Bunsen Peak Loop to Osprey Falls, Yellowstone National Park

Bunsen Peak Loop trail to Osprey Falls is one of the most stunning and most strenuous of all of the hikes we have done so far.

This trail is located along Grand Loop Road, about 5 miles outside of Mammoth in Yellowstone National Park. We parked across the road from the trail in a parking lot frequently used by those providing horseback rides through this area of the park.

We did this trail in mid-July and had the amazing experience of seeing the wildflowers in bloom. They were everywhere we looked along the rugged, rocky landscape. They lent a simple touch of beauty to all of the sharp, rough edges.

The trail we ended up completing was 13 miles, according to a friends Garmin. However, you do not have to do the entire trail like we did. Most people only climb to the top of Bunsen Peak and back down. It is about a 5-mile round trip, with 1300 ft in elevation change going up and going back down.

It is steep and it is strenuous, but you can take your time and enjoy the amazing views along the way.

At the top of Bunsen Peak there is a radio control station and communication equipment. Do not mess with these, not only can equipment like that be extremely dangerous, but I am sure destruction of them would be a federal offense.

However, at the radio station there is a hiker logbook. If you make it to the top sign the log and look for our name on it. If you happen to have a spare notebook, take it with you. The log had no empty spaces when we were there. We had to get creative in our signing locations (check the spine).

If you would like to continue on to Osprey falls, continue on the trail, past the radio station, and out towards the backside of the mountain.

Be careful. It is a pretty steep trail down and it is created from lots of loose rocks and shale.

3 out of 4 of us adults, fell on these rocks going down.

It is a couple miles of a strenuous downwards path, but you can do it!

At the bottom of this steep path you will cross a small valley. Continue to follow the trail markers and they will lead you to Osprey Falls.

At one point, the trail seems to meet up with the bicycle trail. We had some confusion at this point and were unsure of which way was the right way.

We now know if you continue following the trail markers, and do not veer off on to the bicycle trail, it will bring you to the Osprey Falls trail head.

If you do choose to veer off on to the bicycle trail, since it is wider and more well defined, it will bring you out to the same spot.

At the beginning of the Osprey Falls trail, you will see a trailhead marker and a warning sign.

The sign warns you that the trail will be steep and slipper, what it does not say is that you will be hiking down to the bottom of the gorge, right up to the river’s edge.

It is about an 800 ft elevation drop in less than 1 mile.

 It is steep.

It is loose rock and dirt on the trail.

It has switchbacks that need to be carefully navigated, due to their proximity to the cliff edge.

But at the end, you find Osprey Falls.

A stunning water fall that feeds the river flowing through the gorge.

You can get so close to the waterfall that you can feel the spray of it on your face.

We used the river at this location to filter water and refill our water bottles.

It was a stunning sight, but the hike back up to the cliff edge almost made me regret making the trek down.

Once you complete Osprey Falls it is pretty smooth sailing from there. It is still approximately 4 miles back to the beginning of the Bunsen Peak loop trail, but it is fairly flat with a gradual incline at some points.

Bring your bug spray for this section of the hike though, because part of it is through a forested area and it is a breeding ground for mosquitos.

It took us about 9 hours to complete this hike, which was a few hours longer than I expected.

If you plan to do the entire loop like we did, plan for it to be an all-day hike and bring lots of food and water.

Please also make sure that you bring all of your safety and first aid supplies with you. On the way up to Bunsen Peak we passed many families and the trail was very crowded, but the further we got from Bunsen Peak, the less amount of people we encountered.

After the Osprey Falls portion of the trail, we did not encounter another person for the next 4 miles of the trail.

With all the steep slopes and treacherous terrain, you need to be prepared for any emergency to occur.

The views on this trail are some of the most incredible views I have ever gotten to experience. However, because of the extreme nature of this loop trail it does not knock Fairy Falls out of our #1 trail spot.

It does come in at #2 for the time being.

We shall see, once our time here at Yellowstone is up, if it is able to maintain that #2 position.