How to Mountain Bike Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone River (10 miles round trip)

This trail leaves the little town of Gardiner just north of the Mammoth entrance. One of the rangers we talked with had been part of the volunteer team that worked to restore this trail. It parallels the Yellowstone River along an old railroad bed and has a crushed rock base for much of the way. Dramatic views of the mountains around the valley, the river below and the high desert conditions gave this trail an old west feel.

This place was hot. We enviously watched rafters floating on the Yellowstone River below, splashing in the cool water while we pedaled through high desert conditions.

Osprey were frequently visible flying along along the high bank of the river. A tall platform near the trail held a large nest. There is some concern over the osprey population in Yellowstone National Park, and eagles have been known to take over osprey nests.

Eventually the trail leaves the park and continues north edging away from the river. We found (and left) relics of the old railroad and some truly beautiful cactus blooming on both sides of the trail.

At one point the trail is close to a gravel road so on the way back to Gardiner we crossed over. We spotted an old cemetery between the road and the river just north of Gardiner and took a little time to respectfully explore the tombstones. Some of them were placed when cowboys roamed the range and cars were called horseless carriages.

Did I mention it was hot? The ice cream parlor in Gardiner is a great place to cool off and play a little pool.

Mount Washburn (5 miles round trip)

From desert cactus to alpine meadows, Yellowstone National Park provides an incredible diversity of ecosystems. The day before on the Yellowstone River trail our concern was to avoid dehydration and heat stroke. On Mount Washburn our concern was to avoid hypothermia and low blood sugar from the cold and the climb. The wind picked up enough that wind chill must have been close to freezing at times. We read several places to watch the weather on Mount Washburn because thunderstorms can form quickly leaving you dangerously wet and exposed if you are unprepared. I believe it.

This is a good climb for a mountain bike, about 1500 feet over two and a half miles to the 10,243-foot summit. But Mount Washburn is well worth the effort. The wildflowers along the trail were almost magical in their vibrant colors and abundance of blooms, starkly defined by the rocky and grassy slopes. These are reported to be some of the most dazzling wildflower displays in Yellowstone. The are also very fragile please enjoy them from the trail as we did.

This is the best place in the park to get a sweeping view of the Yellowstone Caldera, the massive basin that are the surface remains of the largest known explosions in the history of our planet. I saw the ash plume from Mount Saint Helens when it blew its top off. My grandparents 75 miles downwind of the eruption saw the rolling blackness engulfing everything in its path and thought the world was coming to an end. The first eruption of the Yellowstone Caldera hurled 2,400 times as much volcanic rock into the sky, 600 cubic miles of it! The U.S. Geological Survey is monitoring the continuing earthquakes and slowly growing lava domes within the Caldera to increase our understanding and to be able to predict catastrophic events.

Within view of the summit the trail passes through the top of the old tree line where white lodgepole pines killed in the 1988 fire stand in stark contrast to the steep green slopes. We leaned our mountain bikes against the trail edge and found shelter from the cold wind within the ghostly grove where we ate and drank and rested before the last push to the top.

Between the white grove and the summit we encountered one of our most memorable wildlife experiences. While watching the baby bighorn sheep frolic in the herd that lives near the summit, a marmot emerged from the rocks just below us. He was close, so using binoculars made it look like you could touch the shimmering browns of his fur. While we were watching the sheep and the marmot a small herd of deer emerged from the trees below, led by what looked to be about an eight-point stag. And then over the ridge and crossing the trail behind us a herd of elk entered this same bustling, breezy meadow. I could barely believe what was happening. Amazing.

And I guess it has to be said, the downhill ride was quite a rush.

West Entrance (3 miles round trip)

Short but oh, so beautiful along the Madison River. This mountain bike trail begins almost directly across the street from the back country hiking office just inside the West Entrance of Yellowstone. I drove past it for days and did not notice the trail head under the power lines.

The trail begins as twin tracks through level pine trees. It all looked very tame until we spotted what looked just like the bear scat we saw in the natural history exhibits.

After a while we broke out of the trees and pedaled along the Madison River. The grassy fields, pine trees, cotton-ball clouds and sparkling blue river looked like something out of those wonderful Disney nature films of the sixties.

At some point, probably where we crossed a side road, we must have gotten onto the wrong trail because we came upon sharp short steep turns and fallen trees that were meant for hiking, not mountain biking. We knew where we were in relation to the road and the river, but we wanted to work our way back using established trails. As we wound around we were treated to a spectacular view over the Madison river to the lush valley and mountains beyond.

Lone Star Geyser (4 miles round trip)

An easy ride with striking views of the Firehole River and, with a little luck, an eruption at the Lone Star Geyser.

The trail is an old single-lane paved road. Take care and watch your speed because you share the trail with walkers, including kids, and it is easy to ride too fast on the gently sloping pavement.

The Firehole River winds near most of the trail, warmed by the geothermal activity of Yellowstone. At several places along the way be sure to take a moment and marvel at the dancing sparkles of the crystal clear river in bright sunlight and the intense green shades of the trees and meadow grasses against the deepening blue of the sky. Breathtaking!

Natural Bridge (2 miles round trip)

A quaint little ride along an abandoned road to see the Natural Bridge formation. If you are careful around the corners watching for people walking then coasting downhill on this beautiful little road is a lot of fun. This is a very short ride, a mile each way if that, so don't expect any kind of workout.

Once you get to the bridge there is a little footpath to get a closer view. We climbed up the path, appreciated the view, were attacked by biting flies and raced back to the car.

Excursions

To mix up our week we also hiked in the back country and drove to some of the more tourist-oriented spots.

I heartily endorse taking a back-country hike, especially with a ranger. We hiked several hours on a ranger-led hike in the Hayden Valley and saw some astounding wildlife. At one point we stopped on a small hill to watch a herd of 300+ buffalo work their way down the valley to merge with another large herd to the southwest. At another point we took off our boots to ford a stream and while putting our boots on a deer crashed out of the forest to our left. The ranger called our attention to it but as he said, "You can distinguish a black-tail from a mule deer..." a huge white wolf leapt out of the forest chasing the deer. Our collective jaws dropped. I have never seen anything like that wolf, loping with incredibly long easy strides after that deer. I know this is anthropomorphic but the wolf looked like he (or she) was enjoying the chase and the deer looked terrified. A couple of seconds later a second wolf trotted into view following the chase. It appeared that two or more wolves were taking turns running the deer, tiring it out. Moments later the deer reappeared from nearly the same spot with a wolf continuing to follow, having run in a circle through the forest. That was the last we saw of the wolves and the deer.

At two other points in our trek we crossed paths with a small herd of buffalo and a small herd of elk. What struck me was the difference in the way these animals acted. The animals that remained near the roads seemed to be used to humans and were relatively docile. The same animals in the back country acted much more wild. The elk startled and ran when they saw us walking up over the hill. The bison, on the other hand, crossed our path ahead of us causing us to stop to let them pass. When two bulls began fighting each other and chasing a female toward us we had to leave the trail and give them plenty of room. Still later we spotted a coyote and her pups running together in the valley. Amazing.

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