Hiking the Bunsen Peak Trail in Yellowstone National Park
Distance (One Way to Bunsen Peak): 2.1 miles / 3.4 km
Elevation Gain: ~1,300 ft. / 396 m
The Bunsen Peak Trail in Yellowstone National Park is a fun day hike near Mammoth Hot Springs that climbs a relatively short, not-too-difficult trail to a beautiful panoramic summit with sweeping views across much of the park’s northern range, including views of the nearby Swan Lake Flat, the Blacktail Plateau, the Beartooth Mountains, and even as far as Lamar Valley!
Personally, I love the Bunsen Peak Trail because it is one of the best uncrowded sunset hikes in Yellowstone, as the Swan Lake Flat to the west and Lamar Valley to the east are truly stunning when the golden light stretches across this beautiful corner of Yellowstone in the late evening!
However, what makes Bunsen Peak even better for sunset is that the drive out of the park to Gardiner, MT, just beyond Mammoth, is very reasonable, considering how close this little gateway community is to the northwest corner of Yellowstone.
In any case, Bunsen Peak is commonly combined with the Osprey Falls Trail in the Gardner River Canyon on the far east side of the peak. This is most commonly done by hiking down the east side of Bunsen, as outlined in this article, in order to save the easy walk back on the road for the end.
However, this article is solely about the Bunsen Peak Trail that climbs up and over the mountain, which ends up totaling about 7.3 miles (11.7 km), excluding the optional hike down to Osprey Falls.
How Long is the Bunsen Peak Trail?
Since many hikers only hike parts of the full Bunsen Peak Trail, I’ve broken down each section to help you plan your adventure.
Bunsen Peak Trailhead to Bunsen Peak: 2.1 mile (3.4 km)
Bunsen Peak to East Old Bunsen Peak Road Junction: 2.1 mile (3.4 km)
East Old Bunsen Peak Road Junction to Bunsen Peak Trailhead: 3.1 miles (5.0 km)
East Old Bunsen Peak Road Junction to Osprey Falls Junction: 0.1 miles (0.2 km)
Osprey Falls Junction to Osprey Falls: 1.4 miles (2.3 km)
Total Distance (Full Bunsen Peak Loop Trail - Not Osprey Falls): 7.3 miles (11.7 km)
Bunsen Peak Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Bunsen Peak Trail is located in a very small lot directly off Grand Loop Road, about 4.8 miles (7.7 km) south of Mammoth Hot Springs.
That said, the parking area is relatively small, but typically, finding a spot is rarely an issue, as Bunsen Peak and Osprey Falls are far less popular than the busy boardwalks in Mammoth Hot Springs just up the road.
Google Maps Directions: Bunsen Peak Trailhead
Hiking Checklist - Yellowstone–Tetons
Here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in the Yellowstone–Teton area.
Hiking the Bunsen Peak Trail
The Bunsen Peak Trail begins at the gate for Old Bunsen Peak Road, but the trail branches away from the road that continues around the mountain, just a few steps into the hike.
West Bunsen Peak-Old Bunsen Peak Road Junction
This is where the Bunsen Peak Trail leaves Old Bunsen Peak Road.
That said, go left to begin the roughly 2.1-mile (3.4 km) hike up the west side of Bunsen Peak.
Immediately after leaving the road, the Bunsen Peak Trail begins climbing.
However, I don’t believe the near-constant ascent is all that difficult, at least when compared with much steeper day hikes in Yellowstone, like the stunning Avalanche Peak Trail near the East Entrance.
The thing I hope all these photos show more than anything else is that there’s a lot of sun exposure on the Bunsen Peak Trail.
This is why I highly recommend wearing a hooded sun shirt—especially if you plan to hike the full loop or continue farther to Osprey Falls.
After only 0.3 miles (0.5 km), the views from the trail open up toward Kingman Pass and Mammoth Hot Springs, commonly known as the Golden Gates.
If you didn’t have plans to hike all the way to the summit, this second viewpoint through the Golden Gates is worth the trip alone!
After the second viewpoint of the Golden Gates, the Bunsen Peak Trail winds its way uphill through a Lodgepole-dominated forest until it reaches the first of 12 switchbacks about 0.6 miles (1.0 km) later.
Since there is quite a bit of elevation change on the hike up either side of Bunsen Peak, some hikers may want to bring trekking poles, which can be especially helpful during the long descent on the way back.
This is the first of 12 switchbacks on the west side of Bunsen Peak—or at least 12 distinct switchbacks, as some get much more vague as the trail approaches the summit.
This view at the third switchback again looks north toward Mammoth, but this time, Gardiner, MT, just beyond the park boundary, can be seen in the distance!
This is the view looking northwest toward Electric Peak, the most prominent summit near Mammoth Hot Springs, apart from Bunsen Peak.
This is the tenth of 12 switchbacks on the west side of Bunsen Peak.
This is the 12th and final switchback beneath Bunsen Peak.
That said, there are certainly a few more as the Bunsen Peak Trail winds its way up the remaining 0.3 miles (0.5 km) to the summit, but the remaining are much more ambiguous than those up to this point.
This is where the Bunsen Peak Trail wraps around the north side of the mountain as it approaches the summit.
The nice thing about these views looking up toward the top is that there really are no false summits on Bunsen Peak, and on multiple hikes up the trail over the years, I’ve always felt surprised, as if the summit arrived sooner than I expected!
Bunsen Peak
This is the summit of Bunsen Peak, which stands at 8,564 ft. (2,610 m), according to the National Park Service!
That said, the views from the top are truly spectacular in every direction, which is one of my favorite things about Bunsen Peak—particularly when hiked for sunset!
Some of the places that can be seen from the top include the Blacktail Plateau and Lamar Valley to the northeast, Swan Lake Flat to the south and west, Mammoth Hot Springs and Gardiner, MT, to the north, and much of the Beartooth Mountains across the entire northern boundary!
After Bunsen Peak, the trail continues down the east side until it meets Old Bunsen Peak Road again at the base of the mountain.
This is the route commonly taken by those combining both the Bunsen Peak Trail and the Osprey Falls Trail.
That said, I personally don’t think hiking down the east side of Bunsen Peak is worth the effort if you don’t have plans to also hike to Osprey Falls, as it ends up being a very long day outside because of the 3.1-mile (5.0 km) return hike on Old Bunsen Peak Road.
This initial descent along the ridge is one of the coolest and most beautiful parts the full Bunsen Peak Loop Trail, as the views to the south and east are truly second to none—especially in the late afternoon, when the shadows grow longer and photos of the landscape come out the best!
What are the Buildings at the Summit of Bunsen Peak?
All the buildings and antennas at the summit of Bunsen Peak today are part of the communications infrastructure that serves Mammoth Hot Springs and nearby areas.
Historically, however, the summit looked much different. In 1934, the National Park Service constructed a fire lookout on Bunsen Peak, similar to the lookout atop Mt. Washburn, some 16 miles (25.7 km) to the southeast.
However, in the decades that followed, the lookout was eventually removed. These concrete footings are not the site of the historic fire lookout, but that is located just down the trail, about 0.1 miles (0.2 km) from this point.
Then, in the 1950s, Bunsen Peak’s purpose had changed, and it was developed as a radio communications site. National Park Service engineers selected the peak for a radio repeater in 1952, and by 1957, a power line was being constructed to the radio installation. This helps explain the log cabin-looking building and antennas at the summit today, though the most prominent building was not the first telecommunication structure to be built, as the current building was constructed in 2013.
This is where the Bunsen Peak Trail passes the junction for the historic 1930s-era fire lookout that once stood atop the hill in the distance.
The coordinates are linked below.
Google Maps Directions: 44°55'53.4"N 110°42'22.1"W
These initial sections just below the summit are some of the most beautiful parts on the east side of Bunsen Peak in my opinion.
This is the view looking back toward the summit of Bunsen Peak, about 0.6 miles (1.0 km) since leaving the top.
East Bunsen Peak-Old Bunsen Peak Road Junction
After 2.1 miles (3.4 km) since leaving Bunsen Peak, or 4.2 miles (6.8 km) since leaving the trailhead off Grand Loop Road, the Bunsen Peak Trail comes to an end at this junction with Old Bunsen Peak Road.
This is the same road that began at the trailhead gate and wraps around the south side of Bunsen Peak, which is why the Bunsen Peak Trail is commonly referred to as the Bunsen Peak Loop Trail.
In any case, go right to return to the trailhead, about 3.1 miles (5.0 km) from this junction.
Alternatively, if you hiked down the east side of Bunsen Peak to continue farther toward Osprey Falls, go left, and the junction off the road for the true Osprey Falls Trail can be found about 0.1 miles (0.2 km) from this point.
Old Faithful (Upper–Lower Geyser Basins)
Canyon Village
Maddison–Norris
Yellowstone Lake & East Entrance
Mammoth, Lamar Valley & Tower
