Yellowstone 2018: Trout Lake

Trout Lake is a beautiful alpine lake located in the Lamar Valley east of Tower Junction. It is a lovely, yet steep climb through a beautiful forest. You can do a short, .8 mile out and back, or you can do a 1.2 mile balloon trail by continuing around the lake. It is a fun trail to escape the crowds on the more popular trails within the park. The guide I used said we might see river otters, but the ranger I asked said he has never seen them here. So, I don’t know.

Quick Details:

Length: .8 mile out and back or 1.2 mile balloon trail.
Difficulty: DR4 this was a climb!
Elevation Gain: 275 feet.
Restroom: No. We found one at the nearby Pebble Creek Campground (it was located before the gate that closed the campground for the season, so still usable).
Dogs? Dogs are not allowed on backcountry trails.
Other Info: Yellowstone National Park does require an entrance fee.

To Get Here:

From Tower Junction drive 17.7 miles east. The signed trailhead will be on the left.

From the NE entrance drive 10.4 miles and it will be on the right.

The Trail:

Trailhead sign.

The herd of bison we had to wait for at the parking lot.

Up we go.

Nice view across the way.

Still a little snowy but not too bad.

Pretty forest.

Another great view.

Short flatter section. Phew!

Back to climbing.

Loving the frosted trees.

Gnarly tree.

Pretty forest.

First glimpse of the lake.

Made it to the shores.

Quick panoramic. I’m not sure, but I think that is Druid Peak on the right.

Nice reflection.

With both peaks.

Ducks!

Chipmunk!

Some fall color hanging on.

Tree pollen at the outlet.

Little bridge over the outlet.

The creek cascading down.

The creek again.

We opted to not continue all the way around the lake. We still had a long drive back. Although thinking about it, if there are otters up here, they might be in the inlet stream. Meh, oh well.

Nice reflection.

Another panoramic.

Peak above.

Pretty mossy trees.

View across the way.

Pretty forest.

This is the only spot that I didn’t like but only because the mud was a little slick.

More fall color.

Mountains and trees.

More frosted trees.

Really jagged peaks.

More peaks.

Soda Butte Creek.

That was a lovely trail, a little tougher than I was expecting, but still lovely. We ran into a few people, but not too many, it was still a nice peaceful hike in the woods. Going with 9 out of 10 squirrels.

As for difficulty, well, this was a direct climb up but it was a short climb so I am going with a DR4.

Dogs are not allowed on backcountry trails in Yellowstone. Please remember not to leave your beloved pet in the car or tied up to a post. Both options are very dangerous. Better to skip the trail than lose your friend.