Day Hikes in Yellowstone National Park

Fairy Falls is an easy day hike in the Old Faithful area of Yellowstone National Park.
Details
Round trip: 5 miles (8.4 km)
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead: Short route — park 1 miles (1.5 km) south of Midway Geyser Basin, cross the steel bridge and walk 1.1 mile (1.8 km) to the trailhead.

The trail travels through young forest 1.4 miles (2.4 km) to the 200-foot (61m) falls. Continue 0.65 miles (1.1 km) past the falls through a wet area to Imperial Geyser, which has frequent minor eruptions.

Observation Point is a short but strenuous hike located above Old Faithful.
Details
Round trip: 1.6 miles (2.8 km) OR 2.2 miles (3.7 km)
Difficulty: Strenuous
Elevation gain: 200 ft.
Trailhead: Located behind the Old Faithful Lodge & Cabins

Walk counter clockwise around the Old Faithful boardwalk; turn right at the sign to Geyser Hill. Trailhead is on the right after the Firehole River bridge, approximately 0.3 miles (0.5 km) from the visitor center. Switchbacks lead up the hill 0.5 miles (0.8 km) to a commanding view of the Upper Geyser Basin. Return the same way or continue west to Solitary Geyser, which erupts frequently, then to the Geyser Hill boardwalk. The longer route is 2.2 miles (3.7 km).

Sentinel Meadows & Queeen’s Laundry Trail is a day hike located 10 miles from Old Faithful.
Details
Round trip: 3.8 miles (6.4 km) all the way to Queen’s Laundry
Difficulty: Moderate
Bear Management Area: Be “bear aware”
Trailhead: Travel 10 miles (16 km) north of Old Faithful, l;turn left on Fountain Flat Drive. Park at the end of the road, cross the footbridge over the Firehole River to the trailhead.

The trail follows the Firehole River a short distance, then veers toward the meadows. Look for the large sinter mounds of hot springs and the remains
of the old, incomplete bathhouse at Queen’s Laundry, 1.9 miles (3.2 km) from the trailhead. This trail is often very wet in spring and buggy in summer.
Begun in 1881, construction was abandoned as park administrations and priorities changed. Minerals from the hot springs preserved the structure, which
was the first building constructed by the government for public use in any national park. Queen’s Laundry is a National Historic Site.

Mallard Lake Trail is a moderately strenuous day hike to a beautiful lake.

Details
Round trip: 6.8 miles (11 km) OR 7.7 miles (12.2 km)
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead: Southeast side of the Old Faithful Lodge cabins, near the Firehole River. Take the last right turn as you come into the Old Faithful Lodge area and continue down the road past some cabins to the trailhead.

The trail crosses the firehole River, passes Pipeline Hot Springs, and climbs rolling hills of partially-burned lodgepole pine and open, rocky areas to the lake. Return the same way, or if you have arranged a car shuttle, continue via the Mallard Creek trail, for a total of 7.7 miles (12.2 km).

Mystic Lake Trail
Details
Round trip: 2.4 miles (4.0 km) OR 3.9 miles (6.4 km) if you continue on to the overlook.
Difficulty: Moderately strenuous
Trail head: At the back of the Biscuit Basin boardwalk, 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Old Faithful Junction. You can also begin 0.25 miles (0.4 km) south of Biscuit basin; park in pullouts on either side of the road.
Bear Management Area: Be “Bear Aware”.

This trail follows a lovely creek through mixed conifer forest to the 70-foot Mystic Falls, over which the Little Firehole River drops from the Madison Plateau. Turn around here or climb the switchbacks to an overlook of the Upper Geyser Basin, then loop back to the main trail, 1.5 additional miles (2.4 km).

Howard Eaton Trail to Lone Star Geyser is a moderate 5.8 mile (9.4 km) day hike near Old Faithful.
Details
Round trip: 5.8 miles (9.4 km)
Difficulty: Moderate
Trailhead: Park near the Old Faithful Ranger Stateion, then foloow the paved path across the Grand Lop Road. turn left at the first intersection, turn left again, and follow orange trail-markers in the beginning of the trail.

The trail climbs a burned hill, continues through spruce fir forest, then down to Lone Star Geyser, Return the same way.

Overlooking a valley of the Lamar River, Specimen Ridge offers outstanding views and an unparalleled opportunity to observe Yellowstone’s geology up close. The route shown on this map takes you directly to this fascinating site.
The other side of this sheet explains the geology of Specimen Ridge. Always carry rain gear, extra food and water, and other emergency equipment when venturing into the backcountry. Be sure to obtain current trail conditions and bear activity information at the Tower Backcountry Office.
NOTE:
This trail is NOT a part o the longer Specimen Ridge Trail. The Petrified Trees of Speciment Ridge is a separate, unmaintained and unmarked route.

Details

Distance: 3.0 miles (4.8 km) Roundtrip
Estimated Time: 2-4 Hours
Difficulty: Extremely strenuous – This hike is at a high elevation and is not recommended for persons with heart and/or respiratory problems.
Trailhead: Striped pullout 4.5 miles (7.2 km) east of Tower Junction on the Northeast Entrance Road marked by a sign reading “Trailhead”.
About Specimen Ridge: Nearly 150 species of fossil plants from Yellowstone have been found, spanning 500 million years, from the Cambrian to the Holocene. Most petrified wood and other plant fossils come from Eocene deposits about 50 million years old, which occur in many northern parts of the park. Best known are the fossil forests of Specimen Ridge, where the remains of hundreds of these 50-million-year old trees stand exposed on a steep hillside, with trunks up to eight feet in diameter and some more than 20 feet tall. The specimens include sequoia, fir, and numerous deciduous species.
The first fossil plants from Yellowstone were collected by the early Hayden Survey parties. An 1878 report referred to fossil “forests” on Amethyst Mountain opposite the mouth of Soda Butte Creek.
Around 1900, F. H. Knowlton proposed the theory that the petrified trees on Specimen Ridge were forests petrified in place. His theory remained dominant through most of the 20th century.
A more recent theory proposes the trees were uprooted by volcanic debris flows and transported to lower elevations. The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens supported this idea. Its mud flows transported trees to lower elevations and deposited some trees upright—similar to what you see on Specimen Ridge
What is Petrified Wood?Petrified wood is a fossil of woody vegetation. Most fossils are imprints of plants or animals. Petrified wood is a three-dimensional fossil that is created when trees, or tree parts, are covered by silica-rich sediment. Water seeping through the sediment dissolves the minerals in the soil and penetrates the cells of the tree. As it flows through the plant tissue, it leaves the minerals behind to replace the vegetable matter with stone.
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