Shoshone Lake Trail

Offers some of the more unique natural phenomena in the park.

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Shoshone Lake Trail Details

This long backcountry trail to the southwest shore of Shoshone Lake and the Shoshone Geyser Basin offers some of the more unique natural phenomena in the park, passing a number of thermal areas, rivers, meadows, and mountains before reaching its destination. The trail is seldom traveled despite its offerings, and experiences only mild elevation change as it wanders through meadows and fir groves that are home to moose, deer, coyotes, and bears. The lake, which is the largest backcountry lake in the continental United States that is unreachable by road, is the second largest in the park, and is lined with tall lodgepole-pines and black sand beaches dotted with mallards and sandhill cranes. Traveling onward to the Geyser Basin makes the trip into an overnight hike, but it is well worth it to see the highest concentration of geysers in the world.

Difficulty

Moderate

Distance

6.5 miles

Estimated time

6.0 hours

Region

N/A