Shoshone Lake is one of the most popular destinations in Yellowstone for both backpackers and paddlers. I chose to hike in on the DeLacy Creek trail on this trip. Snow covered the ground at the trailhead near Craig Pass, but soon vanished as I dropped down the ridge and emerged into the meadows that sprawl across the wide drainage of DeLacy Creek. This is a popular trail for dayhikers, and is probably used more than any other access to the Shoshone Lake backcountry. Most of the dayhikers hike down to the beach at the lower end of DeLacy Creek, then retrace their steps back to the trailhead. The DeLacy Creek trail is a very pleasant 6 mile round trip through some beautiful meadows.

Incidently, I made this trip in mid-September, IMHO a superb time of year for backpacking in Yellowstone. Mosquitoes were non-existent, and the weather was terriffic, with chilly nights and cool days. Bugs can be horrific in the region earlier in the season, and fording DeLacy Creek would be a bit more challenging, but should still be quite easy.

DeLacy Creek meanders into Shoshone Lake. The Pitchstone Plateau is visible on the other side (south side) of the Lake. The trail meets the Lake just below this point. On my trip to the Shoshone geyser basin, I swung west when I hit the beach and followed the trail through the Cement Hills along the northern shore of the Lake. The first quarter mile or so of the trail follows the beach along the lakeshore, with a shallow ford of DeLacy Creek.