Parking
Use the Cygnet Lakes Trailhead (4N3) roadside pullout on Norris–Canyon Road. Parking and an information kiosk are listed at the trailhead.
Overview
About Cygnet Lakes Trail
Why go
- Mostly level grade for an 8.2-mile walk
- Lake meadow and waterfowl at the turnaround
Heads up
- Long and exposed, with few major viewpoints
- Boggy lake edges limit access to the water
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yellowstone map
Full mapElevation8,212–8,402 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
Rowing Across the Surface0:00 / 0:32
“Watch a quiet pond edge and you may spot insects skating across the water. Those are water striders. Their long legs spread their weight, and tiny water-repellent hairs help keep them from breaking through the surface.”
Plays on the road 0.2 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Yellowstone Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Before the Dragonfly Had Wings
- Grebe Lake Trailhead
- A Tangle in the Pine
- Forty-Two Photographs from a Winter Ordeal
- 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 Cygnet Lakes Trail
A long walk to the lakesCygnet Lakes is an 8.2-mile (13.
Cygnet Lakes is an 8.2-mile (13.2 km) out-and-back from trailhead 4N3 to a chain of small lakes in a meadow, then back the same way. The route is mostly level and exposed; allow about 3 to 3½ hours of walking. Go for a steady forest hike and the chance to watch waterfowl. The lake meadow is a modest finish if you’re expecting a dramatic shore or a string of big overlooks.
Through lodgepole countryThe marked path heads southwest from the roadside pullout through lodgepole stands of different…
The marked path heads southwest from the roadside pullout through lodgepole stands of different ages. Sections of burned trees and young regrowth open the forest, with small wet ponds along the way. It stays mostly level overall, though the tread can be uneven. A view over Otter Creek gives you a brief change from the steady forest walk.
At the wetlandThe trail ends at a broad meadow with a small cluster of boggy lakes.
The trail ends at a broad meadow with a small cluster of boggy lakes. Marshy edges keep you from getting close to the water, so this is better for looking across the wetland and watching for waterfowl than for a lakeside stop. Turn around at the meadow and retrace the same corridor.
Trailhead and preparationStart at Cygnet Lakes Trailhead (4N3) on Norris–Canyon Road; parking and an information kiosk…
Start at Cygnet Lakes Trailhead (4N3) on Norris–Canyon Road; parking and an information kiosk are listed at the access. Toilets and drinking water were not confirmed, so bring what you need. Pets aren’t allowed. The park recommends hiking in groups of three or more, carrying a map and knowing how to navigate, and staying off the trail after dark.
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.
