Hiking the Bunsen Peak Trail in Yellowstone National Park
Distance: 4.2 miles / 6.8 km
Elevation Gain: ~1,300 ft. / 396 m
The Bunsen Peak Trail in Yellowstone National Park is arguably the best day hike near Mammoth Hot Springs in the northwest part of the park!
I say this because Bunsen Peak is one of the best uncrowded sunset hikes in Yellowstone, as the Swan Lake Flats 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!
Furthermore, Bunsen Peak is commonly combined with Osprey Falls in the Gardner River Canyon on the east side of the peak. However, as a stand-alone adventure, Bunsen Peak is one of my favorite Yellowstone day hikes, which I rank as the second-best among the four major Yellowstone summit hikes: Mt. Washburn, Avalanche Peak, Purple Mountain, and—yes—Bunsen Peak!
Bunsen Peak Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Bunsen Peak Trail is located directly off Grand Loop Road on the right-hand side when driving north toward Mammoth Hot Spings.
The parking area is small, but typically speaking, finding parking is never an issue, as Bunsen Peak and Osprey Falls are not the most popular attractions that most visitors do in the Mammoth area.
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
From the trailhead to the summit, the Bunsen Peak Trail is an all nearly an all uphill hike.
However, the consistent elevation gain is not nearly as difficult as other summits inside of Yellowstone, such as Avalanche Peak near the east entrance.
At the initial split, go left for the trail up Bunsen Peak.
The trail to the right is the trail for Osprey Falls, but if you wanted to hike both trails as a loop, I recommend going up Bunsen Peak first to save the easier of the two trails for the end.
Additional Early Season Gear
Depending on the winter snowpack, micro-spikes may be necessary, as the trail up Bunsen Peak gets steeper.
This is because upper elevation/ shady trails like Bunsen Peak can be covered in snow into early July, and possibly even later.
I personally use the Yaktrax below.
At about 0.3 miles (0.5 km), the views to the north open up toward Mammoth Hot Springs.
At certain times during the summer, you may notice Canadian Buffaloberries on the Bunsen Peak Trail.
Know that they are considered edible for humans, but I have read that they do not taste very well.
At about the 1.0-mile (1.6 km) mark, the trail up Bunsen Peak begins climbing a series of switchbacks, which will continue for most of the remaining hike up to the summit.
Bunsen Peak Trail
Again, this is another view looking north toward Mammoth Hot Springs.
As the trail nears the summit, the hike up Bunsen Peak works its way up the north side of the mountain, which is also the end of the most significant switchbacks on the trail.
Bunsen Peak
According to the National Park Service, the summit of Bunsen Peak in Yellowstone National Park is 8,564 ft. (2,610 m).
From the summit of Bunsen Peak, you can see panoramic views of the Gallatin Range to the north and west, the Blacktail Deer Plateau and Lamar Valley to the east, the and the Swan Lake Flat to the south and west.
These views, among the reasons listed above, are why Bunsen Peak is one of my favorite hikes within Yellowstone, especially for sunset!
