Picnic area · Yellowstone National Park
A chance to see cutthroat trout leap upstream in spring.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Yellowstone Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Yellowstone National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Yellowstone audio tourRecorded for this area
A Meal Inside a Burned Tree“A recently burned tree can hold a meal for a black-backed woodpecker. Beetle larvae feed beneath the bark and tunnel into the wood, and these birds specialize in getting them out.”
Plays on the road 0.2 mi from LeHardys Picnic Area in the Parkwolf Yellowstone Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“First time driving through a national park. We used the Yellowstone tour on grand loop Road and it’s just like having a tour guide in your car with you.”
Guide
This is a small picnic area along the Yellowstone River, with picnic tables and a vault toilet. If you’re already stopping near LeHardys Rapids, it’s a practical place to eat. There’s no potable water here, so bring your own.
The rapids are close by, but they’re a separate stop. Their boardwalk has uneven ground, and the southern section has stairs, so plan for that if you’re heading out to the water.
From early May through mid-July, Yellowstone cutthroat trout spawn at the rapids. You may see them leap upstream, though it’s never guaranteed. Cutthroat were the dominant fish here before Euro-American settlement; tighter fishing rules after concerns in the 1960s helped restore their numbers and age mix. Lake trout and whirling disease remain threats.
Some scientists consider LeHardys Rapids the geologic northern boundary of Yellowstone Lake. Periodic changes in the rapids’ height appear to influence how the lake drains into the river, giving this small picnic stop a surprising connection to the shape of the lake.
Wildlife
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 mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Yellowstone. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyMud Volcano Trail0.6 mi · 1.5 hr · 1.6 mi awayA compact boardwalk loop through bubbling Yellowstone mudpots.
ModerateHoward Eaton Trail: Fishing Bridge to Canyon13.5 mi · 7 hr · 3.5 mi awayA long river-side traverse opens into Hayden Valley meadows.
ModerateElephant Back Mountain Trail3.9 mi · 2.5 hr · 3.7 mi awayA steady forest climb to a broad Yellowstone Lake view.
EasyPelican Creek Nature Trail0.8 mi · 45 min · 4.2 mi awayA short forest loop opens onto Pelican Creek and Yellowstone Lake.
Picnic area · 0.6 mi awayCascade Picnic AreaA useful table break beside the Yellowstone River.
Picnic area · 0.9 mi awayNez Perce Ford Picnic AreaA quiet lunch break beside the Yellowstone River.
Sight · 1.2 mi awayLeHardys RapidsWatch the river tumble; spring trout are a bonus.
Sight · 1.6 mi awayMud VolcanoBubbling mud, sulfur air, and Dragon’s Mouth share a short loop.
Sight · 1.8 mi awaySulphur CaldronA quick look at one of Yellowstone's most acidic hot springs.
Sight · 2.6 mi awayHayden Valley Overlook at Yellowstone RiverWide river bends make this a good place to scan for bison.
Sight · 3.3 mi awayFishing BridgeA quick fish-watching stop at a bridge closed to fishing.
Gas station · 3.5 mi awayFishing Bridge Gas and Service StationA handy stop for fuel, repairs, towing and propane.Parkwolf’s Yellowstone ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
