Hiking the Purple Mountain Trail in Yellowstone National Park
Distance: 6.6 miles / 10.6 km
Elevation Gain: ~1,550 ft. / 472 m
The Purple Mountain Trail in Yellowstone National Park is a long out-and-back day hike just off Maddison Junction that climbs its way up to a beautiful panoramic viewpoint above some of the most popular geyser basins along the Firehole River!
Some of the notable places that can be seen include the Midway Geyser Basin and the Grand Prismatic Spring, and even as far south as the Upper Geyser Basin and Old Faithful on the clearest of days!
That said, Purple Mountain is often an overlooked adventure, as it’s surrounded by countless other must-see destinations. However, if you’re looking to escape the crowds, I could not recommend the Purple Mountain Trail more, as it’s typically a very quiet and secluded adventure—something that certainly cannot be said about most of the nearby geyser basins throughout the most beautiful summer months.
Purple Mountain Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Purple Mountain Trailhead is located in a small turnout directly off Grand Loop Road, about 0.1 miles (0.2 km) east of Madison Junction.
While the parking area is small, this is typically never an issue, since it is one of the least-trafficked day hikes in Yellowstone National Park!
Google Maps Directions: Purple Mountain 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 Purple Mountain Trail
From the roadside parking area, walk across Grand Loop Road to find the Purple Mountain Trailhead on the far side—and be careful, as drivers typically don’t expect to see pedestrians along this stretch!
When the Purple Mountain Trail enters the trees, it stays in the trees!
This is important to keep in mind because there are essentially no views until the uppermost switchbacks and, ultimately, the viewpoint at the very end!
Even though much of the hike up Purple Mountain is in the trees, I still recommend wearing a hooded sun shirt, as there is quite a bit of exposure throughout, and 6.6 miles (10.6 km) is inevitably a long day outside.
The nice thing about the uphill climb is that, for the most part, it is very steady!
The Purple Mountain Trail never gets much steeper than this, even on the switchbacks near the top.
As with every trail in Yellowstone National Park, don’t forget to hike with bear spray—especially considering how quiet the Purple Mountain Trail truly is!
This is where the Purple Mountain Trail turns and starts heading directly north toward the start of the switchbacks that make up the uppermost elevations of the hike.
These red berries are Canadian Buffaloberries, and according to the National Park Service, they are considered edible, though I have read that they do not taste very good.
After about 1.2 miles (1.9 km), the Purple Mountain Trail turns the first of eleven switchbacks below the summit.
That said, a handful of the lower switchbacks are not as distinct as the ones farther up the mountain, which I mention because some might say there are only nine in total.
This is where I personally believe the Purple Mountain Trail gets much more enjoyable!
I say this because there are some views on the hike up the switchbacks, but, more than anything, the summit starts to feel like it’s getting closer and closer—even before the halfway mark—because the first 1.2 miles (1.9 km) to the first switchback is such a long and tedious stretch.
This is where the Purple Mountain Trail turns—the second and one of the more ambiguous switchbacks compared to the first.
This is the third switchback on the Purple Mountain Trail, which I mention because from this point on, the rest of the switchbacks to the summit are more distinct and much easier to count.
Even though I previously mentioned that the elevation change on the Purple Mountain Trail is fairly gradual, 1,550 ft. (472 m) from the trailhead to the summit is still a lot of climbing, which is why some hikers may want to bring trekking poles for this and other trails in Yellowstone—especially for other must-see, steep adventures like the Brink of the Lower Falls Trail and Mt. Washburn via Dunraven Pass.
This is the sixth of eleven switchbacks on the Purple Mountain Trail.
After the seventh switchback, the remaining switchbacks are much shorter, making the summit feel like it’s closer than ever before!
As previously mentioned, the upper elevations on the Purple Mountain Trail have a lot less shade than the lower forest, which, again, is why I recommend hiking in a hooded sun shirt.
This is where the Purple Mountain Trail turns the ninth switchback.
This is the eleventh and final switchback on the Purple Mountain Trail!
This is where the Purple Mountain Trail turns sharply to the north as it works its way up the final ascent to the top of the plateau and the viewpoint at the very end of the hike.
After a long, nearly all-uphill 3.1 miles (5.0 km), the Purple Mountain Trail finally reaches the top of the plateau.
This is where the trail turns sharply to the south as it makes its way out to the final viewpoint, about 0.2 miles (0.3 km) from this point!
This final stretch on the Purple Mountain Trail is considerably flatter than everything experienced thus far!
Purple Mountain
At about 8,375 ft. (2,553 m), the Purple Mountain Trail finally reaches the end of the hike!
That said, this viewpoint is not the true summit of Purple Mountain, which stands at approximately 8,514 ft. (2,595 m), according to the National Park Service, and is located a bit off trail, much like Elephant Back Mountain near Yellowstone Lake.
In any case, this east-facing viewpoint at the end of the hike looks out across many of Yellowstone’s most popular geyser basins, which is why the summit is one of my favorite places to hang out, eat some food, and enjoy the view on a beautiful summer day like this!
Old Faithful (Upper–Lower Geyser Basins)
Canyon Village
Maddison–Norris
Yellowstone Lake & East Entrance
Mammoth, Lamar Valley & Tower
