6b2 Yellowstone National Park Backcountry — Yellowstone National Park

Beyond the developed areas, Yellowstone offers a diverse, mountainous landscape that invites exploration by foot, pack stock, and boat. Hundreds of miles of trails facilitate travel throughout the park. Permits are required for all overnight stays.

When planning a backcountry trip, remember that many of Yellowstone’s trails are more than 7,000 feet above sea level. Most areas retain snow until late May or early June, and some (especially mountain passes) are snow-covered until late July. Also, many routes require fording rivers that can be 25 feet wide, 3 to 5 feet deep, extremely cold, and swiftly running during our late spring runoff.

Campsites Yellowstone maintains 293 designated backcountry campsites. Each designated campsite has a maximum limit for the number of people and stock allowed per night. The maximum stay per campsite varies from 1 to 3 nights per trip. Group size limits range from 4 to 12 people. With the exception of four campsites, we allow only one group at each campsite. If your group size exceeds the campsite limit, you’ll need to obtain a second permit and cook and sleep as separate groups. A food storage pole or box is provided at every campsite so that food and attractants may be secured from bears. You will need to provide your own rope (35 feet in length or greater) at sites with food poles. A list and map of campsites can be found in the Backcountry Trip Planner https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/backcountryhiking.htm and the online Backcountry Trails and Campsites map: https://www.nps.gov/maps/full.html?mapId=f926f448-9fe4-4600-b4c0-3f060737c87f

Backcountry permits are available no earlier than 3-days prior to the start of your trip. Do not send in applications earlier than 3-days before your trip. Permits are available from 8:00 am until 4:00 pm daily. Permits will not be issued after 4:00 pm.