Shoshone Geyser Basin and Ouzel Creek - Yellowstone NP

The day after the day hike to Aster Lake, we headed back in for a four day backpacking trip that would take us to Shoshone Lake and the neighboring geyser basin, off-trail to the headwaters of Ouzel Creek, and a bushwhack down Phillips Fork to Hourglass Falls.  I was also able to pick up the old trail that leads onto the north side of the Pitchstone Plateau which was a highlight for me.

The trip went something like this:

Day 1 - Lone Star Trailhead to campsite 8R5 on Shoshone Lake - 10 miles
Day 2 - Campsite 8R5 to campsite  9D1 on Phillips Fork - 16 miles, 11 of which were off-trail
Day 3 - Campsite 9D1 to campsite 9D3 at Douglas Knob - 4.5 miles + a day hike to find the old trail up the north side of the Pitchstone Plateau
Day 4 - Campsite 9D3 back to the Lone Star Trailhead - 11 miles

Here are some images of our trip



Trip overview map


Day 1 - Gate at the Lone Star Trailhead


The Firehole River


My backpacking partners - The first part of our route was on an old road that leads to Lone Star Geyser


Lone Star Geyser


Still a few miles to go to reach the lake


Newly constructed footbridge


View from the Bechler River Trail


First look at Shoshone Creek


Shoshone Creek


Shoshone Creek


Shoshone Lake

These next 16 images are thermal features in the Shoshone Geyser Basin


































Sunset on Shoshone Lake


Day 2 - On the Bechler River Trail heading for Grant's Pass and the Continental Divide


Old "I" blaze that used to be used by the Park to mark the trails


Beginning our off-trail portion along the Continental Divide towards Trischman Knob and the headwaters of Ouzel Creek


Looking down at Madison Lake


This dry drainage is the headwaters of Ouzel Creek, located on the north side of Trischman Knob


"V" for victory!


Tiny flow in Ouzel Creek


Ouzel Creek


Ouzel Creek


Still working our way down Ouzel Creek


This is a tributary of Ouzel that we cut up on our way to Phillips Fork


This dry drainage will lead us to the lip of Phillips Fork Canyon


Hourglass Falls on Phillips Fork


Day 3 - Small cascade on Phillips Fork by our campsite


Thermal feature on Gregg Fork


View down the Bechler Canyon


Lower half of Twister Falls


Beautiful fall colors


Gregg Fork


Gregg Fork


Douglas Knob, viewed from the old North Pitchstone Trail


The North Pitchstone Trail


My tent at campsite 9D3


Day 4 - Double "I" blaze on our way out


Back at Lone Star Geyser


The End