# Anyone rode in Yellowstone NP?



## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

My wife and I are thinking of Yellowstone.....

Anyone taken their horses? 

Advice?


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

I usually make one or two trips up to Yellowstone each summer. What do you want to know?

We do one ride that we call our Buffalo ride. We park in the Hayden Valley and ride back into Mary Lake, There are always 300-400 buffalo back in there. We occassionally see a bear. Always see bear tracks on trail.









The Hayden Valley is just rolling hills. It is an easy ride, But better suited for late summer, There are numerous boggy areas, that are easier to cross when they have dried out in Aug .









Another popular trail is into Union Falls. Again it is pretty flat, but it travels along through the timber and follows several rivers. Flies can be real bad too early in season. Dust along the trail can be bad if you have a larger group late in the season.

















You do have to cross some pretty good sized rivers









The biggest challenge you will have is Where to Camp with your horses. You will basically need to camp out side the park and then trailer into what ever trail head you want to ride for the day. The area near West Yellowstone and Jackson Hole are difficult to find horse camping. But there are places to camp 20-30 miles down the ride. I have not entered the park from the Cody or Gardner entrances. So my experience is limited to the South and West gate.

Yellowstone is really fussy about the possibility of transporting any Non-Native seeds into the park. If you bring feed with you, its probably best to bring hay pellets.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

Since we frequently camp near Jackson, We also ride a lot in the Teton National Park. 

Riding along Granite Creek


















I also like the Two Oceans that starts at Jackson lake and goes past Emma Matilda and around Two Oceans and up on top of Grand View










View of Two Oceans, the trail goes around this lake and returns









The view from Grand View









The trail skirts Emma Matilda lake


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## Elky (Apr 17, 2010)

Painted, give Cow Creek a try for a nice ride and view. If coming from Jackson, it is about one mile before Granite.

Also in the Jackson area, there are many places one can camp with a horse all around Teton Park. In the Spread Creek, Paciffic Creek, Shadow Mt. These 3 all border Teton Park. All you would need is some feed (weed free) and a camper or tent. Alos try the Gros Ventre, camping available and more country to see than you could imagine.


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

Wow!!! Gorgeous Gorgeous Gorgeous. Would love to ride ther.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

I've always wanted to drive up Spread Creek to see what was up there. I've heard that you can camp in that area. But was always reluctant to go explore a new dirt road with a 4H trailer in tow.

I may just have to go explore those areas to see what camp sites are available in the area. I know where Spread Creek is and Pacific Creek , Where is Shadow MT?


How far up these roads can you pull a rig? And I assume we can just primative camp anywhere we can pull off the road? 

Thats what I do up Granite Creek or over south of Yellowstone along the Ashton-Flag Ranch road. Just pull off by some horse water.

I've never seen Crow creek anywhere near Granite creek? Do you access it off Hwy 189 between Hoback and Bondurant? I've gone in both the Cliff Creek and Granite Creek roads, and wandered the hills around those areas.

Always looking for new places, So give me more info.


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## karebear444 (Feb 3, 2012)

Wow that's breathtaking! Going to Yellowstone has always been on my to do list before I'm gone. Just visiting would be nice, but riding there would be unforgettable.


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

karebear444 said:


> Wow that's breathtaking! Going to Yellowstone has always been on my to do list before I'm gone. Just visiting would be nice, but riding there would be unforgettable.


Yes, it would....not sure if we'll get to do it, but we're thinking about it....

You should join us if we decide to go....


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## karebear444 (Feb 3, 2012)

gunslinger said:


> Yes, it would....not sure if we'll get to do it, but we're thinking about it....
> 
> You should join us if we decide to go....


Oh I'd love too!!!


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

I found cow creek. Guess my mind read Crow creek instead. Cow creek is between bear and bull creek. Is there a good pull off the pavement there? Map shows a trail going up to a hunting camp on the ridge top.

I hunted the Shoal Creek area a few years ago. Boy I got wet that week. Rain and snow and more rain.


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## Elky (Apr 17, 2010)

Painted, if coming from Hoback Jct., a hundred yards or so, there is a dirt road on the left and shortly after accessing the road, there will be a place to park. Just across the road from parking is the trail to hit for Cow Creek.

For Shadow Mt. you would turn right (east) onto Anelope Flats Rd which is about a mile or so nort of Moose on RT 89, follow to stop sign and trun north, follow to Forest service access road on left, camp when you get to the quakies.

Across from Cunninham Cabin is the service road for Spread Creek. Soon after leaving Teton Park boundry in a nice shady spot to camp on the left. Good grass for the horses here and water nearby.

Up the Gros Ventre Rd, about two miles past the camp ground at Slide Lake, there is good parking on the right and nice trail on the left for Horsetail Creek. Another nice ride.

If you horseback in the Spread Creek area or Pacific Creek area, there are grizzlies in both those places. Horsetial Creek and Cow Creek, maybe blacks but no griz, but could see wolves.

I have never been in Shoal Creek though. Friend of ours used to be an outfitter in there years ago. I think his son still runs his camp in there though.

Another nice ride is up on the Sleeping Indian, but little water once you get up there.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

Thanks for the suggestions. Always looking for someplace new to explore. And while I enjoy the Two Oceans trails and the views from Grand View. Some place new would be fun. I've seen packs of wolves up around Two Oceans. But the only Grizzlies we have seen have beenin the park up in the Hayden Valley when we ride into Mary Lake.

So Horsetail looks like you can ride up it, cross over and drop into Slate creek and follow it back down to road and back to your starting point to make a reasonible day loop.

My map doesn't show any formal trails across Shadow Mountain, Do you just Bush wack or wander along the Shadow Mountain road?


Same problems in Spread Creek. Are there any structured trails to follow or just following elk trails?

Black Bears don't bother me, We occassionally see them here in Utah, keep a clean camp and usually not a problem. Always nervous about the Grizzlies since I just don't have much experience with them. And what experience I do have has ben while fishing in Alaska.

Being that I'm not a resident, I had to hunt outside the wilderness area, So Shoal Creek was accessable to me without a guide.. We camped along Granite Creek and rode up and over into the Shoal creek area. Shot a nice 4x4. Since I was hunting we pretty much just wandered the ridge lines.


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## Elky (Apr 17, 2010)

Not much riding to be had at Shadow Mt but a decent place to camp if you have to.
From Slate Creek back to Horsetail would be several miles on the dirt road. There is a FS campground at Red Hills and a trail on the south side which will bring you up behind the Sleeping Indian, I have only been part way up due to a late start. There are a few trails, but they may have grown in since the last ime I was up in there. From the end of the road, there is a trail that goes for some distance. Most all the trails do connect with others and you could ride for weks on them. You could start at Granith Creek and end up in Slate Creek and then to Horsetail, or the North Fork of Ditch Creek, or Spread Creek, Mount Leidy, and near the top of Togwotee Pass. Lts of Grizz in Ditch, Spread, Leidy, Togwotee areas. Not too sure about Slate.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

Awesome pictures! I have ridden rental horses in Yellowstone. There is no place on the planet that is more beautiful. I would love to ride there again. We have some cousins that own a ranch just north of the park and they do day rides in the park. I'm not sure of the details.


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