Parking
Use the Terrace Spring Trailhead parking area in the Madison area; the information kiosk is at the trailhead.
Overview
About Terrace Spring Trail
Why go
- A very short boardwalk reaches a thermal-spring viewpoint.
Heads up
- At 0.2 mile, this is a brief stop rather than a substantial hike.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yellowstone map
Full mapElevation6,907–6,922 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
Terrace Spring0:00 / 0:18
“Terrace Spring is coming up, a small thermal stop with a boardwalk loop of about a fifth of a mile. Give it fifteen minutes to watch the pools bubble.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yellowstone Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Purple Mountain Trailhead
- Madison Information Station and Trailside Museum
- A Butterfly That Waited Out Winter
- Firehole Falls and Canyon Swimming Area
- 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 Terrace Spring Trail
A quick thermal stopTerrace Spring Trail is a 0.2-mile lollipop boardwalk in Yellowstone’s Madison area.
Terrace Spring Trail is a 0.2-mile lollipop boardwalk in Yellowstone’s Madison area. It’s a very short walk from the trailhead parking area to a small thermal area; allow about 15 minutes to walk it and pause at the spring. I’d stop for the close-up look if you’re already nearby, but it isn’t a hike to plan your day around.
Follow the boardwalkA short access spur leads from the parking area to the boardwalk loop, which circles Terrace…
A short access spur leads from the parking area to the boardwalk loop, which circles Terrace Spring and returns along the same spur. A smaller spring sits beside the fork, and the loop reaches a viewpoint over the main spring. On a cold morning, steam may rise over the water, though it can also hide the pool.
Stay on the walkwayThermal ground can be a thin crust over superheated water.
Thermal ground can be a thin crust over superheated water. Stay on boardwalks and designated paths, and don’t touch the water or runoff. Pets aren’t allowed on boardwalks or in thermal areas, even when carried. The walk is a boardwalk, but a formal wheelchair-accessibility rating isn’t provided.
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.
