Great Basin Trail – The trail is a combination of boardwalk and dirt which will take you on a 2.6 mile journey through the Great Basin. Parking close to the Great Basin is limited and there is overflow parking on the road leading to Great Basin. The overflow parking area has a trail to the main trail that will add about an additional 0.5 miles to your overall journey depending on your parking spot. I would say that the trail is fairly easy to walk but there is some up and down elevation but that maybe forty or fifty feet. Walking to the main trail there is a book store an even a place to see information about Great Basin. One of the main reasons for the boardwalk is that the ground is fragile and I am sure the Park Service does not want people walking on the fragile ground. Also there geysers are very hot and acidic which can cause harm to humans, so please stay on the trail. If you are lucky on the trails you can see a few geysers erupting but don’t count on it. There is a geyser in Great Basin that erupts with the highest spout but it is very erratic in the eruptions. The last eruption was April 14, 2025 and I went on the hike on July 14, 2025. When it erupts it is spectacular as it goes over 200 yards high! I sure would like to see it but think I would want to get out of the way of the hot water coming down. An additional geyser on the journey erupted one time, September of 1989, and it moved rocks that were blocking the hole. There is a sign saying that some people were even watching this happen, again I would have had to move along. All of the trails are loops within Great Basin and all of the loops connect so once you head down a trail you don’t have to come back to the starting point just just continue to the next loop.
Lamar Valley – The Lamar Valley is known for bison, and wolves. I was hoping to see a wolf up close and headed to the Lamar Valley, 2 hours each way from my campground. When I started to come to the valley there is an Osprey nest, near the flood damaged area, and I stopped and took some photos of the Osprey nest with the 3 babies along with mom and Dad. I was able to see a stick delivery to boost the nest and also a fish delivery. Great stuff. A bit further along I spotted a couple camped out with an awing on their rig just sitting and waiting. I asked what they were seeing and was told about a few bison kills and hopefully when it got cooler a wolf of bear. That got my attention but I moved onward to see more of the Lamar Valley. I decided it was time to head back to the kill area to wait out a wolf or bear. As luck would have it, I was able to see four coyotes, and two of them even walked within fifteen yards of where a group of watchers were standing. We also got to see a grizzly bear but he did not go to the kill site but walked around the area. We got lucky and saw a black wolf who was collared by the NPS for tracking purposes. The wolf walked to within thirty yards of our location and then stopped and went back the way he had come. No animal went to the kill site but I did get to see what I had come to find in Lamar Valley. The two hour ride back to the campsite at 10pm in the pitch dark was not the most fun drive. I came across three elk, ten pronghorn, and a fox on the drive.
Tower Falls – The falls are in the Northeast corner of the park but don’t go towards Lemar Valley. If you are traveling from Hot Springs at the Stop sign for Tower Roosevelt continue straight. The falls are on the left side of the road with ample parking. The Park Service even has a little store and restrooms at this stop. It is a short walk to the viewing area of the falls. The path is paved and is a slight down hill but don’t worry the way up is not bad at all. If you are so inclined you can take an additional path to the Yellowstone river from the viewing area. The path to the river is dirt with switchbacks and is down hill about 200 feet in I would guess in less than one half of a mile. The trail ends prior to the river but there is a “non-maintained” trail to the river. Be careful taking this down as you remember what goes down does come back up.
Lamar Valley Trail – The trail head is in Lamar Valley on the right side of the road. The pullout is before you get to the giant boulder so if you got to the boulder you have traveled just a wee bit too far. The trail is dirt and at the beginning heads down hill and you use a foot bridge to cross the river. Once on the other side of the river the trail is flat or slightly up hill for 1.4 miles. You can choose to travel further and take another trail that goes up at a leisurely level but you can travel away from sounds of humans and just enjoy yourself with nature. Just note that area has plenty of bison and where there is bison there are wolves and bears so don’t forget your bear spray. When I was hiking on the Lamar Valley Trail, I came across some bones from a bison and it appears to be some back bones and a pelvic bone but who am I to know for sure. The bones are bleached so they have been in on the trail for a long time. I liked the 1.4 mile each way trail as it was something that all parties who are able to walk the 2.8 miles can do, even two little kids did the walk when I was doing it.
Wrath Falls Trail – The trail is one half mile long each way and has a slight incline for most of the way to the falls. Once you cross the stream (with a bridge) you will then take a much steeper climb to the falls viewing area. The trail is dirt and is very easy to follow. The falls were a bit disappointing as they were not a straight down falls but more of a rock slope that water was going down. Additionally, the amount of water flow, in July, was limited. If you are headed from Mammoth to Teddy Roosevelt, I suggest you stop and stretch your legs on this one mile total hike.
Pelican Trail – I went to this trail a day before I went hiking on it to take some photos in a meadow. The meadow peaked my interest in the trail so the next day I came back to the trail and walked it to the lake. The trail itself does not have much of elevation change but is about 2.2 miles to the lake trail. The hike is in between hills and is a bunch of meadows. There was a time when I saw nobody, heard no human sounds and only the wind was making noise. I did see a bison while I was hiking but it was a bit from me so I was not worried. If you are on the East side of the park and want a hike that is not that strenuous but you get to see some great views of nature this is your trail for sure. If you are within the park take the fishing bridge turn and drive past the RV park and the first left is the parking area for the trail. There is parking for trailers (horse) and car along with the vault toilet.
