Hiking in Cody and East Yellowstone, WY

The Lamar Valley is literally where the deer and the antelope play. It is home to half of Yellowstone’s 4000 bison and is one of the easiest places to see the park’s famous wolves and grizzlies.

The Mary Mountain Trail follows an old wagon road from Hayden Valley to connect with the western portion of the Grand Loop Road near Fountain Flat Drive.

After feasting your eyes on the scenery of the South Fork Valley on the drive to the trailhead, you’ll continue enjoying the views from the trail. You’ll be channeling your inner bighorn sheep after negotiating the switchbacks that take you into this lonely, yet lovely spot.

This mostly level trail hugs the north rim of the Clarks Fork River and its impressive gorge. The easy five mile out and back route meanders through open, rolling country and makes for a good leg stretcher on your way to Cooke City.

Looking for an easy trail with great views, good chances of seeing wildlife and a chance to play in the water that won’t take your whole day? Try the Elk Fork Trail.

Windy Mountain is perfect for summer peak baggers. The summit is just under 3 miles from the start of the trail, but you’ll climb up, up, up in that short distance. Start this hike early in the day to get off the exposed summit before the afternoon thundershowers start up.

This trail has it all - high, snow-covered peaks, alpine lakes, big vistas, beautiful forests and meadows filled with wildflowers. It’s considered long and strenuous, but worth the effort.

Grinnell Meadow Trail is one of the best routes on the North Fork to see moose. The trail is a moderate, but sustained uphill for the first 3 or so miles, then it opens out into some of the best meadows in the range where you’ll be rewarded with inspiring views.

Despite the rather politically incorrect name, the Dead Indian Trail is an easy out and back that takes you into what’s often referred to as the Switzerland of Wyoming. You’ll be surrounded by high, snow-clad peaks with grassy slopes that make you forget you’re in windy, flat, sagebrush-covered Wyoming.

The gray granite rocks of the Beartooth Plateau provide a welcome change from the brown volcanics of the Absaroka Range to the south. This trail meanders near lake shores and through rounded boulders strewn across grassy meadows as though thrown by some ancient giant. The views don’t get much prettier than this.

This quick out and back trail gives you a great sense of the beauty of the Absaroka Mountains but won’t leave you too exhausted for some in town fun in the evening.

The reward at the end of this rather long and strenuous hike is getting to see one of the largest rock arches in the world.

This is a great trail that’s close to town but gives you a true wilderness experience. From the summit, the views of Cody and the entire Big Horn Basin are spectacular.

Little Sunlight Trail follows Little Sunlight Creek just over the boundary into the North Absaroka Wilderness. You can either make this a lollipop or out and back adventure. Views, wildlife and an incredibly scenic drive in make this a great trail.

Despite the drive through oil fields, ranches and popular fishing spots, the Jack Creek Trail takes hikers into some wide open country with expansive vistas and lots of wildflowers early in the season.

Although this isn’t a long trail, it gains elevation fast. From the top of Francs Peak you’ll get some great vistas all the way north to Montana, south to the Wind River Mountains, west to the southern end of the Yellowstone Plateau and east to the Big Horn Mountains. This is big mountain country.

This quick and easy hike is great for families who want to get out, see some scenery and burn off a little energy.

Although it’s a long drive to the trailhead and a steep climb, the views from Copper Lakes will make you glad you made the effort. Cobalt blue water, scree slopes and isolation are the key words to describe this hike.

Amazing views of the entire Big Horn Basin greet you when you finally make the summit on this hike.