Wyoming · Hiking

Clay Butte Trail

5.9 mi
round trip
504 ft
climb
9,761 ft
high point
Out and back
route

Is Clay Butte Trail open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists an alert for Shoshone National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Shoshone National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Clay Butte Trail is a 5.9-mile out-and-back hike in Wyoming's Shoshone National Forest, within the Clarks Fork Ranger District. The trail rises from about 9,250 feet to about 9,760 feet, a climb of 504 feet, and is rated moderate. It is an accessible trail, and horses are allowed. The trailhead is at the Clay Butte parking area, and the route is open year-round. The natural-surface trail is accessible, so it works for a range of visitors. Nearby, the Clay Butte Cutoff Trail and the Upper Granite Loop Trail both lie within about a mile. Beartooth Lake Campground is about 2.3 miles away, and the Absaroka Range climbing area is about 3.3 miles off.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Glacier Lake TrailPhoto: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Beartooth LoopPhoto: Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Glacier LakePhoto: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

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4.60-mile out-and-back hike in Wyoming with 650 ft elevation gain.

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Beartooth Cr Trail

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5.29-mile out-and-back hike in Wyoming with 730 ft gain