Once you cross DeLacy Creek and leave the beach, you will start traversing the Cement Hills, a low, heavily forested area north of Shoshone Lake. The climbs are short and easy - and numerous. Horses aren't allowed on this trail, which keeps it in pretty good shape.

You'll pass your first campsite, #8S2, soon after entering the forest. This site is only 3.5 miles from the trailhead, so you can figure that it probably gets some heavy use. On this hike however, the North Shore was pretty much deserted during the 3 days that I spent in the region. The trail emerges briefly from the forest at around 4.5 miles, but then re-enters the woods, where it stays for most of the remainder of the distance to site 8R5, across from the Shoshone Lake geyser basin.

The meadow below is located just north of the trail at the 4.5 mile point where the path briefly runs along the lakeshore. This is a particularly beautiful stretch of trail, with spectacular views to both the north and south.