Parking
Use the roadside pullout at Monument Geyser Basin Trailhead on the Grand Loop Road. Sources differ on its size; plan on roadside parking and take care entering and leaving the road.
Overview
About Monument Geyser Basin Trail
Why go
- Distinctive pale basin with sinter spires and steam vents
- Gibbon River, Norris Basin, and Mount Holmes views on the climb
Heads up
- A direct, steep climb takes up most of the route after the river stretch
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yellowstone map
Full mapElevation7,343–7,976 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
Monument Geyser Basin Trailhead0:00 / 0:28
“You're approaching the trailhead for Monument Geyser Basin, where a steep hike leads to pale, chimney-like silica spires and steaming vents.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yellowstone Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Beryl Spring
- Artists Paintpots
- Rust Caught in a Living Mat
- Rain That Took the Long Way
- 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 Monument Geyser Basin Trail
The routeMonument Geyser Basin Trail is a 2.
Monument Geyser Basin Trail is a 2.4-mile out-and-back from a roadside pullout on the Grand Loop Road to a small thermal basin on a hillside. Plan on about two hours. The climb gains roughly 640 feet and is direct, so the short mileage is a little misleading, especially at Yellowstone’s elevation.
First the river, then the hillA short rise from the trailhead gives way to about half a mile alongside the Gibbon River under…
A short rise from the trailhead gives way to about half a mile alongside the Gibbon River under pines. Then the trail turns southwest and climbs sharply, with few switchbacks. Look back for the river winding through the meadow, Norris Geyser Basin, and Mount Holmes. Near the top, the grade eases and a rocky trench opens a view south before the forest gives way to pale mineral ground.
At the basinThe trail ends at the edge of a pale thermal slope, where tall sinter spires, scattered pines,…
The trail ends at the edge of a pale thermal slope, where tall sinter spires, scattered pines, and steaming vents make the payoff. This is a quieter, less colorful kind of thermal basin than Yellowstone’s famous boardwalk stops. Turn around where the established tread ends; the basin beyond is not a place to wander around for a closer look.
Access and safetyParking is in the roadside pullout at Monument Geyser Basin Trailhead.
Parking is in the roadside pullout at Monument Geyser Basin Trailhead. Descriptions differ on its size, so plan on roadside parking and take care pulling back onto the road. The climb is steep and exposed to Yellowstone’s high elevation. Pets are prohibited, and off-trail travel in thermal areas is not allowed. NPS backcountry guidance recommends hiking in groups of three or more and keeping bear spray accessible.
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.
