If over the last few years you ran into a fellow in a dusty Detroit Tigers cap jotting down thoughts in a tattered notebook trailside, that probably was me. Four hefty chapters within The Rough Guide to Yellowstone and Grand Teton are dedicated to outdoor activities, with a strong emphasis on hiking.
Regrettably, only a small percentage of visitors leave the parking lots and boardwalks behind to hike a fraction of the nearly 1500 miles of trails weaving through Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Don’t make the same mistake.
Along with information on camping regulations, what to bring along on both short and long hikes, the best maps, bear safety and much more, the guide contains 40 detailed hikes. The full trail descriptions can only be found in the Guide. However, the complete roster of hikes is listed below, and the first hike – a pleasant meander leaving from Mammoth in northern Yellowstone – can be read as a working example.
The Rough Guide to Yellowstone and Grand Teton: 40 Top Hikes
Yellowstone day hikes
1) Beaver Ponds (click here for a Guide sample)
2) Wraith Falls
3) Osprey Falls
4) Yellowstone Picnic Area Loop
5) Slough Creek Trail
6) Lamar River Trail to Cache Creek
7) Mount Washburn
Cascade Lake and Observation Peak
9) Seven-Mile Hole Trail
10) The South Rim: Point Sublime and Lily Pad Lake
11) Monument Geyser Basin
12) Purple Mountain
13) Sentinel Meadows
14) Fairy Falls and Imperial Geyser
15) Mystic Falls
16 Natural Bridge Road
17) Elephant Back Mountain
18) Avalanche Peak
19) Riddle Lake
20) Lewis Channel to Dogshead Trail
21) Bechler Meadows
22) Union Falls
Grand Teton day hikes
23) Glade Creek Trail
24) Sheffield Creek Trail
25) Hermitage Point
26) Colter Bay Nature Trail
27) Two Ocean and Emma Matilda Lakes
28) String Lake to Bearpaw Lake
29) Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point
30) Amphitheater Lake Trail
31) Taggart and Bradley lakes loop
32) Blacktail Butte Traverse
Overnight hikes
34) Yellowstone: Black Canyon of the Yellowstone
35) Yellowstone: Pelican Valley to Wapiti Lake loop
36) Yellowstone: Shoshone Geyser Basin
37) Yellowstone: Heart Lake and Mount Sheridan
38) Grand Teton: Cascade Canyon to Paintbrush Canyon
39) Grand Teton: Death Canyon Loop
40) Grand Teton: Teton Crest Trail
If you’ve already hiked through either park, feel free to email me at rg_freelancer@yahoo.com with thoughts on new hikes to include in future editions. Email me as well if you’d like to chat over hiking plans for an upcoming visit.