Yellowstone National Park · Idaho, Montana, Wyoming

Elephant Back Trail

2.9 mi of trail, end to end · about 750 ft of climbing · 7,825 ft–8,617 ft · earth surface · trail class Minimally Developed · hiking

Trailhead Elephant Back Trailhead 7,826 ft Drive there

Elephant Back Mountain Trail the Park Service's write-up

2-3 Hours · no dogs · Summer, Fall

Start Lake Village

This trail climbs 800 feet (244 m) in 1-½ miles (2.4 km) through the dense lodgepole forest. After 0.8 of a mile, the trail splits into a loop. The left fork is the shortest route to the top, though both join again at the overlook. The overlook provides a sweeping panoramic view of Yellowstone Lake and surrounding area.

Safety notes: Always be aware of your surroundings and look for signs of grizzly bears.

Trailheads: Pullout 1 mile (1.5 km) south of Fishing Bridge Junction.

This hike on nps.gov

On the parks map

About this trail's facts

The lines are the National Park Service's public trails layer, the trailheads and the waterfalls, views, peaks and historic places along them the Service's public points of interest, read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end. The write-ups are the Service's own "things to do" text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the park's own site before you go.