Pelican Cone Trail

Pelican Cone Trail is a remote out-and-back from Pelican Valley Trailhead to a small fire lookout on the cone’s open summit. The mapped route is about 22.3 miles round trip, with roughly 2,360 feet of climbing; allow about 10 hours for a strong, steady hike. The 11-mile line in the app shows the trail once, while the distance field counts the return. This is a serious backcountry day, not the separate 6.2-mile Pelican Valley hike that turns around at the washed-out bridge.

The shared first stretch crosses open meadow on bare ground, passes bridges and forest, and climbs a small hill to a view over Pelican Valley. Farther along, the mapped route follows Pelican Creek and Raven Creek paths toward the cone. A small hydrothermal area lies on the approach; stay on the tread there, and don’t cut across the fragile ground. The route remains low and gradual for much of its length, then gains height on the final climb.

The 9,663-foot summit is open and treeless, with Pelican Valley below and Yellowstone Lake visible beyond it. The forested, snowy ridges across the view are part of the Sour Creek resurgent dome, uplifted and faulted rock left after Yellowstone’s caldera-forming eruptions. The 14-by-14-foot cabin was built in 1937 by the Civilian Conservation Corps and served as a fire lookout in several periods through 1993. It is still maintained and used periodically for fire monitoring, so plan on the summit and view rather than assuming the cabin is open inside.

The Pelican Valley approach is prime grizzly habitat. NPS lists this access as day-use only from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and closed before July 4; groups of four or more are recommended, and off-trail travel is prohibited for the first 2.1 miles. That leaves little margin for a 22-mile day, so start at the allowed opening and check the current backcountry report before going. An overnight itinerary requires a backcountry permit and an assigned campsite. Pets aren’t allowed on Yellowstone trails or in the backcountry.