Elephant Back Loop, WY

Another nice day hike in Yellowstone National Park near the Fishing Bridge area. This trail climbs through the dense lodgepole forest. After one mile, the trail splits into a loop at a well signed junction. The left fork is the shortest, steeper route to the top, though both join again at the overlook. The overlook provides a sweeping panoramic view of Yellowstone Lake and surrounding area. At the overlook spot, there are a couple of nice benches where you can sit, relax and soak in the view. Mornings are the best time for this hike as the lake tends to be calmer during that time of the day. Evenings may work good as well once the winds have died down. The pullout for this trailhead doesn't accomodate a lot of vehicles so plan to get an early start. As with most trailheads in Yellowstone National Park, it tends to fill up early in the day. The trailhead area is a good place to spot deer during the summer months. Bears can be found in the area as well, especially in the early summer months (prior to Memorial Day weekend). There is a little bit of climbing involved on this hike, but older kids shouldn't have trouble completing this hike. We saw several families on the trail on the day we did this hike. The lodgepole pine provide decent shade along this trail.

2010-07-27 sagamihara_hiker