Camping permits are required in Yellowstone National Park. The Trail goes by Old Faithful and Shoshone Lake. To get there, however, requires a long climb, on road, from Macks Inn, Idaho to and across the dry Madison Plateau. The route may be difficult to follow near the western boundary of Yellowstone National Park. Heavily forested terrain, much of it recovering from the great fires of 1988.
Stream crossings can be hazardous until the snow has melted.
A highlight is the Parting of the Waters, where a single creek divides into branches running into both the Atlantic and the Pacific. Gros Ventre Segment. This is the location of historic Union Pass and the nearby Triple Divide, where waters of the Mississippi, Columbia, and Colorado basins meet. Some of the trails require maintenance. Stream crossings are a concern in early season.