Top Ten Hikes for Families in Yellowstone National Park

Norris area, 1 mile round-trip

There are plenty of long, strenuous hikes to be had in Yellowstone, but if you are looking for something that's easy yet rewarding, try Artist Paint Pots Trail. It's really not much more than a stroll (partly on boardwalk), but this trail winds its way through an unburned lodgepole pine forest in Gibbon Meadows. Keep your eye out for wildflowers and elk. The level path eventually leads to small geysers, hot pools, steam vents, and the main attraction, a colorful mud pot atop Paint Pots Hill. You would be hard-pressed to find a more worthwhile short hike in the whole park.