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Yellowstone Lake Overlook Trail, Yellowstone National Park


Wyoming > Yellowstone National Park > The Southeast > Hiking > Yellowstone Lake Overlook Trail
Yellowstone Lake Overlook Trail - view east from the summit
Hot pools

Yellowstone Lake Overlook

Quite popular route that climbs through forest and grassland, past a few small pools and gas vents, to a vantage point at the edge of a wildflower-filled meadow up in the mountains

Length: 1 mile

Elevation change: 500 feet

Difficulty: Easy

Type: One way

Usage: Medium

Season: Spring, summer, fall

Trailhead: West Thumb Geyser Basin

Rating (1-5): ★★★★★
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The slightly longer of two easy paths near Grant Village and West Thumb Geyser Basin, Yellowstone Lake Overlook Trail takes hikers one mile through thin pine forest to the top of a small treeless hill that gives a panoramic view over the surroundings including Yellowstone Lake and the much smaller Duck Lake to the east, the Red Mountains to the southeast and the continental divide to the west.

Also of interest are a few minor hot pools and vents near the summit, though the hike overall is not particularly special; a rather better elevated vista of Yellowstone Lake can be had from the Elephant Back Mountain Trail, starting 20 miles further north along the highway. Nevertheless, the proximity to the geyser basin ensures a steady stream of visitors to the overlook in summer.

Yellowstone Lake and Duck Lake
Yellowstone Lake and Duck Lake, from the end of the overlook trail


Location


Trail map for Yellowstone National Park.

The Overlook Trail


The official parking for the Yellowstone Lake Overlook hike is the main lot at West Thumb Geyser Basin, though the trail heads west and soon crosses the highway, so the walk could be shortened a little by parking here; the route is not signposted but recognizable by pedestrian crossing marks over the road. The path enters low, new growth pine forest, climbs slightly and soon emerges onto an open, grassy hillside, as the gradient starts to increase. The final section is quite steep, ascending about 400 feet and passing one cloudy, gently simmering pool before the path ends at the viewpoint on the hill top, just north of which are several other thermal vents. There are no trees on the summit so the views cover 360 degrees, over mainly mountainous, thickly forested land apart from in the east, where Yellowstone Lake stretches out towards the Absaroka Range on the horizon.


Hillside below the viewpoint
Hillside below the viewpoint; Yellowstone Lake in the distance

Nearby Trails

Duck Lake

Heart Lake Geyser Basin

Riddle Lake


Yellowstone Lake Overlook - Similar Hikes


Divide Lookout
Divide Lookout

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
★★★★★
Duck Lake
Duck Lake

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
★★★★★
Elephant Back Mountain
Elephant Back Mountain

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
★★★★★
Garfield Peak Trail
Garfield Peak Trail

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
★★★★★
Observation Point
Observation Point

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
★★★★★

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