Yellowstone Backpacking Routes and Loop Hikes

This page may contain affiliate links. For more information, see our "About Us" page.

Yellowstone Backpacking Routes and Loop Hikes

Visiting Yellowstone is a once in a lifetime trip for many visitors. Not that the mainstream tourist attractions aren’t amazing, but imagine how unforgettable spending an extended time in its beautiful backcountry would be. Luckily for us, Yellowstone is also home to some of the most incredible backpacking routes and loop hikes in the USA.

Yellowstone is one of the biggest, untouched wildernesses left in the continental U.S. To give you an idea of its magnitude, it encompasses more area than Rhode Island and Delaware combined; 3,472sq miles. It is the second-largest national park by acreage in the lower 48 states (Death Valley is bigger, if you’re curious). Most of the park lies in the great state of Wyoming, but small portions also reach into Montana and Idaho.

Tell Me More About Yellowstone!

So, what’s so great about Yellowstone? Chances are if you’re here, you already know a thing or two about our first national park. It’s so awesome, though, that it bears repeating.

Waterfalls? Check
Geysers? Check
Hot springs? Check
Stunning ridgeline views that extend for miles? Check
Wildlife galore? Check
Lakes, rivers, and ponds (oh my)? Check
Do I really need to go on?

As if that isn’t enough, here are some other cool facts about Yellowstone.

Not only was it the first national park in the U.S., but the entire world.
Houses over 10,000 hydrothermal features, including geysers, hot springs, mudpots, and fumaroles.
Yellowstone is known for its bison herds. They frequently cause “bison jams” and have lived here since prehistoric times; the only place in America these animals have lived in the same place for so long.
Love seeing wildlife on your backcountry excursions? You’ll find an abundance here with not only 300 species of birds, but the largest variety of mammals of anywhere in the continental U.S. at 67 different species
Yellowstone Lake is the largest high elevation lake (131sq. miles of surface area) in North America.
Nearly 300 waterfalls can be found in the park.
There are around 1,000 miles of hiking trails throughout the park.

About the Trails

Speaking of hiking trails, let’s get back on track. (Pun intended.) Needless to say, the options for backpacking trips are nearly endless. Over 300 designated backcountry campsites are available. You will need to acquire permits for them ahead of time, but the fees are surprisingly cheap. You can find more information about permits and campsites on Yellowstone’s National Park Service (NPS) page. If you’re a little leery about taking a backcountry trip by yourself, check out this list of businesses that offer guided trips.

Now that you know a little more about Yellowstone and what to expect, let’s talk about some of the most highly recommended backpacking routes and loop hikes!

#1 - Black Canyon of the Yellowstone River

Carved by the Yellowstone River, this park has its own version of the Grand Canyon that is just as spectacular in its own way. This impressive canyon is over 1,000ft deep and runs a length of 24 miles.

This area is known for great wildlife spotting, including bighorn sheep, deer, and snakes. In fact, it’s one of the few areas in the park that’s at a low enough elevation for snakes to be able to live (which include gopher snakes and rattlesnakes).

Speaking of the lower elevation, this also makes a trip to the Black Canyon a perfect early season outing since the snow melts away earlier. Once things thaw out, you can expect beautiful displays of wildflowers, including lupine and fireweed, earlier in the season in the meadows.

For most of the trail, you will follow alongside the Yellowstone River. Several smaller waterfalls can be found along the trail or a short distance down a side trail. Don’t miss out on a detour to Knowles Falls on the western side of the canyon. Hopefully you’re not afraid of heights because you’ll be passing over at least one major suspension bridge and possibly more, depending on which trailhead you start from.

There are around 5 main trailheads people can choose from to start this journey, depending on what’s most convenient for them and how long they want to make their trip. The Yellowstone River, Hellroaring, and Blacktail Creek trailheads seem to be popular choices. Many backpackers spend between 1 and 3 days out in the Black Canyon area with lengths ranging between 12 and 19 miles. Of course, with such an extensive trail system, you can always make your trip longer.

You can find about 15 or so campsites in Black Canyon, many of which are well-hidden and close to the river. Even so, it’s still best to reserve a spot early.

#2 - Shoshone Lake

If you’re looking for some awesome scenery, but don’t want to kill yourself getting to it, the Shoshone Lake area is a great option. And bonus: It’s super close to Old Faithful. Again, with the numerous amount of trails in the park, it’s safe to assume that this one (and all the others on our list) has several options for getting there. The Dogshead Trail and Delacy Creek Trail are much shorter routes if you’re wanting to spend more time enjoying your surroundings or even doing some fishing at the lake once there. However, many say the Lewis Channel Trail (8 miles) is the more scenic of routes. There is also a loop that goes around the lake with around 25 campsites along the way, leaving you plenty of options, especially considering Shoshone Lake covers over 8,000 acres, making it the largest lake in the U.S. that can’t be reached by a vehicle.

As mentioned, many of the trails are moderate hiking with little elevation gain, making their way through lodgepole pine forests. This includes the Lewis Channel Loop trail, which will help you kill two birds with one stone and hit up both Lewis Lake and Shoshone Lake further on. Believe it or not, some people go canoeing and kayaking on both lakes, despite their remote location, using the channel between to get to the other.

If you find yourself at the western end of Shoshone Lake, be sure to check out the short (1-mile) Shoshone Geyser Basin Trail as well, where you can find plenty of geysers and hot springs. Regardless of which part of the lake you decide to stay at, you’re sure to have a relaxing time along the black sands and rocky shore!

#3 - Sky Rim Trail

Not only is this a popular backpacking route in the park, but the Sky Rim Trail is well-known amongst hikers nationwide. This lollipop loop trail is only about 20-miles, but don’t let its relative shortness fool you. It is very challenging, but affords great views along the ridgeline portion of the trail in one of the most remote areas of Yellowstone in its northwest corner. While it’s possible to do this as a day hike, most backpackers turn this into an overnight, because, why not?

Only about 7 miles of the trail travels through meadow and forest, the rest taking you up and up between Daly Pass and Big Horn Peak. Daly Pass isn’t too difficult to climb as far as passes go and the ascents and descents along the ridge beyond are fairly gradual. The real trick is staying on the sometimes narrow ledge and not getting too caught up in the amazing 360° views of the Gallatin Range, Absarokas, and even the Madison Range in the far distance behind you. As far as Big Horn Peak, you’ll have the opportunity to summit the nearby peak (9,888-foot) at the high point of this trail. It’s less than a half-mile side trip, but watch your footing as the rocks along the way are very loose!

It’s also worth noting that if thunderstorms look imminent, you’ll probably want to try this trail a different day. The lightning can be crazy (and dangerous, of course) on the exposed ridgeline. Water isn’t exactly abundant either. The last place you’ll be able to fill up is within the first 3 miles or so while you’re still in meadow country, so plan accordingly.

#4 - Bechler River Trail

If you can’t get enough waterfalls (and who can?) this is the trail for you. Once you reach the Three Rivers Trail, this trek is especially spectacular, boasting 30 falls and cascades within just 2 miles of Three Rivers, including Ragged Falls, Iris Falls, and Colonnade Falls. You can even glimpse Ouzel Falls, an impressive 230ft, as you enter the Bechler meadow area farther down the trail. Speaking of water features, be prepared for numerous stream crossings and several ford crossings, which can be knee to hip deep. Did we also mention there are hot springs you can soak in along the way?

If you start from the Lone Star Geyser Trail, it’s worth it to time your departure to where you will see the 10ft geyser shoot 45 feet into the air. It’s both one of the biggest and most regular in the park, erupting around every 3 hours. A few other highlights of the trail include several passes over the Continental Divide, a jog over on the Twister Falls Trail to see the 55ft falls, and, of course, the big, sweeping meadows.

It’s greatly advised not to make this trip before the end of July unless you want to be carried away by mosquitoes. Plus, the snowmelt in the spring causes the rivers to run even higher and faster, making them impossible or dangerous to cross earlier in the season.

Depending on which trailhead you begin at (and perhaps who you’re asking), this point-to-point trail through the Bechler River canyon ranges between 24 and 35 miles. It’s rated as moderate to difficult and most trekkers spend around 3 days completing it. It is also worth noting that it is easier hiking from north to south since you’ll have to tackle less elevation gain.

#5 - Specimen Ridge

Rounding out our list of the best Yellowstone backpacking routes and loop hikes, at number 5 we have Specimen Ridge Trail — another highly talked about destination in the area. It travels about 18 miles, so a 2-day, 1-night trip is common. You’ll start near and travel along the eastern edge of Black Canyon (aka The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone) through rolling hills, before ascending fairly quickly along the ridgeline to Amethyst Mountain (9,614ft) at the 10-mile mark. The elevation gain is about 4,000ft, if that gives you an idea of what you’re up against.

The best part of this trail is its excellent panoramic views for much of the way. Even before you get really high up, the Lamar Valley can be seen, which affords great wildlife viewing opportunities as the area is known for bear, deer, bison, and more.

This trail can also be hard to follow, so good navigational/wayfinding skills are a must. As with any ridgeline/peak hike, it’s good to keep an eye on the weather. Pop-up storms can threaten quickly and an exposed summit is the last place you want to be if that happens. The Lamar River crossing can also be tricky. It’s recommended to wait until August to hike this trail for this reason. It is 50 feet wide and moves quickly.