Parking
Hawks Rest Trailhead (6K5) is at Yellowstone’s eastern boundary and is not accessible by road; plan a backcountry approach.
Overview
About Hawk’s Lake Trail
Why go
- A short link into the Thorofare backcountry trail network
Heads up
- Hawks Rest is remote and has no road access
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yellowstone map
Full mapElevation7,867–7,884 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
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Trail guide
Hiking Hawk’s Lake Trail
The short connectorHawk’s Lake Trail is a 0.
Hawk’s Lake Trail is a 0.53-mile, one-way connector from Hawks Rest Trailhead to the Thorofare Trail. The mapped section is a minimally developed earth path and takes about 15 minutes one way; walking back to Hawks Rest makes a roughly 1.1-mile, 30-minute return. This is a backcountry link, not a standalone day hike from a road.
What the name leaves openThe mapped route ends at the Thorofare Trail junction.
The mapped route ends at the Thorofare Trail junction. The park also lists Hawk’s Lake Trail among routes at Bridger Lake, but the full connection and a lakeshore endpoint are not established by the mapped segment. Treat this entry as the short connector and verify the intended backcountry itinerary before setting out.
Access and rulesHawks Rest is a remote trailhead at the park’s eastern boundary and cannot be reached by road.
Hawks Rest is a remote trailhead at the park’s eastern boundary and cannot be reached by road. Plan it as part of a backcountry trip. Overnight stays require a permit, and pets are not allowed on park trails or in the backcountry.
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.
