Yellowstone Kid Hikes

Our blog has been silent for awhile. That's because we spent the last week in Yellowstone and the Tetons. We had a great time and saw 17 different kinds of animals (not including the 41 species of birds we identified).

Though Yellowstone is not officially a Utah Valley Family Adventure, our family tradition is to go there every other year. We've tried many of the short hikes, and we thought you may benefit from a little information about each one. So here is our rundown of short hikes in Yellowstone:

Wraith Falls: We have done this hike every time we've been to Yellowstone. Located just a few miles east of Mammoth, this short, easy hike can be enjoyed by pretty much anyone. A short walk across an open meadow with a boardwalk for much of the way ends at a beautiful waterfall. The round trip is just 1 mile.

Wraith Falls

Artist Paint Pots: This hike is very well known. It is located between Norris and Madison Junction and has it's own turnout. The actual hike is short, in the shape of a lollipop, and has one steep part that includes steps (if you take the lollipop counter-clockwise). The payoff is unique geological features that looks just like boiling paint-- mostly white and gray. The round trip is 1.2 miles.

Artist Paint Pots

Harlequin Lake: Our four year-olds did great on this hike. We love to do it on the way into the park as it is located between the west entrance and Madison Junction. It starts off a little steep and meanders up to a beautiful mountain lake that has many birds, chipmunks and squirrels. As far as a flashy ending, there isn't one-- it's just a lake. Still, at 1 mile out-and-back, this is a great hike for kids.

Harlequin Lake

Little Gibbon Falls: The problem with this hike is that it is entirely unmarked. You'll need special instructions to find it. It is located exactly 3.3 miles east of Norris. There is a pullout on the south side of the road. The hike starts near an orange marker across the road and about 30 yards east (toward Canyon) from the pullout. The trail goes through some soggy meadows (you may encounter mosquitoes) and ends at a beautiful waterfall that not very many Yellowstone visitors see. The trail is out-and-back, just 1.2 miles.

Little Gibbon Falls

Trout Lake: This is one of our favorite short hikes because we saw an otter at this lake! The trail is very short, just .6 miles up to the lake, but we wanted to walk around the entire lake (probably another .6 or so) and then .6 back. The trail is quite steep up to the lake, so you may find this difficult, but we went with 6 kids age 6 and under (the cousins tagging along), and they all walked the entire way (except the infant on my back). If you can handle the climb, you'll love this hike located in the Lamar Valley.

Trout Lake

Mystic Falls: We did this hike before we had children, and it ends at a beautiful 70 foot waterfall. There is some climbing, and the trail is a little longer-- about 4 miles around the lollipop, but you can also hike out to the falls and back-- 1.1 miles each way if you'd like to shorten this hike.

Mystic Falls
Had to scan this one from the scrapbook...old school pics!

Fairy Falls: This is the crown-jewel of Yellowstone hikes. Fairy Falls is absolutely amazing and plunges 200 feet into a beautiful pool. The trail is long, though, at 5.2 miles. This trailhead is near Old Faithful, and the trail is very flat and easy. You start out on what used to be a dirt road, and after about a mile you turn into the pines and walk to the falls. We really pushed our almost 5-year old to get this one done, and our kids are pretty experienced hikers, so save this one until the kids our a little older.

Fairy Falls

Storm Point: This hike is located between Fishing Bridge and the east entrance. It is 1.5 mile loop that follows the shore of Yellowstone Lake. We really like this hike because you are guaranteed to see some wildlife. There is a marmot colony about halfway around the loop, and marmots sit on the rocks and whistle at you. On the other side of the loop is Storm Point, which juts out into the lake. This is another hike that we've done nearly every time we've gone to Yellowstone.

Storm Point

There are a lot more easy hikes in Yellowstone, but we haven't had a chance to try them yet. Let us know if you have a favorite in the comment section!

*Note: Though the reviews above are ours, we use the book "Hiking Yellowstone National Park: A Falcon Guide" by Bill Schneider to find our hikes. You can buy it at the park.