Yellowstone National Park, WY · MT · ID
A remote 11.7-mile traverse through Yellowstone’s Two Ocean Plateau.
Overview
Map & elevation
Plan your hike
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Yellowstone Tour Guide
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“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
Two Ocean Plateau Trail is an 11.7-mile, one-way backcountry traverse from the South Boundary–Lynx Creek junction near Plateau Creek to Trail Creek Trail south of Yellowstone Lake. It crosses the western foothills of the Continental Divide: the southern part climbs to a ridge near 9,350 feet, drops into a narrow valley, then continues on gentler ground beside Chipmunk Creek. Plan around eight hours on foot, before adding the time you need to reach and leave either end.
The appeal is the crossing itself, moving from a high ridge into a remote creek valley. This is a long connection between two backcountry trail systems, not a loop or a day hike from a parking lot. Neither end has road access, so build it into a longer itinerary and arrange your exit before you start. Keep the route available offline; there is no quick drive back if plans change.
The south end meets the South Boundary–Lynx Creek Trail; the north end joins Trail Creek Trail. The 11.7 miles cover only this named route, not the additional walking needed to reach a road or another access point. An overnight trip requires a backcountry permit for a designated campsite.
Wildlife
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.
Keep exploring
ChallengingContinental Divide Trail: Yellowstone Section70.3 mi · 1.8 days · 2.4 mi awayA 70-mile CDT traverse through remote backcountry.
ModerateSouth Boundary Trail: Lynx Creek12.7 mi · 7.5 hr · 2.4 mi awayA long backcountry traverse across Thorofare country and Lynx Creek.
ChallengingFox Creek Trail10.9 mi · 5 hr · 2.9 mi awayA remote backcountry traverse with no road access to its start.
EasyHawk’s Lake Trail0.5 mi · 15 min · 8.8 mi awayA remote half-mile connector between Hawks Rest and Thorofare Trail.
ChallengingSouth Boundary Trail: Harebell–Fox Creek11.1 mi · 6.5 hr · 10.8 mi awayEleven remote miles between a patrol cabin and the Snake River.
EasySnake River Canyon Trail2.5 mi · 1.5 hr · 11.4 mi awayAn easy river-valley connector in Yellowstone's remote backcountry.
ModerateHeart River Trail5.8 mi · 3.5 hr · 11.4 mi awayA remote river corridor with several unbridged fords.
ChallengingMount Sheridan Trail7.2 mi · 6 hr · 15 mi awayHeart Lake and the Tetons spread out below this remote summit.Parkwolf’s Yellowstone ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
