Purple Mountain
About
Purple Mountain is a summit of 8,512 feet in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, managed by the National Park Service. The nearest town is West Yellowstone, Montana, about 12 miles away. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Old Faithful weather station show July highs around 76°F with lows near 39°F, and the summit sits higher than that station, so expect it to run a little cooler. The Purple Mountain Trail and Madison Junction both start about a mile away, and the Harlequin Lake Trail is about 1.5 miles off. For a swim, Firehole Canyon Swimming Area is roughly 3 miles away.
Summit Facts
Summit elevation
8,512 ft
Land manager
National Park Service
Elevation from USGS 3D Elevation Program terrain data (about 10 m resolution).
Location
Purple Mountain
Wyoming
Name and location: U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). Elevation: USGS 3D Elevation Program. View the GNIS record.
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: Jun–Sep. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 65–76°F and lows of 30–39°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Old Faithful, WY weather station, 14 mi away. High / low in °F.
- Jan28° high1° low
- Feb31° high2° low
- Mar39° high10° low
- Apr46° high19° low
- May55° high29° low
- Jun65° high35° low
- Jul76° high39° low
- Aug75° high37° low
- Sep65° high30° low
- Oct50° high22° low
- Nov35° high10° low
- Dec27° high1° low
The station sits about 1,200 ft lower than this spot, so expect it to run cooler up here.
Where it is
- Yellowstone National Park · National Park Service
- Nearest town
- West Yellowstone, Montana · 12 mi
- Managed by
- National Park Service
Source: NPS Land Resources boundaries; USGS PAD-US 4.1; USGS GNIS populated places
Conditions
Active alerts for Yellowstone National Park as of Oct 9, 2026:
Beartooth Highway Temporary Closure
Park Closure · posted Oct 8, 2026
West Thumb Geyser Basin Boardwalk - Partial Closure
Information · posted Sep 14, 2026
Caution · posted Aug 26, 2026
Vehicle Entrance Reservation Not Needed
Information · posted Aug 24, 2026
Traffic Delays - Gardner River High Bridge
Information · posted Aug 24, 2026
Biscuit Basin Closed Due to Hydrothermal Explosion
Park Closure · posted Aug 24, 2026
Source: NPS Alerts API
Nearby
- Purple Mountain TrailHiking1.2 mi
- Madison JunctionHiking1.2 mi
- Harlequin Lake TrailHiking1.5 mi
- Mount Haynes Fishing PlatformHiking2.8 mi
- Firehole Canyon Swimming AreaHiking2.9 mi
- Cougar Cabin TrailHiking4.9 mi
- Cougar CreekCanoeing8.5 mi
- Gibbon RiverCanoeing9.9 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)