The Best Hikes for Kids in Yellowstone National Park

Hearts, a butterfly, and a caterpillar on top of photos from Yellowstone National Park, including geysers, bison, and a waterfall — Some of the best hikes for kids in Yellowstone National Park! L side: Mammoth Hot Springs and bison along the Fountain Flat Freight Road. Center: Old Faithful. R side: A geyser (maybe in the Middle Geyser Basin?) and Lower Yellowstone Falls from Artist Point.

Yellowstone National Park may be one of the most kid-friendly places in the National Park System, at least when it comes to the variety of hiking. The park has a wide breadth of short and longer hikes that are varied enough to keep kids engaged. You can also stop at a visitor center and pick up a “Junior Ranger” booklet to complete, then take it back to the visitor center to receive a prize!

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The first time I visited Yellowstone was shortly after my 5^th birthday. The park enthralled me, from seeing bison and other wildlife to the colorful hot springs and (my favorite) the fascination of the geysers (water randomly spirting out of the ground? Now there’s a mystery!). National parks didn’t get any better than this in my five-year-old brain! My parents brought my little siblings and me back several times over the years. And the best part? The adults always seem to enjoy the wonders of the park, too!

A woman in a red shirt with a child in a backpack watch a geyser erupt across several boardwalks — Old Faithful erupting on my first visit to the park (that’s my little sister in the backpack)

There are two non-child-friendly things I don’t shy away from in this list of the best kid-friendly hikes in Yellowstone. First, geothermal areas. I’m trusting you have enough control over your child to keep them from walking off a boardwalk. Second, cliff edges. Most of the hikes mentioned here with cliffs have railings, but not all (for example, portions of the North Rim Trail at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone have railings, and other portions do not). If your young child likes to explore, but you’re worried about them doing something crazy, you can buy very cute “harness” systems that allow the child free range within the realm of their tether (I can only think of one time when we used one of these for safety – at the Grand Canyon – but they’re a great way to let kids explore without worrying about them running off or falling over the edge of a cliff. And after I wrote that, I looked at the first picture in this post and saw my little brother wearing it at Old Faithful, so I guess we did use it in Yellowstone!)

A geyser erupts in front of dark storm clouds with a rainbow in the mist and many people watching on a boardwalk — Old Faithful, as captured on my very first brand-name digital camera, more than a few years after I was 5.

I’ve organized the hikes with my favorites at the top of each list. To make it easier for you to choose hikes with a variety of scenery, I’ve broken up the hikes into three categories: geothermal hikes, waterfall & lake hikes, and other hikes (usually with a view). All mileages are round-trip.

Strollers are generally allowed on all paved trails and boardwalks, as well as on gravel roads where bicycles are also allowed (rugged strollers are advised for gravel roads).

The Best Geothermal Hikes for Kids in Yellowstone National Park

Two geysers shoot water into the air below a bank of clouds in the sky — Castle Geyser and Beehive Geyser both erupting in the Upper Geyser Basin

Upper Geyser Basin

Up to 5 miles, up to 350ft. elevation gain. Choose how long a hike you want to take while enjoying a wide variety of geysers, pools, and other geothermal activity (just make sure to catch an eruption of Old Faithful!). You can also bike the multi-use path.

A blue hot spring ringed with yellow and orange with a boardwalk and clouds of water vapor behind it — The Grand Prismatic Spring from the overlook

Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook

1.6 miles, 200ft. elevation gain. A fairly level hike until the path turns uphill, the overlook offers a great view over the Grand Prismatic Spring (and a better view than the trail that goes to the spring, itself).

A geothermal cone in a lake with distant mountains and clouds — Fishing Cone in Yellowstone Lake at the West Thumb Geyser Basin

West Thumb Geyser Basin

1.0 miles, 108ft. elevation gain. This is a unique area, as it has views over Yellowstone Lake as well as geothermal features with strangely-colored water.

Colorful drainage channels from a blue hot spring with blue sky and clouds in the background — Rainbow Pool at Black Sand Basin

Black Sand Basin

0.5 miles, 35ft. elevation gain. Colorful pools, an often-active geyser, and a less-crowded alternative to the Upper Geyser Basin.

Clepsydra Geyser which spouts amost all the time in the Lower Geyser Basin

Lower Geyser Basin (Fountain Paint Pots)

0.75 miles, 78ft. elevation gain. Bubbling mudpots are my favorite part of this boardwalk, but there are also some nice, colorful pools and a geyser that typically erupts frequently or even perpetually.

A geyser with a cone at its base shoots water into the air with trees in the background — Lone Star Geyser in a not very spectacular eruption

Lone Star Geyser

4.9 miles, 127ft. elevation gain. A mostly flat hike (or bike ride)… then wait for the geyser to blow! You can also take the (very short) boardwalk to see Kepler Cascades near the trailhead.

Water vapor pours out of a cave in the hillside — Dragon’s Mouth Spring – where you can see the steam from the dragon coming out of its cave!

Mud Volcano

Up to 0.9 miles, up to 189ft. elevation gain. The best part is a really neat Dragon’s Cave… you can see the “smoke” from the dragon wafting out of the cave!

A fence and a boardwalk overlook a spring with green trees beyond — Frying Pan Spring. PC Yellowstone National Park.

Frying Pan Spring

Short boardwalk. Listen to the sizzling of the lake, just like bacon frying in a pan. Located just north of Norris Junction.

The Best Waterfall & Lake Hikes for Kids in Yellowstone National Park

A rainbow over an outcrop of rock and above a green river with foam — Rainbow at Brink of the Upper Falls

Lookout Point, plus Brink of the Upper Falls and Brink of the Lower Falls

Lookout Point: Short walk to a viewpoint. Brink of the Upper Falls: 0.3 miles, 35ft. elevation gain. Brink of the Lower Falls: 0.7 miles, 265ft. elevation gain. All three viewpoints on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone are impressive, though the trail down to the Lower Falls is quite steep.

Lower Yellowstone Falls and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River from Artist Point

Artist Point & Upper Falls View from Uncle Tom’s Point

Artist Point: 0.3 miles, 22ft. elevation gain. Upper Falls View: Short walk to the edge of the canyon. I love these viewpoints for their magnificent views of the waterfalls in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. If the NPS reopens the Uncle Tom’s Trail, it was a favorite of the kids (count the stairs and get close to the waterfall!)

Two hikers on a trail in a grassy meadow beside a lake and trees with clouds and mountains in the distance — Hiking to Storm Point

Storm Point

2.8 miles, 98ft. elevation gain. Great views from along Yellowstone Lake. The beach is accessible if your kids like playing in lakes.

A waterfall as seen through the mist between fir trees — Mystic Falls

Mystic Falls

4.0 miles, 1,126ft. elevation gain. Lovely waterfall, accessible through Biscuit Basin (when the basin is open – a portion of the boardwalk was destroyed in an eruption a couple of years ago, and due to continued geothermal activity, the basin is closed to visitors as of the time of this writing – there are alternate routes to get to the falls, even with the basin closure).

A dainty waterfall flows over a cliff edge of rock with trees and people nearby — Fairy Falls

Fairy Falls

5.25 miles, 700ft. elevation gain. An extension of the hike to the Grand Prismatic Overlook, you can ride a bicycle until the falls trail turnoff. The falls itself is delicate and pretty.

A lake laps against a red-pebble beach ringed with fir trees — The shoreline of Lewis Lake

Lewis Lake

2.8 miles, 216ft. elevation gain. A mostly-flat trail leads you to the shore of Lewis Lake with views to the Teton Range. Lewis Falls is another short path in the same general area of the park.

A waterfall streams between trees and cliff faces — Lovely Wraith Falls

Wraith Falls

0.9 miles, 243ft. elevation gain. A lovely little falls with some views into northern Yellowstone. In the same area, Undine Falls is another roadside overlook option.

The Best Other Hikes for Kids in Yellowstone

Clouds sail over a yellow canyon with a river at the bottom — The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River from Inspiration Point. PC Yellowstone National Park

Grandview Point and Inspiration Point

Both are short walks from the road on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

A trail sign points to the North Rim Trail with hikers on the trail surrounded by trees — Hikers on the North Rim Trail. PC Yellowstone National Park

North Rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Up to 8.25 miles, up to 1,495ft. elevation gain. One of the best trails in Yellowstone in terms of views, you can tailor the length to your needs by parking at one or another of the viewpoints along the trail.

Natural Bridge

2.6 miles, 638ft. elevation gain. An easy path (bikable) leads to a natural bridge – a rare phenomenon in Yellowstone National Park.

A trail passes through meadows after exiting the trees with a lake and clouds and blue sky beyond — Views while hiking up to the Yellowstone Lake Overlook

Yellowstone Lake Overlook

1.9 miles, 291ft. elevation gain. Lovely views over Yellowstone Lake from above the West Thumb Geyser Basin.

A colorful canyon with a blue river at its bottom and a fir tree nearby — Views into the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River from the South Rim Trail

South Rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone Loop

7.25 miles, 1,500ft. elevation gain. This trail has a bit of everything: lakes, a geyser basin, lots of views over a canyon, a meadow, and several waterfalls. I found it more challenging than the trail on the north rim of the canyon, but it’s still a great hike.

Four ducks stand on rocks in a rushing stream — Female harliquin ducks at LeHardy Rapids

LeHardy Rapids

0.5 miles, 30ft. elevation gain. The primary draw of this boardwalk is 1) ducks, and 2) migrating trout.

A trail winds through a meadow below basalt cliffs and a rockslide — The Sheepeater Cliff Trail below the cliffs of the same name. The Gardiner River is just to the right of the photo.

Sheepeater Cliff

0.5-1.7 miles, 120ft. to 376ft. elevation gain. This is a favorite with families, many of whom never get more than a dozen yards past the parking lot, as the Gardner River is peaceful enough in this section for fun water play. You’re also welcome to keep hiking to see the cliffs.

A trail sign beside a trail in a meadow with mountains beyond — The Lamar River Trail sign

Lamar River Trail

7.3 miles, 837ft. elevation gain. Wildlife and views are the main attractions on this hike, which leads down to Cache Creek.

A trail travels up the ridge of a mountain with views across the treed plains and clouds in the sky above — Views from atop Mount Washburn

Mt. Washburn via Chittenden Road

5.8 miles out & back; 1,502ft. elevation gain. Best for views over Yellowstone and nearby mountains.

Reflections of a ridge of mountains in a quiet alpine lake — Reflections in Riddle Lake on a quiet morning

Honorable Mentions

I’ve included a few more kid-friendly trails… in case you’ve done all the others, or if the others just don’t hit right, or (for some) if you just want to get away from the crowds!

Mammoth Hot Springs, Riddle Lake, Terrace Mountain/The Hoodoos, Yellowstone River Picnic Area Loop, Tower Falls, Midway Geyser Basin, Fountain Flat Freight Road/Sentinel Meadows/Queens Laundry , Firehole Lake Drive, Avalanche Peak, Beryl Spring, Gibbon Falls, Calcite Springs Overlook, Ice Lake and Little Gibbon Falls.

orange and white geothermal terraces below dark and distant mountains — Terraces at Canary Spring atop Mammoth Hot Springs

Tips & Tricks

There is an entry fee for Yellowstone National Park, currently $35/vehicle and valid for unlimited entry to and exits from the park for 7 days from the date of purchase. America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Public Lands Passes are accepted (and so are the free 4^th grader national park passes!) Learn more about which pass you might want to purchase here.

Yellowstone is a huge park. Try to limit driving (unless you like driving) by doing activities in one area of the park each day.

A squirrel peaks between branches of a fir tree — A curious squirrel in a tree on the trail up to Duck Lake (which is not exciting unless you want a quiet lake to let the kids play)

Driving in Yellowstone is slow, especially between Old Faithful and Madison Junction, where bison and other wildlife tend to make cars stop and block the roadway. (If you want to stop to look at the wildlife, pull out of the way of traffic – it’s a small but very helpful courtesy!) A pretty accurate estimate is to assume double the number of minutes of travel time for the number of miles that must be driven – for example, it’s 17 miles between Old Faithful and Madison Junction, so it will probably take you close to 34 minutes to drive between the two.

While there is camping and lodging in Yellowstone, it sells out quickly. Book in advance or plan to stay outside the park (which also fills up quickly during peak visitation seasons).

A waterfall tumbles between cliffs surrounded by fir trees with a bridge upstream — Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River

There are very few restaurants or snack bars in Yellowstone. Bring your own food from outside the park if you don’t have specific plans of where you will eat.

Cell service is extremely limited in Yellowstone. Don’t plan to have consistent cell service. We usually have Verizon and AT&T phones with us, and neither one could pick up a signal in some places. Download maps (for example, on the OrganicMaps app) before leaving cell service.

Several bison dot a yellow meadow — Bison in the Lamar Valley

Be prepared with a safety plan. Make sure your children know to stay back from wildlife (especially larger wildlife, like elk and bison), and have a plan for what older children will do if they get separated from you. One of my family’s hard and fast rules was that we had to stop at every single trail junction until everyone else caught up – not only was it a great way to regroup from time to time, but it also kept anyone from getting lost by taking the wrong trail junction.

Take your time and have fun! It can be very tempting to try and see as much as possible in a limited time, but especially with younger children, slowing down and enjoying where you are instead of racing to the next famous feature will make your trip more enjoyable and less stressful. (And if your kids nap, those hours are a great time to drive between different parts of the park!)

Mountains and valleys and distant trails and clouds from the summit of a rocky mountain — Views from Avalanche Peak

Easy and Kid-friendly Hikes in Yellowstone!

Almost 30 trails are detailed in this guide (many of which are the same as hikes I mentioned in this post!) The hikes range from easy to moderate and include meadows, waterfalls, lakes, geothermal features, mountains, and much more. Buy your copy here.