Hiking Mt. Washburn via Chittenden Road in Yellowstone National Park
Distance: 5.6 miles / 9.0 km
Elevation Gain: ~1,500 ft. / 457 m
The Mt. Washburn Trail is one of the best effort-to-reward hikes in all of Yellowstone National Park!
By this, I mean that the hike up Chittenden Road is fairly moderate for how difficult a peak above 10,000 ft. (3,048 m) could be. In addition, Mt. Washburn is one of my personal favorites because the summit has some of the best unobstructed 360º views across much of the park!
Which Mt. Washburn Trail is Better?
If you’re trying to decide between both routes to the top of Mt. Washburn, know that the Mt. Washburn Trail via Dunraven Pass is much more like you’d expect a typical trail to be, and Chittenden Rd. is more of a service road than a trail.
However, Chittenden Road is, by far, the easier route at roughly 1.2 miles (1.9 km) shorter and roughly the same elevation gain.
My Print - Mt. Washburn Sunset
Mt. Washburn Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Mt. Washburn Trail via Chittenden Road is located about 1.3 miles (2.1 km) off the east side of the Grand Loop Road.
The parking lot is paved and very large, so there should never be any trouble finding a spot, especially if you are doing a sunrise or sunset hike.
Google Maps Directions: Mt. Washburn 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 Mt. Washburn via Chittenden Road
The Mt. Washburn Trail via Chittenden Road begins on an true trail until it reaches Chittenden Road about 0.2 miles (0.3 km) into the hike.
Furthermore, most of the hike has very little shade, which is why I recommend hiking in a hooded sun shirt, as there is only one small stretch of trees along Chittenden Road to find shade.
While it may look faint in these photos, the Mt. Washburn Summit will become visible from here on, which is the mountain with the faint structure on the peak in the distance.
Chittenden Road
This is where the Mt. Washburn Trail meets with Chittenden Road, only 0.2 miles (0.3 km) into the hike.
This 0.2-mile (0.3 km) stretch of forest is the only part of the trail that Chittenden Road passes through some shade on the way to the summit.
When you get to this split in the photo below, stay to the right to continue to the summit of Mt. Washburn.
There was still some snow up here when I hiked Mt. Washburn in the middle of July.
Mt. Washburn
According to the National Park Service, the summit of Mt. Washburn stands at roughly 10,219 ft. (3,115 m).
When I did this hike in the middle of July, the summit was very windy and cold, so pack layers if you’re planning on spending any time up there, which can be especially true for sunrise and sunset.
All of these photos are from sunset, and I was only one of two groups that stayed on the peak to enjoy it!
