Parking
Neither mapped junction has road access or a parking area. Plan an approach and exit as part of a larger backcountry route and add those miles to the 9.2-mile corridor.
Overview
About Pelican Creek Trail
Why go
- Follows Pelican Creek through open meadow and forest
- Mudpots and geyser pools along the backcountry corridor
Heads up
- Remote 9.2-mile point-to-point route with no road access at either end
- Approach and exit miles must be planned separately; open stretches can require careful route-finding
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yellowstone map
Full mapElevation7,953–8,497 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 tourMore stories near here in the app
- The Blast That Made Indian Pond
- Pelican Valley Trailhead
- What a Swan Stirs Up
- 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 Pelican Creek Trail
The routePelican Creek Trail is a remote 9.
Pelican Creek Trail is a remote 9.2-mile, one-way point-to-point walk from the Raven Creek Cutoff Trail junction north to the Wapiti Lake Trail junction. It follows Pelican Creek through open meadows and forest, with small ups and downs. Allow about five hours for this segment at Yellowstone’s elevation; the estimate excludes travel to the start and from the finish.
Creek and thermal countryOpen valley alternates with wooded creekside.
Open valley alternates with wooded creekside. The corridor passes mudpots and geyser pools, and broad open stretches can make the tread harder to follow. Keep track of the established route and stay on durable ground around geothermal features.
Plan a through-routeNeither mapped endpoint is road-accessible.
Neither mapped endpoint is road-accessible. Treat this as one leg of a larger backcountry itinerary and add the miles needed to reach the start and leave the finish. This is separate from the 6.2-mile round-trip Pelican Valley Trail from trailhead 5K3 and the 0.6-mile Pelican Creek Nature Trail near Fishing Bridge.
Bear-area accessThe Pelican Valley Bear Management Area is closed April 1 through July 3; from July 4 through…
The Pelican Valley Bear Management Area is closed April 1 through July 3; from July 4 through November 10 it is limited to day use, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The park recommends hiking in groups of three or more, and pets are not allowed on trails. Check current restrictions before setting out and carry bear spray.
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.
