Hello. I'm new the this site but am an old Yellowstone visitor. I'm glad I found it. On September 5, 2015, seven friends and I hiked the entire Mary Mountain Trail from the trailhead at Alum Creek to the trailhead at Nez Perce Creek on the road from Madison Junction to Old Faithful. It was a great hike but a long hike, to be sure. Many of the trail guides provide different distances ranging from 19 miles to 22 miles. It is 22 miles in length. One of the interesting things about the hike is that there was only one person under the age of 53. He is 28. I was the oldest at 62 (a little bragging on my part). Advice: Make sure your feet are properly cared for. Spend the money and get some good hiking boots. Of course, being in fairly good shape is a must. As the trail report states, it is fairly moderate, with some elevation gains that are moderate as well. I would not hike this trail without a GPS. We had one and it proved to be invaluable in getting us through the many bison trails. That was probably our biggest challenge and without the GPS we would have spent extra time wandering. As it was, we did get off the trail a couple of times but found it again with the help of the GPS. Apparently, wandering off trail is the reason for most rescues by the Park Service. Take water shoes as there are small creeks and marshes along the way. Trail guides speak of fording Nez Perce Creek at the west end of the hike. We crossed an old horse/foot bridge and did not have to wade Nez Perce Creek. If you plan to make the trip please know that it is through one of the most beautiful parts of Yellowstone. By the way, we saw a few bison, no bear, one coyote and tons of berry-filled bear scat.
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