Avalanche Peak

Avalanche Peak

Rising above the eastern shore of Yellowstone Lake, Avalanche Peak is a 10,570-foot mountain in the Absaroka Range of northwestern Wyoming. Its summit stands directly along the eastern boundary of Yellowstone National Park, beside the North Absaroka Wilderness of Shoshone National Forest.

Although far lower than Wyoming’s 13,000-foot giants, Avalanche Peak is one of Yellowstone’s most rewarding summit hikes. A maintained trail climbs steeply from the East Entrance Road through subalpine forest before emerging into a huge rocky bowl and ascending a narrow summit ridge with expansive views across Yellowstone Lake and the surrounding Absaroka Mountains.

Modern LiDAR measurements place Avalanche Peak at approximately 10,570.5 feet (3,221.9 meters)—slightly higher than the 10,566- to 10,568-foot figures found in many older references.

The mountain has approximately 1,320 feet (403 meters) of topographic prominence and about 3.01 miles (4.84 kilometers) of isolation.

Its Nearest Higher Neighbor is Silvertip Peak, which rises northeast of Avalanche Peak in the North Absaroka Wilderness.

Avalanche Peak is also geologically important because it belongs to a mountain range created by an ancient volcanic episode that predates the famous Yellowstone volcanic system by tens of millions of years.

The Absaroka volcanoes were active mainly between about 53 and 43 million years ago. Their lava, ash, volcanic debris, and intrusive rocks eventually formed a vast volcanic field. Erosion and Ice Age glaciers later carved those deposits into the rugged mountains visible today.

Avalanche Peak is therefore volcanic in origin—but it is not part of the modern Yellowstone volcano.

⚡ Fast Facts

Feature	Details
Country	United States
State	Wyoming
County	Park County
Mountain Range	Absaroka Range
Greater Range	Rocky Mountains
Protected Areas	Yellowstone National Park / North Absaroka Wilderness
National Forest	Shoshone National Forest immediately east
Elevation	10,570.5 ft / 3,221.9 m
Older Published Elevation	10,566–10,568 ft
Prominence	1,320.5 ft / 402.5 m
Isolation	3.01 mi / 4.84 km
Nearest Higher Neighbor (NHN)	Silvertip Peak
Topographic Parent	Silvertip Peak
Key Col	Approx. 9,250 ft / 2,819 m
Coordinates	44.48948° N, 110.14002° W
USGS Quadrangle	Sylvan Lake
Mountain Type	Eroded volcanic mountain
Principal Geology	Eocene Absaroka volcanic rocks
Volcanic?	Yes in origin, but unrelated to the modern Yellowstone volcanic system
First Recorded Ascent	Not reliably documented
Name in Use	By 1885
Official Federal Name	Adopted in 1930
Standard Route	Avalanche Peak Trail
Round-Trip Distance	4.4 miles / 7.1 km
Approx. Elevation Gain	2,100 ft / 640 m
Typical Hiking Time	3–4 hours
Best General Season	July through August

🗺️ Where Is Avalanche Peak?

Avalanche Peak rises in the southeastern portion of Yellowstone National Park, east of Yellowstone Lake.

The summit sits almost directly on the boundary between:

• Yellowstone National Park
• Shoshone National Forest
• North Absaroka Wilderness

The East Entrance Road passes immediately south of the mountain.

The Avalanche Peak Trailhead lies:

• Approximately 19 miles east of Fishing Bridge Junction
• Approximately 8 miles west of Yellowstone’s East Entrance

The hike begins near Eleanor Lake, one of several small mountain lakes along the East Entrance corridor.

From the summit, hikers can look west across Yellowstone Lake while the rugged Absaroka Range fills the horizon in other directions.

🏔️ The Absaroka Range

Avalanche Peak belongs to the Absaroka Range, an enormous mountain system extending through northwestern Wyoming and southern Montana.

The Absarokas form much of Yellowstone National Park’s:

• Eastern boundary
• Northeastern mountain landscape

They are part of the greater Rocky Mountain system.

The range extends roughly 165 miles north to south and contains hundreds of rugged volcanic summits.

Notable mountains in the Greater Yellowstone portion include:

• Eagle Peak
• Silvertip Peak
• First Peoples Mountain
• Mount Schurz
• Mount Washburn
• Avalanche Peak

Eagle Peak reaches approximately 11,370 feet and is the highest point within Yellowstone National Park.

Avalanche Peak is lower, but its maintained trail makes it much easier for ordinary hikers to reach a major Absaroka summit.

📏 Updated Elevation

Older references give Avalanche Peak elevations including:

• 10,500 ft
• 10,566 ft
• 10,568 ft

Modern LiDAR analysis now places the summit at:

10,570.5 feet / 3,221.9 meters

LiDAR uses laser measurements collected from aircraft to produce highly detailed digital models of Earth’s surface.

The increase is modest, but using the LiDAR figure keeps the mountain consistent with modern topographic datasets.

📐 Topographic Prominence

Avalanche Peak has approximately:

1,320.5 feet / 402.5 meters

of topographic prominence.

Its key saddle lies around:

9,250 feet / 2,819 meters.

That makes Avalanche substantially more independent than many named mountain summits.

A prominence of more than 1,300 feet means the mountain rises clearly above its connecting saddles rather than existing merely as a small bump on a longer ridge.

🧭 Nearest Higher Neighbor: Silvertip Peak

Avalanche Peak’s Nearest Higher Neighbor is Silvertip Peak.

Silvertip rises northeast of Avalanche Peak within the North Absaroka Wilderness.

Modern measurements place Silvertip near:

10,657 feet / 3,248 meters

Only about 80–90 vertical feet separate their summit elevations.

But higher terrain does not occur until approximately:

3.01 miles / 4.84 kilometers

from Avalanche Peak.

Silvertip is also the mountain’s topographic parent in modern peak databases.

📊 Avalanche Peak vs. Silvertip Peak

Feature	Avalanche Peak	Silvertip Peak
Elevation	10,570.5 ft	~10,657 ft
Prominence	1,320.5 ft	~1,377 ft
Isolation	3.01 mi	~3.2 mi
Protected Area	Yellowstone NP / North Absaroka boundary	North Absaroka Wilderness
Maintained Summit Trail	Yes	No comparable major park trail
Relationship	Silvertip is NHN	Higher neighboring summit

The peaks are similar in both height and prominence.

Avalanche Peak is much more frequently visited because of the established Yellowstone trail.

🌋 Geology of Avalanche Peak

Avalanche Peak is fundamentally a volcanic mountain.

That statement can easily cause confusion because it sits inside Yellowstone National Park.

The mountain is not a product of the Yellowstone hotspot or Yellowstone Caldera.

Its rocks are tens of millions of years older.

Avalanche Peak belongs instead to the ancient Absaroka volcanic field.

⏳ The Ancient Absaroka Volcanoes

Absaroka volcanism occurred primarily between approximately:

53 and 43 million years ago

during the Eocene Epoch.

At that time, numerous volcanoes erupted across what is now:

• Northwestern Wyoming
• Southwestern Montana
• Eastern Yellowstone

Together they created one of the largest ancient volcanic fields in North America.

USGS estimates indicate that the Absaroka volcanic field contains more than:

29,000 cubic kilometers / 7,000 cubic miles

of volcanic material.

That is several times the total volume associated with the much younger Yellowstone volcanic plateau.

🌋 A Forgotten Volcanic Giant

Yellowstone’s modern volcanic system receives far more attention because it remains geologically active.

The Absaroka volcanic field was actually enormous.

Its ancient volcanoes produced:

• Lava flows
• Volcanic ash
• Mudflows
• Breccias
• Debris-flow deposits
• Volcaniclastic sediments
• Intrusive igneous bodies

Over time, the individual volcanoes were deeply eroded.

Their original cones largely disappeared.

What remains is the rugged Absaroka Range.

Avalanche Peak is one of those eroded remnants.

❌ Not the Yellowstone Hotspot

This distinction is one of the most important geological facts about Avalanche Peak.

Absaroka Volcanism

Approximately:

53–43 million years ago

Modern Yellowstone Volcanism

Major Yellowstone hotspot activity in the immediate Yellowstone region began only within the last few million years.

The great Yellowstone caldera-forming eruptions occurred approximately:

• 2.08 million years ago
• 1.3 million years ago
• 631,000 years ago

The Absaroka rocks were therefore already more than 40 million years old before Yellowstone’s famous calderas formed.

🪨 What Kind of Rock Forms Avalanche Peak?

The southeastern Yellowstone portion of the Absarokas contains volcanic rocks belonging to the Absaroka Volcanic Supergroup.

Much of the surrounding terrain includes Eocene:

• Andesitic volcanic rock
• Volcanic breccia
• Tuff
• Volcaniclastic sediment
• Lava-derived debris

The southeastern park contains units grouped into formations such as:

• Langford Formation
• Two Ocean Formation

The Two Ocean Formation includes dark, coarse, andesitic volcaniclastic rocks created from material deposited around ancient volcanic centers.

Repeated erosion has broken these rocks into the huge talus slopes crossed by the Avalanche Peak Trail.

🔥 What Is Andesite?

Andesite is a volcanic rock commonly produced by stratovolcanoes.

Its composition lies roughly between:

• Basalt
• Rhyolite

Modern volcanic arcs such as the Andes and Cascades commonly produce andesitic magma.

Absaroka volcanic chemistry resembles volcanic-arc rocks even though the ancient volcanic field was located unusually far inland.

Exactly why the Absaroka volcanism developed remains an active geological question.

Possible explanations involve:

• Unusual effects of ancient plate subduction
• Regional crustal extension
• Complex mantle processes

The field provides scientists with an important window into the tectonic evolution of western North America.

🧊 Glaciers Reshaped the Mountain

Volcanism created the rock.

Glaciers helped create the modern mountain.

During the Pleistocene ice ages, large glaciers repeatedly covered parts of Yellowstone.

Ice flowed across and around the Absaroka Mountains.

Glacial erosion helped create:

• Cirques
• Bowls
• Steep ridges
• Broad valleys
• Talus-covered slopes

Avalanche Peak’s enormous bowl is one of its defining features.

The hiking trail climbs directly through this high mountain terrain.

🪨 Talus Slopes

Above the forest, hikers encounter extensive talus.

Talus consists of broken rock accumulating beneath steep slopes.

The process continues today.

Water enters fractures in the volcanic rock.

When temperatures fall below freezing, the water expands.

Repeated freeze-thaw cycles gradually split the rock.

Gravity then pulls fragments downhill.

The result is the huge unstable-looking rock fields covering much of Avalanche Peak’s upper slopes.

🏔️ Why Is It Called Avalanche Peak?

The mountain’s name appears to be descriptive.

Historic Yellowstone naming records indicate that the U.S. Geological Survey was using Avalanche Peak by 1885 and classified the name as “characteristic.”

That suggests the name referred directly to the mountain’s physical character—most likely its steep slopes and avalanche-prone terrain.

The United States Board on Geographic Names formally adopted Avalanche Peak in 1930.

The name is highly appropriate.

Heavy winter snowfall accumulates across the mountain’s steep bowls and slopes, while the upper terrain remains snow-covered well into the summer hiking season.

🥇 First Ascent

A definitive first recorded ascent of Avalanche Peak has not been established.

The mountain was known to government surveyors by the late nineteenth century.

Hunters, Indigenous travelers, explorers, and survey parties had moved through the surrounding Yellowstone and Absaroka landscape long before modern recreational hiking developed.

The summit may therefore have been reached relatively early.

Without a dependable primary climbing record, the first ascent is best listed as:

Unknown / not reliably documented.

🥾 Avalanche Peak Trail

Unlike most significant Yellowstone mountain summits, Avalanche Peak has a maintained trail almost all the way to its highest point.

The official National Park Service route is:

4.4 miles / 7.1 kilometers round trip

with approximately:

2,100 feet / 640 meters of elevation gain.

Most hikers need roughly:

3–4 hours.

Do not let the relatively short distance create the impression that this is an easy Yellowstone walk.

The trail is extremely steep.

⚡ Trail Quick Guide

Feature	Details
Round Trip	4.4 mi / 7.1 km
Elevation Gain	Approx. 2,100 ft / 640 m
Difficulty	Strenuous
Typical Time	3–4 hours
Trail Type	Out and back
Summit Elevation	10,570.5 ft
Maintained Trail	Yes
Trailhead	East Entrance Road near Eleanor Lake
Reservations	None for the day hike
Dogs	Not permitted
Best Season	Usually July–August

🚗 Finding the Trailhead

The trail begins along Yellowstone’s East Entrance Road.

Look for the pullout near Eleanor Lake.

The trailhead is approximately:

• 19 miles east of Fishing Bridge Junction
• 8 miles west of Yellowstone’s East Entrance

The actual trail begins across the road from the parking area, near a creek.

There is no enormous visitor-center-style trailhead.

Hikers should watch carefully for the designated pullout.

🌲 The Forest Climb

The hike begins in forest.

Almost immediately, the trail climbs steeply.

There is very little warm-up.

The lower mountain contains forests with trees including:

• Lodgepole pine
• Engelmann spruce
• Subalpine fir
• Whitebark pine at higher elevations

Switchbacks carry hikers upward through the forest.

Because the trail is steep, the elevation gain accumulates quickly.

📈 2,100 Feet in 2.1 Miles

The National Park Service summarizes Avalanche Peak’s steepness very clearly.

The main ascent gains approximately:

2,100 vertical feet in 2.1 miles.

That averages roughly:

1,000 vertical feet per mile.

For comparison, many popular mountain hikes spread similar elevation gain across twice that distance.

Avalanche Peak is therefore short but relentlessly steep.

🏔️ The Great Bowl

After just over a mile, hikers emerge near the base of Avalanche Peak’s large rocky bowl.

The character of the hike changes dramatically.

Forest gives way to:

• Scree
• Talus
• Open alpine terrain
• Expansive mountain views

The trail turns left and climbs through switchbacks across the broken volcanic rock.

This section can feel much hotter on sunny days because tree shade disappears.

Wind can also increase suddenly.

🥾 Final Summit Ridge

Near the summit, hikers reach an open, relatively level area beneath the highest ridge.

The established route then climbs toward a narrow ridgeline.

The National Park Service specifically advises hikers to cross this ridge with extreme caution.

The trail is not a technical climbing route, but:

• Loose rock
• Steep slopes
• Exposure
• Strong wind

can make the final section intimidating.

Hikers uncomfortable with exposed terrain should not feel obligated to continue simply because the summit is close.

🌄 Summit Views

The summit provides one of the great panoramas in Yellowstone National Park.

The most obvious feature is:

Yellowstone Lake

spreading far to the west.

Other views can include:

• Absaroka Range
• Silvertip Peak
• First Peoples Mountain
• Eagle Peak region
• Yellowstone Plateau
• Remote southeastern park wilderness

The mountain offers a particularly good illustration of Yellowstone’s geological contrast.

To the east and beneath your feet are ancient Absaroka volcanic mountains.

To the west lies the much younger Yellowstone volcanic plateau.

🌊 Yellowstone Lake

Yellowstone Lake is one of North America’s largest high-elevation lakes.

Its surface lies at approximately:

7,733 feet / 2,357 meters.

From Avalanche Peak, hikers stand almost 3,000 vertical feet above it.

The scale is difficult to appreciate from the lakeshore.

From the mountain, the lake’s multiple arms, islands, and surrounding plateau become much easier to understand.

Parts of Yellowstone Lake sit directly above the Yellowstone Caldera.

This creates a remarkable geological view from an Absaroka summit into the landscape created by a completely different—and far younger—volcanic system.

⚠️ Snow Until July

Avalanche Peak commonly remains snow-covered until early July.

This is important because steep snow dramatically changes the difficulty of the route.

Early-season hikers may encounter:

• Hard snow
• Cornices
• Slippery traverses
• Hidden trail sections

An ordinary summer hiking route can become mountaineering terrain when covered by firm snow.

Visitors should check current Yellowstone trail conditions rather than assuming that June means summer conditions.

🌩️ Lightning

Lightning is one of the primary summer hazards.

The summit ridge offers virtually no protection.

Storms can develop rapidly during the afternoon.

If thunder is audible, the exposed summit is already unsafe.

An early start gives hikers a better chance of:

• Reaching the summit in stable weather
• Avoiding afternoon storms
• Descending before lightning develops

Never remain on the ridge simply because a storm appears to be several miles away.

🌬️ Weather Changes Quickly

Even on warm summer days, Yellowstone recommends carrying:

• Rain gear
• Warm layers
• Wool or insulated hat
• Gloves

At 10,500 feet, conditions can change dramatically.

A warm morning near Yellowstone Lake can become:

• Cold
• Windy
• Rainy
• Hail-filled

near the summit.

Wind chill can make temperatures feel much colder than the official forecast.

🌲 Burned Trees

The National Park Service also warns that burned trees may fall without warning along the route.

Wildfire is a natural process in Yellowstone’s forests.

Burned standing trees—often called snags—can remain upright for years before falling.

Wind increases the risk.

Avoid lingering beneath obviously unstable dead trees, particularly during strong winds.

🐻 Grizzly Bears

Grizzly bears are one of the most important wildlife considerations on Avalanche Peak.

The National Park Service specifically warns that grizzlies frequent the area during fall while searching for whitebark pine seeds.

For this reason, the park does not recommend hiking Avalanche Peak in September and October.

This is not merely a general Yellowstone bear warning.

The upper mountain provides a particularly important seasonal food source.

🌲 Whitebark Pine

Whitebark pine is one of the defining trees of Yellowstone’s highest forests.

It survives in environments that are:

• Cold
• Windy
• Snowy
• Too harsh for many other trees

Whitebark pine plays several ecological roles.

Its roots help stabilize high slopes.

Trees trap snow.

They provide shelter for other plants.

Most famously, their large nutritious seeds provide an important food source for wildlife.

🐦 Clark’s Nutcracker

Whitebark pine depends heavily on Clark’s nutcracker.

The tree produces large wingless seeds that cannot travel far on their own.

Nutcrackers harvest the seeds and bury them in caches.

Birds later return to eat the stored food.

Some seeds are forgotten.

Those seeds can germinate and grow into new whitebark pines.

The relationship between nutcracker and pine is one of Yellowstone’s classic ecological partnerships.

🐻 Bears and Pine Seeds

Grizzly bears cannot easily open whitebark pine cones directly from high tree branches.

Instead, they often raid seed caches created by red squirrels.

The seeds are calorie-rich and can become an important autumn food.

This explains why grizzly activity increases around Avalanche Peak when whitebark pine crops are available.

Hikers should:

• Carry bear spray
• Keep it immediately accessible
• Make noise
• Stay alert
• Hike in groups where practical

Never approach a bear.

📏 Wildlife Distances

Yellowstone requires visitors to stay at least:

100 yards / 91 meters

from:

• Bears
• Wolves

Visitors should remain at least:

25 yards / 23 meters

from other large animals.

Wildlife can move much faster than people expect.

If an animal changes its behavior because of your presence, increase the distance.

🐾 Bear Safety

When hiking Avalanche Peak:

• Carry bear spray.
• Know how to use it.
• Keep it outside your backpack.
• Avoid surprising bears.
• Watch for tracks and scat.
• Avoid animal carcasses.
• Stay together as a group.
• Never run from a bear.

Yellowstone recommends group hiking, especially in bear habitat.

Bear safety matters even on a popular maintained trail.

🌿 Flora and Fauna

Avalanche Peak passes through several distinct ecological zones.

A hiker climbs from subalpine forest into increasingly open high-elevation terrain and finally into rocky alpine conditions.

The geology strongly influences those ecosystems.

Absaroka volcanic rocks are richer in minerals such as:

• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Iron

than Yellowstone’s rhyolite-dominated volcanic plateau.

These rocks can weather into relatively nutrient-rich soils.

As a result, portions of the Absarokas support particularly diverse mountain vegetation.

🌲 Lodgepole Pine

Lodgepole pine is the most abundant tree species across much of Yellowstone.

It is highly adapted to the park’s:

• Cold winters
• Fire regime
• Volcanic soils

Some lodgepole pine cones remain sealed until heat from wildfire opens them.

Fire can therefore help regenerate lodgepole forests.

The lower Avalanche Peak trail passes through forest communities influenced by these natural disturbance cycles.

🌲 Engelmann Spruce

Engelmann spruce grows in colder and wetter subalpine environments.

The tree tolerates:

• Deep snow
• Cold temperatures
• Short growing seasons

At higher elevations, spruce becomes increasingly stunted.

Strong wind can produce twisted and one-sided growth.

🌲 Subalpine Fir

Subalpine fir commonly grows with Engelmann spruce.

Its narrow shape helps shed snow.

Higher on the mountain, both species become less common as conditions approach treeline.

Eventually, whitebark pine and low alpine vegetation dominate the harshest upper forest environments.

🌼 Alpine Plants

Above treeline, plant life becomes much smaller.

Species must survive:

• Strong wind
• Frost
• Thin soil
• Short summers
• Intense ultraviolet radiation

Plants commonly grow close to the ground.

Potential alpine communities include:

• Grasses
• Sedges
• Cushion plants
• Low wildflowers

The growing season may last only a few weeks.

Stay on the established trail wherever possible.

🐿️ American Pika

Rocky talus around Avalanche Peak provides classic habitat for American pikas.

Pikas are small relatives of rabbits.

They do not hibernate.

During summer, they collect:

• Grasses
• Leaves
• Flowers

and store them among the rocks.

These hay piles provide food throughout winter.

Their sharp calls can often be heard from talus slopes before the animals themselves are visible.

🐿️ Yellow-Bellied Marmot

Yellow-bellied marmots also occupy rocky areas and mountain meadows in Yellowstone.

Unlike pikas, marmots hibernate.

They spend the summer feeding intensively to build enough fat to survive many months underground.

Marmots may appear tolerant of people in popular hiking areas.

Never feed them.

🦌 Elk and Mule Deer

Elk and mule deer inhabit the forests and meadows of the surrounding Yellowstone landscape.

They are more commonly encountered at lower elevations than on Avalanche Peak’s barren summit.

Seasonal movement is important.

Deep winter snow pushes many animals toward more favorable feeding areas.

Summer allows them to range much higher.

🫎 Moose

Moose occur in portions of Yellowstone where suitable:

• Willow
• Wetlands
• Forest
• Streamside habitat

exists.

They are unlikely to spend much time on Avalanche Peak’s exposed upper slopes.

Moose should nevertheless be treated cautiously wherever encountered.

They can be particularly aggressive when protecting calves.

🐺 Wolves

Gray wolves occupy the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

They generally use valleys and wildlife-rich lower terrain rather than exposed summits.

Seeing a wolf during an Avalanche Peak hike would be unusual.

Their presence nevertheless reflects the ecological completeness of the greater Yellowstone landscape.

🦅 Golden Eagles

Golden eagles use mountain terrain across the Greater Yellowstone region.

Their broad wings allow them to soar along ridges while searching for:

• Marmots
• Rabbits
• Ground squirrels
• Other prey

The open upper slopes around Avalanche Peak provide excellent soaring terrain.

Other raptors can also move through the area.

🌎 Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Avalanche Peak lies within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, one of the largest relatively intact temperate-zone ecosystems on Earth.

The ecosystem extends far beyond Yellowstone National Park into:

• National forests
• Wilderness areas
• Grand Teton National Park
• Wildlife refuges
• Private lands

Large animals can move across enormous areas.

This landscape-scale connectivity helps support species such as:

• Grizzly bears
• Wolves
• Elk
• Moose
• Bighorn sheep

Avalanche Peak sits directly where protected Yellowstone land meets the North Absaroka Wilderness, making it an especially good example of this connected ecosystem.

🎫 Yellowstone Entrance Requirements

A separate hiking permit is not required for the normal Avalanche Peak day hike.

Visitors must still have a valid Yellowstone National Park entrance pass or pay the applicable entrance fee.

Reservations are not currently required simply to hike Avalanche Peak.

Permits are required for certain activities including:

• Overnight backcountry camping
• Fishing
• Boating
• Some stock use

Rules can change, so visitors should check current National Park Service information before traveling.

🐕 Dogs Are Not Allowed

Pets are not allowed on the Avalanche Peak Trail.

Yellowstone restricts pets in the backcountry because they can:

• Disturb wildlife
• Attract predators
• Create conflicts with bears
• Damage sensitive habitats

Leave dogs safely outside the park trail system.

📅 Best Time to Hike Avalanche Peak

The most practical hiking season is relatively short.

🌨️ June

Snow usually remains on the trail.

The route may require snow-travel skills.

☀️ July

The trail generally becomes snow-free during early July.

Wildflowers appear and the main hiking season begins.

🌼 August

Often the best overall month.

Snow is normally minimal, although afternoon thunderstorms remain a major concern.

🍂 September

The National Park Service specifically does not recommend hiking Avalanche Peak in September because grizzly bears increasingly use the whitebark pine habitat.

Early snow can also return.

❄️ October

The park also discourages the hike in October.

Snow, cold, short days, and bear activity make the mountain increasingly unsuitable for ordinary hikers.

Winter and Spring

The mountain becomes snow-covered and should be treated as a winter backcountry objective rather than a conventional trail hike.

📊 Avalanche Peak vs. Eagle Peak

Eagle Peak is Yellowstone National Park’s highest summit.

Feature	Avalanche Peak	Eagle Peak
Elevation	10,570.5 ft	~11,370 ft
Range	Absaroka Range	Absaroka Range
Maintained Summit Trail	Yes	No
Difficulty for Ordinary Visitors	Strenuous hiking	Remote mountaineering/backcountry travel
Geology	Ancient Absaroka volcanics	Ancient Absaroka volcanics
Park Distinction	Popular summit hike	Highest point in Yellowstone

Eagle Peak is roughly 800 feet higher.

Avalanche Peak is vastly more accessible.

For most Yellowstone visitors who want to stand on an Absaroka summit, Avalanche Peak is the practical choice.

📊 Avalanche Peak vs. Mount Washburn

Mount Washburn is Yellowstone’s best-known mountain hike.

Feature	Avalanche Peak	Mount Washburn
Elevation	10,570.5 ft	~10,200 ft
Range	Absaroka Range	Absaroka Range
Trail Character	Short, very steep	Longer, more gradual
Round Trip	4.4 mi	Varies by trailhead
Main View	Yellowstone Lake and eastern Absarokas	Central/northern Yellowstone
Geology	Eocene Absaroka volcanics	Eocene Absaroka volcanics
Summit Development	Natural summit	Fire lookout

Avalanche Peak is several hundred feet higher and considerably steeper.

Mount Washburn receives much more visitor traffic and is generally the easier mountain hike.

⛰️ Nearby Mountains

Silvertip Peak

Silvertip Peak is Avalanche Peak’s Nearest Higher Neighbor and parent mountain.

It rises northeast within the North Absaroka Wilderness.

Eagle Peak

Eagle Peak is the highest point in Yellowstone National Park.

It lies farther southeast near the park boundary and reaches approximately 11,370 feet.

First Peoples Mountain

First Peoples Mountain rises southeast of Yellowstone Lake.

The peak received its current name in 2022 after the U.S. Board on Geographic Names approved replacing its previous name.

Mount Stevenson

Mount Stevenson rises in the remote Absaroka terrain east of Yellowstone Lake.

It is another significant high summit in the eastern park.

Mount Washburn

Mount Washburn lies farther north and is Yellowstone’s most famous maintained summit hike.

Like Avalanche Peak, it preserves ancient Absaroka volcanic rocks.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How high is Avalanche Peak?

Modern LiDAR places the summit at approximately 10,570.5 feet (3,221.9 meters).

Where is Avalanche Peak?

It is in Park County, Wyoming, on the eastern edge of Yellowstone National Park in the Absaroka Range.

Is Avalanche Peak in Yellowstone National Park?

Yes.

The summit lies along Yellowstone’s eastern boundary next to Shoshone National Forest and the North Absaroka Wilderness.

What is Avalanche Peak’s Nearest Higher Neighbor?

Silvertip Peak, approximately three miles northeast.

How prominent is Avalanche Peak?

Approximately 1,320.5 feet (402.5 meters).

How isolated is Avalanche Peak?

Approximately 3.01 miles (4.84 kilometers).

Is Avalanche Peak volcanic?

Yes, in origin.

Its rocks were created by the ancient Absaroka volcanic field.

Is Avalanche Peak part of the Yellowstone volcano?

No.

This is an important distinction.

The Absaroka volcanic rocks are approximately 43–53 million years old, while Yellowstone’s famous caldera system developed tens of millions of years later.

When was Avalanche Peak named?

Historic records show the U.S. Geological Survey using the name by 1885.

The federal Board on Geographic Names officially adopted the name in 1930.

Why is it called Avalanche Peak?

Historic records classify the name as descriptive or “characteristic,” almost certainly referring to the mountain’s steep, avalanche-prone snowy slopes.

Who first climbed Avalanche Peak?

A reliable first-ascent record has not been established.

How long is the Avalanche Peak Trail?

Approximately 4.4 miles (7.1 kilometers) round trip.

How much elevation does it gain?

Approximately 2,100 feet.

How long does the hike take?

The National Park Service estimates roughly 3–4 hours, depending on fitness and summit time.

Is Avalanche Peak difficult?

It is a strenuous hike because it gains around 2,100 feet in little more than two miles.

The final summit ridge also requires caution.

Is the trail technical?

Normally no during dry summer conditions.

It is an ordinary but strenuous hiking trail rather than a rock-climbing route.

Snow can make the mountain much more difficult.

When does the trail become snow-free?

Snow often remains until early July.

Exact timing depends on the winter snowpack.

What is the best month to hike?

July and August generally provide the best conditions.

Why isn’t the hike recommended in September and October?

Grizzly bears increasingly use the area while searching for nutrient-rich whitebark pine seeds.

Cold weather and early snow also become more likely.

Do I need bear spray?

Yellowstone strongly recommends carrying bear spray in bear habitat and knowing how to use it.

Are dogs allowed?

No.

Pets are not permitted on the trail.

Do I need a permit?

No separate permit is required for an ordinary day hike.

Normal Yellowstone entrance requirements still apply.

What can you see from the summit?

Major views include:

• Yellowstone Lake
• Absaroka Range
• Silvertip Peak
• Remote southeastern Yellowstone
• Yellowstone Plateau
• Numerous high Absaroka summits

⭐ Why Avalanche Peak Is Special

Avalanche Peak is one of those mountains whose importance is easy to underestimate.

At 10,570 feet, it is far below Wyoming’s highest summits.

It does not require technical climbing.

The entire trip can be completed in only a few hours.

Yet the mountain provides an unusually complete introduction to the wild geology and ecology of eastern Yellowstone.

The hike begins in dense subalpine forest.

Lodgepole pine, spruce, fir, and whitebark pine occupy the slopes.

Then the trail climbs above the trees into a huge bowl of broken volcanic rock.

Talus replaces forest.

Wind becomes stronger.

The summit ridge narrows.

Far below, Yellowstone Lake spreads across the volcanic plateau.

The view also reveals one of Yellowstone’s most misunderstood geological stories.

Avalanche Peak is volcanic—but it has almost nothing to do with the volcano most visitors associate with Yellowstone.

Its rocks are remnants of the enormous Absaroka volcanic field, created roughly 43–53 million years ago.

The Yellowstone hotspot would not create its famous calderas here until tens of millions of years later.

Glaciers then carved the old volcanic landscape into the steep mountain visible today.

The ecosystem is just as remarkable.

Whitebark pine survives near the upper limits of forest and feeds Clark’s nutcrackers, squirrels, and grizzly bears. Pikas inhabit the talus. Marmots occupy rocky meadows. Wolves, elk, moose, and other large mammals roam the wider Greater Yellowstone landscape.

In autumn, that wildlife story becomes so important that the National Park Service discourages people from hiking the mountain while grizzlies forage for whitebark pine seeds.

Avalanche Peak therefore offers far more than a summit view.

It is a 10,570-foot Absaroka summit, a remnant of a gigantic ancient volcanic province, a steep but accessible Yellowstone climb, and a meeting point between alpine terrain, whitebark pine forest, grizzly habitat, and one of North America’s greatest protected ecosystems.

🔗 Related Articles

• The Rocky Mountains
• Mountain Ranges in the U.S.
• Teton Range
• Wind River Range
• Bighorn Mountains
• Where the Rocky Mountains Start and End

📚 Sources

• National Park Service — Avalanche Peak Trail
• National Park Service — Avalanche Peak Trailhead
• Peakbagger — Avalanche Peak
• U.S. Geological Survey — The Other Volcanic Range in the Yellowstone Region: The Absarokas
• U.S. Geological Survey — Stratigraphic Framework of the Absaroka Volcanic Supergroup
• National Park Service — Yellowstone Stratotype Inventory
• National Park Service — Influence of Geology on Yellowstone Ecosystems
• National Park Service — Yellowstone Volcano
• National Park Service — Yellowstone Forests and Whitebark Pine
• National Park Service — Whitebark Pine and Grizzly Bears
• Hiram Martin Chittenden — Yellowstone National Park: Historical and Descriptive