Ice Lake Trail (to Howard Eaton Trail)

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The Ice Lake Trail starts from a pullout on the north side of the Norris to Canyon Road, just west of where the one-way Virginia Cascade road rejoins the highway. The trail ends at its junction with the Howard Eaton Trail: Cascade Lake-Norris Campground.

The trail travels north through lodgepole pine forests scarred by the 1988 fires. At the .1-mile mark the trail forks. The right fork leads to Campsite 4D3 (one of the only wheelchair accessible backcountry campsites in Yellowstone). Take the left fork and continue along the western side of Ice Lake.

Underground springs feed this beautiful tree-hemmed lake. It was named “ice” lake because in the late 1800s and early 1900s it was used to supply ice to concessions located near Norris Geyser Basin. The lack of good spawning streams feeding the lake is likely the reason fishing is very poor here.

At the .6-mile mark, the trail ends at a junction with the Howard Eaton Trail. To the right are two Ice Lake campsites, one on the northwest side of the lake and the other on the far east side of this long, narrow lake.

Thanks to guidebook author, Tom Carter, for sharing this trail description. To learn more about visiting Yellowstone, check out his book, Day Hiking Yellowstone.