Parking
Fawn Pass Trailhead (WK5) is on the east side of US 191 in northwest Yellowstone. The park lists an information kiosk there; parking capacity, toilets and drinking water were not confirmed.
Overview
About Fan Creek Trail
Why go
- Broad meadows and creek bends make the long walk rewarding.
- A mostly gentle grade lets you focus on the changing valley.
Heads up
- The main Fan Creek crossing is an unbridged ford and can be dangerous in spring runoff.
- The payoff comes gradually; there is no single summit or waterfall destination.
Past the main ford, Fan Creek meanders through a long, nearly level meadow valley. Gaps in the pines look up the valley toward Joseph Peak. The trail rolls on to the WC3 campsite spur at about mile 4.7; turn around there for the route represented here. The WC2 and WC3 spurs lead to backcountry campsites, and overnight camping requires a permit. For a photo, frame one of Fan Creek’s bends with the meadow and far tree line so the looping water reads clearly.
Parkwolf’s verdictThe valley is the payoffMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Yellowstone map
Full mapElevation7,106–7,467 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
Fawn Pass and Fan Creek Trailhead0:00 / 0:24
“Fawn Pass Trailhead is ahead, the start of a long walk from forest and creek meadows into open alpine country.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yellowstone Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Bacon Rind Trailhead
- Bighorn Pass Trailhead
- Why This Corner Joined the Park
- A Windbreak on a Leaf
- 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 Fan Creek Trail
A long walk into Fan CreekFan Creek Trail is a backcountry out-and-back from Fawn Pass Trailhead through forest and open…
Fan Creek Trail is a backcountry out-and-back from Fawn Pass Trailhead through forest and open meadow to the Fan Creek valley. The longer walk to the WC3 campsite spur is about 9.6 miles round trip; allow about six hours, with roughly 1,000 feet of climbing. The grade is mostly gentle and rolling, and the reward builds as the valley opens rather than arriving at one summit or waterfall. A shorter 2.4-mile return to the Fan Creek junction is an early turnaround; it skips the main creek crossing and most of the valley.
Take the left branchThe route starts on Fawn Pass Trail, dropping toward the Gallatin River meadows and crossing…
The route starts on Fawn Pass Trail, dropping toward the Gallatin River meadows and crossing the river on several short footbridges. It then climbs gradually through open lodgepole pine, with Fan Creek nearby but often hidden by trees. At about 1.3 miles, leave the right-hand Fawn Pass route and take the left branch toward Fan Creek; Fawn Pass continues uphill to the right.
Water crossings set the effortAn unnamed tributary crossing comes around mile 1.
An unnamed tributary crossing comes around mile 1.9, followed by the WC2 campsite spur near mile 2.5. At about mile 2.9, the unimproved Fan Creek ford is the toughest part of the walk. One late-July account describes knee-deep water; spring snowmelt can make the crossing dangerous. Check current water conditions before committing. Beyond it, the trail winds through a wooded ravine, climbs along the hillside, then crosses another tributary around mile 4.1.
Backcountry rulesGrizzlies frequent this area.
Grizzlies frequent this area. At the Fawn Pass access, the park recommends groups of four or more; from May 1 through November 10, travel is restricted to designated trails. Carry bear spray and know how to use it. Pets are not allowed on park trails.
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.
