Forces of the Northern Range Trail

This self-guided boardwalk along the road between Mammoth Hot Springs and the Tower-Roosevelt area in Yellowstone National Park is more of a stroll than a hike. It offers some nice scenery and educational exhibits on the forces that shaped and continue to shape the national park. Volcanoes, glaciers, wildfires, and wildlife are all discussed in a series of informational displays that are distributed along this short loop that winds into aspen groves and meadows with great views of the surrounding mountains.

The northern range is the lowest-elevation section of Yellowstone National Park and is renowned for its abundance of wildlife, especially in the Lamar Valley to the east of this self-guided trail. Originally established in a severely burned area after the huge 1988 fires, this educational trail has been updated to focus less on the fire and to be more all-encompassing in its discussion of all the major forces that impact the landscape and environment. The trail is very family friendly and accessible.