixed spruce–fir forest. Ignore the Howard Eaton Trail, which cuts uphill just before the second bridge, and continue to your right across the creek.

      Steep image

      Beyond this bridge, the trail swings away from the north bank of the creek and switchbacks sharply around a juniper- and sagebrush-studded ridge to the Howard Eaton–Golden Gate Trail junction 3 after 0.3 mile. Keep right to finish the calf-stretching 350-foot climb up to the Beaver Ponds Loop Trail junction, 4 0.7 mile from the parking areas.

      image OPTIONS

       Starting from Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel

      If you’d rather not start out with the steepest part of the hike,


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