Best 100 Miles: Shoshone Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, WY
This half-mile of backcountry geysers is among the best 100 miles of trail in the whole national park system.
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Shoshone Geyser Basin. Photo by Eric Krukowski
1/2 mile / The Living Earth
Frontcountry geyser basins are cool. But backcountry geyser basins, where no boardwalks or crowds interrupt the steaming, bubbling, bursting landscape, are where the earth really comes alive. Getting to Shoshone’s geysers and hot springs is half the fun: You’ll hike deep into a wilderness filled with grizzlies and bison, crossing the Continental Divide at 8,010-foot Grants Pass before dropping to the basin on the edge of Shoshone Lake (or paddle there). This ain’t no Old Faithful area: You’ll experience Yellowstone’s thermal zones like the early explorers did. Step carefully.
Trailhead 44.418486, -110.805745
Total miles 34 (out and back)
Camping Allowed at 5 designated sites en route. Request permits starting January 1 ($25 + $3/person/night) or try for a walk-in permit.
Infonps.gov/yell
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