Hiking Weekend in Yellowstone

The boys and I started the weekend off on Friday, July 1st with a hike to Bacon Rind Creek Trail. Yes, I think it's keto-friendly if you adhere to this diet😂 It is a beautiful short little hike just inside Yellowstone. To get to the trailhead drive on HWY 191 out of West Yellowstone going towards Bozeman.  This hike is the only hike that heads west on this side of Yellowstone National Park. The turn-off to the trail between is mile maker 22-23. 



2.1 miles of this hike is inside the park and is very well maintained. The trail continues into the Gallatin National Forest. We however did not make it that far. As you can see in this picture it is pine pollen season. We could see a wall of green pollen coming our way. We had planned to continue closer to the wall of green but we hit a mud hole that was impassable. We made it 1.55 miles along this trail and then headed back out.


Friday and Saturday afternoon we rode mountain bikes in Harriman State Park in Island Park Idaho. It was a beautiful day. We went about 7 miles each day.


Saturday evening I went for a short hike of about 3 miles. I did find a hole that looked to have been dug by a bear. Yikes! Hiking alone is not recommended in bear country. I sang loudly and poorly to let anything know that I was in the area.  I'm sure that if anything was there I scared it away.

Sunday we hit the Bighorn Pass Trailhead again on the western edge of Yellowstone National Park. This trailhead is on the eastern side of Highway 191 south of Bacon Rind Creek.  This is a beautiful hike along the Upper Gallatin River. This is a great place to hike and fly fish. Remember that you have to possess a Yellowstone fishing license. You can purchase this license online for $75.  This trail goes to the Grand Loop Road and is 13.1 miles. We hiked 7 miles and called it a day. It would be fun to do the entire hike and have a shuttle waiting or camp overnight.

We would have hiked a little longer but a huge storm rolled in over the mountains. Another important thing to remember when hiking, especially in Yellowstone country is that the weather can change quickly! We ended up jogging a little bit of the trail back to the vehicle with concerns of lightning. Storms like this one can come in quickly.
Monday, July 4th we hiked part of the Fan Creek Trail which is south of mile marker 22 on Highway 191. We hiked this trail until we hit a fording in the creek that we decided not to take. We turned back to the junction located 1.4 miles from the trailhead and headed up Fawn Pass which is rated a difficult hike of 19.7 miles. This hike is in a bear-management area when you hit the Bighorn Pass Cutoff. We did not make it that far today but hope to in the future. I would like to go to the top of the pass and either turn back or do the complete hike to Glen Creek Trailhead.  We need to get a much earlier start and forgo fishing to do this.
We hiked as a family in Yellowstone this weekend. All of these hikes are on the western side of the park and you do not have to go through the gates to get to them. In total, I clocked 62,775 steps which equal about 26 miles.
  • Remember to carry bear spray, I have a super cute fanny pack type holder to carry mine. I know you're jealous!!
  • Tell people where you are going and when you will be back. 
  • Hike in a group, in bear management areas of Yellowstone make sure the group consists of 4 or more.
  • Do not leave the trail, especially in bear management areas.
  • Take plenty of water or a filtering system. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
  • Watch the weather.
  • Plan to be out in bad weather, take some type of protective rain gear.
  • Wear sunscreen and bug spray.
  • Always be kind and courteous on the trail. Except when you see bears. When you see bears then just back away and give them room.
Get out there and take a hike! See you on the trails.








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