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Yellowstone National Park has more than one thousand miles of trails. The trail experience is the quintessential Yellowstone experience. To walk a trail is to see this great park face to face.
The origins of the Yellowstone Trails System stem from human use and improvement of game trails that historically followed the path-of-least-resistance while traveling the most direct route between locations. This early lack of structural trail design, construction, and maintenance has raised a variety of safety, resource, and maintenance concerns as unchecked trail deterioration leads to intrusion on and damage of sensitive wetlands, stream crossings, and fragile meadows.
Twice in the twentieth century the National Park Service committed to improving and expanding Yellowstone's trails, but the second of these efforts occurred half a century ago. Now, because of ever increasing visitation to Yellowstone's scenic and historic areas, trail resources are showing significant wear. The Park now faces a trail restoration backlog that cannot be eliminated without private support.
Recognizing the magnitude of the task ahead, the Park has forged partnerships with youth groups, conservation corps, and volunteer organizations to bring more hands to this important work. A decade plan for the thorough restoration of Yellowstone's most traveled trails has been developed. What is needed now is the funding to execute it.
The Yellowstone Park Foundation established a $2,000,000 Yellowstone Trails Fund. This Fund is making possible the restoration of trail networks encompassing popular visitor destinations in the Old Faithful, Canyon, Mammoth Hot Springs, and Heart, Shoshone, and Yellowstone Lake areas. Trail treadway, bridges, and retaining walls will be restored, visitor safety enhanced, and natural resources protected.
At the conclusion of this ten year initiative, one hundred percent of the most heavily used trails in Yellowstone will be restored. As the National Park Service turns one hundred in 2016, we will be able to ensure that every hike in Yellowstone provides a memory of lasting value.
> Trails Fund map of trails to be restored
> Day Hiking in Yellowstone
> Backcountry Hiking and Camping in Yellowstone
> Bicycling in Yellowstone
> YellowstoneParkNet.com - hiking trail recommendations by park area
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