Coal Vein Trail (Theodore Roosevelt National Park) Hiking Guide
In 1951 a 12-foot-thick coal seam under this corner of the South Unit caught fire, and it kept burning underground until 1977. The Coal Vein Trail walks through what it left behind: sunken hollows, baked red rock and slumping hillsides. Numbered posts and the park's brochure explain the geology as you go.
Permit: Coal Vein is reached from the South Unit Scenic Loop Drive, so a park entrance pass is required: $30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle or $15 per person (16 and older) for 7 days, paid by card, mobile payment or online. Annual and America the Beautiful passes are valid.
The Route
The park lists an outer loop of 0.8 mile and an inner loop of 0.6 mile, taking 30 to 45 minutes. Hiking Project maps the 0.8-mile loop with only about 45 feet of climbing, though the park points out that the trail has stairs, some of them steep. Its brochure tells you to keep left to follow the posts in order, and offers a cutoff to the right after post 3 that skips the steepest stairs and rejoins near post 11. Because of the stairs, the trail is not wheelchair accessible.
The Fire's Story
According to the brochure, lightning lit the seam in 1951. As the coal burned away, the rock above lost its support and collapsed into the depression you walk into; before the fire, the ground was level with the top of the first stairs. Visitors in those years could see smoke, glowing coals and sometimes flames, and the brochure says some roasted marshmallows over it. The heat baked the overlying rock into the hard red clinker that locals call scoria.
Hazards on a Short Trail
Two spur overlooks end at sharp drop-offs, so hold kids' hands there. The brochure also flags rattlesnakes and poison ivy, and the park says ticks are worst in late spring and early summer. Blue-grey bentonite lines parts of the path; it looks like popcorn when dry and turns to slick mud when wet. In spring, listen for western chorus frogs calling from the seasonal pools that formed where the ground caved in.
Pass and Pets
The trail lies inside the park's fee area, and Theodore Roosevelt went fully cashless on May 1, 2026. The $30 vehicle pass covers everyone in the car for seven days, and the $55 annual pass pays for itself on a second trip. Pets aren't allowed on any park trail, Coal Vein included; leashed dogs can wait in the parking area, but not in a hot car.
Best Season
This is a good choice in any season the road is open. Summer afternoons are hot and largely shadeless, so morning is better. The park's climate averages are 15 inches of precipitation a year, including about 30 inches of snow, and the loop road can close in places when snow and ice build up. Mild fall days are ideal.
Hiking tips for Coal Vein Trail (Theodore Roosevelt National Park)
- Grab a brochure at the trailhead and follow the numbered posts.
- Take the right-hand cutoff after post 3 to skip the steepest stairs.
- Keep children back from the two overlook edges.
- Watch for rattlesnakes in warm weather and poison ivy in damp spots.
- Return the paper brochure to the box when you finish.
Nearby trails to explore
- Wind Canyon Trail (Theodore Roosevelt National Park)
- Painted Canyon Nature Trail (Theodore Roosevelt National Park)
- Jones Creek, Lower Talkington and Lower Paddock Loop
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Coal Vein is a short, story-packed stop for a group touring the South Unit. Plan the day in TrailMates, keep the stop list in the event's group chat, and walk the old burn together. Download TrailMates on the App Store or Google Play.