Trout Lake
| Trail Features: | Lake Views, Wildlife, Wildflowers |  |
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| Trail Location: | Northeast Entrance Road | ||||
| Roundtrip Length: | 1.3 Miles | ||||
| Trailhead Elevation: | 6755 Feet | ||||
| Total Elevation Gain: | 250 Feet | ||||
| Avg. Elev Gain / Mile: | 385 Feet | ||||
| Highest Elevation: | 6970 Feet | ||||
| Trail Difficulty Rating: | 1.80 (easy) | ||||
| Parking Lot Latitude | 44.89918 | ||||
| Parking Lot Longitude | -110.12315 | ||||
Trail Description:
The hike to Trout Lake in Yellowstone National Park begins from the Trout Lake Trailhead, located roughly 1.5 miles south of the Pebble Creek Campground on Northeast Entrance Road.
From the roadside parking area the trail begins a moderately strenuous climb through a Douglas-fir forest to reach the top of a ridge. Over the course of the first three-tenths of a mile hikers will climb roughly 200 feet before leveling out, and then making the short descent down to the lakeshore.
Upon arriving at the lake we watched as a bison sauntered over a hill on the opposite side, and then proceed to follow along the shore area for a short distance before disappearing into the hills once again. This popular 12-acre lake is also known for its great fishing opportunities, as well as the otter that sometimes reside here.
From the junction near the shore the trail continues by circling around the lake. Although you can travel in either direction, we chose to proceed in a counter-clockwise direction.
Roughly one-third of the way around the loop hikers will cross over the inlet stream that feeds the lake. Along the southern end of the lake hikers will reach a short side trail that leads up to a hill that overlooks the Soda Butte Creek valley and surrounding mountains. From this overlook we saw another bison grazing roughly one hundred yards away. Even at that distance the bison seemed to be aggravated by our presence, so we quickly retreated to avoid an unpleasant confrontation.
Just before completing the 0.6-mile loop around the lake the trail crosses over the outlet stream near a small waterfall. If you're visiting the lake in June you may see spawning cutthroat trout both here and along the inlet stream. Just beyond this footbridge hikers will arrive at the main trail that leads back to the parking area.
In addition to scenic views and spotting a variety of wildlife, the trail provides a great opportunity to see a plethora of wildflowers during the spring and early summer months.
Additional Resources:
* Yellowstone National Park website
* Trail Map (trails are not included on the official park map)
* Lonely Planet Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks