North Fork Trail

The North Fork Trail follows the historic Cody Road corridor through the dramatic Shoshone River canyon, tracing the route that served as the original eastern entrance to Yellowstone National Park in the early twentieth century. This historic byway, promoted by Buffalo Bill Cody himself as the most scenic approach to Yellowstone, passes through a rugged volcanic landscape of eroded towers, caves, and colorful badland formations.

The trail tracks closely alongside the North Fork of the Shoshone River as it carves through progressively deeper canyon walls of volcanic breccia and rhyolite. The river is renowned for its blue-ribbon fly fishing, and the trailside pools frequently hold large brown and rainbow trout visible through the clear current. Ospreys and bald eagles fish the river throughout the day, while bighorn sheep navigate the steep canyon walls above.

The surrounding Shoshone National Forest, the first national forest established in the United States, provides a magnificent backdrop of conifer-covered slopes rising to rugged volcanic summits. The trail passes several historic sites associated with early Yellowstone tourism, including locations where early dude ranches once hosted guests traveling west. This is a deeply satisfying hike that combines natural beauty, wildlife, and significant frontier history in a spectacular canyon setting.