Bechler Backcountry Office

Overview

About Bechler Backcountry Office

Why stop

Rangers can advise on hikes and horseback routes.
One stop handles several backcountry permit types.

Heads up

Seasonal staffing makes in-person service date-dependent.

Map

Where it is

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Full map

Ranger stationBechler Backcountry Office44.14975, -111.04639

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Plan your stop

Before you go

Best time to go

The office is usually staffed from mid-June to mid-October, but dates shift each year. Check its opening dates before relying on in-person service, especially if you need a backcountry permit. Treat this as a planned trip into a remote corner rather than a quick stop between the park's main developed areas.

Permits and trail help

Staff can help with hiking and horseback plans and issue fishing, entrance and interagency, overnight backcountry camping, float-tube, and non-fee horseback day-riding permits. Yellowstone requires a permit year-round for overnight backcountry camping; day hikes don't need one. The office also has a hiker register and is listed as wheelchair-accessible.

5 active Yellowstone alerts

ClosureBiscuit Basin closed after hydrothermal explosionBiscuit Basin’s parking lot, boardwalk, and Firehole River are closed to all travel.Official details
ClosureMost Yellowstone roads close to regular vehicles November 1Most Yellowstone roads and the West, South, and East entrances are scheduled to close to regular vehicles November 1, 2026, as the park prepares for winter operations.Official details

See all 5 alerts

A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone — Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

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Bechler Ranger Station and Backcountry Office

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“You're nearing Bechler Ranger Station, a useful first stop for exploring this remote corner of the park. The backcountry office has maps and ranger advice for hikes through the meadows and waterfall country.”

Plays as you drive up to Bechler Backcountry Office in the Parkwolf Yellowstone Tour Guide.

More about Bechler Backcountry Office

A practical first stop in BechlerThe Bechler Backcountry Office is a staffed permit and information station in Yellowstone's…

The Bechler Backcountry Office is a staffed permit and information station in Yellowstone's remote southwest corner. If your day is built around Bechler trails, waterfalls, or horseback routes, stop here for maps and ranger advice; it's a useful planning stop, not an attraction that needs a long visit. From the park's central circuit, getting here means a separate drive.

Wildlife

Wildlife in Yellowstone

All Yellowstone wildlife maps

713 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map

743 sightingsWolfMost seen around 6 AMSighting map

5,273 sightingsBisonMost seen around 7 AMSighting map

3,258 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 PMSighting map

397 sightingsMooseMost seen around 7 PMSighting map

1,494 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Yellowstone. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.