New to hiking? Welcome — and good news: Wyoming has more genuinely beginner-friendly trails than most casual lists give it credit for. We filtered our 4,372 mapped Wyoming trails down to those rated easy, under six miles, and short enough to finish in a relaxed half-day. The result is ten options that prioritize scenery over suffering.
Wyoming is a friendlier first-hike state than many give it credit for. Wyoming holds the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone's thermal-and-bison plateau, the Wind River Range (arguably the country's most beautiful alpine wilderness), and the Bighorns. Yellowstone's short boardwalks, Grand Teton's Jenny Lake area, and the Bighorn Canyon overlooks give beginners scenic, accessible introductions.
Our rankings here are data-driven — pulled from the 4,372 mapped entries OutsideAtlas tracks in Wyoming — but the data has limits worth being honest about. We filtered to trails tagged "easy," shorter than six miles, and with usable surface and visibility tags. That excludes many fine beginner trails that simply haven't been tagged yet — the list is "best of what's well-mapped," not "every beginner trail."
The Ranking
Ranked from #1 to #10. Click through any entry for the full trail page — map, elevation profile, weather forecast, and direct OpenStreetMap source link.
#1. Purple Mountain Trail
Purple Mountain Trail near Yellowstone National Park in Teton County earns its beginner-list spot with gentle terrain and easy navigation. Expect 2 ft of gain on a forgiving grade. Local trail-association reports tend to agree this is one of the better-maintained options in the area, which matters more on a hike of this length than on a quick walk. Bring water, layers, and unhurried expectations — and don't push past your fitness window just because the trail looks short on paper. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Purple Mountain Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#2. Phillip's Canyon Access Trail (Crosses Private Land Please Stay On Trail)
Phillip's Canyon Access Trail (Crosses Private Land Please Stay On Trail) near Wilson in Teton County earns its beginner-list spot with gentle terrain and easy navigation. Expect dirt surface on a forgiving grade. The route is well documented in OpenStreetMap, which is what put it on our radar — community-mapped routes tend to be the ones that get hiked enough to stay open. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Bring water, layers, and unhurried expectations — and don't push past your fitness window just because the trail looks short on paper. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Phillip's Canyon Access Trail (Crosses Private Land Please Stay On Trail) trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#3. Wally World (Open to Motorized July 1 to September 9)
Wally World (Open to Motorized July 1 to September 9) near Jackson in Teton County earns its beginner-list spot with gentle terrain and easy navigation. Expect dirt surface on a forgiving grade. It earns its ranking on the data, but trail conditions can change quickly after storms or fire seasons, so verify before you commit a full day. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Bring water, layers, and unhurried expectations — and don't push past your fitness window just because the trail looks short on paper. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Wally World (Open to Motorized July 1 to September 9) trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#4. South Boundary-Lynx Creek Trail / Continental Divide
South Boundary-Lynx Creek Trail / Continental Divide near Moran in Teton County earns its beginner-list spot with gentle terrain and easy navigation. Expect ground surface on a forgiving grade. Compared to similar trails in Wyoming, this route trades difficulty for either solitude or scenery — sometimes both. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Bring water, layers, and unhurried expectations — and don't push past your fitness window just because the trail looks short on paper. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the South Boundary-Lynx Creek Trail / Continental Divide trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#5. South Shore Shoshone Lake Trail / Continental Divide
South Shore Shoshone Lake Trail / Continental Divide near Felt in Teton County earns its beginner-list spot with gentle terrain and easy navigation. Expect ground surface on a forgiving grade. What makes this one earn its spot on the list is the combination of mapped detail and the kind of through-and-through experience that justifies a longer drive. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Bring water, layers, and unhurried expectations — and don't push past your fitness window just because the trail looks short on paper. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the South Shore Shoshone Lake Trail / Continental Divide trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#6. North Two Ocean Creek Trail / Continental Divide
North Two Ocean Creek Trail / Continental Divide near Moran in Teton County earns its beginner-list spot with gentle terrain and easy navigation. Expect ground surface on a forgiving grade. Local trail-association reports tend to agree this is one of the better-maintained options in the area, which matters more on a hike of this length than on a quick walk. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Bring water, layers, and unhurried expectations — and don't push past your fitness window just because the trail looks short on paper. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the North Two Ocean Creek Trail / Continental Divide trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#7. Fox Park-Yellowstone Trail / Continental Divide
Fox Park-Yellowstone Trail / Continental Divide near Moran in Teton County earns its beginner-list spot with gentle terrain and easy navigation. Expect ground surface on a forgiving grade. The route is well documented in OpenStreetMap, which is what put it on our radar — community-mapped routes tend to be the ones that get hiked enough to stay open. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Bring water, layers, and unhurried expectations — and don't push past your fitness window just because the trail looks short on paper. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Fox Park-Yellowstone Trail / Continental Divide trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#8. Old Beauty Park Creek Road / Continental Divide
Old Beauty Park Creek Road / Continental Divide near Moran in Teton County earns its beginner-list spot with gentle terrain and easy navigation. Expect ground surface on a forgiving grade. It earns its ranking on the data, but trail conditions can change quickly after storms or fire seasons, so verify before you commit a full day. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Bring water, layers, and unhurried expectations — and don't push past your fitness window just because the trail looks short on paper. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Old Beauty Park Creek Road / Continental Divide trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#9. South Shore Shoshone Lake / Continental Divide
South Shore Shoshone Lake / Continental Divide near Moran in Teton County earns its beginner-list spot with gentle terrain and easy navigation. Expect ground surface on a forgiving grade. Compared to similar trails in Wyoming, this route trades difficulty for either solitude or scenery — sometimes both. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Bring water, layers, and unhurried expectations — and don't push past your fitness window just because the trail looks short on paper. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the South Shore Shoshone Lake / Continental Divide trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#10. North Buffalo Fork Trail / Continental Divide
North Buffalo Fork Trail / Continental Divide near Moran in Teton County earns its beginner-list spot with gentle terrain and easy navigation. Expect ground surface on a forgiving grade. What makes this one earn its spot on the list is the combination of mapped detail and the kind of through-and-through experience that justifies a longer drive. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Bring water, layers, and unhurried expectations — and don't push past your fitness window just because the trail looks short on paper. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the North Buffalo Fork Trail / Continental Divide trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.Planning your Wyoming trip
A few pieces of context are worth keeping in mind specifically for Wyoming. July through mid-September is the high-country window; afternoon thunderstorms and grizzly activity are baseline conditions. Grizzly bears (carry spray), lightning above treeline, and unbridged stream crossings on Wind River routes are the standard hazards.
Always cross-reference the official land-manager page before driving out — closures, fire restrictions, and seasonal road access can change quickly. Our trail pages link directly back to the OpenStreetMap source so you can see the tags we're working from.
If you're new to hiking generally, our beginner's guide covers footwear, layering, and the day-pack basics. For safety planning on bigger objectives, the ten essentials guide is worth twenty minutes of reading.
More Wyoming hiking guides
If you found this useful, the rest of our Wyoming coverage continues below.
- Top 10 longest trails in Wyoming — Multi-day routes and through-hikes ranked by distance.
- Steepest trails in Wyoming — Hikes with the most elevation gain in the state.
- Most challenging hikes in Wyoming — Expert-rated routes for experienced hikers only.
- Best national parks in Wyoming — Federal parks and recreation areas ranked.
- Best waterfall hikes in Wyoming — Trails leading to named falls, ranked by accessibility.
- Best dog-friendly hikes in Wyoming — Where leashed dogs are explicitly welcome.
- Best family hikes in Wyoming — Short, easy trails sized for kids and grandparents.
Rankings like this are starting points, not verdicts. Trail conditions change, new routes get tagged, and what was the toughest trail in Wyoming last year might not be next year. We refresh these articles when the underlying data shifts meaningfully.
Got a correction, a route we missed, or a question? Drop us a note via the contact page. We read every email and we'd rather hear it from you than miss it.
