Pelican Creek Nature Trail
Lake Village, Yellowstone National Park
| Address: | US-16, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, USA |
| GPS: |
44°33'39.0"N 110°21'47.1"W Maps | Directions |
| State: | Wyoming |
| Trails/Routes: | 0.6 mi |
Lakes Trails Ponds National Park Pet Friendly
Hike
Pelican Creek Nature Trail is a beautiful easy walk that gives visitors views of Yellowstone Lake and Pelican Creek. This family friendly trail can be completed in under an hour.
Despite the shortness of the trail, the variety of views available from the trail make this a hike worth taking. In the short 0.6 mile loop hikers will see streams, forests, and the immensity of Yellowstone Lake. Many varieties of water fowls are native to this area and can be spotted along the trail, including grebes, pelicans and teals.
The 0.6 mile loop can be easily walked by hikers at any level. There is little change in elevation and the path is well marked and easy to follow. This loop is moderately trafficked, but can be quieter at sunrise and sunset, beautiful times to visit the lake. Pelican Creek Nature Trail is only open during the summer and fall months due to heavy snow in the winter and spring.
The trailhead for Pelican Creek Nature Trail can be found on the west end of the Pelican Creek Bridge.
Visitors to Yellowstone National Park looking for a breathtaking, relaxing hike will enjoy walking along Pelican Creek Nature Trail. This trail provides hikers with an up close view of Yellowstone Lake that is sure to be unforgettable.
More Information
Yellowstone National Park Itinerary
This Yellowstone National Park Itinerary will help you get started as you plan your vacation to Yellowstone National Park.
https://www.justgotravelstudios.com/collections/national-park-itineraries/products/yellowstone-national-park-itinerary?ref=9zpxis0diinPelican Creek Nature Trail (U.S. National Park Service)
Day hike in Yellowstone National Park
https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/yell-trail-pelican-creek.htmPelican Creek Nature Trail - Hike 734
The Pelican Creek Nature Trail in Yellowstone National Park is a beautiful, family-friendly trail to a sandy beach along the north shore of Yellowstone Lake. This short, level walk through the trees follows along Pelican Creek as it empties into the lake. The Pelican Creek Nature Trail is located just west of the bridge over Pelican […]
https://hike734.com/trip/pelican-creek-nature-trail/Be courteous, informed, and prepared. Read trailhead guidelines, stay on the trail, and don't feed the wildlife.
Read MoreDirections
From Lake Village, Yellowstone National Park
- Head south (138 ft)
- Turn rightMay be closed at certain times or days(0.8 mi)
- Turn right onto Hwy 20 EParts of this road may be closed at certain times or days(1.6 mi)
- Slight right toward US-14 E/US-16 E/Hwy 20 E (213 ft)
- Turn right onto US-14 E/US-16 E/Hwy 20 EMay be closed at certain times or daysDestination will be on the right(1.3 mi)
Other Hiking Trails Nearby
Pelican Valley Trail
Lake Village, Yellowstone National Park
1.8 miles EA flat, easy 6.2-mile hike through forest, over bridges, and into Pelican Valley's marshy winding creek — some of the best grizzly bear country in Yellowstone, open July 4 through fall, daylight hours only.
Hike 2.1 mi
Storm Point Trail
Lake Village, Yellowstone National Park
1.8 miles EAn easy 2.3-mile family hike along the shores of Yellowstone Lake and Indian Pond to a rocky, windy overlook — open in summer and fall, closed in winter and during high bear activity.
Hike 2.8 mi
Elephant Back Mountain Trail
Lake Village, Yellowstone National Park
1.9 miles WA 3-mile loop trail climbing 800 feet to a stunning overlook of Yellowstone Lake near Lake Village — a moderate hike open in summer and fall.
Hike 2.3 mi
Natural Bridge Trail
Lake Village, Yellowstone National Park
4.2 miles SWAn easy 2-mile trail through forests and meadows to a bridge carved by a creek wearing through rhyolite — best views come from hiking around to the back of the arch.
Hike, Mountain Bike
Mud Volcano
Lake Village, Yellowstone National Park
5.6 miles NWMud Volcano is one of Yellowstone National Park's most fascinating — and most pungent — hydrothermal areas, tucked along the Grand Loop Road in the Hayden Valley region between...
Hike 1.4-2.6 mi
Ribbon Lake Trail
Canyon Village, Yellowstone National Park
12.2 miles NWA gentle 6-mile trail through Yellowstone meadows past Clear Lake's thermal blue-green waters, lily-padded Ribbon Lake, and Grand Canyon overlooks — with bison and bears en route.
Hike 3.3 mi
Avalanche Peak Trail
Cody, Wyoming
12.4 miles SEA difficult 4-mile climb gaining 2,100 feet to Avalanche Peak's summit with sweeping views of Yellowstone's remote alpine peaks — watch for grizzlies, especially in fall.
Hike 9.0 mi
Seven Mile Hole Trail
Canyon Village, Yellowstone National Park
12.7 miles NWA challenging 10-mile hike along the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone rim, then a 1,000-foot descent into the canyon for up-close Yellowstone River views and active hot spring sightings.
Hike
Lower Falls of the Yellowstone
Canyon Village, Yellowstone National Park
12.8 miles NWAt 308 feet, the tallest waterfall in Yellowstone National Park towers over the iconic yellow canyon walls — taller than Niagara Falls, with multiple viewpoints and trails accessible even in winter.
Hike 18.2 mi
Howard Eaton Trail
Canyon Village, Yellowstone National Park
13.9 miles NWA 10-mile Yellowstone trail passing Cascade Lake, Grebe Lake, and Wolf Lake through forests and meadows — fish any of the lakes with a valid permit, or hike the full 20-mile out-and-back.
Hike 2.9 mi
Grebe Lake Trail
Canyon Village, Yellowstone National Park
14.2 miles NWAn easy 6-mile Yellowstone round trip on a converted fire road to Grebe Lake — with elk, wildflowers, burned forest regeneration, and fishing allowed on the lake at trail's end.
Hike 0.4 mi
West Thumb Geyser Basin
Grant Visitor's Center, Yellowstone National Park
14.4 miles SWBoardwalks trace the edge of Yellowstone Lake at the scenic West Thumb Geyser Basin — hot springs, mud pots, fumaroles, lake shore geysers, and underwater vents in one compact visit.
Hike 0.5 mi
Duck Lake
Grant Village, Yellowstone National Park
14.5 miles SWA short 0.8-mile hike through lodgepole pine in Yellowstone near West Thumb, revealing the fire history of 1988 and a quiet, calm lake with a sandy beach feel.
Hike 1.4 mi
Yellowstone Lake Overlook Trail
Grant Village, Yellowstone National Park
14.5 miles SWAn easy 1.7-mile loop from the West Thumb Geyser Basin parking lot with a rewarding overlook of Yellowstone Lake — a great beginner hike open in summer and fall.
Hike
Lake Overlook
Grant Village, Yellowstone National Park
14.5 miles SWA 1.7-mile escape from the West Thumb crowds, leading through forest to a mountain-top meadow overlook of West Geyser and Yellowstone Lake.
Hike 2.4 mi
Cascade Lake Trail
Canyon Village, Yellowstone National Park
14.5 miles NWAn easy, well-marked 4.5-mile out-and-back hike through meadows and forest to Cascade Lake near Canyon Village, with wildflowers in summer and frequent wildlife sightings year-round.
Hike 7.6 mi
Observation Peak Trail
Canyon Village, Yellowstone National Park
14.5 miles NWA nearly 10-mile Yellowstone hike that eases through meadows and past beautiful Cascade Lake before a strenuous 1,400-foot climb to a spectacular panoramic peak.
Hike 3.4 mi
Dunraven Pass - Mount Washburn Trail
Canyon Village, Yellowstone National Park
16.2 miles NA 6-mile Yellowstone hike via Dunraven Pass through quiet forests to the summit of Mount Washburn — a panoramic perch with bighorn sheep in summer and grizzlies near pine nuts in fall.
Hike 0.8-3.8 mi
Little Gibbon Falls
Norris, Yellowstone National Park
16.7 miles NWA family-friendly 4.5-mile Yellowstone loop reaches fishing and swimming spots along Gibbon Creek, with kid-safe trail, canoeing options, and bearspray-worthy backcountry feel.
Camp, Canoe, Hike 4.4 mi
Chittenden Road - Mount Washburn Trail
Canyon Village, Yellowstone National Park
16.7 miles NA steady, well-packed 5.8-mile out-and-back on the former Chittenden service road to Mount Washburn's summit, with bighorn sheep, wildflowers, and sweeping Yellowstone views at the top.
HikeNearby Campsites
Fishing Bridge RV Campground
Lake Village, Yellowstone National Park
0.4 miles NWAn RV campground near the mouth of the Yellowstone River where visitors can watch White Pelicans, waterfowl, and trout from the historic Fishing Bridge — fishing from the bridge is no longer permitted.
Camp
Bridge Bay
Lake Village, Yellowstone National Park
4.1 miles SWA scenic campground on the western shore of Yellowstone Lake at 7,800 feet — wooded upper loops, open meadows, and a nearby marina store, though far from the park's main dining hubs.
Camp
Canyon Campground
Canyon Junction, Yellowstone National Park
13.6 miles NWA popular Yellowstone campground of 300-plus sites just minutes from the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the Upper and Lower Falls, with hiking trails and North Rim Drive access right from camp.
Camp
Grant Village
Grant Village, Yellowstone National Park
15.2 miles SWNamed for President Grant near Yellowstone Lake's West Thumb, this village has lakeside dining, a geyser basin next door, campfire ranger programs, and tree-lined campsites steps from the water.
Camp, Canoe, Kayak 0.8-3.8 mi
Little Gibbon Falls
Norris, Yellowstone National Park
16.7 miles NWA family-friendly 4.5-mile Yellowstone loop reaches fishing and swimming spots along Gibbon Creek, with kid-safe trail, canoeing options, and bearspray-worthy backcountry feel.
Camp, Canoe, Hike
Norris Campground
Norris, Yellowstone National Park
20.4 miles NWCentrally located in Yellowstone NP, this campground puts you within a short drive of Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Hayden Valley, Old Faithful, and Yellowstone Lake.
Camp 6.9 mi
Heart Lake Trail
Grant Village, Yellowstone National Park
20.4 miles SWAn 8-mile moderate hike to a remote backcountry lake with blue thermal pools, fumaroles, Rustic Geyser, and remarkable fishing for native cutthroat, mountain whitefish, and Arctic grayling.
Backpack, Camp, Hike, Hot Springs
Tower Falls
Tower Junction, Yellowstone National Park
22.9 miles NTower Fall plunges 132 feet off Tower Creek in Yellowstone, framed by dramatic rock pinnacles — located about 3 miles south of Roosevelt Junction.
Camp, Hike 0.1 mi
Lewis Lake Campground
Grant Village, Yellowstone National Park
23.3 miles SWYellowstone's third-largest lake draws canoeists, kayakers, and serious anglers, with a quiet campground open mid-June through early November on a first-come basis.
Camp, Canoe, Kayak
Madison Campground
Madison, Yellowstone National Park
25.4 miles WA partly wooded riverside campground at 6,800 feet in Yellowstone, close to Old Faithful and the geyser basins, with great fishing on the Madison River and 270-plus individual sites.
Camp
Slough Creek Campground
Tower Junction, Yellowstone National Park
26.9 miles NA small, popular Yellowstone campground right on Slough Creek where wolf packs are frequently spotted — sites fill fast, so arrive early.
Camp
Hellroaring Creek Trail
Yellowstone National Park
27.1 miles NA suspension bridge over the Yellowstone River leads to sandy creek-side beaches and a mild backcountry trail past Yellowstone's largest granite slab — great for all ages.
Camp, Hike, Swim
Pebble Creek Campground
Northeast Entrance, Yellowstone National Park
27.5 miles NEA quiet campground tucked in Yellowstone's far northeast corner near Trout Lake and world-class Lamar and Soda Butte trout rivers — arrive before 11 a.m. to secure a spot.
Camp 14.8 mi
Biscuit Basin to Fairy Falls and Firehole Meadows
Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park
28.4 miles WA nearly 15-mile backcountry hike starting at Biscuit Basin passes turquoise pools, a 70-foot waterfall, Firehole Meadows, Imperial Geyser, and three stunning blue lakes with rust-red shores.
Backpack, Camp, Hike
Indian Creek Campground Yellowstone
Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
28.6 miles NWIndian Creek Campground is a quiet, wooded, tent-friendly Yellowstone campground near Mammoth Hot Springs, big on wildlife and peace.
Camp
Mammoth Hot Springs Campground
Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
32.9 miles NWThe only year-round campground in Yellowstone, with 85 first-come sites at 5 miles from the North Entrance, walking distance to the famous Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces and nearby hiking and fishing.
Camp 0.1-5.3 mi
Mammoth Hot Springs
Mammoth, Yellowstone National Park
33.0 miles NWColorful limestone terraces covered in glistening hot-spring water, a 1-mile boardwalk with 300 feet of elevation, elk in the parking lot, and an easy family-friendly loop — Yellowstone's showiest geology.
Camp, Hike
Loon Lake
Ashton, Idaho
42.5 miles SWCamp, Kayak, and Swim near Ashton, Idaho
Camp, Kayak, Swim
Cave Falls of Yellowstone
Ashton, Idaho
42.8 miles SWA campground right on the Fall River along Yellowstone's south boundary puts you steps from legendary fishing, with fire rings and bear-proof boxes at each site.
Camp, Hike
Big Springs
Island Park, Idaho
44.2 miles WA Big Springs campground shaded by Lodgepole Pines on Henry's Fork — with a 1-mile interpretive trail, fish feeding under the bridge, the historic Johnny Sack Cabin, and access to the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway.
Camp, Hike