Parking
There is no drive-up parking at either end. The north start is the Heart River–Trail Creek junction; the south end meets Snake River Canyon Trail. Reach both on foot through the surrounding backcountry trail network.
Overview
About Heart River Trail
Why go
- Follows the Heart River through remote Yellowstone backcountry
Heads up
- One-way access requires a longer backcountry itinerary
- Several unbridged stream fords
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yellowstone map
Full mapElevation7,247–7,516 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 tour- 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 Heart River Trail
A remote one-way connectorHeart River Trail is a 5.
Heart River Trail is a 5.8-mile point-to-point backcountry route from the Heart River–Trail Creek junction to the Snake River Canyon Trail junction. The listed distance is one way. The route follows the Heart River corridor through Yellowstone’s remote southeast backcountry, with stream-side stretches among meadows and conifers. Allow about three and a half hours for this segment, then add the time and miles needed to reach and leave either end.
Crossings shape the effortSeveral unbridged stream fords are part of the route, and water depth and current can change…
Several unbridged stream fords are part of the route, and water depth and current can change the effort quickly. Check Yellowstone’s current backcountry report before setting out; this route has no quick road exit. For overnight travel, Yellowstone requires a backcountry permit and a designated campsite for each night. Pets aren’t allowed on Yellowstone hiking trails.
Plan the larger routeThe north end meets Trail Creek Trail; the south end joins Snake River Canyon Trail.
The north end meets Trail Creek Trail; the south end joins Snake River Canyon Trail. Neither is a road-side trailhead, so reach them on foot through a longer backcountry itinerary. Walking this segment back the other way makes it 11.6 miles total, before any approach or exit miles. There are no services at either junction.
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.
