Parking
Snake River / Fox Creek Trailhead (6K3) is a remote access point that cannot be reached by road; no drive-up parking serves it. Reaching the trailhead requires a separate backcountry approach.
Overview
About South Boundary Trail: Lynx Creek
Why go
- Open views across Thorofare Valley and the ridge south of Lynx Creek
Heads up
- A remote, one-way route with no road access at the start
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yellowstone map
Full mapElevation7,838–9,298 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 tour- 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 South Boundary Trail: Lynx Creek
A full-day, one-way traverseSouth Boundary Trail: Lynx Creek is a 12.
South Boundary Trail: Lynx Creek is a 12.7-mile point-to-point walk through Yellowstone’s remote southeast backcountry. The mapped line starts at Snake River / Fox Creek Trailhead (6K3) and follows the South Boundary corridor east to a junction with Yellowstone Meadows Cutoff Trail. This is 12.7 miles one way; about 2.6 miles links 6K3 to the eastbound corridor, so a line that starts at the interior junction is shorter. Budget most of a day on foot, before the approach to 6K3 or onward and return travel.
What you see and crossThe defining views are the ridge south of Lynx Creek and the open sweep of Thorofare Valley.
The defining views are the ridge south of Lynx Creek and the open sweep of Thorofare Valley. The trail passes through wooded valley and open grassy, rocky slopes with fallen timber. A mapped ford crosses a stream in the eastern section; water levels change, and snowmelt can keep Yellowstone backcountry streams high into July. Treat this as a real backcountry crossing, not a guaranteed bridge.
Plan the access, not just the mileage6K3 is remote and cannot be reached by road.
6K3 is remote and cannot be reached by road. The line ends at another backcountry trail junction rather than a drive-up lot, so settle the approach and how you’ll continue or return before setting out. This is not a simple day hike from a car park. Pets are not allowed on park hiking trails or in the backcountry. Any overnight stay requires a backcountry permit year-round.
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.
