Difficulty: Moderate
Estimated time: 2.5–4.5 hours
Season: May–Oct
Trailhead location: Map p.46, betweeen Liberty Cap and the private stone house at the northern end of the Lower Terraces.
Comment: An easy to follow hike from Mammoth, great for both wildflowers and elk spotting.
You almost certainly won’t spot any beavers on Beaver Ponds Trail – they’re thought to be gone from this area – but you will pass a collection of pretty ponds while cutting through fields renowned for their impressive wildflower displays. An added bonus, this is one of Yellowstone’s rare loop hikes that can be walked in a single morning or afternoon
Starting from the northern end of Mammoth’s Lower Terraces, the first several hundred yards of the hike are the steepest, climbing close to 400ft up Clematis Gulch along Sepulcher Mountain Trail. At about the three-quarter mile point, you’ll branch off to the north at a signed junction, following Beaver Ponds Trail as it heads due north for a couple miles before looping back towards Mammoth. Should you be here in early summer, you’ll probably already have walked past hundreds of yellow Arrowleaf Balsamroot in dense clumps at this point, particularly on hillsides. Wildlife paths branch off in all directions on the main trail; if the main trail isn’t evident, look for the orange blazes nailed high up on tree trunks. As you approach the ponds at the loop’s northern end, the trail dips in and out of shady woods – look for the scars left by grazing elk on the trunks of the area’s aspen trees – and past a radio tower. The path passes by at least five ponds, so you’ll want to have bug spray handy if there’s no wind; bring a camera as well, as amongst the colorful flowers typically spotted are the delicate Rocky Mountain Iris (the roots of which are poisonous) along with the gorgeous Yellow Columbine. After turning back to the south, the trail skirts the final, largest pond, home to the remnants of an abandoned beaver dam. Past here, the trail crosses mainly high meadows dotted with sagebrush and, often enough, elk; take your time, as the there are lovely views down to the town of Gardiner to the north and dusty Mount Everts (7842ft).
Towards trail’s end, you’ll walk alongside the Old Gardiner Road, dipping down to its entrance behind the Mammoth Hotel. From here, it’s a short walk past the hotel and Yellowstone General Store back to the original trailhead to complete the loop.