From Yellowstone National Park, where even more
roads will open up this Friday, this is that
Scott guy you know and love with a brand new
episode of This Week in Yellowstone. This week
in Yellowstone National Park from May 7th to
May 13th, 2026, I'll tell you about a ducking
good time by Hayden Valley, share some tips on
how to stay safe around bison, let you know of
a cool hike to see a hidden waterfall, and share
some bear information. 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 might miss
a few details here and there, so please feel
free to reach out with any questions you may
have. I also mention the park locations very
casually, so if you're unfamiliar with any place
I'm saying, a quick search can help, or once
again, reach out to me. Please know that this
report only covers the drivable areas of the
park. And finally, in this disclaimer, please
know that this podcast is a passion project of
mine. I do not get paid, I am not sponsored,
so if you enjoy it, I'd love a review or a quick
email. If you want to support my work more, you
can check out my hiking and wildlife watching
guidebooks, or join me when you're visiting the
park for a guided hiking tour in Yellowstone's
backcountry. For more information on all of that,
visit outdoor -society .com or just contact me
directly. Cell phone number for text, 406 -589
-1873. Again, if you're coming to the park, Consider
booking a trail tour with me. It'll be an amazing
time All right this week's Yellowstone news,
so there's a lot of news this week I'm not going
to really jump into the grizzly attack too much
if you're unaware of what I'm talking about There's
a grizzly a suspected grizzly bear attack Near
Old Faithful a little north out by Mystic Falls
trail because of that attack trails are closed
in that area. So you can't get to Mystic Falls.
You won't be able to go to Fairy Falls. You can't
go out to Imperial Geyser Basin or Queens Laundry
or anything like that. There is a map of the
closure. I will include a link to the press release
from Yellowstone National Park about this bear
attack. The story right now is that two people,
a 28 year old and his 14 year old brother, were
attacked by a bear out by Mystic Falls. We don't
have any other information about that, nor do
we really need it. The park is investigating
it when they know why the bear attacked. We will
get that information and you'll see it everywhere
probably. I will talk about it on here once we
really know what's going on. I don't think it's
fair to speculate what happened for that event.
Thankfully, it appears that both of the victims
of the bear attack are okay. I do not know this
for sure, so fingers crossed I am right. Again,
I will talk about this more in detail probably
in the next week or two once we have a lot of
information. For now, there was a bear attack.
Bear attacks are extremely rare in the park.
Yes, one happened last year and one happened
this year. However, for having like over 4 million
people visit the park a year, very few people
are attacked by bears. So if you're on the fence
about whether or not you should still go to the
park because of this, come to the park. Just
follow all the rules and regulations. If you're
uncomfortable hiking someplace, do not hike there.
If you want to hike but don't feel safe, hire
somebody like me as a guide who knows the area,
can keep you safe in bear country, and teach
you how to continue to be safe when you are in
the backcountry of the park. Obviously accidents
are always going to happen. It's very unfortunate
and hopefully this is just a one -off and we
continue to have a good year aside from this
blip. Other news for the week the south entrance
is opening that includes the area driving around
the lake So basically after this Friday all of
the roads except for Dunraven pass will be open
There is another road that's opening this week
that I'm very excited about and that's a road
from Roosevelt up to Tower Falls That passes
Cal site Springs. I talked about it a little
while ago talking about the Bermuda Triangle
This little section of road that two and a half
miles from Roosevelt Junction up to Tower Falls
and back, that's part of the Bermuda Triangle.
It is a good place to see bears. Please know
if you go up there, there may not be rangers
up there. There may not be park staff. If there
are bears near the road, do not get out of your
car unless you can maintain 100 yards. That is
an entire football field. You will see people
getting closer than that. I'm gonna talk about
that when it comes to bison a little later in
this episode But don't get close to wildlife,
please. It's not it's not safe. It's not a good
idea You can watch them from appropriate distances
or from inside your car and you'll be fine Again
south entrance is opening that means you can
drive around the lake You can drive over Craig
Pass connecting Old Faithful to the south entrance
Really, this is the opening that everybody's
been waiting for. Now you can do the southern
loop of the kind of that figure eight that everybody
talks about a couple of weeks from now. I'm going
to talk about why that's not the best way to
view the park. But for now, you can drive that
southern loop. You can kind of have a good experience
that way. And it's a great time to visit. I will
be in the park multiple days this coming week.
So if you see me, say hi. Otherwise, be safe.
Follow all posted rules. and let's get to the
experience of the week my experience this week
is titled a ducking good time south of Hayden
so if you're in Yellowstone National Park and
want to see something most people completely
overlook it helps to slow down around the rushing
water especially this time of year Places like
Lehardy Rapids don't look dramatic at first glance.
Yeah, there's a little pull off there and a quick
little boardwalk walk, but it doesn't appear
to be that much more than a little bit of a cascade.
But this stretch of churning river, which is
the Yellowstone River, is one of the best spots
in the park to stumble across some unique birds,
the harlequin duck. Now I know birding isn't
for everyone. But it's a short -lived experience
and one that, if you're in the park right now,
is pretty cool to see. Once you notice harlequin
ducks, they're hard to forget. The males are
especially striking with deep blue -grey bodies,
chestnut sides, and crisp white markings on the
face and neck that almost look painted on. The
females, like most bird species, are mostly understated.
They're mostly brown with a small white patch
near the eye, but they still stand out if you
take a moment to scan the water. The turkey part
is actually spotting them in the first place.
They tend to blend into the movement of the river,
disappearing against the foam, rocks, and shadows
of the current. What really makes these ducks
memorable is how they live. Harlequin ducks are
one of the only waterfowl in North America that
specialize in fast -moving water. choosing turbulent
rivers and rapids over calm lakes and ponds.
They spend their time diving into the current
to feed on aquatic insects and other small invertebrates
clinging to rocks below the surface. Watching
them in action is half the experience. They paddle
upstream against a surprisingly strong current,
then vanish underwater and pop back up somewhere
else entirely, completely at ease in water that
looks far too rough for a duck. Which is why
Lee Hardy Rapids is such a good place to look
for them. The rapids stretch across the Yellowstone
River just north of Yellowstone Lake, and a short
boardwalk makes it easy to walk right up to the
edge of the action. In spring and early summer,
this area becomes especially lively. Harlequin
ducks often gather here during breeding season,
which is right now, and at the same time, Yellowstone
cutthroat trout are pushing upstream through
the rapids to spawn, sometimes leaping out of
the water in bursts of energy. The whole scene
feels active and alive, even if you're just standing
still watching. If you want the best chance to
see the ducks, timing helps. Early morning tends
to be better, that's kind of the rule of thumb
with everything. It's softer light and there's
more wildlife movement. You'll also want to bring
binoculars to see them since these birds are
surprisingly easy to miss even when they're right
in front of you. They'll be tucked into pockets
of calmer water between the waves or just sitting
on a rock looking like nothing. I walked out
there once and I was like, oh, I don't see any.
And then I took a deeper look and I saw like
15. So definitely take some time to really look
for them. One of the coolest things about seeing
a Harlequin duck here, not just for the uniqueness
of it, is that realizing how unusual this is.
Most Harlequin ducks actually spend the majority
of their year along rocky ocean coastlines, riding
surf and waves along the Pacific. Yellowstone
is one of the few inland places where they come
to breed in fast mountain streams, which makes
spotting one in the middle of the park feel like
you're discovering a secret. It's kind of like
an experience that's easy to miss if you're just
passing through, but once you know how to look
at it and where to look, it adds a whole new
layer to this landscape. Now again, some of you
may think it's just ducks. But this is an experience
that helps show that Yellowstone isn't just about
the large animals. There's a smaller ecosystem
at work that's pretty cool to see, and it's exciting
to watch. I'm going to be there this week. I
love this. Of course, I grew up birding, so watching
them is kind of like what I've always done. However,
even if you're not into birding, it's still fun
to watch them. They're like kayakers bobbing
up and down. It's an extreme bird watching experience,
and it's really cool to see. Also, there'll be
some cutthroat trout. There'll be some other
things. You might see osprey. You might see eagles
here. Sometimes you'll see bison across the way.
It's a really cool spot. LeHardy Rapids. Check
it out this week. It's my experience the week.
Like I said, I'm going to be there. I'd love
to see other people there and enjoying it. My
tip of the week. Staying safe around bison. Now
yes, I probably could be talking about how to
stay safe around bears. I'm going to be doing
that later. I'm sticking to my schedule despite
what the news is going on because right now bison
are still going to be and will continue to be
the leading cause of animal human incidents in
Yellowstone National Park. So this week talking
about staying safe around bison. So spending
time around bison in Yellowstone National Park
is one of those experiences that's like super
iconic. You want to see bison. And the good thing
is they're everywhere. They're massive. They're
calm looking and often closer than you expect.
They may be right in the road or right next to
the road. Being closer than you expect is where
things tend to go wrong. Now the park is nearly
100 % open. We're days away from the first bison
versus human encounter of the year. I almost
guarantee it's going to happen. I would love
to think it's not going to happen this year,
but it pretty much always happens. So I figured
I would give some tips on how to stay safe around
them. So bison are responsible for more visitor
injuries in Yellowstone than any other animal,
and it usually comes from one simple issue. People
underestimate them. They look like cows, they
look slow moving, they look calm, they don't
look like they're bothered by much, so people
approach them. A bull bison can weigh up to 2
,000 pounds and run up to 30 to 35 miles an hour.
That's roughly three times faster than the average
human. They don't look fast, and they don't look
aggressive most of the time, which is exactly
why people get too close. The numbers back that
up. Yellowstone sees bison -related injuries
every year, with incidents reported in 2023,
2024, 2025, so far nothing in 2026, but I'm recording
this on May 6th at 2 .40pm, so who knows. Looking
at longer -term data, about 80 % of people who
were injured had actively approached a bison
beforehand, and nearly half of those injuries
happened while someone was trying to take a picture.
Even more telling, research shows that people
who were charged were, on average, just 11 feet
away. That's not a safe distance. That's well
inside the animal's personal space. 11 feet.
The park's rule for bison is clear. Stay at least
25 yards away at all times. That buffer exists
for a reason. What happens more and more is something
called social context with these wildlife things.
You see people standing close to bison and it
creates a false sense that it must be safe. It
isn't. Bison and every other animal in the park
do not care what other people are doing. they
care about how close you are and everything has
a breaking point that 11 feet away that is less
than four yards so if you think of 11 feet that
is an extra foot on top of a basketball hoop
that's not very far away from a bison and you're
going to see on your trip people getting too
close to bison chances are you might get too
close to a bison however it's important to know
that at all times you need to try and keep this
25 yard buffer zone. Now there are some tips
on what to do even if you're far enough away
to know if you're going to be angering a bison.
Bison do get angry pretty fast and so there's
a way to read their behavior. One of the easiest
signals is to watch the tail. A relaxed bison
usually has its tail hanging down When that tail
starts to lift, stiffen, or flick quickly, it's
a sign that the animal is getting irritated.
It's not subtle once you know what to look for.
If you see that tail go straight up, or curved
at the top, but mostly up, it's going to do one
of two things. It's going to charge, or it's
going to defecate. Maybe both. You also might
see bison paw the ground, snort, or turn directly
toward you. These are all clear warnings that
you need to back away slowly and calmly. Even
if you are beyond 25 yards, you see that behavior,
move further away. A bison will run 30 to 35
miles an hour at you. You probably won't be able
to react in time. So always keep that distance.
If a bison walks toward you, keep moving away.
Now some of you are going to be hiking and there
is a way to stay safe. around bison while hiking
in Yellowstone, and that comes down to a mix
of awareness, distance, and knowing how to react
before things escalate. It's also being extremely
vigilant and aware. The key is remembering that
when you're hiking, you are no longer protected
by anything. You are sharing the same space as
the animal and they will move faster on the terrain
than you. The most important rule, as I said
before, is straight from the National Park Service.
keep your distance. You need to stay at least
25 yards that's 75 feet away from bison at all
times. That applies on trails and meadows and
even if the animal approaches you. I'm reiterating
that fact because I have talked to people and
they're like well the bison walked toward me
so it was okay. No that is not okay. If a bison
gets closer you are expected to move away to
reestablish that distance. Positioning also matters
more than most people realize when hiking. Trails
in Yellowstone often run through prime bison
habitat, especially in places like Hayden and
Lamar. Bison use those same trails and meadows,
and sometimes they're gonna be right on the path.
Avoid getting boxed in. Give yourself an exit
route at all times, and never put yourself between
a bison and where it wants to go. If a herd is
blocking a path, you gotta go clear around them.
Sometimes that requires a detour of a mile. Sometimes
it's less than that, but you need to be prepared
if you're hiking to give bison a wide berth.
Now there is something that I want to talk about
here that will probably happen to you the more
you hike in the park, and that is multiple bison
spread clear around an entire field. That looks
like you have to walk multiple, multiple miles
away. to avoid them. And if that's the case,
you have to do that. That's just the brakes.
You can wait and see if they move. Chances are
they're not moving. This happened to me out in
Hayden Valley last year. I hiked out, saw one
bison the whole day. It was clear, super far
out, didn't care. Got to my turn around point,
turned around, walked back, got almost to my
car, and there were about 150 to 200 bison spread
out completely around. They were up in the trees
to my left, all the way out on the prairie to
my right. What I had to do was backtrack, go
up on the ridge above the trees, and then drop
down. Even as I dropped down, there were some
within 30 yards of me. They got scared of me
crashing through the woods and then they all
decided to run. They ran across the road in Hayden
Valley and then across the river and people got
some pretty cool pictures. However, that was
less than ideal. I did everything right and they
still ran and it was still potentially an unsafe
situation for me. This can happen to you if you
hike in the park, so be aware of this. Reading
behavior is just as important as keeping your
distance. Bison, while I said watch their tails
and they might paw, you know, things like that,
they don't always charge with warning. National
Park Service notes several clear signs of agitation,
but they may just say, oh, hey, I don't like
you here and just go right at you. Always keep
your distance. I just cannot stress this enough.
If a bison does charge towards you and you've
kept that distance, the advice is simple, but
not always intuitive. Move away as fast as you
can. You're not supposed to run from bears. Run
as fast as you can away from a bison. Put distance
between you and the animal, and if possible,
get behind something solid like a tree up on
a rock, something like that. Unlike bear encounters,
do not stand your ground with a bison. Create
space as fast as you safely can. It's important
again to know how fast things can change. Bison
are going to run around 30 to 35 miles and can
jump obstacles despite their size. That means
what feels like a comfortable distance can disappear
in seconds if you're not paying attention. Group
behavior can help keep you safe in this, and
while this is often discussed more with bears,
the same applies. Hiking with others increases
awareness and makes it easier to spot wildlife
sooner. Staying alert, scanning ahead on the
trail, and avoiding distractions like headphones
can give you time to react. One final thing that
gets overlooked is the mindset. Many bison incidents
happen because people treat them like slow -moving
predictable animals. In reality, they're wild,
defensive, and highly sensitive to personal space.
If your presence caused the bison to change its
behavior at all, you're already too close. The
main takeaway here... Keep your distance, watch
for warning signs like tail movement and agitation,
avoid passing or crowding them on trails, and
always give yourself room to back away. Do that,
and hiking in Yellowstone around Bison becomes
not just safe, but one of the more memorable
parts of being in the park. So what about roadside
encounters? In places like Lamar Valley and Hayden
Valley, Bison jams are part of the experience.
When traffic stops, it's tempting to get out
for a closer look. Don't get out of your car.
Don't get out of your car in the road. You're
on a road. Stay in your car. 25 -yard rule applies
when you're out of your car. It does not apply
if you're in the vehicle. But know that every
single year bison damage cars. But that's usually
during their mating season in July and August,
which I'll talk about once we're in that time.
Again, the easiest way to not be charged, tossed,
and gored by a bison is simple. Keep your distance
from them at all times and stay in your car when
you can. My random Yellowstone fact of the week.
How many bears are in the park? Again, I wrote
this down months ago for this week, so what timing?
When most people think about bears in Yellowstone
National Park, they picture a grizzly walking
through a wide open valley with a crowd of people
watching from the roadside. That absolutely happens,
but it's only part of the story. Yellowstone
is home to both grizzly bears and black bears,
and once you start looking at their populations
and behavior, you get a much clearer picture
of what your chances actually are of seeing one.
Let's start with grizzlies, since they are getting
the most attention. National Park Service says
that there's roughly 150 to 200 grizzly bears
that use Yellowstone itself as part of their
home range. Those are the bears most visitors
are seen in places like Lamar and Hayden, especially
in the spring and early summer when they're active
in open areas. However, Yellowstone is just a
small part of something bigger. Across the entire
Greater Yellowstone ecosystem, which stretches
well beyond the park into Montana, Wyoming, and
Idaho, the grizzly population is estimated to
be about 1 ,100 bears. That's a huge conservation
success when you consider that there are only
130 to 140 grizzlies in the region in the 1970s.
Today they occupy more than 20 ,000 square miles
of habitat and many of them move in and out of
the park. That movement is important because
it means a bear you see in Yellowstone might
spend part of its year outside the park and vice
versa. The park isn't an isolated space. It's
a heart of a much larger connected ecosystem
that we all refer to as the Greater Yellowstone
Ecosystem. Now black bears are a little different.
National Park Service doesn't give a precise
population number for black bears in the park,
largely because they're not a species that was
nearly wiped out. So their population stats are
not really as important. Estimates of black bears
in Yellowstone range anywhere from 150 to 500.
So not really a good guess, but there's a lot
of them. general rule here it's obviously not
steadfast and 100 % true but it's a great rule
of thumb is that grizzlies often feed in open
meadows and valleys and black bears tend to stick
to the more tree -filled areas. Black bears are
excellent climbers and are generally more cautious
around people. I mean again like that this is
all generalization of black bear behavior you're
gonna see black bears right next to the road
especially by that tower area. but that's again
a very wood -filled area so that's why you may
see them there. They also might be out in the
open but you know if you do see a black bear
out in an open field it's not as common as like
a grizzly out in an open field. So what are your
chances of actually seeing a bear in Yellowstone?
They're good but not guaranteed. Bear sightings
in Yellowstone depend on timing, location, and
a bit of luck. Spring and early summer are the
best times to see bears as they come out of their
dens and spend more time feeding in visible areas.
Early mornings and evenings are especially productive.
If you're spending time in places like Lamar
or Hayden during these hours, your odds go up
quite a bit. You go to the Bermuda Triangle,
which I talked about recently. It's going to
go up even higher. It's not unusual, especially
in May and June, to hear about daily sightings
all over the park. Sometimes I see Half dozen
to a dozen bears. In late June last year, I saw
12 different grizzly bears in a single day. Now,
I say that, but there's still plenty of days
when bears just don't show up where people are
looking. Yellowstone doesn't run on a schedule
and neither do its animals. Another thing to
keep in mind is how much ground bears cover.
Grizzlies can have home ranges of hundreds of
square miles, which means they're constantly
moving. One day they're visible by the road,
the next day they're miles away in terrain you're
never going to see. All of that adds up to experience
that's a little unpredictable, but that's part
of what makes it special. Seeing a bear in Yellowstone
isn't just about checking a box. It's about being
in the right place, paying attention, and sometimes
just being patient enough to wait it out. Yellowstone
holds only a portion of its bear population within
the park boundaries, as I said, but it remains
one of the best places in Lower 48 to see both
species in the wild. Grizzlies get most of the
spotlight and for good reason, but black bears
are just as much a part of the landscape and
really cool to see. When you do see a bear, whether
it's a grizzly in the distance moving through
the valley or a quick glimpse of a black bear
slipping into the trees, it tends to be one of
those moments that sticks with you long after
the trip is over. So good luck out there and
again stay within 100 yards. of bears at all
times if there's one by the side of the road
do not get out of your car you will see other
people hundred percent guarantee you're gonna
see people way too close to bears this coming
week and every week for the next bit be better
than that follow the rules and regulations keep
safe use a zoom give them room that's what the
park likes to say the weather for the coming
week so as always this the best forecast for
the week at the time of recording This forecast
can change numerous times in a week, but this
should be within the ballpark of what you'll
experience when visiting the park. This weekend's
forecast is going to be way more accurate than
like Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesdays. With that,
let's dive into the forecast for Lamar Valley.
On Thursday, high of 56, low of 31, 23 % chance
of rain. On Friday, high of 60, low of 36, 6
% chance. On Saturday, 56 and 30. 8 % chance
Sunday 65 and 36 3 % chance Monday 67 and 34
8 % chance Tuesday 65 and 34 8 % chance and Wednesday
66 and 34 4 % chance the weather for Gardiner
Montana Thursday highest 61 low of 35 24 % chance
of rain mostly in the morning Friday 66 and 39
with a 5 % chance Saturday 62 and 35 with a 10
% chance Sunday 71 and 41 2 % chance Monday 72
and 38 with a 6 % chance Tuesday 70 and 39 with
a 3 % chance of rain Wednesday 71 and 38 with
a 3 % chance of rain the weather for West Yellowstone
On Thursday, high of 59, low of 29, 23 % chance
of rain, mostly in the morning. Friday... 62
and 32 with a 6 % chance Saturday 60 and 29 with
a 3 % chance Sunday 66 and 35 with a 2 % chance
Monday 68 and 32 with a 4 % chance Tuesday 67
and 33 with a 6 % chance and Wednesday 68 and
32 with a 1 % chance of precipitation and next
up Cody Wyoming in Cody on Thursday chance of
thunderstorms highest 63 low of 42 on friday
highest 70 low 48 looks to be good six percent
chance of precipitation on saturday Highest 63,
low of 30, 40 % chance of some rain mostly in
the morning. On Sunday, highest 75, low of 49,
2 % chance of rain. Monday, 78 and 46 with a
2 % chance. Tuesday, 73 and 47 with a 9 % chance.
And Wednesday, 76 and 48 with a 1 % chance. Finally
for the weather, Cook City, Montana. On Thursday,
there may be some early snow showers to start
the morning. There's going to be a high of 50,
a low of 31 with about a 50 % chance of a little
bit of rain or snow. On Friday, high of 55, low
of 34, 7 % chance of rain. On Saturday, high
of 51, low of 38 % chance. Sunday, 59 and 37,
3 % chance. Monday, 60 and 33, 7 % chance. Tuesday,
60 and 35, 11 % chance. And Wednesday, high of
61, low of 35, 3 % chance of precipitation. The
Snowpack update! As of May 6th, the snowpack
is around 78 % of normal for this time of year.
The eastern and northern ranges of the park are
89 % of normal and looking really good, while
the western and southern sides of the park are
66 % of normal and not great. Last year on this
date, park -wise, we are averaging around 88
% of our normal levels. Road conditions. As of
Friday, The only road that will be closed in
the park, the only main paved road that will
be closed in the park, is going to be Dunraven
Pass from Canyon to Tower Falls. Every other
road should be open on Friday. But you will not
be able to drive over the pass to connect Hayden
Valley quickly with Lamar. You'll have to drive
all the way around. Please be aware that, as
always, if the weather shifts, roads can close
at any time due to inclement weather. It doesn't
look like there's any of that in the forecast,
so I wouldn't worry too much about it, but just
know it could happen if something changes. Now
for up -to -date road information, you can call
307 -344 -2117 for recorded information, or you
can do what most of us do and sign up to receive
Yellowstone road alerts on your cell phone by
texting the number 82190 to the number 888...
777 Camping information so I misspoke last week.
That's my fault There are currently a couple
campgrounds open Obviously mammoth campground
which is open year -round is open Madison campground
opened on May 1st And so I forgot to mention
that last week. So apologies there also open
right now is the fishing bridge RV park that
opens May 8th then a lot of stuff opens May 15th
so until then we're just gonna leave it at that
but yeah there's three places to camp in the
park two of which you can camp with a tent one
of which is an RV place so enjoy that information
and hopefully you get to camp in the park it's
a great time The Wildlife Watching Update. So
right now, this is the best time to see animals.
Northern Range, absolutely popping off. It's
wolves and bears and baby bison. There's been
bighorn sheep. There's been pretty much everything
you'd want to see. There's been moose sightings
out as you go towards the northeast entrance.
A lot of grizzlies out between Little America
and Pebble Creek. Especially off in the distance
some of them are getting close to the road wolves
are going to be out typically Right now at the
slough creek area. There is a den there and there's
been a den there for years This isn't a secret.
So they're back in the same den. They've been
using forever now at this point and Yeah, it's
a good place to see them, especially very early
in the morning once you get to later in the day
It's a little less luck in the interior people
have been seeing more grizzly bears down as You
reach barrel springs and I've heard of some decent
sightings near Hayden and out the east entrance
So that's where I'd be going right now for more
bears is just drive down to Norris swing over
or even drop down toward the geyser basins Now
obviously there was the bear attack down in the
geyser basin So there's bears down there. I did
hear of a bear on the grand prismatic boardwalk
recently super early in the morning So bears
are going to be everywhere especially right now
Even if you're on an easy boardwalk trail, you
need to be bear aware. You need to be alert You
need to have bear spray and you need to keep
your distance This is not the time to mess around
as we're seeing not saying that the people who
were attacked were messing around in the least
but everybody needs to do a very good job right
now because It's the wrong time of the year to
make any mistakes or just to surprise a bear
So always be loud always be safe. Do your best
Alright, otherwise while I'm watching elk bison
pronghorn a lot of those are out in Lamar and
out the north entrance It's just a really good
time the bear Muta triangle as I talked about
recently that's going to be popping off especially
with that road up to tower opening there It there's
consistent black bear sightings up that road
and even sometimes grizzlies I've heard of a
couple lone wolves roaming around. I've heard
of a lot of different things and it's a good
time. I can't stress this enough. Go to the park
if you can right now. And if you're in the park,
put in some time, especially in the northern
range. You can have good luck in the rest of
the park, but it's less luck and more just timing
in the northern range right now. So get there
early, talk to people, the community. for wildlife
watching is very good right now there's not a
lot of gatekeeping there's not a lot of like
protecting of things people want to share their
experiences and I would highly go up to the northern
range and then you can drop down from there.
Apologies for the wildlife report being a little
short but I talked about other things a little
too long and I want to make sure that we stay
in our allotted time here so if you need to know
more about where to go right now for wildlife
do not hesitate to reach out to me 406. 589 1873
I'm gonna be in the park a lot this week so I
will do my best to get to you when I can Shoot
me an email if you need to the outdoor society
at gmail .com Or leave a comment wherever you
can also if you see me driving around say hi
Trail alerts and updates there are a lot of trail
closures in the bear attack area Go to the backcountry
conditions page link is in the show notes so
just click on that from the show notes and you
can go directly to see what the real time if
updated status of all the trails are in the park
the longer we get into spring and summer the
more updated this is going to be it's pretty
updated right now but just make sure that you
know where you're going before and if it's not
updated anytime recently go to visitor center
before you head out and just double check they
may not know you might be the one providing information
but if they do have a report they will let you
know just make sure you go to a ranger station
near where you're hiking like if you're hiking
in the geyser basin and you ask at mammoth they
may not know but if you're hiking around mammoth
and ask around mammoth they can tell you much
easier they don't have all that information linked
together all right the trail of the week Lost
Lake and Lost Creek Falls. I had other hikes
I wanted to recommend this week, but some of
snow on them, some were closed, so they're going
to be highlighted later. Instead, I'm going to
recommend a classic trek in the Northern Range,
one that will have you wandering along a lake,
taking in a hidden waterfall view, and maybe
even encountering wildlife. The trail of Lost
Lake and the upper viewpoint of Lost Creek Falls
are often overlooked. much like many of the trails
that I feature in my guidebook. While the Petrified
Tree area remains a popular destination, especially
now that you can drive there, and Lost Lake is
getting a little more popular, few venture beyond
the well -trodden paved paths and skip trails
like this. Those who do make their way beyond
the caged petrified tree have an opportunity
to expand their adventure and step off the beaten
path to experience the tranquility of Lost Lake
along with a breathtaking view of the fast -flowing
Lost Creek Falls. Again, many will walk from
the petrified tree to the lake, but few know
that a cool view is found a little bit further
away. The trail of the lake, very easy to follow.
Passes through a narrow gap between hills and
then turns a corner and arrives in an open area
that houses the lake. The lake isn't deep or
like the most stunning lake you're ever gonna
see, but it is quite scenic and it is one of
those places that I love to go to in the backcountry.
It's also a place where you may see birds, bison,
elk, coyotes, foxes, or even bears here. So stay
alert and make sure that you're being safe. Beyond
the lake the trail crosses a quaint little bridge
over the creek and enters a forest and darts
towards the top of a canyon. Keep your expectations
about walking on the top of a canyon low right
here as the forest keeps it mostly hidden as
you traverse around the canyon rim. You're soon
going to cross another small bridge over the
creek and then get to the other side of the canyon.
That's when you're going to start to get more
glimpses of the canyon and when you get to kind
of the end before the trail darts to the right
look for some boot paths and you'll find yourself
on the canyon rim taking a look up the canyon
toward lost creek falls obviously be cautious
of loose rocks on the canyon rim as the drop
will kill you and i say this in all seriousness
so stay away from this it's it's perfectly safe
but you know some people will take risks they
don't need to the waterfall It's just a nice
hidden waterfall that few will ever see. I sometimes
post pictures of it online and everybody guesses
which falls it is. Very few people know it. It's
a cool place to go and that's why I'm recommending
that. Since it's going to be sunny and pretty
warm this week, this is a nice place to kind
of cool down and be by yourself. This trek from
the petrified tree to the waterfall viewpoint
and back to the car is only about four miles
round trip with roughly 400 feet of elevation
gain. It's really easy. It's not going to be
the hardest hike you're going to do, but it's
really cool. There are some options to make this
a super rad loop. So if you're interested in
that, reach out to me directly or consider picking
up a copy of my hiking book, which is going to
take you all around the surrounding areas of
the park. My hiking guidebook, Beyond the Boardwalks,
helps you find a perfect hike in the region.
And I've written it as a kind of labor of love,
like everything I do. Not everybody knows about
it. Not everybody will know about it, but...
It is over 50 of my favorite hikes in the Greater
Yellowstone Ecosystem, not even down to the Tetons
yet. This is just the northern side, the western
side, the eastern side, and the park. So if you
want to hike, pick up this book. Alright, that
does it for me in this week's episode. Next week,
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...
Stay safe, carry bear spray, know how to use
it, don't approach wildlife, and if you're coming
to the park, book a tour with me or pick up a
guidebook of mine. Happy trails! Abrupt ending!
This week in Yellowstone is brought to you by
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just me. I do this. It's a labor of love. If
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it. Shoot me a message. Otherwise, keep listening,
and I hope to see you in Yellowstone. Copyright
2026, baby.