Yellowstone

Hey can anyone give a estimate of the time this hike takes Round trip? Thank you

Make sure you download the map before you head out! The trail isn’t well marked and you can easily get lost. We got onto the trail around 9am and we didn’t see a single person. There was tons of ice on the trail, which made it fairly challenging. Beautiful, open views and wildlife.

Fairly tough hike, but absolutely beautiful. We went early October and the lake was still icy which made it even prettier.

Glenn Fallucca was right (thanks for your review and tip!). BE SURE to have a trail MAP you can track your position (the one with this App worked great!) as it’s easy to lose the trail at points. We carried our snowshoes and put them on just after going right at the fork for the other trails (about 1 mile in). We then wore the snowshoes all the way to beaver pond, carrying for a short dirt period, the again all the way back until the field with the Bison roaming. There are some bare spots, but they were soft or muddy, so we could shoe-thru. Note the snow is fading, so soon the trail will be mostly mud for a time.

Scenery was great but it was a tough go. If you were not slipping in the mud, sliding on ice, or post holing in the snow, you were lucky. Definitely doable, but bring snow shoes or micro spikes to make the going a bit easier for now!

Fairly tough hike, especially towards the very end, but absolutely worth it. The lake is beautiful as is the scenery on the way up. Saw 3 bears on this trail too (July 2020)

This isn't a hike for folks who are used to boardwalks & scenic overlooks. Extremely steep & HOT. Be careful when you get to the exposed thermal section. There are inconspicuous pieces of wood that vaguely point you in the right direction. Stayed at 4C3. If staying there, there is a creek crossing so bring your water shoes. Also this is a dream for fishermen. I caught my first ever cutthroat here in the raging Yellowstone River.

Broke trail for 2 miles clockwise today. For 0. 5 miles, the trail is packed down. For the next 1.5 miles, it is quite deep snow. I was up to my waist at times. There is no traversing this without snowshoes or skies during the winter. There is wildlife everywhere in the winter, including bison on the trail, be careful.

did this trail the end of September good easy trail and the falls were cool, saw a bison on the way back down.

Hiked in September and left before sunrise in hopes of seeing the beavers but no luck. Saw multiple elk and lots of birds in the various ponds as well as two dams. Good views of the northwest entrance and river below at the end as well as sweeping views of Mammorh Hot Springs.

Tried it on xc skis going counterclockwise. Nice scenery, but I would not recommend attempting it on xc skis unless you're pretty skilled at stopping and turning on downhills. The downhills going across the ravines were tricky to negotiate due to the narrowness of the trails, density of trees, and sharp turns. We made it to the ponds but headed back out the way we came since we weren't sure how technically demanding the second half of the loop would be on skis. We hiked about half of the way back in our boots with our skis on our backs then skied the rest. Awesome views pretty much the whole way.

early Sept 2020. the most challenging and rewarding hike of my life. not for novices as the final 2 miles or so are extremely steep and require passing through 2 boulder fields. but wow! the lake is so spectacular is makes every agonizing step worth it. got off trail on the way down and had to go through brush to get back to the main trail. be careful on the way back and retrace your footsteps.

not very scenic on the actual trail, but the falls at the end we’re cool. went in july and we were the only ones on at the falls and saw very few people on the trail both ways

Beautiful trail in October. Cool enough to need a jacket but warm enough for melting snow. The trail opens up to a Buffalo resting spot with a lake and gorgeous views, perfect for a lunch break. Saw grizzly prints last time we visited.

Best hike I did all year, variety, views, a decent challenge.

Really pretty hike, some shade along the way. Wonderful views from the too. My kids, 8 and 10, did the hike without much problem, so it’s good for families. Took maybe 3 hours, including a prolonged stop for lunch at the top.

So beautiful. The last bit of the path up is not marked so you do have to go through a boulder field. Loved this trail so much. I’ll definitely be back.