Forces of the Northern Range Self-guided Trail
in Idaho · centroid 55 mi from Bozeman
This .5 mile (.8 km) boardwalk has 11 stops with exhibits. No restroom. Yellowstone’s northern range is a grassland north of the Yellowstone and Lamar Rivers. This area sustains one of the largest and most diverse communities of free-roaming large animals in the world.
Yellowstone National Park is a place where scientists can study nature in a nearly unchanged condition. Animals are Dangerous Do not approach or feed any animal. Bison and elk have injured people. Stay 100 yards (91 m) from bears and wolves.
Stay 25 yards (23 m) from all other animals. You are responsible for your safety. Think Safety, Act Safely. Yellowstone is a Dangerous Place. Accessibility The entire boardwalk is accessible. There is no designated accessible parking.
- States
- Idaho
- Trail type
- National Park trail
- Centroid nearest city
- Bozeman, MT · 55 mi · ~1.6 hr drive
- Centroid coords
- 44.9594°, -110.5667°
About Yellowstone National Park
This trail is inside Yellowstone National Park, a national park managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.
Entrance fee: $35 per vehicle (verify current rate on the park page). An America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) covers entrance to all NPS units.
Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/000/forces-of-the-northern-range-self-guided-trail.htm
Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm
Plan your hike
Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.
Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.
When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.
If you've hiked Forces of the Northern Range Self-guided Trail and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.
Stay nearby
Other trails within 50 miles
Osprey Falls Trail
6 miles from this trail's centroid
Bunsen Peak Trail
7 miles from this trail's centroid
Lost Lake Loop
8 miles from this trail's centroid
Howard Eaton Trail
15 miles from this trail's centroid
Nez Perce National Historic Trail
29 miles from this trail's centroid
Fairy Falls Trail
33 miles from this trail's centroid
Sources
Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.