West Yellowstone Park Hiking & Camping
If you love to hike, Yellowstone Country is your destination!
Whether it be in Yellowstone Park or the surrounding national forests and wilderness areas, you won't run out of trails! There are over 1,100 miles of trails in Yellowstone, offering a variety of length and levels.
Due to the stunning natural beauty of the area, hiking is one of the most popular past times in Yellowstone. Pick any given direction from town and there will be stunning hikes all within a small radius of town. Dense wooded areas give way to high mountain vistas and lonely, rocky trails through miles of wildflowers. Frequent wildlife sightings make the hike even more interesting as the noise of civilization slowly fades behind you.
The pristine silence Yellowstone makes for a great "escape" from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Animas Mountain Trail
The Animas mountain trail is a 5 mile loop with a fairly large elevation gain. The views of the North Animas Valley are beautiful from the top, and the views of town as you climb add a sense of perspective to town. To get there, take Main Ave North until 32nd Street, turn left, continue on to 4th, right, park at trailhead. In-Town hikes don't get any better than this.
The Colorado Trail
The Colorado Trail departs Durango and doesn't end until it hits Denver, some 480 miles later. The trail makes a great out and back hike, the turnaround point being Gudy's rest, a great view back to town. To get there, take Main to 25th street turning left (west) Continue for approximately 3 miles, staying left at the fork. Trailhead starts where road turns to dirt.
The Animas River Trail
This paved path follows the Animas River all the way through the city of Durango.
Here are a few more suggested hikes in the Old Faithful area:
Mallard Lake
Main attraction: excellent area for viewing wildflowers, thermal features and spectacular scenery.
Round trip distance - 7 miles
Difficulty - easy
Lone Star Geyser
Caution: off-trail biking is illegal; biking is not permitted beyond the geyser. Lone Star Geyser erupts about every three hours from its 9 foot high cone. Eruptions are 30-45 feet high.
Round trip distance - 5 miles
Difficulty - easy
Mystic Falls
The trail starts near Avoca Spring at the west end of the boardwalk. Mystic Falls, a 70-foot, cascading waterfall, about 0.7 miles from the trailhead. The trail to the falls parallels, but does not cross, the Little Firehole River. Near the falls, the trail climbs a steep series of switchbacks for an excellent view of the top of the falls. To make a loop hike, 0.2 mile farther with elevation gain/loss 500 feet, continue on the trail above the switchbacks until it meets the Little Firehole Meadows Trail. At this junction the trail back to Biscuit Basin turns right, descends to an overlook of Old Faithful, and continues downhill to rejoin the Mystic Falls Trail.
Round trip distance - 2.4 miles
Difficulty - moderate
Fairy Falls
Fairy Falls may be reached by two routes:
- The Steel Bridge trailhead is located 1 mile south of Midway Geyser Basin and 4.7 miles north of Old Faithful. Follow the road approximately 1 mile. The trail then turns west (left) for 1.6 miles through burned lodgepole pine forest to the falls. Or,
- Drive south on Fountain Flat Drive until you reach the barricade. Walk south along the road for approximately 1.0 mile. The trail then turns west (right) and continues 1.6 miles to the falls. This is a lovely hike and trail, and you can see fire damage from the 1988 forest fires. You will also see new undergrowth and regeneration of the forest and plant life. This is a stunning hike here you will hike on the edge of Grand Prismatic pool where thermal activity is ever present along the way.
Round trip distance: 5 to 6 miles
Difficulty - easy
And lastly don't forget the famous Rendezvous Trail System located just two blocks from the Holiday Inn® West Yellowstone Hotel.
The Yellowstone Rendezvous Trails start at the intersection of Obsidian Avenue and Geyser Street. Trails are generally open from December 1st through March 30th. Skiers are charged $3 for a day pass, $20 for an individual season pass, and $40 for a family season pass. You can purchase tickets at "Free Heel & Wheel" located Canyon Street, West Yellowstone.
Additional resources are available courtesy of National Parks Service: Plan Your Visit
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