Parking
Use Specimen Ridge Trailhead (2K4), just east of the Yellowstone River Picnic Area. Parking is on the north side of Northeast Entrance Road; the trailhead is across the road on the south side.
Overview
About Agate Creek Trail
Why go
- A remote rocky bank at the Agate Creek–Yellowstone River confluence.
- Open ridge views, sagebrush meadows, forest, and river canyon give the long route real variety.
Heads up
- A roughly 13-mile round trip with a steep descent and a long climb back.
Agate Creek Trail is a long out-and-back from Specimen Ridge Trailhead (2K4) to the Yellowstone River at the Agate Creek confluence. The mapped corridor from 2K4 is about 6.5 miles one way, so plan for roughly 13 miles round trip and most of a day. Some trail information calls it a 6.7-mile there-and-back, but that does not fit the mapped route from the road; use about 13 miles for planning. The remote riverbank and canyon views are a strong payoff, but the climb back is part of the deal.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yellowstone map
Full mapElevation6,257–7,644 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 trailhead
Specimen Ridge Trailhead0:00 / 0:31
“Up ahead is Specimen Ridge Trailhead, for the traverse over Amethyst Mountain into Lamar Valley.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yellowstone Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Yellowstone River Picnic Area and Narrows
- Calcite Springs Overlook
- Look Beyond a Bear’s Color
- Tower Fall
- 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 Agate Creek Trail
Across Specimen RidgeParking is north of Northeast Entrance Road, with the trailhead across the road on the south…
Parking is north of Northeast Entrance Road, with the trailhead across the road on the south side. Follow Specimen Ridge to the signed Agate Creek junction, then cross open sagebrush meadows that gradually gain about 500 feet. Bison, elk, and bighorn sheep may be out on the ridge, though wildlife sightings are never guaranteed. Cross Quartz Creek about 1.6 miles into the Agate Creek segment, then continue through an eroded ravine to exposed views along the Yellowstone River canyon. A pale rock outcrop at the Narrows downstream toward Tower Falls is a useful landmark.
Down to the riverThe final 1.
The final 1.4 miles descend steeply through forest, dropping about 1,300 feet to a rocky bank at the confluence. You get a close look at the river below the canyon walls; backcountry campsite 2Y1 is nearby. The route is an out-and-back, so you have to regain that drop on the return. Allow around nine to ten hours for the full walk.
Before you startGrizzlies frequent this area.
Grizzlies frequent this area. The park recommends hiking in groups of three or more, staying together, carrying bear spray, and keeping at least 100 yards from bears. The ridge edge and eroded descent need careful footing. Pets are not allowed on this trail. A backcountry permit is required if you stay overnight at the campsite.
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.
