Yellowstone National Park · Idaho, Montana, Wyoming

Pelican Valley Trail

6.9 mi of trail, end to end · about 400 ft of climbing · 7,821 ft–7,970 ft · earth surface · trail class Minimally Developed · hiking

7,821 ft 7,863 ft · 2.1 mi high 7,916 ft

Trailhead Pelican Valley Trailhead 7,820 ft Drive there

Pelican Valley Trail the Park Service's write-up

3-4 Hours · no dogs · Summer, Fall

Start Fishing Bridge

People on horseback ride through a field of sagebrush with mountains in the distance.
Photo: NPS / Ashton Hooker

You are entering some of the best grizzly country in the lower 48 states. The trail heads north, crosses a few bridges through a meadow, then enters the forest. After it leaves the forest, it ascends a small hill to a nice overlook of the valley, with the creek below and the Absaroka Mountains to the east. From here, the trail turns slightly to the right (east) and passes through a small hydrothermal area. Stay on the trail through this fragile and hazardous area. Soon, the trail veers north (left), crosses a small creek, and climbs up a cut bank. This is a good place to enjoy the views of Pelican Creek. The trail continues one mile further to a washed-out bridge.

Safety notes: Many restrictions apply to this trail because it is in prime grizzly bear habitat: Closed until July 4th ( Bear Management Area closure ), day-use only from 9 am–7 pm, groups of four or more hikers recommended, and off-trail travel prohibited on the first 2.1 miles (3.4 km). Check the Backcountry Situation Report for current information.

Trailheads: Turn onto the gravel road 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Fishing Bridge Visitor Center; park at end of road.

Accessibility This is a fairly level, single-wide, bare ground trail that heads through a valley. There is no bridge crossing the creek.

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.