Parking
Use the Dailey Creek Trailhead (WK1) along US 191 in Yellowstone’s Gallatin section. This is the signed starting access for the 10-mile out-and-back.
Overview
About Dailey Creek Trail
Why go
- Broad sagebrush valley and a two-valley view from Dailey Pass
Heads up
- A strenuous 10-mile round trip with a steep final climb
The trail enters forest and climbs more sharply toward the pass. The mapped profile puts Dailey Pass roughly 1,550 feet above the trailhead. At the top, look back down the drainage and across the opposite valley; the setting shifts from an enclosed green corridor to open mountain views. For a photo, leave some of the slope in the foreground so the valleys feel connected to the walk.
Parkwolf’s verdictThe climb and the payoffMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Yellowstone map
Full mapElevation6,788–8,333 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
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
Dailey Creek and Sky Rim0:00 / 0:27
“You're nearing Dailey Creek Trailhead, where Sky Rim begins with an open meadow walk before climbing onto a high ridge. The full loop is eighteen point two miles and takes about eleven hours, with sustained climbing.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yellowstone Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Black Butte Trailhead
- Partners on a Branch
- Specimen Creek Trailhead and Shelf Lake
- Why This Corner Joined the Park
- 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 Dailey Creek Trail
A full day to Dailey PassDailey Creek Trail is a strenuous 10-mile out-and-back from the signed WK1 trailhead on US 191…
Dailey Creek Trail is a strenuous 10-mile out-and-back from the signed WK1 trailhead on US 191 to Dailey Pass. The first miles follow an open creek valley; the final climb rises through forest to a high pass where the view opens back over the route and across the next valley. Allow about six hours. It’s a good choice if you want a long Gallatin hike with a real climb and a quiet meadow approach; skip it if you’re after a quick overlook walk.
Through the creek valleyThe trail starts beside Dailey Creek and crosses a small wooden bridge, then winds through…
The trail starts beside Dailey Creek and crosses a small wooden bridge, then winds through broad sagebrush meadows dotted with mature trees. The creek comes and goes from view, so this isn’t a continuous creekside walk. Ahead, the ridgeline stays in sight as the valley gradually narrows.
Turn around at Dailey PassDailey Pass is the turnaround for this 10-mile round trip.
Dailey Pass is the turnaround for this 10-mile round trip. The separate Sky Rim Trail joins here, but continuing onto the ridge makes a much longer, more exposed hike; that distance isn’t included here. Return the way you came unless you’ve planned for the longer Sky Rim route.
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.
