Best ATV Riding at Yellowstone ATV trails
ATV Riding at Yellowstone Trails
When talking about Yellowstone, the correct reference is the Yellowstone National Park which is located in the western United States and is a famous national park that extends into Idaho and Montana but covers a large part of Wyoming. The natural beauty of this national park is mesmerising and has various types of locations to witness astonishing formations. This national park was the first national park in the United States.
The geothermal formations in this region host an excellent scenic view and some harmless wildlife can also be witnessed in their own habitat.
Can you ride ATV in Yellowstone National Park?
The west portion of this park known as West Yellowstone serves as the region in which maximum trail ridings occur and is famous among ATV riders. The region hosts various trails and some of them provide an extraordinary experience during winter when it’s covered in snow.
Can you offroad in Yellowstone?
But the town is known as west Yellowstone specifically where off-road vehicles are not allowed to be ridden. In the west Yellowstone region, a large portion is national forest lands and here you can ride your ATV.
Can ATV be rented in Yellowstone ?
There are rentals available in the region for ATV and can be easily obtained from the organization of Yellowstone ATV and Yellowstone Adventures. This means even if you don’t own an ATV, the trails of the yellowstone region are completely open to you for having the same thrilling experience as ATV owners. Just you need to know how to ride an All-Terrain Vehicle and have some experience in trail riding. After this, you would be set to rage through Yellowstone. The Yellowstone trails mostly got famous due to their winter features when snowmobiling was possible in an ecstatic way.
Are there UTV trails in Yellowstone National Park?
The same trails slowly got popular during the summer time as well when ATV and UTV could be ridden without additional equipment. But some of these trails cannot be comfortably pursued by riding with a machine above fifty inches. Such large ATVs might not even enter the mouth of the trail so getting in touch with the forest office is required for knowing the present condition of the trail. But you can be worry-free because the trails of Yellowstone are maintained and managed by the United States Forest Service. The trails are marked very well for proper guidance and are also made properly rideable for ATVs. Free trails maps are also available and can be easily accessed digitally from anywhere.
The Amazing Trails of West Yellowstone
The Big Springs Trail at Yellowstone
The height level of this trail is mostly around 6300 ft. and is located just twenty-two miles south of West Yellowstone. The Big springs have multiple paths or sub trails that can be freely explored on your ATV once you get there. Reaching this place is a smooth ride without rough patches or difficult spots on the trail. The big springs is known to be the largest springs in the country and is located further towards the route of Henry’s Fork River. The usual time span which you need to spend exploring this trail is around 4 to 6 hours. The Henry’s fork is one of the best fly-fishing streams which has a spectacular natural beauty.
This river of Big Springs trail is very popular among fishing enthusiasts and ATV riders are also seen to visit a nearby location with fishing rods to make the most on this trail. The prime fishes to catch here are brook trouts and rainbows. The National Recreation Water Trail is possible to be reached from the campground region. In this trail, unique wild animals can also be accessed including Moose Sandhill cranes, bald eagles and many others. ATV riders are also suggested to visit the John Sack Cabin which has innovative construction and furnishings present. This Big Springs trail is ideal to visit in early summer and suggested to complete the entire trail riding with ATVs as long as daylight remains.
South Plateau Trail at Yellowstone
This is also among the most popular trails in west Yellowstone and ATV riding is highly preferred too. To complete this trail it would take a little more than three tours in your ATV. This trail of south plateau extends to a region engulfing Targhee National Forest and this area would be found after entering Idaho. This trail of the south plateau also remains connected with the other famous west Yellowstone trail named Two Two Loop. The wild moose is known to be best spotted from the south plateau trail region which stretches along the boundaries of Yellowstone national park.
This trail is also suggested for beginner riders of ATV and they can concentrate on it as the south plateau trail is very quiet. This trail structure has a road like a shape and can be returned on the same path without any issues. ATV riders often extend this South Plateau Trail along with other connected trails and go for an extended loop ride. But when you are going for an added trails tour through the South Plateau region you should take a GPS system or you can also pick up a map from the Chamber of commerce or the operating businesses around West Yellowstone.
Be cautious about not entering the Yellowstone park area. You will have a great view of mountains and rivers from the South Plateau Region. There will be the ‘Black Bear Cutoff’ region towards thirteen miles into the South Plateau trail from where similar wonderful sceneries can be witnessed. From this region, in Idaho, the South Plateau trail extends into Black Canyon Trail and further three miles into the South Plateau trail to meet the Black Canyon.
Two Top Loop
The trail has an elevation of around 2000 ft. with an average ride time of ATVs between three to four hours on average. This trail extends through the Idaho region and then gets connected to the Targhee National Forest. If you are an ATV rider who loves to have a view of mountains, then Two Top Loops would be a great attraction for you. But to see the wonderful mountain range of Teton it needs to be a clear sky. This mountain range which you can witness from the two top loops lies in the Grand Teton National Park. The Lionhead region of Montana has also extraordinary views to provide. This trail is packed with powder fields and remains well maintained for exploration with your ATV.
This trail is considered suitable for all ATV riders and even keeps the beginners entertained with smooth riding. Many riders love to explore bowls and test their riding skills, the bowls have cliff overhanging and drop-offs too. If you are well cautious about your surroundings then a premium trail riding experience can be obtained. The elevated region of the trail also offers a stunning view of the centennial mountains of Idaho. A very unique phenomenon takes place in this Two Top Loop trail which is known popularly as the snow ghosts. The strong winds which rage through this region are responsible for creating patterns of ice that are plastered on the trees giving them a ghost-like appearance in the winter.
Lionhead Loop
This trail is more suited for ATV riders who are more experienced and professional. The length of this Lionhead trail is much shorter than most other popular trails of the West Yellowstone region but hosts a compact adventure while the elevation reaches more than 10k feet. The trail is very steep and much precision and control are required on the ATV to have a trouble-free experience. The trail hosts vistas from the Teton mountain range to wonderful views of the Yellowstone national park. The Lionhead trail is groomed by the authorities every two weeks and remains a very active trail with an impressive count of daily visitors for ATV riding.
The riders have also claimed this trail to be well marked and easy to pursue in terms of direction. There is barely any extra room for the snowmobilers and ATV riders and is always recommended to maintain discipline and not go off the trails. Even though the trail length is short, you need to have around five hours to comfortably complete this trail due to the difficulty level.
Yellowstone RV park
For exploring trails to their most natural form, riders should camp in one of the popular campgrounds in the West Yellowstone region. Among these, the Grizzly RV Park is highly popular with the wonderful experience of wildlife and living close to nature. But the campgrounds which are run privately in the West Yellowstone region have a higher range of prices which reaches peak point in the summertime. Most of the spaces inside this campground can be very comfortable explored with your ATV even if it’s a huge size one with a large engine capacity. The views at Lamar Valley are amazing and keeps ATV riders hooked to the beauty of west Yellowstone trails.
The forests also provide an enhanced view into the wild growth of the Yellowstone region and the grizzly RV park allows that opportunity to the ATV riders who are also interested in camping. Some ATV riders also love to combine their trail riding experience with photography. The grizzly camping park has some great opportunities to capture wildlife while letting them be without any disturbance. The Norris Geyser Basin can be accessed from this trail which is a unique natural creation. After exploring Madison and this geyser ATV riders can stretch onto the Grand Loop for perfect access.