Skip to main content

Status unknown — verify before visiting

We don't have current condition data for this trail. Check with the land manager before you go.

Bunsen Peak
DifficultOut and Back

Bunsen Peak

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

4.4 mi

Distance

1,608 ft

Elev. Gain

2h 6m

Est. Time

Out & Back

Route Type

Difficult

Difficulty

About This Trail

Imported description
You can find up to date information on the park's website.

From Wikipedia

Bunsen Peak el. 8,564 feet (2,610 m) is a prominent peak due south of Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. The peak lies on the east flank of Kingman Pass on the Mammoth to Norris section of the Grand Loop Road. The peak was first ascended by Ferdinand V. Hayden and Captain John W. Barlow in 1871, Bunsen Peak was not named until 1872 during the second Hayden Geologic Survey. E. S. Topping named the peak Observation Mountain in 1872 as well, but that name did not stick. The Bunsen Peak Trail with its trailhead just south of Mammoth is a steep 2.1 miles (3.4 km) to the summit. Bunsen Peak was named for the German chemist Robert Bunsen, the inventor of the Bunsen Burner and responsible for early work on volcanic geyser theories.

Source: Wikipedia — text licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Verify trail conditions and seasonal closures with the managing agency before you go.

Trail Conditions

Trail Conditions

Unknown

We have no current condition data for this trail. Check with the operator before you go, and submit a report below if you've been recently.

No recent condition reports. Be the first to share what you see on the trail.

Elevation Profile

Min:2,214 ft
Max:2,605 ft
490 ft
490 ft
2,214 ft2,344 ft2,475 ft2,605 ft0.0 mi1.1 mi2.2 mi3.3 mi4.4 mi

Trail Details

Route Type
Out & Back
Surface
Dirt

Official sources & verification

Managed by National Park Service

Verify before you go

Source of truth

Verify by phone or mail

  • Operator:307-344-7381
  • Address:2 Officers Row, Yellowstone National Park Headquarters · Yellowstone National Park, WY · 82190
We display cached information from agency feeds. Hours, fees, permits, closures, fire restrictions, and conditions change without notice. Outdoors is not the permitting authority. Confirm current conditions for this trail using the links above before you go — you are responsible for compliance. Last verified by us: May 23, 2026. Our copy is more than a month old — please reconfirm with the agency before relying on it.Spot an error in our data?

Reviews

No reviews yet

Be the first to share your experience and help others plan their visit.

Legacy import — verify before navigating

Path geometry came from our pre-launch legacy database. Routes have not yet been re-verified against the operator and may differ from the actual trail.

Spot an error in our data on Bunsen Peak?