Parking
Take the short dirt access road about ¼ mile off Grand Loop Road to Hellroaring Trailhead (2K8), 3.5 miles west of Tower Junction. The lot has a decent amount of space, but no capacity is published.
Overview
About Hellroaring Creek Trail
Why go
- A suspension bridge spans a narrow Yellowstone River canyon.
- The route reaches the Hellroaring Creek–Yellowstone River confluence.
Heads up
- The opening 600-foot descent becomes a steep climb back out.
- Limited shade and a less-defined riverside approach require planning.
Hellroaring Creek Trail is a 6.2-mile out-and-back from Hellroaring Trailhead (2K8) to the meeting of Hellroaring Creek and the Yellowstone River. Allow 3–5 hours. You get a suspension bridge over a narrow river canyon, an open walk across Buffalo Plateau, and a quieter riverside finish. The park lists 6.2 miles; one route account measures 3.4 miles each way to the confluence, so leave a little room for the less-defined riverside approach. If the bridge is enough, turning back there makes a roughly 2.2-mile round trip.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yellowstone map
Full mapElevation5,745–6,503 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
Hellroaring Trailhead0:00 / 0:25
“You're nearing Hellroaring Trailhead, where a steep walk leads to a suspension bridge over a narrow Yellowstone River canyon.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yellowstone Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
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- 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 Hellroaring Creek Trail
Down to the Yellowstone RiverThe first mile drops steeply through switchbacks, losing about 600 feet before you reach the…
The first mile drops steeply through switchbacks, losing about 600 feet before you reach the suspension bridge. Views of the Yellowstone River open through the descent. The span is broad and sturdy, but it moves slightly as people cross. Pause for the canyon view; including the bridge in a photo gives the river below some scale.
Across Buffalo PlateauAfter crossing the river, the route climbs through open sagebrush meadows, then drops toward…
After crossing the river, the route climbs through open sagebrush meadows, then drops toward Hellroaring Creek. Shade is limited. Beyond the bridge, other backcountry routes branch away, so watch junctions and keep to the Hellroaring route. This day hike continues downstream to the creek–river meeting; the last riverside stretch follows a less-defined footpath. Upstream options, another bridge, or a ford turn the walk into a longer outing and are not part of this mapped version.
Plan for the returnThat first-mile descent becomes a steep climb on the way back.
That first-mile descent becomes a steep climb on the way back. The return is the hard part, especially in sun, so carry enough water and give yourself time for breaks. Grizzlies frequent the area; carry bear spray where you can reach it and know how to use it. The creek and river are popular fishing waters, but there are no food or water services on the route.
Start and accessThe trailhead is reached by a short dirt road about a quarter mile off Grand Loop Road, 3.
The trailhead is reached by a short dirt road about a quarter mile off Grand Loop Road, 3.5 miles west of Tower Junction. There is a decent amount of parking, though no capacity is published. The published hiking season is summer and fall. Pets are not allowed; there is no separate activity fee or reservation, though normal park entrance fees may apply. Bring all your water, as no trailhead water source or restroom was listed.
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.
