Yellowstone Lake Village Day Hikes

Yellowstone National Park
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> Lake Village Day Hikes

Lake Village Day Hikes

Ride your bike to Natural Bridge or hike into the backcountry in Pelican Valley. Discover hiking trails near Lake Village.

Where can I go hiking near Lake Village in Yellowstone?

Natural Bridge
This easy trail offers access to the unique Natural Bridge, carved out by Bridge Creek. You can either hike from the campground or bike from just south of the Marina.

  • Distance: 3 miles round-trip
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Trailhead: Hikers start at the Bridge Bay Parking area near the campground. Bikers start just south of the Marina on the west side of the road.

Pelican Creek
Don't get this confused with the Pelican Valley Trail (see below). Pelican Creek Trail is short, diverse, and great for birding.

  • Distance: 1 mile loop
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Trailhead: West end of Pelican Creek Bridge (1 mile east of Fishing Bridge Visitor Center

Storm Point
Follow this easy trail past Indian Pond and through the forest to Storm Point, along Yellowstone Lake. There is a large colony of marmots that live here.

  • Distance: 2 mile loop
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Trailhead: Pullout at Indian Pond (3 miles east of Fishing Bridge Visitor Center)

Elephant Back Mountain
Elephant Back offers expansive views of Yellowstone Lake and beyond, but it's a steep little trail, climbing 800 feet in 1.5 miles.

  • Distance: 3 mile loop
  • Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
  • Trailhead: Pullout just 1 mile south of the Fishing Bridge junction

Howard Eaton Trail
This trail eventually meets up with the South Rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, but that entire trek is usually only done with an overnight. You can hike out and back as far as you want however. The trail follows the Yellowstone Rivr and meanders through meadows. It's great for spotting wildlife.

  • Distance: 7 miles round-trip
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Trailhead: Park in the lot just east of Fishing Bridge

Avalanche Peak
This strenuous trail becomes a scramble at the end, but offers amazing views in all directions. Climb up a steep trail to an old avalanche slide area and then continue to the base of Avalanche Peak before scrambling up a scree slope to the top.

  • Distance: 5 miles round-trip
  • Difficulty: Strenuous
  • Trailhead: At the west end of Eleanor Lake

Pelican Valley Trail
Due to grizzly habitat, this trail doesn't open until July 4th each year. But even after this date, it remains one of the best places to view grizzlies in the wild. It's recommended to hike in groups of 4 or more.

  • Distance: 6 miles round-trip
  • Difficulty: Moderate
  • Trailhead: Park at the dirt road, just 3 miles east of Fishing Bridge Visitor Center (across from Indian Pond)