Rescue Creek Trail - Yellowstone National Park

Length: 8 miles

Estimated time: 5-6 hours

Difficulty: moderately strenuous

Trail Begins: Blacktail Creek Trailhead

Trail Ends: Rescue Creek Trailhead

From the Blacktail Creek Trailhead, the route follows the Blacktail Creek Trail for the first 0.75 of a mile. The Rescue Creek Trail veers off to the left at this point and starts to climb gradually. It follows Rescue Creek upstream for a little over a mile then climbs moderately up a low grassy hill. From this point, it's all downhill and the trail descends 1,400 feet in the remaining 6 mile. The trail passes by Turkey Pen Peak and Rattlesnake Butte on its way to the Gardner River Footbridge. The vegetation along this pleasant downhill ramble includes sagebrush, aspen, Douglas fir and a variety of early blooming flowers. Use discretion in choosing a spot to sit down for a rest, or you may inadvertently encounter the prickly pear cactus. From November through May wildlife viewing is very good with elk, mule deer, coyote, bighorn sheep, pronghorn and an occasional grizzly bear spotted along this section. During the summer this is a hot dry hike with Rescue Creek as the only source of water until you reach the Gardner River. Large animals are scarce along this trail during the summer, as are mosquitoes.