Parking
South Entrance Trailhead (8K7), east side of Snake River Picnic Area.
Overview
About South Boundary Trail: South Entrance–Harebell
Why go
- Follows the Snake River past thermal areas.
- Ends at a historic backcountry patrol cabin.
Heads up
- A point-to-point route with a remote finish needs a return plan.
- The Snake River ford can be waist-deep even at low water.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yellowstone map
Full mapElevation6,860–7,631 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
Snake River Picnic Area0:00 / 0:17
“Snake River Picnic Area is coming up near the South Entrance, a simple stop for a packed lunch beside the river and open meadow. There are eight tables, but no drinking water, so bring your own.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yellowstone Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Moose Falls
- Why a Moose Might Winter Uphill
- When Cars Were Forbidden
- A Salamander That Keeps Its Gills
- 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: South Entrance–Harebell
A long, one-way river hikeSouth Boundary Trail: South Entrance–Harebell is an 11.
South Boundary Trail: South Entrance–Harebell is an 11.6-mile point-to-point walk from South Entrance Trailhead (8K7) to Harebell Creek Patrol Cabin. Yellowstone rates it moderate. The route follows the Snake River for most of the way and passes a couple of thermal areas. Allow about six hours on the trail, including brief stops; the sampled elevation profile rises about 700 feet from start to finish.
This is a remote backcountry route, not a loop. Plan how you’ll leave the Harebell end before starting; walking back the same way makes it 23.2 miles. Overnight camping requires a backcountry permit. The trailhead is beside Snake River Picnic Area, with a nearby vault toilet and information kiosk. Pets aren’t allowed.
River and thermal groundThe route moves between open riverbank and meadow stretches.
The route moves between open riverbank and meadow stretches. At Snake Hot Springs, the blue-green thermal channel, steam, and orange-stained rocks make the most distinctive view; photograph it from the established tread. Stay on the trail through thermal areas—off-trail travel is prohibited there.
The ford and Harebell CabinThe Snake River ford at the western end is a serious hazard: NPS warns it can be dangerous and…
The Snake River ford at the western end is a serious hazard: NPS warns it can be dangerous and waist-deep even at low water. Yellowstone recommends hiking in groups of three or more and carrying bear spray where it’s immediately accessible.
Harebell Patrol Cabin sits just inside the park’s south boundary in remote backcountry accessible by foot or horseback. Built in 1915, it was part of the Army’s patrol network. The cabin is the route’s eastern endpoint, not a drive-up trailhead.
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.
