Howard Eaton Trail: Fishing Bridge to Canyon

Howard Eaton Trail: Fishing Bridge to Canyon is a 13.5-mile, one-way point-to-point hike following the Yellowstone River from the outlet of Yellowstone Lake through low rolling ground and open Hayden Valley to the Canyon side. It is a full-day backcountry traverse, mostly around 7,700–7,900 feet, with a creek ford and meadow sections where the tread can be hard to follow. Allow six to eight hours, and arrange a pickup before you start; hiking back to Fishing Bridge would turn it into a much longer day.

The route starts at Fishing Bridge Trailhead behind the developed area, then follows the Yellowstone River and a service road briefly before leaving the road for the river corridor. Around 2.2 miles it climbs away from the river over rolling hills. At about 3.9 miles, an opening gives you a view of LeHardys Rapids. The road can remain in sight or earshot beyond the overlook, so this is a backcountry walk with some roadside presence, not an uninterrupted wilderness escape.

If you want a shorter outing, the overlook makes a natural turnaround: it is about 7.8 miles round trip from Fishing Bridge. The trailhead sign points toward the South Rim and shows 16 miles; that is farther than the Canyon segment described here.

Around six miles in, the trail opens near Nez Perce Ford, with Mud Volcano across the Yellowstone River. It enters Hayden Valley near 6.8 miles. In the open meadows, the route can become difficult to pick out; keep close to the tree line where the tread is clearer. The valley’s broad, quiet-looking floor was shaped by glacial ice that once blocked the Yellowstone’s northward flow, leaving fine lake sediments behind.

At roughly 11.6 miles, turn at the Sour Creek Trail junction and ford Sour Creek. The crossing has been reported knee-deep by mid-July; water level varies, so do not commit to a crossing that looks unsafe. From there the route continues about 2.7 miles to the Canyon side near Chittenden Bridge. This is a through-hike, so have your ride waiting at the far end.

Howard Eaton was an early dude rancher who began guiding Yellowstone trips in the late 19th century. He did not lay out this namesake route: park superintendent Horace Albright and Alice Morris assembled it from existing trails, bridle paths and abandoned roads, and the route opened in 1923. The Civilian Conservation Corps rebuilt it in the 1930s. Fishing Bridge to Canyon is one surviving section of that older park-wide route.

The trailhead has an information kiosk, but food, drinking water and toilets along the route were not verified. Carry what you need for a full day, including water and bear spray. Yellowstone does not allow pets on hiking trails; ordinary day hiking does not require a permit. Check current backcountry conditions before setting out.