This trail can lead all the way to Lamar Valley if one chooses so. However, it is presented here as the 7-mile, one-way (14-mile out and back) Pelican Valley trail to the Pelican Springs Patrol Cabin. It is important to note that this trail is in Bear Management Area and has very specific restrictions. It does not open for hiking until July 4th and remains open until November 10th. It is also designated as “Day Use Only”, meaning that you cannot start hiking until 9:00 am and must be done by 7:00 pm.
This trail will take you across large meadows, some marshy areas, through forests of lodgepole pines, over some short hills, and along gentle ridges. At about 1.5 miles into the hike, you enter Pelican Valley, a 5-mile long open valley through which Pelican Creek flows. At the 2.2-mile mark the trail junctions with the Turbid Lake Trail. Stay on the trail as it heads northeast along a well-defined path (Mist Creek Trail) and you will arrive at the Pelican Springs Cabin at the 7-mile mark.
Note: Several other trails crisscross along the path, so stay on the trail that leads to the cabin for this trail description.