Parking
The full loop starts behind Roosevelt Lodge. The alternate Lost Lake Trailhead is at the end of Petrified Tree parking; the NPS says spaces there can be at a premium, though turnover is high.
Overview
About Lost Lake Trail
Why go
- A forest-and-meadow loop with Lost Lake as its midway payoff.
- Two official access points let you start at the lodge or Petrified Tree lot.
Heads up
- A 300-foot climb, with horse traffic sharing the trail.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yellowstone map
Full mapElevation6,352–6,893 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
Roosevelt Lodge and Lost Lake0:00 / 0:32
“You're coming up on Roosevelt Lodge, a seasonal log lodge where you can stop for a meal without staying overnight.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yellowstone Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Tower Junction and Garnet Hill
- Yellowstone River Picnic Area and Narrows
- Petrified Tree
- Calcite Springs Overlook
- 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 Lost Lake Trail
A short lake loopLost Lake Trail is a moderate 2.
Lost Lake Trail is a moderate 2.8-mile loop from behind Roosevelt Lodge to Lost Lake, around the hillside by Petrified Tree parking, and back. Allow one to two hours. The walk pairs a forest climb and a lakeside pause with open sagebrush slopes on the return.
The climb and routeThe trail climbs about 300 feet (91 m) through forest to a bench, then joins the Roosevelt…
The trail climbs about 300 feet (91 m) through forest to a bench, then joins the Roosevelt horse trail. At the junction, take the west/right branch to Lost Lake. From the lake, the path follows the hillside to Petrified Tree parking; cross the lot and climb again, passing behind Tower Ranger Station and across a creek before returning to the lodge. Horses also use this route.
At the lake and meadowLost Lake is the route’s central stop.
Lost Lake is the route’s central stop. Lily pads edge the water beneath a wooded hillside, and the route skirts the shore before turning back toward open ground. The return crosses sagebrush meadow, with views toward Pleasant Valley as it climbs above the lake.
Access and wildlifeThe full loop starts behind Roosevelt Lodge; the end of Petrified Tree parking is an alternate…
The full loop starts behind Roosevelt Lodge; the end of Petrified Tree parking is an alternate access. Parking at that lot can be tight, though vehicles turn over quickly. Black and grizzly bears and bison frequent this area. The park recommends groups of three or more and carrying bear spray. Horses share the path; if they approach, step to the downhill side and stand still until they pass. 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.
