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Backpacking in Yellowstone 2025

July 19-22, 2025

Click on the image for link to map

Day 1: Start at the Lone Star Trailhead near Old Faithful and Kepler Cascades.  We will be going a total of 6.62 miles today with backpacks on to get to Shoshone Meadows camp spot.  There will only be 571 ft of elevation gain. The campsite there will have a pole to hang our food and pit toilets.  

Sites of interest – some small geysers along the way as well as Lone Star Geyser.

Campsite is 8G1 Shoshone Meadows.

If we have extra energy we can take a 2.25 mile jaunt to Shoshone Lake – 4.5 miles roundtrip.  This would be without packs – 164 ft of elevation gain.  This would make for a total of 11.12 miles if we go to the lake.

Day 2: Leave Shoshone Meadows.  We will be going a total of 8.77 miles today along the Bechler River with backpacks on to get to our Ferris Fork camp spot.  There will  be 879 ft of elevation gain as we cross the Continental Divide. The campsite there will have a pole to hang our food and pit toilets.  

Sites of interest:

  • Continental Divide
  • Douglas Knob
  • Ragged Falls
  • Mr. Bubbles!

Campsite is 9D1 Ferris Fork.

After we get settled we will take a .85 mile jaunt to some HOT SPRINGS! Mr. Bubbles 🙂 – 1.7 miles roundtrip.  This would be without packs – 174 ft of elevation gain.  This would make for a total of 10.47 miles with the hot springs.

Day 3: Leave Ferris Fork.  Today will be a long day! We will be going a total of 12.14 miles all with packs. We will hike along the Bechler River pretty much the whole day with lots of waterfalls and a pretty hefty river crossing. We will be heading to our next camping spot, Boundary Creek Meadows.  There will only be 249 ft of elevation gain the whole day so lots of miles but not tough miles. The campsite there will have a pole to hang our food and pit toilets.  

Sites of interest:

  • Albright Falls
  • Iris Falls

  • Upper and Lower Colonnade Falls

  • Ouzel Falls

Campsite is 9A1 Boundary Creek Meadows.

Day 4: Today will be another long day! We will be going a total of 11.66 miles, but only 5.14 of those with backpacks. Today we will start with a day hike to Dunanda Falls without our Packs. We will leave our tents set up at camp and just make the 3.25 mile hike up to Dunanda to soak in the springs and go in the waterfall. Dunanda is totally worth the extra effort. Hot Springs AT THE WATERFALL! Epic.  We will spend as much time as necessary there and then return to camp and pack up for the trek to the cars. There will only be 555 ft of elevation gain, most of it without packs on the way to the falls. The backpack portion out will be 5.14 miles to the Bechler Ranger Station.  

Sites of interest:

  • Dunanda Falls