From Yellowstone National Park where last week
the Wappity Pack of Wolves put on a show right
next to the road, this is that Scott guy you
know and love with a brand new episode of This
Week in Yellowstone. What's up everybody, this
week at Yellowstone National Park from April
23rd to April 29th, 2026. I'll let you know about
the return of the Red Dogs, give some advice
about trying to do all of the open sections of
the park in a day, share a birthday celebration
of sorts for an iconic park location, and hope
to convince you to trek in a geyser basin. I'll
also give you the complete weather forecast,
the snowpack update, the wildlife report, and
everything else you need to have an incredible
time this week in Yellowstone. Standard disclaimer,
I may miss a few details here and there, I'm
not perfect on this. If there's anything you
need answered, any questions, reach out to me,
happy to help. I also mention park locations
very casually, so if you're unfamiliar, a quick
search online can help, or again, just reach
out to me. Also, please know that this report
only covers the drivable areas of the park. Finally
in this intro, this podcast is a passion project
of mine. If you enjoy it, I'd love a review or
a quick email. If you want to support my work,
check out my hiking and wildlife watching guidebooks,
or join me for a guided hiking tour in Yellowstone's
backcountry. For more information, visit outdoor
-society .com or contact me directly. Seriously
though, book a trail tour with me. This week's
Yellowstone news There's really no news right
now. Um, it's gonna be an interesting weather
week So I'll talk about that in the weather report.
Wildlife watching has been really good. I'm gonna
talk about that in the wildlife report The only
thing that really should be mentioned is there's
some construction projects going on, so pay attention
to that. You'll hear about those probably in
the road reports, if I remember, but generally
you're going to have some construction here and
there throughout the park. It's just going to
be that way. Delays aren't going to be long at
all, so don't worry. Alright, that's it for the
news. Let's get to something more interesting.
My experience of the week. The return of red
dogs. Every spring in Yellowstone National Park,
there's a moment that people are waiting for.
It's not tied to a specific road opening or even
the weather. It's when the first red dogs show
up, those bright orange -red baby bison that
seem to glow against the landscape that still
could look like winter. What catches a lot of
people off guard, though, is how slowly this
starts. As of last week, There are only a handful
of visible newborn bison in the park, but each
day and every week those numbers are going to
increase. By late April, you might expect to
see calves everywhere, but that's usually not
the case. Bison follow a pretty consistent biological
timeline. After breeding in mid to late summer,
cows carry their calves for about nine to nine
and a half months, which lines up birds with
spring. Most calves are born in late April and
May, but that doesn't mean they all arrive at
once. In fact, the season tends to increase gradually.
Early on, like right now, it's often just a few
scattered calves. You might spot one in a place
like Lamar Valley or Little America, maybe even
by Norris or the thermal areas, and when you
see one, it's going to be tucked close to its
mother while the rest of the herd looks unchanged.
While many come to the park this time of year
hoping to see the prairies full of frolicking
red dogs, late April is really just the front
edge of the season. These first calves stand
out in a big way. Their reddish coats, which
give them the nickname red dogs, are completely
different from the dark brown coats of adults.
That color doesn't last long. Within a couple
of months, by the end of summer usually, they
start to blend in. But right now, they're impossible
to miss. Even more impressive, They're up and
moving within a few hours of being born, sticking
close to their mothers and keeping pace with
the herd almost immediately. They also grow fast.
Really fast. Within the first few months, calves
can gain a couple of pounds per day, quickly
building the strength they'll need to handle
that first winter. By the time fall rolls around,
they already look much more like small versions
of adults. Over the next couple of years, they
continue filling out, with females typically
reaching maturity around age two to three, and
males taking a bit longer. In the wild, bison
and Yellowstone generally live around 12 to 15
years, which is wild to think about. Like, 12
to 15 years for a bison to live is incredibly
long, and some can live longer under the right
conditions. Now of course, life isn't easy for
these early calves, or any of the calves. One
of the biggest risks they face comes from predators,
especially grizzly bears. Spring is when grizzlies
are emerging from their dens, often having lost
significant body weight over the winter, and
they're actively searching for high -calorie
food. Newborn bison are vulnerable, particularly
in these first few days of life. Bears will target
calves when opportunities arise, especially if
they can isolate one from the herd. Wolves and
other predators also pose a threat, but grizzlies
are a major factor in the early season of calf
survival. That risk shapes behavior. Mother bison
are extremely protective, and herds often group
tightly when calves are present. Like, in the
summer, late summer, they're all spread out,
but when these calves are being born, they're
much more tight. and that's really a protection
method they will protect their young and you
know they will kick anything that tries to attack
them or charge at them there's also another risk
that these calves are facing and that's just
the weather in late April which is still very
unpredictable snowstorms are common night time
temperatures drop well below freezing and new
grass is just starting to emerge Calves born
too early face tougher odds, which is another
reason most birds are a bit later. As the weeks
go on, things change quickly. What starts as
one or two calves turns into dozens. Herds take
on completely different energy, with young calves
running, resting, and bunching together while
their mothers graze. By mid -May, it becomes
one of the most visible wildlife events in the
park. But late April has its own feel. It's quieter.
You might spend a long time scanning before you
find a single calf. And when you do, it feels
earned. It's not a crowded roadside scene. It's
a small fleeting moment. A newborn bison standing
in a landscape that's still caught between winter
and spring. That's how calving season really
begins in Yellowstone. Not all at once, but slowly.
There's a few red dogs at a time, scattered across
the valleys, signaling that something bigger
is just around the corner. My tip of the week.
Even in April, Yellowstone is bigger than you
expect. Yellowstone National Park is deceptively
big. It doesn't always feel that way when you're
looking at a map or planning a quick trip, but
once you're inside the park, the scale becomes
very, very real very quickly. A lot of the first
time visitors assume they can see everything
in a day, especially in April when the roads
aren't fully open. That mindset is one of the
fastest ways to end up frustrated, rushed, and
walking away feeling like you missed something.
Take a common early season route this week. If
you start in West Yellowstone, drive down to
Old Faithful, head back up through Madison Junction,
continue north to Mammoth Hot Springs, then out
toward Lamar Valley, and then return to West
Yellowstone, you're looking at roughly 200 miles
of driving. On paper, that might not sound like
that much. In Yellowstone, that's about six hours
of driving with no stops. And that's the key
part, no stops. Add in even a handful of stops,
a walk through a geyser basin, or time spent
watching wildlife, and that six hour drive can
easily turn into a 10 or 12 hour day. Now this
original route that I've just mentioned, also
skips one of the park's biggest highlights, the
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Adding that
means heading east from Norris, which tackes
on at least another hour to an hour and a half,
and that's still not factoring time walking around
at the viewpoints or watching the waterfalls.
So you're adding an hour and hour and a half
round trip to go to the waterfalls. Now, some
will also look at mileage on a map and not factor
in the speed limit in the park. Average travel
speeds in Yellowstone fluctuate between 25 and
45 miles an hour. The fastest you can legally
drive in the park is 45. Now some of you may
think you can push this to 50 or 55, and honestly
no, this is wrong on so many levels. Winding
roads, wildlife on or near the road, and frequent
stops in slow vehicles will hinder you. Plus,
This is pretty blunt of me to say, but I feel
that it's true. Speeding in a national park is
selfish, idiotic, and dangerous. One of these
weeks I'm going to talk about exactly why when
I talk about how many animals die from getting
hit by cars in the park. It is a lot more than
you think. Now last week at Madison Junction,
I ended up talking with a family visiting Yellowstone
for the first time. They had two days, Friday
and Saturday. and were taking it easy on their
first day, planning to see Grand Prismatic Springs
and some of the mudpots. Their second day, though,
was ambitious. They wanted to wake up early,
drive from West to Lamar Valley, come back and
hike Norris Geyser Basin, and finish the day
at Old Faithful. They asked me if it was too
much. My honest answer was this. It's not too
much. It's just going to be a lot, and it's going
to take a minimum of six to eight hours. They
looked at me a little shocked. But I hope they
did everything and if you only have a day you
make do and do everything you can in a day Now
it's hard to accept based on how we all live
our lives That Yellowstone doesn't run on our
schedule nor can we control the pace of the park
But that's what makes it special Yeah, you know
it makes planning tricky but You know, a quick
stop at a geyser basin can turn into an hour
without you realizing it. A wildlife sighting
can bring traffic to a complete stop and then
you have a herd of bison walking by, which is
a bison jam, and those can delay traffic for
20 minutes or longer, so herds just move down
the road and everybody stops and takes a picture.
And if you happen to come across a bear or wolf
sighting, you're probably not just going to drive
right past it, right? All of these moments that
are amazing that you should experience, stack
up. Yellowstone National Park actually recommends
planning multiple days to explore Yellowstone
at a comfortable place, precisely because of
these variables. Trying to see everything in
one or two days isn't impossible, but it does
mean long hours, a lot of time in the car, and
less time actually experiencing the places you
came to see. Again, if you only have one or two
days, awesome. Do it all. Have those long days.
Be exhausted. It's worth it. If you only have
a short window, go for it. Drive the miles, see
as much as you can. Just go into it with realistic
expectations. Understand that it's going to be
a long day, that plans may shift, and that you
may not see everything you want on this first
trip. That just means you have to come back,
right? Oh no, you have to come back to Yellowstone.
Now, if you do only have a day or two, and you
really are like I need something I need to make
sure I don't miss the highlights you can find
a lot of those resources online or like I say
at the top of this show every week reach out
to me I am happy to help I am going to be adding
some park consulting so I can help people plan
trips. I do currently have my guides and I'm
going to be phasing those out and instead replacing
those with these consulting hours. So that way
I can answer emails, I can do everything you
need to make sure that no matter how much time,
be it an afternoon or a week, I can help you
plan that trip. If you're interested in that,
before I officially launch it, reach out to me.
Happy to tell you the details. My random Yellowstone
fact of the week Roosevelt arch dedication day
on the 24th of April if You've ever entered Yellowstone
National Park through the North Gate at Gardiner
You've probably stopped or passed under one of
the park's most recognizable landmarks the Roosevelt
arch It's such a familiar sight that it's easy
to overlook the story behind it, especially the
significance of April 24th 1903 on that day Theodore
Roosevelt happened to be vacationing in the park
during its construction and was asked to speak
at the dedication ceremony. The arch was not
originally intended to honor Roosevelt, but was
named because the president was there. For him,
it was a chance to emphasize something he strongly
believed in, the protection of public lands.
Yellowstone was already the country's first national
park, but the idea of conservation was still
gaining traction. Roosevelt's presence helped
reinforce that these landscapes were meant to
be preserved and enjoyed by everyone, not just
a few. At the time, the north entrance was the
primary way into the park. The Northern Pacific
Railroad had reached Gardner in 1883, well, just
outside of Gardner, bringing visitors directly
to Yellowstone's doorstep. From there, they would
continue by stagecoach into the park. As visitation
increased, there was a push to create a more
formal entrance, something that reflected the
importance of the place people were about to
experience. The result was the Roosevelt Arch.
To construct the arch, hundreds of tons of native
columnar basalt were hauled from a quarry in
the area. The structure stands about 50 feet
tall and is about 30 feet wide. It cost around
$10 ,000 to construct, which was a significant
investment at the time. It was completed in just
a few months in 1903 after Roosevelt laid the
cornerstone. The design is simple but powerful
and the inscription across the top for the benefit
and enjoyment of the people comes directly from
the 1872 act that established Yellowstone. A
fun fact about the arch is that the initial design
called for two ponds and a waterfall right by
the arch, but this plan proved impossible due
to Gardner's dry climate. Now on the arch, on
the inside of the arch, so if you drive through
it, it's going to be on the south side, so the
electric peak side, not the garden or town side.
There's a cornerstone that has this date etched
in it. There's a few details here that go unnoticed,
and that's why I just want you to know where
it is. So this cornerstone was placed by Roosevelt,
and it includes a time capsule with documents
and items from the area. Who knows what's in
there? I think there is some documentation of
what's in there, but I didn't feel like looking
it up and reading it. I could probably spend
all day talking about the arch, so instead I
just wanted to give this brief overview. Now,
the arch itself was built while the park was
still managed by the U .S. Army. And that was
before the creation of the National Park Service,
which was in 1916. There were soldiers stationed
at nearby Fort Yellowstone and they played a
major role in overseeing construction and maintaining
the park during this period. For decades, every
visitor entering Yellowstone from the north passed
directly beneath this arch. Whether arriving
by train, stagecoach, or later automobile, this
was the official gateway. Even after cars were
allowed in the park in 1915, the arch has remained
a central part of that arrival experience. Today
you don't have to drive under it. but I highly
recommend that you do. What makes the April 24th
ceremony so meaningful is how it connects to
this bigger picture. Roosevelt wasn't just dedicating
a structure, he was reinforcing a vision. During
his presidency, he would go on to protect millions
of acres of land, establish national forests,
and expand conservation efforts across the country.
Today, the Roosevelt Lodge still stands much
as it did over a century ago, in a small town
that people are stopping by quickly before they
go into the park. The arch no longer serves as
the only entrance, but it remains one of the
park's most iconic features. People stop for
pictures, walk beneath it, and often pass through
without realizing they're stepping into a piece
of history. Every year on April 24th, that history
is quietly remembered by a handful of park visitors
and locals. When we sit and remember what a president
stood for for conservation and what a president
did to help protect Yellowstone. When Roosevelt
visited, made a speech, and laid that cornerstone,
it helped set the foundation, both literally
and symbolically, for one of Yellowstone's most
enduring man -made landmarks. Alright, the weather
for the coming week. It's going to be a weird
one, so let's jump in with Lamar Valley. On Thursday,
there's going to be a high of 39, a low of 21,
and about an inch of snow. On Friday, mostly
cloudy, high of 32, low of 12, 24 % chance of
precipitation. Saturday looks pretty good, high
of 42, low of 22, not much chance of precipitation.
On Sunday, high of 40, low of 24, an inch of
snow developing in the afternoon. On Monday,
high of 42, low of 25, an inch of snow throughout
the day. On Tuesday, a high of 45, a low of 25,
and that could be rain or snow. Then Wednesday,
partly cloudy, high of 49, low of 24. Gardner,
Montana's weather for the week on Thursday a
high of 43 a low of 24 65 percent chance of snow
But currently the forecast is calling for a tenth
of an inch on Friday partly sunny high of 37
low of 16 24 percent chance of precipitation
on Saturday high of 45 low of 24 no real precipitation
Sunday High of 42, low of 25, 53 % chance of
at least an inch of snow. On Monday, high of
46, low of 28, 51 % chance of snow. On Tuesday,
high of 50, low of 28, 37 % chance of some snow.
And on Wednesday, high of 53, low of 29, 24 %
chance of snow. And that brings us to West Yellowstone.
Now West Yellowstone is going to be a little
colder than elsewhere and this also will apply
to temperatures in Old Faithful So on Thursday
high of 39 low of 18 80 percent chance of some
snow on Friday 34 and 10 22 percent chance some
precipitation on Saturday 42 and 19 just partly
cloudy on Sunday High of 41, low of 20, 60 %
chance of an inch of snow. On Monday, high of
42, low of 21, 54 % chance of an inch of snow.
On Tuesday, 46 and 21, with a 20 % chance of
some rain or snow. And on Wednesday, high of
49, low of 22, and an 18 % chance of some rain
or snow, but should be a pretty nice day. All
right, Cook City, Montana. On Thursday, High
of 35, low of 17, 2 inches of snow. Friday, 28
and 9, 54 % chance of about an inch of snow.
On Saturday, 37 and 20, 21 % chance of some precipitation
in the afternoon. Sunday, 37 and 22, with about
2 inches of snow. Monday, 38 and 24, with about
an inch of snow. Tuesday 48 and 24 with a 33
% chance of some snow and Wednesday 45 and 25
with currently a 40 % chance of some rain So
if you're heading to the park this week, it's
gonna be cold It's gonna be wet and it's probably
gonna snow so be prepared for that Speaking of
snow the snowpack update. So right now the snowpack
in the park is it's okay The eastern side is
at 85 % of normal. The western side is about
63 % of normal. Now, it obviously could be better.
I don't think this snowstorm is really going
to make that big of a difference. So don't expect
those numbers to climb. And if you're curious,
last year at this time, park wide, the snowpack
was about 93 % of normal. All right road conditions
So the road between West Yellowstone and Old
Faithful all the way up to Mammoth and out to
Canyon is open The road from Gardner, Montana
to Cook City Montana is also open So basically
you can drive from West to Canyon down to Old
Faithful up to Mammoth and Gardner and all the
way out to Cook City Closures due to weather
could happen this week. So in order to stay on
top of this best There's two things you can do
you can well three things you can check the park
website you can call 307 -344 -2117 for recorded
information or you can do what most everyone
else does and sign up for Yellowstone road alerts
on your cell phone by texting the number 82190
to the number 888 -777 camping information There's
only one campground open in the park right now,
and that's the Mammoth Campground, which is open
year round. The Wildlife Watching Report. So
with this weather, obviously, wildlife watching
is going to be a little hit and miss. But to
be honest, this is kind of my favorite weather
for things because one, not everybody is out,
and two, animals are still active despite the
weather. Visibility just might be less than ideal.
Also, roads might close, you know, so stay on
top of that. So here's what's been going on this
last week over the weekend I mentioned this at
the very top of the episode the Wapiti pack was
right by The road at Fountain Flats Drive. They
put on a show. They were very close to the road
crossing the road back and forth I was lucky
enough to drive by and Had a wolf next to the
car and then I stopped and you know with everybody
else at the pullouts and just watch the wolves
for Far too long or not long enough depending
my dog that was in the car because he wanted
a trip to the park and had to stay in the car
the whole time he got to see wolves and I was
trying to tell him, you know how he is a very
lucky dog that he saw three wolves within like
50 feet and he sat there and was quiet and awesome
now I'm gonna talk about dogs in Yellowstone
in the coming weeks But I have talked about that
in the past and there's plenty of stuff out there.
If you're bringing a dog to the park, please
know the rules and regulations, especially when
watching wildlife. There was somebody with a
husky in their car that was barking and yipping,
and that was less than ideal because that is
disturbing the natural habitat. Now, that's a
thing. Again, a conversation for a later day.
Back to real wildlife report. If you go into
the interior and you drive from west down to
the geyser basins There's a chance you might
see some bison. You're gonna see some pronghorn.
Maybe you're definitely gonna see some sandhill
cranes you're gonna see some osprey and It'll
be nice but The wildlife watching there is not
going to be as good as the Northern Range right
now. If you want the best chance to see wolves,
the best chance to see bears, the best chance
to see baby bison, go to the Northern Range.
That is from Mammoth through Lamar Valley out
to Cook City and back. I say all the way out
to Cook City because there's been some foxes
out in Cook City, out by Baronet Peak, there's
been multiple moose wandering around, and then
as you get back toward Lamar Valley, there's
been lots more bear sightings. As you get to
Little America, there's more bear sightings.
As you get to, like, Floating Island Lake and
all of these other places, there's more bears.
Out towards Hell Roaring, there's been wolves
through Creek, Lamar Valley, there's been Wolf
Lake. This is where you want to go. The Northern
Range is still and will be for a while the most
active wildlife watching place in the park. If
you want to see wildlife, go there. I can't stress
this enough. Every time I tell people this, they're
like, well, yeah, but you can see things elsewhere.
You can, but you may not. The wolves that I saw
this last weekend were Very rare this has never
happened to me down there and it's happened once
in my entire lifetime of visiting The amount
of times I see wolves in the northern range almost
every time I go Now they might be three miles
away, but you can see wolves If you want I'm
just gonna stress this again if you want wildlife
watching that is amazing Go to the northern range.
I can't promise you that it's gonna be Full of
animals everywhere, but that's going to give
you the highest likelihood. All right. I think
I've kind of beaten that point Again, though
drive from mammoth all the way out toward Cook
City and back try and do it in the morning or
evening But with this colder weather animals
are gonna be active in the middle of the day.
So Don't stress it. Just go and look you never
know what you're gonna see the wolves I saw down
By the geyser basin. I saw it 11 a .m So don't
fall into that trap of animals are only active
before 8 a .m. Or after 6 p .m. You're going
to see what you're gonna see if it wants to be
seen so hang in there put in the miles Stop where
when you see people looking at things and if
you see something that looks interesting Use
a pair of binoculars and look at it Good luck,
and I hope to hear stories of success Via text
or email if you go into the park this week trail
alerts and updates there's bears on the trails
everyone carry bear spray know how to use it
have it very quickly accessible and if you see
prints and things like that and don't feel safe
turn around go back don't push it be it if there's
a bear on a trail a bison pronghorn any wildlife
if something is blocking the trail on the way
out turn around don't try and hurt it away now
if you're hiking back and there's something blocking
the trail Walk all the way around it stay 25
yards from bison and all ungulates and a hundred
yards from wolves and bears If you want any other
trail alerts and updates either reach out to
me and say hey, I'm gonna hike here What's it
like? I'll let you know or check out the backcountry
conditions page on Yellowstone National Park's
website and That leads me to the trek of the
week Now this time of the year, especially this
week. It's not really ideal for hiking for everyone
Well, I'd love to recommend things like Bunsen
Peak, which people are doing right now, and it's
awesome, or Osprey Falls, which is a great trail,
or Mystic Falls, or even Blacktail Deer Creek.
The level of mud, standing water, and lingering
snow really limits how fun those adventures will
be for the average hiker. If you're more experienced
and looking for something just kind of gnarly
and, you know, that next level of fun, do the
ones I just mentioned. But if you're not, instead
of sending you to a potential slog that's going
to be less than ideal, I'm proposing you take
a trek around Old Faithful. Now I know, hiking,
if you think about hiking, most people are like,
well, I don't want to hike the boardwalks or
a paved path at Old Faithful. I get that. I completely
understand. However, right now, Old Faithful
is pretty empty and that includes the trails,
making it perfect for this coming week. Well,
there's no wrong choice of where to wander as
long as you stay on the designated trails around
Old Faithful. there are a few solid choices that
I think you're going to love. Again, I understand
kind of that hesitation to say I'm going to spend
all day hiking around Old Faithful, but chances
are if you do it this week, you're going to find
a gem that is truly spectacular and you're going
to witness something with no one else there more
than likely. So the first adventure I have is
up to observation point. Now that will be slightly
more popular I mean it's it's closer so it's
and it's a good view of old faithful when it
erupts so know that there might be more people
there if it's open with this inclement weather
it might not be so just ask at the visitor center
if it's not sorry to recommend it now if you
do this it's a little over a mile and a half
round trip from the old faithful like viewing
area with all the benches and there's a few hundred
feet of elevation gain At the top of this trail,
there's a stunning view of Old Faithful, so obviously
the goal is to time it with an eruption. There
are some logs to sit on and it makes for a perfect
outing. Once you're done with watching an eruption
at an observation point, continue along the boardwalk
paths on the upper geyser basin trail. This will
lead you to even more thermal features, most
of which are unseen by the masses who visit the
region. Walk this all the way to morning glory
pool, which many consider to be the best hot
spring pool in all of Yellowstone Once you're
done there start heading back on the main path,
but make sure to swing out and watch daisy geyser
erupt It's like a mini old faithful and it's
a personal favorite of mine In total going up
to observation point out to morning glory and
back to old faithful with that daisy geyser detour
It's gonna be about four and a half to five miles.
It's not Difficult in terms of elevation gain,
aside from that observation point. But it's going
to take you longer than you might expect. Not
because of the mileage, but because of everything
you're going to stop for. Geyser eruptions, thermal
features, wildlife, and just the sheer amount
of things to see. I know it may sound simple,
but this loop adventure is truly spectacular,
made even better this time of year due to lack
of crowds along the way. If you come in June
or July, doing this is going to be a whole different
experience. You do it now, you might have the
majority of the route to yourself. All right,
that does it for me in this episode. In next
episode, I'm going to return with all the information
you need to have a good week in the park, including
wildlife, weather, and trail updates. Until then...
Book a trail tour with me, pick up a guidebook
of mine, and happy trails. Oh, and if you're
listening all the way through here, let me know
if you could hear my dog snoring in the background.
He just started snoozing about halfway through,
so let me know. Bye! This week in Yellowstone
is brought to you by the Outdoor Society. That's
my company. It's just me. I do this. It's a labor
of love. If you like it, tell your friends, rate
and review it. Shoot me a message. Otherwise,
keep listening and I hope to see you in Yellowstone.
Copyright 2026, baby.