Day Hiking
There are numerous trails suitable for day hiking. Begin your hike by stopping at a ranger station or visitor center for information and trail conditions. Whether changes may be dramatic, and trail conditions may change suddenly and unexpectedly. At a minimum, carry water, a raincoat or poncho, a warm hat, insect repellent, sunscreen, and a first aid kit. It is recommended that you hike with another person. more info

Hot Spring
© National Park Service
Yellowstone National Park, encompassing 2.2 million acres, is one of America's premier wilderness areas. Most of the park is backcountry and managed as wilderness. Over
1,100 miles of trails are available for hiking. No permit is required for day hiking.
There are numerous trails suitable for day hiking. Begin your hike by stopping at a ranger station or visitor center for information and trail conditions. Whether
changes may be dramatic, and trail conditions may change suddenly and unexpectedly. At a minimum, carry water, a raincoat or poncho, a warm hat, insect repellent,
sunscreen, and a first aid kit. It is recommended that you hike with another person.
Hiking Maps and Trails
All of these trails can be done in a day. The trails very in length and difficulty so choosing our trail and destination can be easy as 1,2,3.
Old Faithful Area
- Fairy falls - 5 to 6 miles - easy
- Mystic Falls - 2.4 miles - moderate
- Lone Star Geyser - 5 miles - easy
- Shoshone Lake - 6 miles - moderate
- Lake Overlook - 2 miles - moderate
- Riddle Lake - 5 miles - moderate
- Elephant Back Mountain - 3 miles - moderate/difficult
- Pelican Creek - 1 mile - easy
- Storm Point - 3 miles - easy/moderate
- Clear Lake/Ribbon Lake Loop 3 to 6 miles - easy
- Cascade Lake - 5 miles - easy
- Mt. Washburn - 6 miles - somewhat strenuous
- Beaver Ponds Loop - 5 miles - easy/moderate
- Bunsen Park - 4 miles - somewhat strenuous
- Wraith falls 1 mile - easy
- Lost Lake Loop - 4 miles - easy/moderate
- Tower falls - 1 mile - somewhat strenuous
- Yellowstone River Picnic Area - 4 miles - easy
- Slough Creek (to first meadow) - 4 miles - easy/moderate
- Trout Lake - 1.2 miles - easy
Hiking in Bear Country
Yellowstone is home to both grizzly and black bears. Although the risk of an encounter with a bear is low, there are no guarantees of your safety. Minimize your risks by following the guidelines below:
- Make noise while you are hiking. This will inform the bears of your presence, thus lessens the chance of sudden encounters. Sing old folk songs and have a great time, you, and the bears will appreciate the music. Sudden encounters are the cause of most bear-caused human injuries in the park.
- Hike in groups and use caution where vision is obstructed.
- Do not hike after dark.
What to do if you encounter a Bear
Bears can run over 30 miles per hour, 44 feet per second, faster than Olympic sprinters, and most likely faster than you. DO NOT RUN! Running may elicit an attack from otherwise non-aggressive bears. If the bear is unaware of you, quietly and slowly move away from the bear. If the bear is aware of you and nearby, but has not acted aggressively, slowly back away.
Tree climbing to avoid bears is popular advice but not very practical in many circumstances. All black bears, all grizzly cubs, and some adult grizzlies can climb trees. Running to a tree may provoke an otherwise uncertain bear to chase you.
Some bears will bluff their way out of a threatening situation by charging, then veering off or stopping abruptly at the last second. Bear experts generally recommend standing still until the bear stops and then slowly backing away. If you are attacked, play dead. Drop to the ground, lift your legs up to your chest, and clasp your hands over the back of your neck. This technique has been especially successful with female bears that have cubs.
Always report any bear encounter to park officials.
Below we've listen some of the holders of permits to lead hikes in Yellowstone.
| Day Hiking | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Personal Guide Service | Mr Larry Reiser & Art Davis | PO Box 1440 | Jackson, WY 83001 | 307-733-6312 |
| Adventure Tours | Mr Britt Lewis | 408 Cinnabar Basin Rd | Gardiner, MT 59030 | 406-848-7151 |
| Backcountry Bicycle Tours | Mr Doug McSpadden | PO Box 4029 | Bozeman, MT 59772 | 406-586-3556 |
| Backroads Inc. | Mr Tom Hale | 801 Cedar St | Berkeley, CA 94710 | 510-527-1115 |
| Far and Away Adventures/Paddle Yellowstone | Mr Steve Lentz | PO Box 54 | Sun Valley, ID 83353 | 208-726-8888 |
| Grub Steak Expeditions | Mr Bob Richard | PO Box 1013 | Cody, WY 82414 | 307-527-6316 |
| Lone Mountain Ranch Inc | Mr Robert Schaap | PO Box 160069 | Big Sky, MT 59716 | 406-995-4644 |
| Madison River Outfitters | Mr Brad Richey | PO Box 398 | West Yellowstone, MT 59758 | 406-646-9644 |
| North American Trails, Inc. | Mr Bob Accetta | 302 Rutland St | Carlisle, MA 01741 | 508-371-2566 |
| Off The Beaten Path | Mr Bill Bryan | 27 East Main St | Bozeman, MT 59715 | 406-586-1311 |
| Overland Travel, Inc. | Mr Tom Costley | PO Box 31 | Williamstown, MA 01267 | 413-458-9672 |
| Raventrails | Mr George Wuerthner | PO Box 3156 | Eugene, OR 97403 | 541-684-7872 |
| Rein Teen Tours, Inc. | Mr Richard Applebaum | 30 Galesi Dr | Wayne, NJ 07470 | 201-785-1113 |
| Safari Yellowstone and Grand Teton | Mr Carl Swoboda | PO Box 963 | Livingston, MT 59047 | 406-222-8557 |
| Sun Raven Guide Service | Ms Katherine Howe | 73 Chicory Rd | Livingston, MT 59047 | 406-333-4454 |
| Tamarack Camps / Fresh Air Society | Ms Susie Zaks | 6600 West Maple Rd, Ste 301 | West Bloomfield, MI 48033 | 248-661-0600 |
| The World Outdoors | Mr David Clair | 2840 Wilderness Place, Suite F | Boulder, CO 80301 | 800-488-8483 |
| Timberline Bicycle Tours | Mr Dick Gottsegen | 7975 East Harvard #J | Denver CO 80231 | 303-759-3804 |
| Trailside Productions | Mr Kevin Sanders | PO Box 4352 | Bozeman, MT 59772 | 406-995-4688 |
| Yellowstone Day Hikes | Mr Kent Swanson | 604 Gibbon Ave | West Yellowstone, MT 59758 | 406-646-7242 |
| Yellowstone Guidelines | Mrs Margarita McLarty | 16634 Bridger Canyon | Bozeman, MT 59715 | 800-314-4506 |
| Yellowstone/Glacier Adventures | Mr Steve Braun | PO Box 746 | Bozeman, MT 59771 | 406-585-9041 |
| Yellowstone Safari Company | Mr Ken Sinay | PO Box 42 | Bozeman, MT 59771 | 406-586-1155 |
| Yellowstone Yearround Adventures | Mr Rick Keats |
P.O. Box 105 | Gardiner, MT 59030 | 406-223-2601 |



