Yellowstone National Park · Idaho, Montana, Wyoming

Mallard Lake Trail

3.5 mi of trail, end to end · about 800 ft of climbing · 7,357 ft–8,138 ft · earth surface · trail class Minimally Developed · hiking

Backcountry camps

7,358 ft 8,083 ft · 2.6 mi high 8,095 ft

Along the way OB2

Trailhead Mallard Lake Trailhead 7,362 ft Drive there

Mallard Lake Trail the Park Service's write-up

3-6 Hours · no dogs · Winter, Summer, Fall

Start Upper Geyser Basin

A lake surrounded by rolling hills and forests.
Photo: NPS / Addy Falgoust

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.

Safety notes: Be aware of bear activity. Return the same way.

Trailheads: From the southeast side of the Old Faithful Lodge cabins, take the first right turn and continue 0.2 miles (0.3 km) across the Firehole River to the trailhead.

This hike on nps.gov

On the parks map

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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.