Shoshone Lake

Shoshone Lake is a large, remote lake inside Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, and is noted as one of the park’s principal backcountry waterbodies. It is managed as part of Yellowstone’s wilderness and backcountry system.

The lake is reached only by foottrail or by water and is popular with backcountry campers and anglers seeking a remote setting; motor vehicle roads do not reach the shoreline. Simple lakeshore campsites and trail access points support overnight trips for hikers and paddlers.

Shoshone Lake has been within Yellowstone National Park since the park’s establishment and has long been used by visitors pursuing backcountry recreation; its shoreline and islands show natural features shaped by geological and geothermal processes common in the park.

The lake lies within the central-southern area of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming; access is via park trails that connect it to other backcountry destinations and trailheads maintained by the National Park Service.

• Backcountry access: No road access reaches the lakeshore; all access is by hiking trail or by launching non-motorized boats from other park lakes, and backcountry permits are required for overnight stays.