Parking
Use the limited pullout on Old Yellowstone Road near the Heritage and Research Center in Gardiner. The connector down to the railbed is poorly marked.
Overview
About Abandoned Railroad Bed Bike Trail
Why go
- A nearly level old railbed with a strong Electric Peak view.
Heads up
- Limited parking and a poorly marked access connector.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yellowstone map
Full mapElevation5,167–5,256 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Yellowstone Tour Guide
Hear Yellowstone as you drive it.
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
Roosevelt Arch0:00 / 0:34
“You're nearing Roosevelt Arch in Gardiner, the rough stone gateway at the North Entrance.”
Plays on the road 0.4 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Yellowstone Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- A Bird That Walks Down Trees
- The Poacher Who Exposed a Legal Gap
- The Shock Behind Electric Peak
- Fort Yellowstone and Mammoth Village
- 243 audio storiesacross Yellowstone’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Wolf, Grizzly Bear, Bison, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 167 trails, 192 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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.”
Trail guide
Hiking Abandoned Railroad Bed Bike Trail
An old railbed by the riverThis 8-mile out-and-back runs about 4 miles each way from Gardiner toward Reese Creek at…
This 8-mile out-and-back runs about 4 miles each way from Gardiner toward Reese Creek at Yellowstone’s northern boundary, then returns along the former railway. The gravel-and-dirt corridor is mostly level, with about 96 feet of elevation change; allow 2–4 hours for a walk or ride. Mountain bikes suit the surface best, and the route is listed for summer and fall.
Finding the railbedStart at the limited pullout on Old Yellowstone Road near the Heritage and Research Center.
Start at the limited pullout on Old Yellowstone Road near the Heritage and Research Center. The descent to the railbed is faint and poorly marked, so be ready to find the connector; cyclists may need to walk their bikes until they reach the old bed. The northern end has no access, so plan on returning to Gardiner the same way.
The view and the old lineThe railbed parallels the Yellowstone River through open country, with Electric Peak dominating…
The railbed parallels the Yellowstone River through open country, with Electric Peak dominating the northwest view. Northern Pacific trains reached Gardiner by 1902; travelers then continued into Yellowstone by stagecoach.
Heat and wildlifeThis high-desert route can be hot, so bring water.
This high-desert route can be hot, so bring water. Pronghorn, elk, and bison use the area, and black and grizzly bears forage here seasonally. Cactus grows in and beside the roadbed; if riding, carry accessible bear spray and tire sealant. Keep the required distance from wildlife.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Yellowstone
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.
