Mount Washburn Spur Trail
What to Expect
Safety Advisory
The upper mountain is fully exposed with zero shelter. Lightning strikes on Washburn are not hypothetical — they happen every summer. If you see clouds building or hear distant thunder, turn around immediately. The fire lookout is not a safe refuge during electrical storms.
Grizzly bears are active throughout this corridor, especially in the meadows and berry patches along the lower trail. Carry bear spray in a hip holster (not buried in your pack), make noise on blind corners, and know how to use the spray before you need it.
The trail length and elevation gain make this a genuinely strenuous outing at altitude. Yellowstone's Canyon area sits above seven thousand feet, and you'll climb well past ten thousand. Altitude sickness, dehydration, and exhaustion are real risks for hikers who underestimate this route.
Trail Details
Pro Tips
Start no later than 7 AM — this is an all-day commitment with eight-plus hours of hiking, and afternoon thunderstorms roll in like clockwork by early July. You want to be off the exposed summit ridge by 1 PM.
Carry at least three liters of water per person. There are no reliable water sources on the upper half of this route, and the exposed alpine terrain above treeline will drain you faster than you expect.
If you can arrange a car shuttle, have someone drop you at Chittenden Road or Dunraven Pass and hike down the spur trail to Canyon instead — you get the summit views with a net downhill finish and save your knees for tomorrow.
Photos
NPS / Addy Falgoust
