Yellowstone National Park, WY · MT · ID
A remote one-way walk from lake beach into lodgepole forest.
Overview
North Shore Shoshone Lake Trail is an 8.3-mile one-way backcountry route from the DeLacy Creek lake-inlet junction to the west-side junction area. The first 2.5 miles follow beach along the lake’s north end; after that, most of the route is lodgepole forest. Choose it for a long traverse along Shoshone Lake’s remote north shore, not a short lake walk. Allow about six hours for the 8.3-mile segment alone, before adding access or return travel.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
Plan your hike
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Yellowstone Tour Guide
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 tourMore stories near here in the app
“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
The open beach is the scenic payoff. Water, the opposite forested shore and the distant Red Mountains make the clearest view; this is the stretch to stop for a wide shoreline composition. Near the lake inlet, you must ford the outlet of DeLacy Creek to continue onto the North Shore trail, so this isn’t a dry, level promenade.
About 5.8 miles pass through lodgepole forest, with only occasional glimpses of water. Expect marshy patches and rough crossings. If you want open views all day, the long forest middle is the main tradeoff.
The stored route starts at a remote junction about 3 miles beyond DeLacy Creek Trailhead; from road parking, the walk to the west junction is about 11.3 miles one way. The endpoints are in the backcountry and this is not a loop, so plan your exit or return before starting. Shoshone Geyser Basin is beyond the west junction and is not included in this mileage. There are no services or potable water along the segment; the route sits around 7,800–8,080 feet. Overnight camping requires a Yellowstone backcountry permit, and pets are not allowed on park trails.
Wildlife
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.
Keep exploring
ModeratePocket Lake Trail2.4 mi · 2 hr · 1.4 mi awayA steep forest trail reaches a small backcountry lake.
ModerateDivide Trail3.4 mi · 2.3 hr · 2.7 mi awayA 3.4-mile out-and-back to a former fire lookout site.
ModerateSpring Creek Trail8 mi · 4 hr · 2.7 mi awayAn old stagecoach road follows the creek to the Firehole.
EasyDeLacy Creek Trail5.8 mi · 4 hr · 2.7 mi awayEasy meadows lead to remote Shoshone Lake.
ModerateDuck Lake Trail0.8 mi · 1.5 hr · 5.9 mi awayA short climb opens views over Duck Lake and the 1988 burn.
EasyLone Star Geyser Trail4.8 mi · 2.5 hr · 5.9 mi awayEasy Firehole River walk to a geyser with roughly three-hour eruptions.
ChallengingShoshone Geyser Basin Trail17 mi · 8.5 hr · 5.9 mi awayMore than 80 geysers, with no boardwalks and a long hike in.
ModerateYellowstone Lake Overlook Trail1.7 mi · 1.5 hr · 6 mi awayClimb to a broad lake-and-Absaroka view above West Thumb
Sight · 2.6 mi awayIsa Lake and Continental DivideA small lake with a snowmelt-dependent two-ocean story.
Picnic area · 2.8 mi awayDeLacy Creek Picnic AreaA handy picnic stop at Craig Pass with a vault toilet.
Picnic area · 3.2 mi awaySpring Creek Picnic AreaCraig Pass picnic break with nine tables and two fire grates
Picnic area · 3.5 mi awayEast Divide Picnic AreaA simple picnic stop with 14 tables and a vault toilet.
Sight · 5.6 mi awayLone Star Geyser4.8-mile river walk to a geyser whose eruptions average three hours apart.
Sight · 6 mi awayWest Thumb Geyser BasinA boardwalk loop between steaming pools and Yellowstone Lake.
Visitor center · 6 mi awayWest Thumb Information StationA historic ranger station at the start of West Thumb’s geyser-basin walk.
Picnic area · 6 mi awayWest Thumb Picnic AreaA handy picnic break beside the West Thumb geyser basin.Parkwolf’s Yellowstone ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
