Specimen Ridge Trail

Yellowstone National Park

strenuous

Length: 16.99 mi

Est. time: 7h 42m

Gain: 3,983 ft

Loss: 3,684 ft

Max elev: 9,616 ft

Point-to-pointTrail class 1Earthhike

Elevation profile

+3,983 ft gain · −3,684 ft loss — an estimate from a DEM.

Trailhead & logistics

Trailhead parking (Place)

Pebble Creek Campground (Campground)

What to know

Specimen Ridge Day Hike Trail

⏱ This is a 3-mile (4.8-kilometer) there-and-back trail that begins and ends at the same trailhead.

🗓 summer, fall

Build a loop

Connects to:

Lamar River Stock Cutoff Trail Yellowstone River Overlook Trail Agate Creek Trail Lamar River Trail

Connect the dots

Learn:

A Bear's Menu Atomic Elements and Archeology: Tracing Ancient Resource Access and Trade Routes Using XRF Dueling Mandates: Preservation and Use of National Parks Hard Core Rock How Geysers Erupt Imaginary Yellowstone Road Trip

Journeys:

Thomas Moran Horace M. Albright Philetus W. Norris William Henry Jackson Ferdinand Hayden

Plan smart, verify on site

Length, elevation, and difficulty are estimates derived from open data (NPS Public Trails GIS, high confidence) — not a safety guarantee. Conditions change; check current closures, weather, and water, and carry the essentials. Always defer to NPS.gov and park rangers.

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