Starting from the North Fork Highway at 6,500 feet, this trail climbs through an evergreen forest alongside Mormon Creek. At trail’s end, it reaches a high alpine saddle at 10,300 feet with views of Sleeping Giant Mountain above and the deep gorge of Grinnell Creek far below.

This 6-mile trail parallels Pilot Creek from the Beartooth Highway almost to its headwaters near the boundary of Yellowstone National Park. The trail includes cliff top views across the river canyon, where seasonal waterfalls cascade from every peak.

This one-mile round trip hike to a waterfall is located east of Lovell in the Bighorn National Forest. From the parking area, the trail drops 440 feet in half a mile, but the beauty of the waterfall makes the climb back out well worth it.

The Four Bear trail leads to the beautiful 7,600-foot summit of Four Bear Mountain with views of the Wapiti Valley and north toward Sunlight Basin. It is a fun and adventurous trail in its own right, as well as a backpackers’ gateway to the North Absaroka Wilderness.

The approach-and-loop hike up 6,600 foot Bald Ridge is a calf-burner, but the high point has broad, flat rocks arranged like stadium seating. Have lunch on the top with views all the way to the Bighorn Mountains before heading back to the trailhead.

Experienced hikers who enjoy a rugged and challenging climb will love this route, available so close to Cody. Locals drive by this mountain daily without realizing the natural wonderland waiting above our heads. The east slope of Rattlesnake has elk, mule deer, pronghorn, jackrabbits, grouse, and Wyoming ground squirrels, who chirp loudly from their rocky dens.

Just to the northwest of Cody, the Outlaw Trail network includes 17 miles of trails that wind through sandstone formations, junipers, and hidden valleys. The climb up is rocky, but after the turnaround, the trail swoops downhill through grasses, sage, and wildflowers to a shady creek bed.

Just outside of town, this short hike leads to big views of Oregon Basin and the mountains surrounding Cody. The trail is a smooth, walkable dirt road and the area is most beautiful in the early morning and evening, when the sunrise and sunset create gorgeous shades of purple and orange on the sandstone ledges.

Camping with dogs is an ancient activity. Before metal tools, before farming, maybe even before there were humans in what we now call Wyoming, people and dogs were keeping each other company around a campfire.

This is a difficult trek up a steep mountain, but the view from the top of Observation Peak is one of Yellowstone’s most breathtaking.