Yellowstone Lake Overlook
| Trail Features: | Scenic Lake Views, Wildlife |  |
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| Trail Location: | West Thumb | ||||
| Roundtrip Length: | 1.7 Miles | ||||
| Trailhead Elevation: | 7765 Feet | ||||
| Total Elevation Gain: | 250 Feet | ||||
| Avg. Elev Gain / Mile: | 294 Feet | ||||
| Highest Elevation: | 8010 Feet | ||||
| Trail Difficulty Rating: | 2.20 (easy) | ||||
| Parking Lot Latitude | 44.41544 | ||||
| Parking Lot Longitude | -110.57516 | ||||
Trail Description:
The hike to Yellowstone Lake Overlook in Yellowstone National Park begins from the Lake Overlook Trailhead, located on the west wide of the West Thumb Geyser Basin parking lot.
From the parking area the trail almost immediately begins passing through a beautiful subalpine forest. During our hike we spotted a bull elk resting in a meadow as we traveled through this section. On our return trip we saw a coyote hunting for small game in this same area. Hikers may want to note that there was a warning posted at the trailhead about a bear frequenting the area during our visit. Although this is a fairly short hike, you can still run into a wide variety of wildlife anywhere in Yellowstone. It always best to hike in groups of at least three, make lots of noise, and carry bear spray.
Roughly two-tenths of a mile from the trailhead the footpath crosses over South Entrance Road. Just past the road you’ll reach the loop portion of the hike. At this junction you’ll see a sign indicating that you should turn right to proceed in a counterclockwise direction.
At just over a half mile the trail enters a grassy meadow, and soon begins ascending towards the overlook. As you approach the vantage point there is a very short section where the trail becomes moderately strenuous. You'll also notice a few small thermal features sprinkled throughout the upper portions of the hike. You should probably note that the park has published this warning on their website: “stay on the designated trail and abide by detour signs at all times”.
At just under eight-tenths of a mile hikers will reach the overlook, which rests in a meadow just below the summit of “Hill 8034”. On a clear day the overlook provides outstanding views of the entire West Thumb portion of Yellowstone Lake. You can even see the Absaroka Mountains towards the east entrance of the park. With 141 miles of shoreline, Yellowstone Lake is the largest lake above 7000 feet in North America. Unfortunately, we had a very cloudy day, as well as haze from wildfires across the west, so our pictures didn’t really capture the true beauty of the scene here.
To continue on the loop you should proceed down the other side of the overlook. At just over 1.4 miles hikers will complete the loop portion of the hike. Simply continue straight ahead at this junction to return back to the trailhead. I highly recommend this short, easy hike if you’re in the West Thumb area.
Additional Resources:
* Yellowstone National Park website
* Trail Map (trails are not included on the official park map)
* Lonely Planet Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks