Lost Lake Loop
in Idaho · centroid 61 mi from Bozeman
Round trip 2.8 miles (4.6 km), moderate. The trail climbs 300 feet up a forested hillside. At the junction, veer right (west). You reach Lost Lake in 0.2 miles (0.3 km). From there, follow the trail through a ravine to the Petrified Tree parking area.
From the parking lot, the trail climbs to a sagebrush meadow, descends to the Tower Ranger Station area, and then 0.2 miles (0.3 km) to Roosevelt Lodge. If you encounter horses, move to the downhill side of the trail and remain still until they have passed. Be Prepared to Encounter Bears Carry bear spray and know how to use it.
Hike in groups of three or more people. Make noise to avoid surprise encounters. Slowly back away from any bears, for they have an instinct to chase.
- States
- Idaho
- Trail type
- National Park trail
- Centroid nearest city
- Bozeman, MT · 61 mi · ~1.8 hr drive
- Centroid coords
- 44.9120°, -110.4175°
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/lost-lake-loop.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 Lost Lake Loop 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
Forces of the Northern Range Self-guided Trail
8 miles from this trail's centroid
Osprey Falls Trail
14 miles from this trail's centroid
Howard Eaton Trail
14 miles from this trail's centroid
Bunsen Peak Trail
14 miles from this trail's centroid
Nez Perce National Historic Trail
31 miles from this trail's centroid
Fairy Falls Trail
34 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.