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Introduction to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks compose the core of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the world’s largest intact temperate-zone crucible of raw, wild nature. The Greater Yellowstone concept originated in the early 1970s, based on a pioneering study of grizzly bear population dynamics directed by brothers John and Frank Craighead. After 12 years of field research, they calculated that the year-round range of the region’s bears exceeded 5 million acres, an area larger than Connecticut.

Jazz lovers may beg to differ, but many have called our national park system “the best idea America ever had.” Yellowstone was set aside as the world’s first national park in 1872 and named a United Nations World Biosphere Reserve in 1976. The establishment of National Elk Refuge near Jackson in 1912 opened public access to the region’s southern flank. Much of the area eventually set aside as Grand Teton National Park in 1929 was part of a 1918 proposed enlargement to Yellowstone.

These two world-famous parks are surrounded by a buffer zone consisting of six national forests, six wilderness areas, three national wildlife refuges, 125,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management rangeland, and more than 1 million acres of private property and tribal lands.

All told, this vast complex of wild lands encompasses 28,000 square miles, about the size of West Virginia. Yellowstone alone protects 2.22 million acres (3,468 square miles), roughly the same size as Puerto Rico, or Delaware and Rhode Island combined. In contrast, Grand Teton’s wilderness punch is concentrated in a mere 311,000 acres.

To give you a better idea of just how big the region is, Yellowstone’s seasonal Thorofare patrol cabin in the park’s bottom right corner is around 30 trail miles from the nearest road—a long day’s horseback ride—making it the most remote inhabited wilderness outpost and the farthest spot from a road in the Lower 48.

Long-range planning for holistic management of the buffer zone, home to a rapidly growing human population of well over 200,000 residents, is increasingly seen as the key to preserving this unique region, which is often described as “Island Yellowstone” or “an island of mountains in the high, dry plains.”

Teton Range and Jackson Hole

Geography and Topography

The topography of Greater Yellowstone is the result of an underlying magmatic hot spot and millions of years of volcanic influence. The massif of high, moist plateaus, peaks, and valleys is surrounded by arid plains.

The region contains the headwaters of many of the continent’s grandest waterways: two of the three forks of the Missouri; the headwaters of the Snake River, which flows into the Columbia and eventually into the Pacific Ocean; and the Yellowstone River, the United States’ longest free-flowing river, which runs north and drains approximately 70,000 square miles.

The Continental Divide, the crest of the North American continent, zigzags across the southwest corner of Yellowstone. The region’s landforms channel westerly storm systems onto Yellowstone’s Central Plateau, where most of the park’s snow drops. The Tetons’ topographic extremes create their own semiarid microclimate, with most storms approaching from the southwest. Here, snowfall averages 190-plus inches, but annual rainfall hovers around just 10 inches.

The majority of Yellowstone consists of broad volcanic plateaus scored by deep river canyons, with an average elevation of 8,000 feet. There are 370 miles of paved roads and more than 1,000 miles of maintained hiking trails. Yellowstone is covered 5% by water, 15% by grassland, and 80% by lodge-pole pine forest. The highest point is the seldom-scaled Eagle Peak (11,358 feet), near the park’s remote southeast corner. The lowest point is near the North Entrance at Reese Creek (5,282 feet), just north of the prominent Electric Peak (10,992 feet).

Grand Teton’s centerpiece is the 40-mile-long Teton Range, an active fault-block mountain front. Twelve peaks exceeding 12,000 feet tower over the Snake River Plain and the valley known as Jackson Hole, which averages 6,800 feet in elevation and tilts subtly southward toward the gateway town of Jackson. In addition to the string of morainal piedmont lakes at the base of the range, the park is home to more than 100 alluring tarns (steep-banked glacial lakes). In Yellowstone, more than 600 lakes and ponds cover approximately 107,000 surface acres, 94% of which can be attributed to Yellowstone, Lewis, Shoshone, and Heart Lakes. Some 1,000 rivers and streams account for more than 2,000 miles of running water.

Geology and Hydrothermal Activity

Glaciers and supervolcanoes are the primary influences in Greater Yellowstone’s dynamic landscape. In the past 2.1 million years, three cataclysmic eruptions have rocked the region. The most recent massive volcanic explosion, which occurred around 640,000 years ago, created the gigantic Yellowstone Caldera, a vast, collapsed crater that defines the park’s Central Plateau.

Since 2001, the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory has tracked the uplift of the dome beneath Yellowstone Lake resulting from the pressure exerted by superplumes of near-surface magma in what it calls the “largest volcanic system in North America.” Multiple earthquakes are registered daily, but a swarm of 400 temblors centered in the park’s northwest sector in 2004 sparked renewed speculation about the possibility of another gigantic volcanic event and the possible resulting global climate disruption. Volcanologists downplay the possibility of such an event in our lifetime. However, some say its likelihood is 5 to 10 times greater than that of a globally destructive asteroid impact.

Boardwalks provide close access to many frontcountry hot springs.

Also related to the hot spot are Yellowstone’s unique, super-heated hydrothermal features. A recent inventory conducted by the Yellowstone Center for Resources estimates that the park is home to more than 18,000 distinct geothermal features. The most common surface expressions of the park’s extensive subterranean plumbing network are hot springs, where colorful thermophiles (heat-loving microorganisms, also known as extremophiles) and cyanobacteria (single-celled photosynthetic bacteria) thrive in pools of geothermally heated water. These springs are often linked to geysers (from the Icelandic word geysir, which means “to gush or rage”), where highly pressurized water rockets toward the surface and often flashes to steam. Fumaroles are dry, hissing vents that issue hydrogen sulfide (the source of that “rotten egg” odor), hydrochloric acid, and other gases. A solfatara is a sulfur-emitting fumarole. Mud pots (also known as paint pots when tinted by minerals) form in thermal areas where precipitation mixes with fine volcanic soils to create a bubbling, viscous—and often very acidic—slurry, sometimes forming mud volcanoes.

For hikers, this ancient ice sculpting and geothermal hyperactivity translates into many unusual geologic features to explore, including multilayered fossil forests, lava flows, dramatic U-shaped canyons, glacial boulder fields, and black mountains of obsidian. These varied and dramatic landscapes form numerous ecological niches that support an amazing diversity of wildlife and plants, many of them reachable only on foot.

Flora

Some 1,100 native species of flowering plants are found in Yellowstone alone, but only three species are endemic: the Yellowstone sand verbena, the Yellowstone sulfur wild buckwheat, and Ross’s bentgrass. There are more than 200 nonnative species, some of which are starting to invade the backcountry. An additional 600 species of fungi, lichens, mosses, and liverworts have been cataloged. It’s legal to collect small quantities of edible plants and berries for personal consumption, but keep it to a minimum to maintain your good bear karma.

Elevation has the most influence over which plant species flourish where. Though the vegetation varies significantly throughout the ecosystem, it’s mostly typical of the Rocky Mountains. The observant hiker may notice elements of seven distinct biomes from the surrounding deserts, plains, montane forests, and arctic tundra.

Thanks to their shallow root systems, vast tracts of drought-tolerant lodge-pole pines dominate the nutrient-poor, volcanic soils within the Yellowstone Caldera. In sharp contrast, the clayey glacial lake beds beyond the caldera encourage a much more diverse flora.

Botanists group Rocky Mountain vegetation into five zones: foothills, riparian, montane, subalpine, and alpine. These zones overlap considerably and are not strictly defined. The altitude and width of each zone increase progressively as you move from north to south. Fall colors peak around the autumnal equinox (third week in September) in the Tetons, a bit later on Yellowstone’s relatively low-lying Northern Range.

Most of Yellowstone’s lower-elevation hikes begin in sagebrush-blanketed foothills (5,500–6,500 feet). A prime example of this type of habitat is the arid Northern Range, where the annual precipitation hovers around 20 inches. The lower elevations here make the region a preferred spring and fall hiking destination. Unique species found here include cacti and Rocky Mountain juniper. In the absence of foothills in the Tetons, most trails begin near Jackson Hole and the Snake River Plain, where porous soils support sagebrush, grasses, and numerous wildflowers.

Riparian or wetland communities prosper near year-round streams. Typical moisture-loving plants in this zone include rushes; sedges; colorful deciduous trees such as cottonwoods; and shrubs such as willow, quaking aspen, dogwood, mountain ash, and Rocky Mountain maple. These lush but narrow areas are often home to rare, water-loving wildflowers and provide a transition between aquatic and upland steppe environments. North-facing slopes, which receive less sunlight and thus retain more moisture, are favored by most plants. Several rare aquatic plants thrive in Yellowstone’s hydrothermal areas, such as the Shoshone Geyser Basin.

Semiarid steppe vegetation is primarily scrubby and is dotted by lots of fragrant Big Mountain sagebrush, open woodlands, and more than a hundred species of sparse grasses. Prime, wildlife-rich examples of this habitat occur in Yellowstone’s Hayden Valley, Pelican Valley, and Swan Lake Flats. Conspicuous blooms of wildflowers such as the pungent yellow arrowleaf balsamroot; snow-white, mat-forming phlox; flaming scarlet-orange Indian paintbrush; and pastel lupines and penstemons festoon hillsides in late June and early July.

Aspen grove near Taggart Lake (Trail 35)

Sagebrush-interspersed meadows mark the transition between rolling prairies and the forested montane zone (6,000–9,500 feet). Snow persists at higher elevations until July or August around the highest passes. The resulting short, cool growing season limits the number of plant species. Snowmelt on warmer, south-facing slopes waters hearty conifer (cone-bearing) species, such as Douglas-fir; Englemann spruce, which dominates older forests; and the higher-ranging subalpine fir. Shrubs and berries dominate the damp under-story. If there is a prolonged absence of fire, spruce–fir forests should begin to succeed the currently dominant lodgepole stands.

Subalpine habitat below Rendezvous Mountain in the Teton Range (Trail 42)

Beyond the upper montane zone, the wild subalpine zone (7,500–10,000 feet) continues up to timberline. Isolated spruce–fir stands dominate where snow lingers longest. Short-lived wildflower displays can be fantastic after the spring snowmelt. At higher elevations, such as around Mount Washburn, the nuts of whitebark pine (which is sometimes confused with limber pine) are a favored but erratic source of prehibernation nutrition for ravenous grizzly bears.

Above timberline, the alpine zone (above 9,000–10,000 feet) is reserved for the most robust species of both plants and humans. The exposed meadows and rocky outcrops host bountiful but short-lived wildflower shows in late July and August. Wind-stunted Krummholz trees abide in sheltered areas of southern exposure. More than 200 plant species have been cataloged just beyond Yellowstone’s Northeast Entrance on the untamed Beartooth Plateau, one of the largest swaths of alpine tundra in the Lower 48.

Fauna

Let’s face it: geyser gazing and rambling around alpine peaks aside, a trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons isn’t complete without spotting—and photographing—a root-grubbing bear with her cute yearling cub, a bugling eight-point elk, a drooling moose, or, at the very least, a wallowing bison.

Besides the iconic thermal features that earned Yellowstone its early nickname “Wonderland,” the park’s photogenic wildlife is the main draw for most visitors. Thanks to the successful wolf-reintroduction effort (see page 10), Greater Yellowstone now supports all of the 61 native mammal species it has historically hosted. With such an incredible concentration of charismatic megafauna, these parks are easily among the world’s foremost wildlife-watching hot spots.

The comparison frequently drawn between Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley and the Serengeti Plains in northern Tanzania isn’t frivolous. Both parks grapple with similar issues: managing large, migrating wildlife herds, reducing the spread of disease, curbing invasive species, and coping with ranching and human development in their shrinking buffer zones.

If Greater Yellowstone has a totem species, it’s the great grizzly bear (known as the brown bear, bruin, or Kodiak bear in Alaska). Yellowstone constitutes the heart of its range, which is estimated to have expanded by as much as 40% since 1975, when the 136 remaining animals in the region were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The rise in grizzly numbers has been a major conservation success story. Current estimates of the park’s population hover around 150, with 717 bruins inhabiting the Greater Yellowstone region in 2016. The region in northwestern Montana around Glacier National Park (the Northern Continental Divide) harbors the only other major grizzly population in the Lower 48, with around 1,000 bears, though there are a handful of grizzlies in Montana’s Cabinet-Yaak region and Washington’s Cascade Mountains. That said, grizzlies currently occupy less than 4% of their original range, and numbers are down from a historical population of 50,000.

Since 2007, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been trying to delist the grizzly (remove it from the list of endangered species), claiming that the Yellowstone region has reached its capacity. The delisting process has been wrapped up in legal proceedings for the last decade, but the grizzly is expected to be delisted in 2017 and management passed to individual states, with the likelihood that grizzlies will then be hunted for sport in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho (but not within Yellowstone or Grand Teton National Parks). Critics of delisting say that the long-term genetic health of the grizzly has not yet been secured because bear populations survive only in isolated pockets, separated from each other.

Bison graze in Fountain Flats in the Midway Geyser Basin.

Besides poaching near park boundaries, current threats to grizzlies include a decline in cutthroat trout caused by the so-called whirling disease and illegally introduced lake trout, as well as the blister rust fungus and spread of bark beetles that have been decimating the supply of whitebark pine nuts, a prime source of late-season sustenance for grizzlies. Researchers have found that wolf reintroduction has actually increased the bears’ food supply: since 2000, all wolf-killed ungulate (hooved mammal) carcasses in the Pelican Valley have ultimately been taken over by grizzlies.

Each year, most of the bear sightings typically reported in Yellowstone are in the vicinity of Tower–Roosevelt Junction. Other areas with frequent sightings include Bridge Bay, and from Fishing Bridge to Yellowstone’s East Entrance. Less frequent sightings occur around dawn and dusk near Mammoth, on the north slopes of Mount Washburn, and in the Hayden and Lamar Valleys. In recent years, grizzly sightings have become more common than black bear sightings.

Yellowstone’s abundant, omnivorous black bear, with an estimated population of 500–650, exists primarily in niches not filled by territorial grizzlies. Sightings (and resulting roadside “bear jams”) are common around Tower and Mammoth. Despite their name, their coloration actually ranges from black to cinnamon. Both black bears and grizzlies start denning around mid-November, emerging from hibernation starting in April.

Black bear cubs never stray far from their mothers.

Bear Safety Guidelines

Restrictions in Yellowstone’s 16 Bear Management Areas include seasonal closures, recommendations on minimum party size, and off-trail travel and camping prohibitions. Several trails in this book pass through these areas. No matter where you hike, it’s always wise to take the following precautions:

• Ask at a ranger station or visitor center about recent bear activity before heading out.

• Do not travel alone or at night, when most bear feeding occurs. Parties of three or more are ideal.

• Stay alert for bear signs. Make noise and stay on marked trails; half of all attacks occur off-trail.

• Avoid carcasses, and do not carry smelly food.

• Never leave your pack unattended on the trail.

• Follow NPS guidelines for proper camping and food-storage techniques, as outlined in free hiking and backcountry camping brochures available at ranger stations and backcountry offices.

• Always carry bear spray, have it accessible at all times, and know how to use it. Reliable brands are Counter Assault and UDAP. You can’t fly with bear spray, so buy it at outdoors stores in gateway towns or at visitor center bookstores. You can also rent bear spray by the day or week at a booth outside Canyon Visitor Center.

• Report any incidents to park rangers.

Even if you follow all of these guidelines, it’s still quite possible that you will encounter a bear, especially if visiting the backcountry. If you see a bear before it sees you, keep out of sight and backtrack the way you came, or detour downwind as far as possible. There are various schools of thought about what to do in case of an encounter. Here’s an executive summary of what the NPS recommends:

• Stay calm. Do not run or make sudden movements—you cannot outrun a bear!

• Back away slowly. Do not drop your pack.

• Talk quietly to the bear, do not shout. Avoid looking directly at the bear.

• Only climb a tree if it’s nearby and you can climb at least 15–20 feet.

If you are charged, the NPS recommends standing still (easier said than done!) since most charges are bluff charges. If the bear makes physical contact, drop to the ground, face down with your hands behind your neck. In the case of a nighttime attack on a tent (these are extremely rare), you should fight back aggressively and use pepper spray.

Coyote populations have halved since wolves were reintroduced in 1995.

In both Yellowstone and Grand Teton, black bears have become quite pesky in seeking food from garbage cans, dumpsters, and campgrounds. However, the majority of bears you might see in the backcountry remain timid and are wary of humans. See the Bear Safety Guidelines for advice on avoiding or managing encounters with bears and other wildlife.

In 1995, 31 Canadian gray wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone, marking the beginning of an unprecedented effort to restore them to their historical range in the Northern Rockies. Wolves now live throughout Yellowstone and increasingly around the fringes of Grand Teton. In the initial phase of the reintroduction, wolf numbers grew rapidly to around 170, but numbers have since leveled off to around 100 inside Yellowstone, in 10 shifting packs. It is estimated that there are 500 of the primo predators in 50 packs in Greater Yellowstone, with 1,700 individuals in 282 packs (including 95 breeding pairs) in the whole of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming.

Since 2008, battles have raged in the courts over plans to remove the gray wolf’s endangered-species status. Since 2011, control of wolf numbers has shifted to state authorities in Montana and Idaho, where several hundred wolves a year are now killed by hunters. Wolves once again enjoy federal protection in Wyoming, but several of Yellowstone National Park’s most iconic wolves were killed outside the park when the species was temporarily delisted in Wyoming between 2012 and 2014.

Outside of sunny winter days, the best times to spot wolves are at dawn and dusk. The most reliable method of finding them? Scan roadside turn-outs for an array of high-powered binoculars and spotting scopes, telephoto lenses mounted on camouflage tripods, and CB radio antennas on the roofs of expedition-equipped four-wheel-drive vehicles. Then stop and ask if you can take a look; devoted wolf-watchers are usually quite happy to share their knowledge and passion with passersby.

The highly adaptable, omnivorous coyote is often seen loping across meadows, fields, and other open grasslands. The coyote population has decreased by as much as 50% in Yellowstone since wolf reintroduction, which has been shown conclusively to have relegated coyotes to a scavenger role. However, the nighttime chorus of yelps (sometimes mistaken for wolf howls) still reverberates through backcountry campsites.

Stay clear of bull bison like this fellow in Pelican Valley (Trail 23)

Estimates of the numbers of the seven species of native ungulates vary as widely as the large animals’ migratory range. Counts of Yellowstone’s bugling Rocky Mountain elk (also known as wapiti) vary seasonally from 10,000 to 20,000 in summer to 5,000 in winter, in seven distinct herds. Over 100,000 elk inhabit Greater Yellowstone. In summer, you can hardly toss a bison chip without hitting a member of the largest elk herd in North America: look around Gibbon Meadows or the Lamar Valley. During the autumn rut (mating season), elk take over the lawns around Mammoth Hot Springs and flock to meadows around Norris Geyser Basin. In Jackson Hole, Timbered Island becomes a no-go zone during the rut. In winter, they migrate south to the National Elk Refuge, or north and east to Gardiner and West Yellowstone, where hunters await just beyond the park boundaries.

Yellowstone’s population of persistent bison (often used interchangeably with buffalo), the largest land animal in North America, is estimated at between 2,300 and 5,000. Watch year-round for what remains of the United States’ largest free-roaming herd in the Hayden and Lamar Valleys, in summer in open meadows and grasslands, and in winter in thermal areas and along the Madison River. In Grand Teton, smaller herds roam the sagelands around Mormon Row. In 2016, President Obama signed legislation designating the bison as the national mammal of the United States.

Common, floppy-eared mule deer prefer open forests and grassy meadows, where they munch on leaves, shrubs, and sedges. Watch for them browsing around dusk near forest edges. The furtive, less common white-tailed deer is only occasionally spotted near waterways in Yellowstone’s Northern Range.

A declining population of moody, drooling moose lurk in willow thickets in riparian zones, mainly in marshy meadows, near lakeshores, and along rivers. In Yellowstone, they are most frequently seen browsing in the Bechler region and in the Soda Butte Creek, Pelican Creek, Lewis River, and Gallatin River drainages. They are more common in Grand Teton, wherever willows colonize marshes and ponds. Appearances are deceptive: they are superb swimmers and can—and will—charge at up to 35 miles per hour, so give them wide berth.

A population of 350–400 fleet-footed pronghorn are more closely related to goats and are not true antelopes. They are found in summer in sage flats and grasslands in the Lamar Valley, in Jackson Hole, and near Yellowstone’s North Entrance. Their numbers declined by 50% in Yellowstone between 1991 and 1995; for context, the pre-European American settlement population is estimated at 35 million. The population has since stabilized, but large-scale energy developments outside Grand Teton jeopardize their long-distance winter migration routes around the park.

Numbering up to 300, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep are often spotted scampering along cliffs and roaming Yellowstone’s alpine meadows. In summer, they are most easily found on the slopes of Mount Washburn, and yearround in Gardner Canyon between Mammoth and the North Entrance. Also watch for their silhouettes on cliff tops along the Yellowstone River, and above Soda Butte in the Lamar Valley.

Invasive, nonnative mountain goats are increasingly common and thought to be colonizing rocky slopes in Yellowstone’s northern reaches.

The population of the seldom-seen American cougar (also known as the mountain lion) is estimated at 26–42, making it Yellowstone’s most common cat species. Primarily nocturnal, cougars have been called “the ghosts of the Rockies.”

The similarly nocturnal and reclusive bobcat is poorly studied but thought to be widespread. You’re more likely to hear its bloodcurdling scream at night while snuggled inside your sleeping bag than to see it from the trail. Most reports are from the northern half of Yellowstone in sagebrush and conifer forests.

Other common small mammals include the wily, weasellike marten, found in coniferous forests; the playful river otter, found in rivers, lakes, and ponds; and two species of weasel (also known as ermine), widespread in both willows and spruce–fir forests. Beavers dam watercourses and cobble together lodges adjacent to trails in both parks.

Animals rarely seen by hikers include the sagebrush-loving badger and the red fox, found in the Lamar Valley and around Canyon Village at the edges of forest and sagelands. A recent three-year study confirmed the presence and reproduction of the wide-ranging Canadian lynx, which hides out in remote subalpine forests, on Yellowstone’s eastern flank. Other rare mammals include the relatively scarce raccoon; the carnivorous, forest-dwelling fisher; the weasel-like mink, occasionally seen in riparian forests; the striped skunk, seen flitting between the forest and riparian zones; and the fierce, elusive wolverine, the largest land member of the weasel family. Researchers live-trapped and released a wolverine in March 2006 just north of Yellowstone park—pretty impressive given the animal’s 350-to 500-mile range.

Three territorial species of chipmunk are common in conifer forests. Four squirrel species are common around rocky outcroppings in forests. The yellow-bellied marmot is commonly seen, or at least its high-pitched whistle is heard, where trails traverse rocky slopes. The bleating, round-eared pika is also common in this kind of landscape. Other rodents often spotted scurrying about the forest understory include gophers, mice, several species of voles, shrews, muskrats, bushy-tailed wood rats, and porcupines.

At last count, 322 bird species were winging around the skies above Greater Yellowstone, with 148 of those observed nesting. Early morning in spring (from mid-May through early July) is the best time for birding. While hiking around lakes and waterways, keep your eyes peeled for big raptors such as the threatened but recovering bald eagle and trout-loving osprey swooping around hunting for prey. Majestic but imperiled trumpeter swans range between Montana’s Paradise Valley and the Madison River. The reintroduced peregrine falcon, which preys on songbirds and waterfowl, nests in Yellowstone and is well on its way to recovery but is rarely seen.

Other common species that exhibit entertaining antics include the boisterous Clark’s nutcracker, the diminutive mountain chickadee, the mountain bluebird, and Steller’s jay, a bold scavenger. Other monitored species of special concern include the American white pelican, common loon, harlequin duck, osprey, colonial nesting bird, and great gray owl.

Yellowstone contains one of the most significant aquatic ecosystems in the United States. It’s home to 16 fish species: 11 native and 5 nonnative. Since 2001, regulations have required the release of all native sport fishes hooked in park waters. The fishing season runs from Memorial Day weekend through the first Sunday of November.

The three subspecies of native cutthroat trout are an essential but increasingly threatened source of grizzly sustenance. They are being eaten out of house and home by the proliferation of illegally introduced, nonnative lake trout, also known as mackinaws. Other native sport fish are the rare, protected Arctic grayling and the slender, silver mountain whitefish. Introduced sport fish include brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, and lake chub.

Bald eagle nest: Eagles are often found fishing for trout around Heart Lake (Trail 22).

Six species of reptiles (prairie rattlesnake, bull snake, valley garter snake, wandering garter snake, rubber boa, and sagebrush lizard) and four decreasingly common species of amphibians (boreal toad, chorus frog, spotted frog, and tiger salamander) are found in Yellowstone. Encountering a poisonous prairie rattlesnake in Yellowstone’s low-lying Northern Range is unlikely but possible.

More than 12,000 insects, including 128 species of butterflies, provide fodder for many quick-tongued predators. Of greatest concern to hikers are mosquitoes (see Trail Safety).

When to Go

As two of North America’s most popular summer destinations, both parks have the unfortunate reputation of being overcrowded, especially Yellowstone. This certainly can be true on major holiday weekends, on heavily trafficked roads, and at campgrounds and must-see attractions, but solitude is not hard to come by—if you know where to look.

Both parks are four-season recreation destinations. Less than 5% of Yellowstone’s visitors arrive between November and April. Likewise, in Grand Teton 80% of visitors arrive between June and September. Annual Yellowstone visitor numbers have risen noticeably in the past 15 years to almost 4 million (most coming via the West Entrance), while Grand Teton averages around 3 million.

Thankfully, even in summer, escaping the crowds is reasonably easy, especially in Yellowstone. To find solitude, head for the backcountry. Surveys by the Park Service found that less than 1.5% of visitors apply for a backcountry permit in Yellowstone; only half of 1% do so in Grand Teton.

To avoid crowds, especially in the frontcountry, the usual rules of thumb apply: visit midweek instead of on weekends, and during spring and fall shoulder periods. Some of the finest hiking conditions coincide with diminishing crowds after Labor Day weekend and the peak of fall-foliage colors. The last week of August is a good time to come, for its combination of summer weather and slightly lighter crowds.

Accommodation in Yellowstone is a different matter. During the peak months of July and August you need to have booked your park accommodation at least six months in advance (some rooms sell out a year in advance). Even the reservable Xanterra campsites are often booked up a month in advance in summer. Unreservable park campgrounds are generally full by noon, with many campgrounds full by 9 a.m. Reservations are essential in Yellowstone. There’s more room to move in Grand Teton, since most of the campgrounds are nonreservable, but you’d be wise to book RV sites in advance and make your lodge reservations at least six months ahead.

Weather and Seasons

Throughout Greater Yellowstone, conversations (and tall tales told by the fireplace over a posthike pint) are peppered with anecdotes about the region’s famously mercurial weather. Snowfall has been recorded every single day of the year here, so the best advice is to always come prepared for the possibility of extreme conditions and four seasons in a single day. Locals claim there are nine months of winter and three months of relatives. This isn’t that far from the truth. Perhaps the most reliable climate-related axiom is, “If you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes.” In any case, on any given day, Yellowstone is often the coldest spot on a US weather map.

Always be ready for afternoon thundershowers (locally called “rollers”) and to beat a hasty retreat from the higher elevations when lightning threatens. Because conditions on the trails change as quickly as the weather, it’s best to check in with a ranger station before hitting the trail, even if you’re only going for a day hike.

Given the right disposition, conditions, and over-snow travel gear, winter can be the ideal season to explore the parks in relative tranquility. During winter, the mercury hovers around 0°F during the short daylight hours, with occasional highs in the 20s. Subzero overnight lows are the norm. Infrequent warm “chinook” winds push daytime highs into the 40s. Annual snowfall averages 150 inches in most of Yellowstone, with 200 to 400 inches routinely recorded at higher elevations.

Yellowstone’s winter tourism plan has been in flux for the last decade, as the park tries to balance the demands of local communities while limiting the number of snowmobiles through the park each day. As of winter 2016–2017, Yellowstone National Park allows a maximum of 110 daily “transportation events” (defined as one snow coach or group of snowmobiles) to enter the park. Only half of these “events” can be snowmobiles. The plan also allows one noncommercially guided group of up to five snowmobiles to enter through each park entrance every day. Noncommercial guides must get a noncommercial snowmobile access permit, which is awarded by lottery at recreation.gov starting September 1. Leftover permits are available on a first-come, first-served basis starting in November. Permits cost $40 per day, plus a $6 application fee. Each snowmobile driver must have completed a free online certification training course. Snowmobilers can drive their own machines or rent them at park gateway towns, as long as they meet or exceed available technology standards. In addition, a dozen operators offer increasingly popular guided tours by snow coach (vehicles such as vans or buses that have been adapted to travel over snow). Skiers and snowshoers don’t need a guide, and the parks have many groomed and ungroomed trails to choose from.

Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks Spring Bicycling Period

Weather permitting (after the winter snowmobiling season ends in mid- to late March and before the park opens to wheeled vehicles, typically the third Friday in April), there’s a glorious opportunity for bicyclists, hikers, joggers, in-line skaters, roller skiers, and the like to explore Yellowstone between the West Entrance and Mammoth Hot Springs, via the nearly auto-free Grand Loop Road. Call 307-344-2109 to confirm the Spring Bicycling Period schedule. There’s no in-park lodging open (Mammoth Campground is open year-round, or you can stay in nearby gateway towns). The 6 miles between the East Entrance and the east end of Sylvan Pass and the South Entrance road to West Thumb Junction also sometimes has limited access. The road from Madison Junction to Old Faithful typically does not open.

In Grand Teton, the beautiful 15-mile section of Teton Park Road between Taggart Lake Parking Area and Signal Mountain Lodge is similarly open to nonmotorized use in the month of April.

Though February sees some frosty but crystal-clear days of sunshine, snow blankets most of both parks well after the vernal equinox (March 21). The appearance of migrating mountain bluebirds and the emergence of Uinta ground squirrels are reliable indicators of the arrival of spring, usually in the second half of March. Depending on snow conditions, nonmotorized exploration (including hiking, bicycling, jogging, in-line skates, and roller skis) is permitted in Yellowstone between the West Entrance and Mammoth Hot Springs from mid-March through the third week in April.

The spring hiking season begins as snow starts to melt from the lowest-lying trails (as early as May on Yellowstone’s Northern Range, a bit later around Jackson Hole) and after trail maintenance crews clear winter deadfall. Early-season hiking coincides with the reemergence of ravenous bears and their newborn cubs from their dens as they prowl for elk calves. Many of the Yellowstone trails that pass through Bear Management Areas are off-limits from May into June. Hiking can be superb before crowds begin to arrive for Memorial Day, when both parks are a hive of calving, nesting, spawning, and blooming activity. River fords are most dangerous in May and June, when snowmelt-fed waterfalls are also the most spectacular. Daytime temperatures average in the 40s and 50s in May. By June they reach the 60s and 70s, but nighttime lows still occasionally dip below freezing. The most precipitation (an average of around 2 inches per month) falls during May and the “June monsoon.”

Mature bighorn rams with horns in full curl are often seen around Bunsen Peak (Trail 3).

The prime summer hiking and backpacking season starts as the snow line progressively retreats up mountainsides until the highest passes are clear—typically by late July in Yellowstone, and early August around the highest Teton passes. Elk and bison continue to drop calves until the summer solstice (June 21), the longest day of the year. The opening of Yellowstone’s fishing season (the first Saturday of Memorial Day weekend) coincides with the start of the stonefly hatch—when mosquitoes and biting flies really hit their stride. Wildflower-watching heats up soon after snowmelt and peaks around mid-July in most of Yellowstone, a bit later at higher elevations and in the Tetons. Midsummer, daytime temperatures are typically in the 70s (and 80s at lower elevations). Nights remain cool, in the 40s and 30s, with the odd frosty spell.

The courting and mating season (the rut) begins as early as late July. During this period, it’s especially important to give elk and bison a wide berth on trails. Mosquitoes and other biting pests finally die down in August; that’s also when berries are ripe for the picking in riparian zones. July and August are the driest months, but afternoon showers are still fairly common. Blooming goldenrod and gentians are reliable indicators of the coming of autumn.

Fall colors start to appear in the riparian zone by mid-August and peak around the autumnal equinox (September 21), with slight variations according to elevation. Vibrant yellows, reds, and oranges persist on Yellowstone’s Northern Range until early October, when the first significant snowfall usually occurs. Temperatures can remain surprisingly pleasant through October, but nighttime lows often plunge into the teens. Squirrels, chipmunks, and other rodents frantically preparing winter seed caches are a sure sign of another impending long winter.

Trail Selection

Three criteria were used in selecting trails for this guide. Only the premier day hikes and overnight backpacking trips are included, based on beautiful scenery, ease of access, and diversity of experience. Many of the trails are very popular, while several others see infrequent use. If you are fortunate enough to be able to complete all the trips in this book, you will gain a comprehensive appreciation for the complex beauty of one of the world’s most scenic and intact temperate-zone ecosystems.

Nearly half of the trails included in this guide are out-and-back trips, requiring you to retrace your steps back to the trailhead. Forty percent of the routes are full or partial loop trips, with the remaining six routes being point-to-point trips that are worthy of the required vehicle shuttle. For these, you’ll have to travel with friends or family who don’t mind picking you up at the end of the day, or arrange a commercial shuttle service for longer trips. It’s fairly common for people to hitchhike short distances through the parks to get to the trailhead before hiking back to their car.

Key Features

Top Trails books contain information about the features of each trail. Yellowstone and the Tetons are blessed with diverse terrain—no matter what your interests, you’re sure to find a trail to match them.

Water lovers and anglers will find plenty of pristine lakes, rivers, and streams, while peak-baggers will be spoiled by the choice of world-class alpine panoramas. The abundant open meadows are graced with riotous wildflower displays, and aspen groves provide plenty of fall color. All these features combine to make Greater Yellowstone a photographer’s paradise. With a bit of planning, the opportunities for camping, fishing, boating, swimming, and wildlife-watching are endless.

Multiple Uses

All the trails described in this guide are suitable for hiking. Although all the trails are equally legal for jogging, the vast majority are not suited for it, as running can incite predatory behavior in some wildlife. The only exceptions are the few gravel and paved roads in more developed areas that also allow bicycling, notably the road to Lone Geyser in Yellowstone. Where applicable, trail descriptions note where routes receive heavy stock use by horse packers and llama outfitters. Kayaking and canoeing are increasingly popular ways to reach some of both parks’ more secluded backcountry campsites—for example, Shoshone Lake in Yellowstone and Leigh Lake in Grand Teton. Fishing is superb in both parks too. As in most national parks, pets and mountain biking are prohibited. Winter use is limited but growing in both parks, with cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snow-coach tours becoming more popular as snowmobiling is increasingly restricted.

Trail Safety

Dramatic elevation changes pose a possible danger to visitors arriving from near sea level. Signs of altitude sickness include headache, fatigue, loss of appetite, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, dizziness, memory loss, and diminished mental acuity. A rapid descent generally alleviates any symptoms. The best advice is to eat lots of carbohydrates prior to the trip, acclimatize slowly, avoid alcohol and heavy foods, and drink plenty of fluids.

Burns from thermal features are a common cause of death and serious injury in Yellowstone. Follow posted regulations about off-trail travel, don’t traverse thermal areas after dark, and don’t bathe in thermal waters that aren’t National Park Service–approved (see “Bathers Beware”).

Ticks are a nuisance from mid-March through mid-July in the lowest-lying areas. Wear insect repellent, tuck your shirt and pant legs in, and check your body often. Depending on elevation and the rate at which the previous winter’s snowpack melts, the peak of the mosquito season hits the backcountry in June and July and abates in mid-August. Repellent, netting, and protective clothing are your best forms of protection.

Most of Yellowstone’s backcountry river crossings intentionally lack bridges, and many fords are dangerous (over thigh-deep) until at least July. Check current conditions during trip planning, and when in doubt, pick another route, or turn back.

Dehydration is a concern on longer trails where water is lacking. The presence of Giardia means that all water should be boiled, filtered, or otherwise treated before drinking. Keep your hands clean to avoid transmitting nasty microbes to your hiking companions.

Sunburn is a concern, especially at higher altitudes. Sun protection, sunglasses, and a good wide-brimmed hat are essential. Due to the possibility of rapid weather changes, hypothermia is a concern year-round. Most hypothermia cases happen when air temperatures are between 30°F and 50°F. Always check the weather forecast before heading out, and carry extra warm and waterproof gear. It’s not uncommon to experience four seasons during a midsummer hike.

Cell phone coverage is sketchy at best throughout both parks, though it has improved greatly in recent years and is available at most junctions in Yellowstone. In general Verizon offers the best coverage. That said, you should not count on your phone as a reliable means of communication in an emergency, especially in the backcountry.

Bathers Beware

Soaking directly in thermal waters is not officially allowed in Yellowstone, so as to protect both bathers’ skin and the park’s unique thermophilic microbiological resources. Swimming is allowed in a few places where thermal runoff mixes with cold-water sources, such as the Boiling River (Trail 2) and the Firehole River Canyon near Madison Junction.

In 2016 a parasitic amoeba was found in Kelly Warm Springs and Huckleberry and Polecat Springs in Grand Teton National Park. Dubbed the “brain-eating bacteria,” the amoeba can enter the body through nasal cavities and cause fatal meningitis-like symptoms. The park has closed all springs to the public.

See page 49 for the full list of our favorite Greater Yellowstone hot springs where soaking is allowed.

Free Wi-Fi is available in Yellowstone at Mammoth’s Albright Visitor Center and in Grand Teton at Craig Thomas Visitor Center in Moose, Colter Bay Village, Signal Mountain gas station, Jenny Lake Lodge, and Jackson Lake Lodge. Paid Wi-Fi is available ($5 per hour) at several of Yellowstone’s lodges, including the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, Lake Hotel, Grant Village lodges, and Canyon bar.

Park Entrance Fees

The park entrance fee ($30 per car, $25 per motorcycle/snowmobile, $15 per hiker or bicyclist) is valid for seven days’ admission to either Yellowstone or Grand Teton National Park. A seven-day pass to both parks is also available ($50 per car, $40 per motorcycle, $20 per hiker or bicyclist). The annual National Parks & Federal Recreational Lands Pass ($80, $10 for US citizens ages 62 and older, free with proof of permanent disability) grants entrance to federal recreation sites for one year from the date of purchase. Yearlong, park-specific passes ($60) allow entrance to a single park, so you are better off with a federal pass if visiting both parks.

Camping

Myriad camping opportunities exist throughout the Greater Yellowstone region. The challenge can be securing a spot, as the most popular campgrounds fill to capacity early in the day during the summer, especially on weekends. Where available, reservations are strongly advised between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends.

In Yellowstone, the National Park Service runs seven first-come, first-served campgrounds ($15–$20 per night). Call 307-344-2114 for details. The concessionaire Xanterra manages four reservable campgrounds ($23.50–$28 plus tax per night) and the Fishing Bridge RV Park ($50 plus tax), which can be booked online. Call 307-344-7311 or visit yellowstonenationalparklodges.com for details. With the exception of Slough Creek, all campgrounds have a few first-come, first-served hiker/biker sites ($4), which camp hosts might offer to car campers late in the day. The National Park Service sites are much smaller and less developed, most with basic vault toilets and prohibitions against generators. The more developed sites allow generators and have flush toilets, dump stations, and showers and laundry nearby. Campgrounds at Canyon and Grant Villages include two hot showers in their site fees. There is a 14-day limit on camping June 15–September 15 everywhere except Fishing Bridge, and a 30-day limit the rest of the year.

In Grand Teton, there are five first-come, first-served frontcountry campgrounds ($24–$25 per night) with hiker/biker sites ($10–$11 per night). There are also concessionaire-operated “trailer villages” (reservable RV parks with showers, laundry, and full hookups) at Colter Bay Village and at Flagg Ranch, between Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Download the Backcountry Trip Planner at tinyurl.com/yellowstonebackcountry for details on current reservation procedures.

Beyond these two parks, plenty of private campgrounds afford ample opportunity for primitive and dispersed camping in the nearby national forests and wilderness areas.

Signs at the entrances to both parks will tell you which campgrounds have spaces. Check nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm for live information on which campgrounds are open and at what time they filled, and plan your arrival accordingly. For Grand Teton campground status, visit gtlc.com/camping.

Backcountry Permits

Permits are required for all overnight stays in the backcountry of Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Backpackers can stay only in fixed campsites in the back-country. Fees are also charged for mandatory boating and fishing permits. Permits are not required for day hikes in either park.

In Yellowstone, advance reservations for the more than 300 backcountry campsites are accepted (for a $25 fee) only by mail or fax or in person, starting April 1. Fortunately, several backcountry sites in each area of the park are left open for in-person reservations, which can be made not more than 48 hours before the first date of the trip. For a full rundown of the extensive regulations, contact Yellowstone’s Backcountry Office at 307-344-2160 to request a free Backcountry Trip Planner, or download a copy at tinyurl.com/yellowstonebackcountry.

Family-Friendly Overnight Backpacking Favorites

Yellowstone has more easily accessible family-friendly backcountry overnight camping options, thanks to sheer size and topography, but Grand Teton has its fair share of alluring options—if you can score a reservation. Here are our personal favorites; advance reservations are highly recommended for all these sites.

Only 1.7 flat miles from the trailhead, campsite OD1 en route to Fairy Falls (Trail 28) is tucked away off the main trail in a mature stand of lodgepole pines that survived the 1988 fires. Drawbacks include no easy water access and little shade, but it’s only a mile from Fairy Falls, and you can even bicycle the first mile from the trailhead. Nearby site OD5 at Goose Lake is even more accessible as a disabled-access site. Rangers release the site to the able-bodied public after 4 p.m. on the day of use.

Just under 3 miles from the trailhead near Lone Star Geyser (Trail 29), campsite OA1 also includes the option to cycle the majority of the way to a pleasant overnight setting. To avoid the possibility of sharing the site with stock parties, you can head nearly 0.5 mile farther along the lovely Upper Firehole River to hiker-only campsite OA2.

If you’re really looking to escape the frontcountry hubbub and see what Yellowstone looked like before the 1988 fires, head for Cascade Corner and Bechler Meadows. Boy Scout troops have long recognized the beauty of the region, so you won’t be alone, but you will be surrounded by beautiful, lush country at hiker-only campsite 9B1, 3.4 flat miles from the trailhead. This route gets you into the heart of the wildlife-rich meadows while avoiding tricky stream crossings. If your family is up for a longer two-night loop, equally appealing campsite 9C1 is only 0.5 mile farther along.

In Grand Teton, a series of three campsites fronting the east shore of Leigh Lake (Trail 40) is about 3 flat miles in from the String Lake Picnic Area trailhead. Swimming is a joy after the water temperatures rise a bit in July, and boating is popular.

The Hermitage Point Loop (Trail 37) features Grand Teton’s next most accessible, low-elevation backcountry campsite. It’s 4.5 nearly flat miles from the trailhead in Colter Bay via the most direct route, or 4.9 miles via a more scenic route heading west along the lakeshore, for a total of 9.4 miles for the full loop. It can get windy, but the Teton views are fantastic. It’s technically a group site, but rangers at Colter Bay will book it for nongroups.

Unfortunately, the campsite fronting the north shore of Bradley Lake (Trail 35) is available only to backpackers doing multiday loop trips. Nearby, the rustic bunks at the Grand Teton Climbers’ Ranch (see page 276) could be a fun way to rough it without fully camping out.

Backcountry Use Permits are available at most ranger stations and dedicated backcountry offices. Permits cost $3 per person per night, up to a maximum fee of $25 per year. Popular backcountry sites at Heart Lake, the Black Canyon of the Yellowstone, and Shoshone Lake book up quickly, so make reservations or come with a flexible itinerary. You will need to watch a video on backcountry safety. Part of your permit goes in the car you park at the trailhead, while the main permit goes with you in your pack or on your tent. Contact the main backcountry office and consult the Backcountry Trip Planner (see above) for updates.

In Yellowstone, trailheads are sometimes referred to on maps (and in this book, where applicable) by an alphanumeric naming system, such as “Lone Star (OK1)”; a complete list of these trailhead names appears in the Backcountry Trip Planner.

Grand Teton has a similar backcountry permit system but has fewer specific numbered sites, using instead camping zones in the alpine canyons, where backpackers can choose a site within their designated zone. One-third of sites can be reserved January 1–May 15 by mail or fax, or online in real time at recreation.gov. The remaining sites are available to walk-ins no more than a day in advance. Permits cost $25 each ($35 for an advance reservation), regardless of the number of people or nights. You must pick up your permit by 10 a.m. on the day of departure. Backcountry offices at both Yellowstone and Grand Teton accept debit and credit cards, as well as cash.

Dunanda Falls (Trail 27)

CREDIT: Bradley Mayhew