Picnic area · Yellowstone National Park
A picnic stop that doubles as a steep start to canyon views.
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 place
Yellowstone River Picnic Area and Narrows“Yellowstone River Picnic Area is ahead, a useful lunch stop that also gives you a way up above the river canyon. I'd stop for a picnic and treat the walking as optional.”
Plays as you drive up to Yellowstone River 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
Yellowstone River Picnic Area is a developed picnic area beside the Yellowstone River, just east of the river bridge on the Northeast Entrance Road, about 1.25 miles northeast of Tower Junction. It has eight picnic tables, four fire grates and a vault toilet. It's a useful lunch break, and a starting point for a walk above the river canyon.
A short, steep path behind the parking circle reaches a river overlook. For a longer walk, the separate Yellowstone River Picnic Area Trail is 3.7 miles out and back and takes about two to three hours. It climbs steeply at first, with exposed drop-offs along the ridge. Loose rock near the short overlook makes that quick climb rougher than it looks; take it carefully.
There’s no potable water here; Madison is the only Yellowstone picnic area with it. Campfires are allowed only at fire grates. Keep food, trash, coolers and cooking gear secured in a bear-proof container when they aren’t in immediate use, and don’t camp overnight in a picnic area.
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
ModerateYellowstone River Picnic Area Trail3.7 mi · 2.5 hr · At the trailheadA steep climb opens a view into the Yellowstone Narrows.
ChallengingSpecimen Ridge Trail17.7 mi · 11 hr · 0.7 mi away17.7-mile one-way ridge traverse over Amethyst Mountain.
ChallengingAgate Creek Trail13.1 mi · 9.5 hr · 0.7 mi awayA long descent to a remote stretch of the Yellowstone River.
ModerateGarnet Hill Loop Trail8.1 mi · 4.5 hr · 0.7 mi awayA stagecoach road leads into Elk Creek canyon and river views.
EasyLost Creek Falls Trail0.5 mi · 30 min · 0.8 mi awayA short creekside climb to a waterfall behind Roosevelt Lodge.
ModerateLost Lake Trail2.8 mi · 1.5 hr · 0.9 mi awayA 2.8-mile loop pairs Lost Lake with sagebrush meadow views.
ModerateTower Fall Trail0.8 mi · 48 min · 1.9 mi awayA short switchback descent adds a riverbank below the falls.
ModerateRoosevelt Lodge–Tower Fall Trail2.6 mi · 2 hr · 1.9 mi awayA steep climb opens to Tower Fall and Yellowstone River views.
Sight · 0.6 mi awayRoosevelt Corral and Old West Dinner CookoutA covered-wagon steak supper in Pleasant Valley.
Gas station · 0.8 mi awayTower-Roosevelt Junction Gas StationFuel, ice, and a small store at Tower Junction.
Lodging · 0.9 mi awayRoosevelt Lodge CabinsRustic cabins near Lamar Valley, with a 1920s lodge and porch.
Sight · 1.1 mi awayCalcite Springs OverlookRiver cliffs, basalt columns, and a hot-spring story in minutes.
Sight · 1.8 mi awayTower Fall Overlook132 feet of falling water framed by the towers that named it.
Store · 1.9 mi awayTower Fall General StoreIce cream, trail snacks and souvenirs beside the Tower Fall trailhead.
Sight · 1.9 mi awayPetrified TreeOne ancient redwood, best as a quick add-on near Lost Lake.
Campground · 2 mi awayTower Fall CampgroundA quiet base camp with a short walk to Tower Fall.Parkwolf’s Yellowstone ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
