Parking
Start at Grebe Lake Trailhead (4K3), on Norris–Canyon Road about 3.5 miles west of Canyon Junction.
Overview
About Grebe Lake Trail
Why go
- Long meadow and forest approach to a lakeside destination
- Mostly gentle terrain without a major climb
Heads up
- The lake is about three miles from the trailhead, so the main payoff comes late
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yellowstone map
Full mapElevation8,028–8,163 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
Grebe Lake Trailhead0:00 / 0:22
“You're nearing the Grebe Lake trailhead, a good choice for a long lake walk without a major climb.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yellowstone Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Rowing Across the Surface
- Forty-Two Photographs from a Winter Ordeal
- Before the Dragonfly Had Wings
- Brink of the Upper Falls
- 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 Grebe Lake Trail
The walk to Grebe LakeGrebe Lake Trail is a 6.
Grebe Lake Trail is a 6.2-mile out-and-back from Grebe Lake Trailhead (4K3) to the lake and back. Allow three to four hours. Most of the route is an old fire road through forest and open meadows; choose it for a long, mostly gentle lake walk rather than a summit climb. The mileage is the main commitment, not a steep grade.
Through forest and meadowThe trailhead is on Norris–Canyon Road, about 3.5 miles west of Canyon Junction.
The trailhead is on Norris–Canyon Road, about 3.5 miles west of Canyon Junction. The old fire road crosses forest and open meadow, including areas burned in Yellowstone’s 1988 fires. A break in the trees early on can open a view toward Mount Washburn. Near the lake, the route gradually descends to the water.
At the lakeGrebe Lake is the turn-around and the main payoff.
Grebe Lake is the turn-around and the main payoff. The trail also connects with the Howard Eaton Trail; following the eastern shore toward the Cascade Lake and Wolf Lake junction makes a longer outing, beyond the 6.2-mile return walk. At the water, look back along the grassy shore to frame the path with the lake.
Bear countryGrizzly bears frequent this area.
Grizzly bears frequent this area. The park advises hiking in groups of three or more, staying together, making noise, and carrying bear spray where it is immediately accessible. Pets are not allowed.
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.
