Fountain Paint Pots Trail / Lower Geyser Basin

The first hike I want to talk about is the Fountain paint pots or Lower Geyser Basin trail. This is a boardwalk path that exposes you to a lot of the various geological features you can expect in Yellowstone. There are mud pots, billowing geysers, fumaroles, and hot springs all along this boardwalk. You even find yourself having to dodge the geysers activating on a regular basis along this trail. It is a good first mix of what you can expect to find throughout the park.

Artists’ Paintpots Trail

Now for my second hike if you liked the mud pots seen on the fountain paint pots trail, you should check out the artist paint pots trail which is another short boardwalk trail containing a variety of bubbling mud pots. It is very fitting for the name too as some of these look like paint that an artist could dip their brush into. These are deathly hot though so be cautious….

Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail

The third hike I want to talk about will be one with more crowds, but despite that it is still worth the trek and that is the Grand Prismatic Overlook trail. This trail leads up to an amazing viewpoint from which to see the grand prismatic hot springs in Yellowstone.

Fun Fact: The plethora of colors you see are due to the various bacteria that inhabit this superhot springs. Viewing this area makes you feel like you have visited another plant!!

Sheepeater Cliffs

Next up is the Sheepeaters cliff, located on the way to Mammoth Hot Springs. This is a lesser known trail but it is well worth a trip if you like scenic and adventurous hikes. This trail follows the Gardner river and has some epic views. The trail itself is a narrow dirt trail that hugs the edge of the river and you can expect to see beautiful flowers, great river views and the Sheepeater cliff itself which is an interesting unique formation of basalt caused by lava flows!

Lamar River Trail, Lamar Valley

The Lamar river trail is another epic trail trough parts of the Lamar valley, it starts with a bridge over the Lamar river and lets you walk through the valley taking in the beautiful scenery.

Pro Tip: Now Lamar valley is known as a hotspot for wildlife so you will need to be careful here especially as this is a frequent spot for the wolves of Yellowstone to roam through but typically as long as you see other hikers around, travel in groups and have some bear spray you will be fine – as these animals wish to avoid you just as much as you should avoid them!!

Trout Lake, Lamar Valley

The next hike is also in the Lamar valley area and is called Trout Lake. This trail is a bit of a steep hike but leads to the beautiful lake where you can see trout swimming upstream. It also has a lot of epically beautiful meadows along the hillside to view with small paths through the lush greenery.

Storm Point, Yellowstone Lake

The next trek is Storm Point trail near Yellowstone Lake. This is a lesser known trail but follows part of the massive Yellowstone Lake and also features a lot of diversity in landscape. You travel through the fields, leading to the dense forests, a rocky perch view over the lake and even a beautify beachy view of the lake. This trail is a sight to behold!