Picnic area · Yellowstone National Park
Craig Pass picnic break with nine tables and two fire grates
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
The Roots Behind the Red“The bright red or orange on a paintbrush plant comes largely from modified leaves. They're called bracts, and they cluster around the smaller flowers.”
Plays on the road 0.5 mi from Spring Creek 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
Spring Creek Picnic Area is a small, developed picnic stop at Craig Pass on Yellowstone’s Continental Divide. Nine picnic tables, two fire grates and a vault toilet make it a practical place for a meal during a park drive.
Campfires are allowed only at picnic areas with fire grates; Spring Creek has two. Gas or liquid camp stoves and self-contained charcoal grills are also allowed at picnic areas, subject to current fire restrictions. Keep food, coolers, trash and cooking tools in a bear-proof container unless they are in immediate use. Overnight camping is not allowed.
The small set of visitor reports mostly describes a peaceful place to take a lunch or rest break. One report mentions a path down to Spring Creek and trout, but that is an isolated account, not a confirmed maintained trail or dependable wildlife sighting.
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
ModerateDivide Trail3.4 mi · 2.3 hr · 1 mi awayA 3.4-mile out-and-back to a former fire lookout site.
ModerateSpring Creek Trail8 mi · 4 hr · 1 mi awayAn old stagecoach road follows the creek to the Firehole.
EasyLone Star Geyser Trail4.8 mi · 2.5 hr · 2.7 mi awayEasy Firehole River walk to a geyser with roughly three-hour eruptions.
ChallengingShoshone Geyser Basin Trail17 mi · 8.5 hr · 2.7 mi awayMore than 80 geysers, with no boardwalks and a long hike in.
EasyDeLacy Creek Trail5.8 mi · 4 hr · 2.8 mi awayEasy meadows lead to remote Shoshone Lake.
ModeratePocket Lake Trail2.4 mi · 2 hr · 2.9 mi awayA steep forest trail reaches a small backcountry lake.
ModerateNorth Shore Shoshone Lake Trail8.3 mi · 6 hr · 3.2 mi awayA remote one-way walk from lake beach into lodgepole forest.
ModerateMallard Lake Trail7 mi · 4.5 hr · 4 mi awayPipeline Hot Springs and a Firehole crossing lead to Mallard Lake.
Sight · 1.9 mi awayIsa Lake and Continental DivideA small lake with a snowmelt-dependent two-ocean story.
Sight · 2.8 mi awayLone Star Geyser4.8-mile river walk to a geyser whose eruptions average three hours apart.
Sight · 2.8 mi awayKepler CascadesThree tiers of Firehole water tumbling into a wooded ravine.
Picnic area · 3 mi awayDeLacy Creek Picnic AreaA handy picnic stop at Craig Pass with a vault toilet.
Gas station · 4.1 mi awayOld Faithful Gas and Service Station - UpperA useful in-park stop for fuel, propane, snacks, or repairs.
Store · 4.1 mi awayOld Faithful General Store - UpperA 1929 general store with a huge fireplace and practical supplies.
Lodging · 4.1 mi awayOld Faithful Lodge CabinsA rustic cabin stay within easy reach of Old Faithful.
Sight · 4.2 mi awayYellowstone Tribal Heritage CenterMeet Indigenous presenters in a historic Haynes photo shop.Parkwolf’s Yellowstone ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
