NPS - National Park Service

07/18/2024 | News release | Archived content

Day Hikes in the Mammoth Area

Return to Previous Page

Trip Idea

Day Hikes in the Mammoth Area

Multiple Parks

Duration Multiple Days
Topic(s) Trails, Bison, Elk, Grasslands, Scenic Views, Geothermal, Geysers, Hot Springs more »
Activities Hiking
Type Kid Friendly, Active, Solitary/Remote, Inspirational, Outdoors, Group Friendly more »
Parks Yellowstone National Park
Swan Lake Flats and the Gallatin Range can be enjoyed via a few day hikes near Mammoth Hot Springs.

NPS/Dave Krueger

Day Hikes in the Mammoth Area
  • Yellowstone National Park

    Beaver Ponds Trail

    • Activity Fee:No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations:No
    • Activity:Hiking
    • Pets:No
    • Location:Mammoth Hot Springs
    • Duration:2-5 Hours
    • Season:Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day:Day

    Hike through forests, meadows of sage, and stands of Douglas-fir and aspen on your way to beaver ponds. You might see beavers or their sign, but you are more likely to see muskrats and water birds.

    View Details
    • Activity Fee:No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations:No
    • Activity:Hiking
    • Pets:No
    • Location:East of Mammoth Hot Springs
    • Duration:4-5 Hours
    • Season:Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day:Any Time

    Follow Blacktail Deer Creek as it descends through rolling, grassy hills and Douglas-fir forest to a suspension bridge over the Yellowstone River.

    View Details
  • Yellowstone National Park

    Bunsen Peak Trail

    • Activity Fee:No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations:No
    • Activity:Hiking
    • Pets:No
    • Location:Mammoth Hot Springs
    • Duration:2-3 Hours
    • Season:Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day:Any Time

    Climb to the top of this igneous peak for panoramic views of Swan Lake Flats, the Gallatin Mountain Range, and the Mammoth Hot Springs area.

    View Details
    • Activity Fee:No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations:No
    • Activity:Hiking
    • Pets:No
    • Location:East of Mammoth Hot Springs
    • Duration:30-60 Minutes
    • Season:Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day:Any Time

    Follow this self-guided trail along a boardwalk that winds through the grassland of Yellowstone's northern range.

    View Details
  • Yellowstone National Park

    Lava Creek Trail

    • Activity Fee:No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations:No
    • Activity:Hiking
    • Pets:No
    • Location:Mammoth Hot Springs
    • Duration:2-3 Hours
    • Season:Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day:Any Time

    Follow Lava Creek, seeing Undine Falls and the junction with Gardner River.

    View Details
  • Yellowstone National Park

    Mammoth Hot Springs Trails

    • Activity Fee:No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations:No
    • Activity:Hiking
    • Pets:No
    • Location:Mammoth Hot Springs
    • Duration:30-90 Minutes
    • Season:Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day:Any Time

    Wander around large travertine terraces, built by ever-shifting hot springs.

    View Details
  • Yellowstone National Park

    Osprey Falls Trail

    • Activity Fee:No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations:No
    • Activity:Hiking
    • Pets:No
    • Location:Mammoth Hot Springs
    • Duration:4-6 Hours
    • Season:Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day:Any Time

    Walk along an old service road through meadows before descending into one of the deepest canyons in the park to see Osprey Falls plunge over the edge of an old lava flow.

    View Details
  • Yellowstone National Park

    Rescue Creek Trail

    • Activity Fee:No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations:No
    • Activity:Hiking
    • Pets:No
    • Location:Mammoth Hot Springs
    • Duration:4-6 Hours
    • Season:Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day:Any Time

    Climb gradually through aspens and meadows, then descend through forests to sagebrush flats that lead to a footbridge across the Gardner River.

    View Details
  • Yellowstone National Park

    Sepulcher Mountain Trail

    • Activity Fee:No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations:No
    • Activity:Hiking
    • Pets:No
    • Location:Mammoth Hot Springs
    • Duration:6-8 Hours
    • Season:Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day:Any Time

    Climb to the summit of Sepulcher Mountain while keeping an eye out for mountain goats, bighorn sheep, and moose along the way.

    View Details
  • Yellowstone National Park

    Wraith Falls Trail

    • Activity Fee:No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations:No
    • Activity:Hiking
    • Pets:No
    • Location:Mammoth Hot Springs
    • Duration:30-60 Minutes
    • Season:Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day:Any Time

    Cross sagebrush meadows, marshland, and mixed conifer forest to the base of Wraith Falls on Lupine Creek.

    View Details