Hell Roaring Creek Trail: Wait Until You See This Bridge!

If you’re looking for a high adventure, backcountry hike at Yellowstone National Park, you don’t want to miss Hell Roaring Creek Trail. This 4-mile roundtrip trail offers stunning views, rugged terrain, steep inclines/changes in elevation and an awesome suspension bridge to cross.

My family recently hiked a large portion of Hell Roaring Creek trail for the first time together. We’re sharing our experience, photos and tips to help you plan for your hike on this unique Yellowstone trail.

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Hell Roaring Creek Trail, Yellowstone NP

(The correct way to write this trail’s name is actually “Hellroaring Creek”, however we refer to it throughout this post as “Hell Roaring Creek” simply for better search results for our readers.)

Getting Started on Hell Roaring Creek Trail

The Hell Roaring Creek trailhead is located in the Tower-Roosevelt section of Yellowstone National Park. There is a dirt parking lot available at the trailhead, with plenty of room to maneuver vehicles.

Before beginning this hike, make sure you are wearing proper footwear… as in leave the sandals, crocs and flip-flops out for this one! Also, we didn’t see any restrooms or “port-o-potty” facilities near the parking lot, so plan accordingly.

Be sure to check out our tips below, for Hiking at Yellowstone National Park. (Bottom of post)

At the beginning of the trail is a sign with useful information such as trail map, backcountry regulations and information should you encounter a bear while hiking. Even though we had a hardcopy of our favorite trail guide, I still took a photo of the sign’s map as a backup on my phone.

Shortly after starting the trail, we passed a sign indicating the distance to each location along the hike. (Pic below)

While the very beginning of the trail is mostly flat, don’t let that fool you. Hell Roaring Creek trail has a steep, winding decline (just below horizon in picture above) shortly after you set off from the trailhead.

Note: If you back-track and hike out on the same trail (to get back to where you parked in Tower Roosevelt), then this decline becomes an incline for you as you head back to the trailhead. Definitely be prepared to hike up it!

A Peek at the Trail

From the parking lot, Hell Roaring Creek Trail starts off as a vast, open landscape with trees dotted along the path.

Soon after starting, you’ll come to a portion of the trail that winds its way down the mountainside. The trail here is narrow and there are plenty of loose rocks/gravel making slipping quite easy if you’re not paying attention. We actually saw a couple of hikers slip and have to regain their footing.

Also, this section of trail leaves you pretty exposed to the sun (and possibly wind) as you trek down towards the bottom.

Once you reach the bottom of the mountainside, the trail widens a bit and larger rocks are present throughout. Trees become denser and there are shaded sections perfect for pausing and taking a drink.

We definitely felt secluded and far from civilization on this hike. Highly recommend bringing a can of Bear Spray on this trail. You never know what creatures could be enjoying the area with you!

Gorgeous Views on Hell Roaring Creek Trail

Hell Roaring Creek Trail starts out in a wooded area, so the trees are about all you can see for the first small section of the trail.  

You will eventually come to a clearing, just before the decline down the mountainside, and you’ll have an unobstructed view of distant mountaintops and the valley below.  Don’t forget… you’ll be hiking down to the bottom too!

As you get closer to the suspension bridge, be on the lookout for a small portion of trail that veers off of the main trail by a few feet. Take it, and you’ll dead-end into a small overlook where you can get a great view of the suspension bridge you are about to cross! (See pic below)

The views (and scenery) on the Hell Roaring Creek Trail were impressive… and we only hiked about half of this trail! It took us just over 2 hours to hike to the bridge and back to the parking lot.

If you are planning on hiking the entire trail, I’d recommend setting aside the majority of an entire day. Also, start early if you’d like to be finished with your hike before sundown.

Let’s Talk About the Hellroaring Suspension Bridge!

We decided on hiking Hell Roaring Creek because we had heard how incredible the suspension bridge is. While the hike to get to the bridge is challenging at points, in our opinion, it was worth it.

As the trail approaches the bridge, you can get a good view of just how far, and high, the bridge stretches across the water below. (See pic above) When you’re getting ready to actually cross the bridge, you can hear the sound of water rushing below.  It really adds to the adventure, especially for kids.

There are plenty of spots along the bridge to stop and soak in the sights and sounds.  And yes, because it’s a suspension bridge, you may feel it moving slightly as you cross.  

When planning our trip, I was definitely surprised to learn Yellowstone National Park was home to a suspension bridge.  I’m glad we were able to explore one of the lesser-known features of this park.

Check out our favorite Yellowstone trail guide, “A Ranger’s Guide to Yellowstone Day Hikes”, which includes detailed information about 29 different hikes, including Hellroaring Creek Trail.

Is Hell Roaring Creek Trail Doable with Kids?

The idea of crossing a suspension bridge with water roaring underneath, definitely makes the thought of hiking this trail appealing… especially to kids. What an adventure!

Hell Roaring Creek trail is without a doubt a rugged, backcountry hike, with plenty of things to be aware of if visiting with children. The steep decline/incline towards the beginning of the trail, loose rocks, narrow trails and potential for wildlife are all things to consider before starting out with your family.

Also, if your child requests to be carried a lot, this hike may not be a good fit for you due to the length of hike and potential hazards along the way.

We hiked from the trailhead parking lot (in Tower Roosevelt), to just past the suspension bridge and back tracked to where we parked. It took us just over 2 hours to trek that portion of trail.

Overall, I’d recommend hiking this trail if your kids are older. Our daughter was 10 years old at the time of our hike and it definitely was challenging for her at points. It was doable by remembering to hike at her pace and stopping for plenty of breaks along the way.

Tips for Hiking at Yellowstone National Park

Our Favorite Trail Guide: “A Ranger’s Guide to Yellowstone Day Hikes”

A good hardcopy of a trail guide is important to have with you on your adventure and when planning. I wouldn’t suggest relying on mobile devices for maps, as cell phone service inside Yellowstone National Park is extremely limited.

We actually discovered the Hell Roaring Creek Trail in A Ranger’s Guide to Yellowstone Day Hikes (page 47). A friend of ours recommended this trail guide to us, after using it to do a lot of backcountry hiking in Yellowstone.

Ultimately, we loved this trail guide for its very detailed description of each featured hike, as well as trail maps and information regarding terrain, distance of each trail, estimated time to complete, inclines and difficulty level. Excellent and easy to understand.

Before You Start Your Hike

• Before you start your hike, let someone know back home where you will be exploring that day, including which trails you intend to hike, area of the park and time you plan to be finished. Cell phone service is pretty scarce in Yellowstone National Park, so you likely won’t be able to alert someone once it’s “too late”. Let others know where you are going ahead of time and when you plan to return, in case any problems arise.
• Check the Weather and Alerts. Before starting off on your hiking adventure, you should check www.nps.gov for the weather and any alerts, so you can plan accordingly. A road was closed when we visited, and we had to reroute to get to our destination. Had we not checked beforehand, we would’ve spent a ton of time driving only to learn what we could’ve with the click of a button.

Things to Bring on Your Hike

• Bring a hard copy of a map/trail guide. Cell phone service is very limited in Yellowstone NP. It’s a great idea to have a hard copy of a map or trail guide with you. We loved A Ranger’s Guide to Yellowstone Day HIkes for its very detailed description of each featured hike. It is full of trail maps and information regarding terrain, distance of each trail, estimated time to complete, inclines and difficulty level. Excellent and easy to understand.
• Bring Bear Spray with you and have it easily accessible clipped to your backpack or waistband. A canister of Bear Spray can cost around $50 to purchase near Yellowstone National Park. Daily rental options are also available in some areas. Some vacation rentals offer a canister with your amenities, just ask if you don’t see it on the listing. Keep your bear spray easily accessible by clipping it to your waistband or backpack when hiking.
• Carry a Backpack. I know it sounds obvious, but I’d recommend a backpack to keep snacks, water, sunscreen, sweatshirts (higher elevations can be chilly), extra socks (in case it rains… you don’t want blisters), portable phone battery, camera, etc.
• Water and snacks are an absolute must when hiking the trails. You’ll be using a lot of energy exploring and you’ll need to hydrate and refuel your body. Don’t forget, wildlife can smell the food too, so be alert when eating.

Good to Know

• Get the scoop on scat! You’ll definitely want to be familiar with how to identify animal droppings. I know it’s gross, but learn how to identify bear, bison, elk, wolf, coyote and horse droppings as well as how to determine if they’re fresh. Hiking in the wide-open back country means you have to be aware of your surroundings, especially signs of wild animals in the area. Scat is a good way to know who else may be enjoying the great outdoors too in your area. There are great books for kids and adults on identifying scat at Yellowstone.
• Wear appropriate footwear. Properly fitting hiking shoes or tennis shoes are an absolute must, even on the trails with portions of boardwalks. Yellowstone National Park is “America the Beautiful” at its absolute finest and wildest! Loose rocks, dirt paths, scratchy brush, mud, loose boards on boardwalks and animal droppings (yes, you read that correct) are all things you’ll likely encounter while hiking. Sorry flip-flops, sandals and crocs… you should definitely sit hiking at Yellowstone out!
• Bathroom Stuff. Yellowstone National Park is HUGE. There are limited “port-o-potty” buildings scattered along the roadways, so you’ll need to plan your potty breaks accordingly. My advice, if you see one… stop and use it. Many of the back country hiking trails aren’t near the more popular tourist places, with modern bathroom facilities. We did come across modern bathrooms at the North Entrance Visitor Center, Old Faithful Visitor Center, and Norris Geyser Basin.

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