Fairy Creek Trail

Fairy Creek Trail is an 11.3-mile, one-way point-to-point through-hike from the west side of the Biscuit Basin boardwalk to the Fairy Falls Trail junction. It crosses the Madison Plateau, Little Firehole Meadows and backcountry forest before reaching Imperial Geyser near the far end. This is a hard, roughly 7–8 hour day; arrange a shuttle or another way back to your car. If your goal is Mystic Falls, choose its separate 2.4-mile out-and-back instead. That walk joins the Fairy Creek route after about 1.1 miles, but this through-hike keeps going for another ten.

The first 0.6 mile climbs steep switchbacks about 430 feet to a view over Upper Geyser Basin. You can pick out geysers from above. The route then climbs about 400 feet more to its high point around mile 2.9 before descending toward the Little Firehole River.

At about mile 5.1 the route reaches the river and follows it for roughly half a mile before Little Firehole Meadows opens at mile 5.6. A hill on the right gives the best look over the meadow. Take a pause here; much of the route ahead crosses the burned forest.

After the meadow, the trail returns to burned forest for more than four miles. Around mile 10 it opens into the valley, with South Twin Butte in view. The scenery changes again just as the miles start to add up.

Imperial Geyser is near mile 11, a striking hydrothermal stop on the way to the Fairy Falls Trail junction. The junction is roughly half a mile from Fairy Falls; going on to the waterfall adds distance beyond the 11.3-mile trail route.

The historic starting access is on the west side of the Biscuit Basin boardwalk, about 0.3 mile from the parking area. The route finishes on the Fairy Falls Trail, so arrange a shuttle between trailheads; parking at the Fairy Falls lot is very limited. Stay on established tread around thermal areas and carry enough water. Pets aren't allowed on Yellowstone trails or in the backcountry.