The Hike to Mount Washburn

One of the most popular hikes in the Canyon area of Yellowstone is the Mount Washburn Hike.  It is a 5-6 mile hike with an elevation gain of 1,400 ft. There are two trail heads for the hike, Dunraven Pass or Chittenden Road.  We chose to use the Dunraven Pass Trailhead since we had heard from some experienced hikers that the trail on the Dunraven side is more wooded and scenic.

We had been waiting for nice sunny day to do that hike, since conditions can change significantly at the top of Mt. Washburn.  Sunday, August 3rd was a beautiful summer day so we got our packs ready and headed to the trailhead. We decided to bring the new camera so that we could practice some more.

The trail leading up to the Mount Washburn Observation Tower

The view from the top

View of the trail from the observation area

Top of the world!

Top of the world!

It was a terrific hike!  The wildflowers were in bloom and the views are incredible all the way up. Unfortunately there was a haze in the area due to smoke from wildfires in neighboring states so our pictures didn't turn out as clear as we would have liked.

We were hoping to take some photos of Big Horn Sheep since they tend to frequent the high elevations of Mount Washburn.  But there were none to be seen.  Our wildlife sightings on the hike were limited to ground squirrels and butterflies.

Ground Squirrels entertained us during our hike up Mt. Washburn.

A curious ground squirrel checking us out from the rocks

Beautiful Monarch Butterflies