Closest entrance: Mammoth is 5 miles from the Gardiner (north) entrance
Distance: 18 miles from Mammoth to Tower
Heading east from Mammoth on Tower Road, a 6-mile drive will bring you to the Forces of the Northern Range Self-Guiding Trail, a flat, easy stroll along a boardwalk that offers an excellent opportunity to educate yourself about the effects of the fire on the environment.
Two miles later is Blacktail Plateau Drive, a 7-mile, one-way dirt road that offers great wildlife-viewing opportunities and a bit more solitude. You'll be more or less following the route of the Bannock Trail, made by the long-vanished Indian inhabitants of the area. For centuries, the trail was used by Bannock Indians as they trekked from Idaho to buffalo hunting grounds in eastern Montana; scars in the land made by their travois -- twin poles tied to a horse that were used as a luggage rack -- are still evident along the trail. You'll emerge back onto Mammoth-Tower Road, about a mile west of the turnoff to the Petrified Tree.
Turn right onto this half-mile-long road to the Petrified Tree, a redwood that, while standing, was burned by volcanic ash more than 50 million years ago. If you have the time and energy, park your car at the base of the road after you turn off Mammoth-Tower Road and hike up because the parking area is often congested. After your stop, continue on to Tower Junction.
