From Yellowstone National Park where last week
I saw 26 bears in 72 hours This is that Scott
guy you know in love with a brand new episode
of this week in Yellowstone What's up everybody
this week in Yellowstone National Park from May
14th to May 20th 2026 I'll talk about seeing
bears and how you can do it, discuss what to
expect from gateway towns this week, and give
a history of Tower Fall. I'll also give you the
complete weather forecast, a cool trail to hike,
the snowpack update, the wildlife report, and
everything else you need to have an incredible
time this week in Yellowstone. My standard disclaimer,
I'm gonna miss a few details here and there,
so if you need more answers or anything like
that, reach out to me, I'll happily answer whatever
questions you may have. I also mention park locations
very casually, so if you're unfamiliar with a
place I'm talking about, a quick search online
can help, or again, just reach out to me. Also,
Please know that this podcast is a passion project
of mine. I'm not paid. I'm not sponsored. This
is just a labor of love. So I'd love a review
or a quick email if you enjoy what you hear.
If you want to support my work and chip in, you
can 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
via text at 406 -589 -1873. you are coming to
the park seriously book a trail tour with me
you will love it if you're a hiker if you're
not a hiker you probably won't like a hiking
tour but that's an irrelevant aside that I just
gave you all also Slightly irrelevant aside for
most of you, but for a few of you some of you
reached out sent me great emails sent me texts
I apologize for not responding to those recently.
There was some family health issues and I lost
a loved one So it was a little overwhelming the
past couple of weeks I will try and respond to
those but if I don't know that they are truly
appreciated and Yeah, your support throughout
all of this means the world to me and I love
that you listen to it and you love the park So,
thank you So this week's Yellowstone news if
you love Pebble Creek in the northeast corner
of the park You are not gonna like this news
But Pebble Creek is basically going to be closed
throughout the summer the campground is already
closed So that's not really a big thing, but
you know it's a nice picnic spot It's a good
restroom out there, but all of that's going to
be closed this summer off and on The hours and
days are not listed right now, so I can't give
you more information. Once I do hear that, I
will let you know. But just know that don't rely
on Pebble Creek for being open as a bathroom
or a picnic area this summer. If it is open when
you go by, it's a pleasant surprise. Also in
this week's Yellowstone News, the Tom Miner Association
is asking people not to go to Tom Miner right
now. There are too many people going up there.
I only mentioned that. I was asked not to mention
it too much, but if you're thinking about, ooh,
I want to go up to Tom Miner for what people
go up to Tom Miner for. Don't do it, please.
It is being inundated with a lot of people right
now. And it's not good for the wildlife. If you
don't know what I'm talking about, great. Don't
go. Don't search for it. Otherwise, yeah, that's
basically the news. It's not that busy of a time,
but we're just going to keep opening and there's
going to be more and more news stories coming
across. But this week, pretty slow. So let's
be thankful about that. My experience of the
week. Bears, bears, bears. Many people don't
often repeat the same word three times. When
one does, it's usually referring to the band
Tony Tony Tony or singing along to the Motley
Crue song Girls Girls Girls. One word is usually
enough though. However, this week I'm doing what
you shouldn't do with the word Beetlejuice and
I'm repeating myself thrice. This time of the
year in Yellowstone is the best time of the year
to see bears and I will challenge anyone on this.
My dad visited the park with me this last week
for a total of about three days of park time
total. In that visit, we saw 26 bears, 21 of
them were unique bear sightings, and 6 of them
were grizzlies. Now this is obviously a lot,
and I don't expect anyone to think that this
is the norm. That being said, I had a friend
drive into the park on Saturday for a hike not
looking for bears, and they saw 6 bears that
day while driving to and from the trailhead.
Similarly, my dad and I also weren't focused
on trying to see bears. Most of the sightings
just sort of happened. So how did we get so lucky?
We woke up around 6, and we drove into the park
by 6 .30 or 7 every day. We saw grizzlies between
Mammoth and Norris, Norris and Canyon, and between
Canyon and Lake. We saw grizzlies and black bears
between Mammoth and Roosevelt, including the
road to the Petrified Tree, and also Roosevelt
Tower, and Roosevelt and Soda Butte. Some were
near the road, some were far away. On the 4th,
30th, so April 30th to 5th, 6th, May 6th episode
of the podcast, I talked about the Bermuda Triangle,
which was insanely good for bear sightings this
last trip. Do yourself a favor and give that
a listen if you haven't. Again, I must stress
that my experience isn't necessarily the norm.
I chatted with some park staff who are working
at the gift shops and things like that, who are
driving around the park before and after work
and have yet to see a bear. Sometimes the lucky
Yellowstone is in your favor. Sometimes it isn't.
The best thing you can do is try and try often.
Eventually your luck should turn. Quick time
to mention that this episode of the podcast is
sponsored by Legalize Gambling. You have to win
eventually, right? So give us your money now.
I mean, obviously I'm joking with that sponsorship.
I'm not sponsored. I have no sponsors. And if
I did, I probably wouldn't let any Legalize Gambling
sponsor me. But the part before that I said about
trying and trying again is true, especially before
10am and after 5pm. Those tend to be the best
times as of late, but it isn't a steadfast rule.
Go when you can and you might see a bear. So
why are bears so prevalent this time of year?
The answer is simple. Bears are especially easy
to see in Yellowstone during May because they
have recently emerged from their dens and are
actively searching for food in those lower elevation
areas. Early spring conditions typically keep
much of the high country covered in snow, not
so much this year, but even so, animals are kind
of in that routine and they know where those
food sources are low, so they're going low right
now. You might see both grizzly and black bears
spending more time in open valleys, meadows,
and roadside areas where new grasses, roots,
and winter -killed animals, and elk and bison
calves are available. These same lower elevations
are also where most of the park roads run, which
increases the chances of visitors spotting bears.
May is also the beginning of calving season,
and bears are often drawn to areas where newborn
calves are present, especially grizzly bears.
According to the National Park Service, Bear
activity increases significantly in the spring
as they work to regain weight loss during torpor.
Yellowstone Forever says that wildlife biologists
within Yellowstone National Park know that spring
provides some of the best bear viewing opportunities
of the year because the vegetation is still relatively
short and it makes the bears easier to spot across
open landscapes. Combined with cooler temperatures
that encourage daytime activity, unlike in the
midsummer when bears are active during the early
morning or evening hours, really just helps.
Honestly, right now is the best time. This coming
week will be amazing for bears. All the way through
really the first week of June is a good time
to see bears. I couldn't tell you where they
are specifically, but you will have good luck
if you drive the Northern Range, especially from
like the Blacktail Plateau Road, that first entryway,
it's not open yet, but from there all the way
to Tower and then back to Soda Butte through
Lamar Valley. You do that down to Slough Creek,
then later if you go down from Mammoth and by
later. I mean whenever you want if you go for
mammoth down to Norris That's gonna be really
good And then even Hayden Valley and out the
east entrance if you drive all of that a couple
of times When you're visiting especially in the
early morning late evening hours you will more
than likely see a bear So good luck out there
if you need more tips reach out to me happy to
help my tip of the week What to expect in Gateway
towns this week? So if you're staying in the
park, and you're not actually staying in the
park But you're staying just outside in West
Yellowstone or Gardner or Silvergate and Cook
City or even out to Cody You're gonna notice
that we are not quite in full tourist season
those towns are not fully staffed up Nothing's
really open that as much right now hours are
restricted all of that and so I'm just gonna
briefly talk about that as my tip because When
I was in the park recently a lot of people were
very frustrated that not much was open In fact,
when I was in Cook City on a Friday night, there
was one restaurant open for the whole city for
everyone visiting. So that is pretty normal,
honestly, for this time of year. This is kind
of that last gasp before true tourist season
starts. So not everything's gonna be open and
hours are gonna be reduced. Even in Gardiner,
even in West Yellowstone, even out in Cody, not
everything is gonna be open or be... run in the
hours that it will be in the middle of the summer.
But even in the middle of summer, the hours are
not going to necessarily be what you expect if
you're coming from a big city to Yellowstone.
In a bigger city, you can get food much later
at night. In the middle of the summer, the Gateway
towns are going to be closing their restaurants
maybe at nine. Maybe they're going to stop seating
at eight or eight thirty. That also applies to
right now if you're visiting the park. Do not
expect things to be open late or even um I guess
late works but like there is this expectation
that things should be open to at least nine or
ten and that's just not how life is out here.
If you're expecting that out here you will be
disappointed and frustrated. And again when I
was in the park this week I heard a lot of people
talking about how they expected more to be open.
It's not going to be this coming week either
there will be things open more things are opening
every week, but it's not going to be as open
as you think. The gateway towns are not as staffed
as one may want, and there's also not as many
amenities as a lot of people think. If you're
staying out in West right now, you may want to
see if the restaurant you want to go to accepts
reservations and plan a day ahead, because you
may roll up to a place and it has an hour or
two wait. That's not uncommon in the middle of
summer, so you should just plan on that. Maybe
you're not gonna run into this problem at all
and that's great but I want to save some of you
a lot of frustration into assuming that it's
gonna be really easy to find a place to eat or
grab a cup of coffee in the morning or something
like that. It's kind of the middle of nowhere
out here and you know, not everything's gonna
be open. Obviously West and Cody are going to
be easier to find things like that. There's plenty
of coffee places in Gardner as well and there's
Cook City Coffee out in Cook City, but Not everything
is open all the time things happen pipes burst
staff gets sick So always have a backup plan
make sure you go to the grocery store and stock
up on food and things like that just in case
that way if you get back late and There's nothing
open for dinner. You're not going to go to bed
without dinner You can have something there like
grab sandwich stuff from the grocery stores other
than that what to expect in Gateway towns is
Could be staff being trained so they might not
know the new systems well enough So it might
take longer to place an order or to have your
food served this even goes for inside the park
If you're eating inside the park right now a
lot of staff is being trained some are learning
new systems even at the front desks It's just
going to be that way right now Pack patience
and know that everyone is doing the best they
can and if something happens where it is a delay
for your time frame It's not personal Everyone
again is doing the best they can I saw a lot
of people get frustrated because check -in took
longer at the mammoth Lodge over the weekend
and There's no reason to get upset about that.
That's gonna happen outside the park as well
It just is what it is and at the end of the day
you're visiting a beautiful place that all you
have to do is step outside and breathe deep of
fresh air look at mountains look at the rivers
and realize that Your sense of time our sense
of time where we're rushed and have things that
need to be done now and just get thrown out the
window because Worst case is you have to sit
outside and wait in a beautiful place by Yellowstone
National Park So that's what to expect in the
Gateway towns and around the Gateway towns right
now again very brief But I just wanted to give
a heads up and just just expect that it's nice
to know coming in that not everything may be
open when you're visiting also quick note here
don't trust the websites or even like people's
social media like instagram or google listings
for the hours listed those are not updated by
most businesses including my own i do a terrible
job at it so the best way to do it go to the
business look at the hours posted or talk to
you know your hotel front desk person, something
like that, and they can give a lot of recommendations.
In Cook City, when only one restaurant was open,
we checked in, and the guy was like, only one
restaurant's open tonight, this is what it is,
there it is, and pointed down the street at it,
and we went and got food, and it was great. So,
enjoy your time this week, and know that you're
gonna be able to find enough, it just might not
be everything. My random Yellowstone fact of
the week the history of tower fall in Yellowstone
National Park now if you notice I'm really Saying
tower fall obvious because it's not tower falls
this irritates me I feel it should be tower falls,
but the proper name is tower fall If I refer
to it as tower fall or tower falls here, especially
if I call it tower falls It's just because it
sounds better right tower fall sounds like you're
waiting for the s forever So I'm going to read
what I wrote and just know that the proper name
is Tower Fall and it pains me to say as much
as it may pain your ears to hear. If you've ever
driven through the northeastern part of Yellowstone
National Park, there's a good chance you stopped
at Tower Fall. The waterfall drops 132 feet into
a rugged canyon surrounded by sharp volcanic
rock spires that look almost like castle towers.
It's one of the park's most recognizable sites.
Though what makes Tower Fall especially interesting
is that its story goes far beyond scenery. The
falls tell a story about volcanoes, glaciers,
native history, exploration, art, and even the
creation of Yellowstone National Park itself.
Like much of Yellowstone, Tower Fall exists because
of volcanic activity. Yellowstone sits on top
of one of the largest volcanic systems in the
world called the Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic
Field. Over millions of years, huge eruptions,
lava flows, earthquakes, glaciers, and erosion
all helped shape the landscape visitors see today
in this northern range. What's interesting about
these volcanic eruptions in the northern range
is that they are not related to the caldera eruptions.
So when you think of Yellowstone Caldera, right,
you think of that volcano. But the mountains,
like the Beartooth Mountains and all of that,
were volcanic at one time. The tall rock towers
beside the waterfall are actually volcanic formations
made mostly of hardened lava rock and volcanic
breccia. Long ago, lava cooled into the thick
rock layers, and over time, water, freezing temperatures,
and erosion slowly wore away the softer material
around them. The harder rock stayed behind, creating
the narrow stone pinnacles that give Tower Fall
its name. You can also see evidence of ancient
lava flows in the cliffs around the falls. Some
areas contain columnar basalt which forms when
lava cools and cracks into vertical columns.
Later, glaciers move through the Yellowstone
region during the ice ages, carving valleys and
exposing even more volcanic rock underneath.
Eventually Tower Creek cut its way through the
landscape and created the dramatic waterfall
we see today. Long before Yellowstone became
a national park, indigenous populations traveled
through and lived in the area for thousands of
years. There is human evidence in Yellowstone
dating back to more than 11 ,000 years old. The
region around Tower Fall and the Yellowstone
River was important to many indigenous groups
including the Bannock, Crow, Shoshone, and Blackfeet.
These communities used the area for hunting,
travel, trade, and gathering resources. There's
a place called the Bannock Ford along the Yellowstone
River that if you do go to tower you can walk
down to the Yellowstone River from there and
get to the Bannock Ford and that was an important
crossing point for travelers moving through the
region. Yellowstone also contained valuable obsidian
deposits and obsidian is volcanic glass that
indigenous populations used to make sharp tools
and weapons. In many ways, Tower Fall was part
of a larger cultural landscape long before tourists
ever arrived. Tower Fall entered written American
history during the exploration of Yellowstone
in the late 1800s. In 1869, members of the Cook
-Fulston -Peterson expedition visited the area
while exploring the Yellowstone River headwaters.
A year later, the better -known Washburn, Langford,
and Doane expedition camped nearby and described
the falls in detail. The waterfall got its name
from Samuel Hauser, one of the expedition members,
who thought the rock pinnacles beside the falls
looked like towers. Originally the site was called
Tower Falls, but in 1928 the USGS officially
changed the name to the singular Tower Fall.
Why? I didn't look that up. Early explorers were
amazed by the place. At the time, few Americans
had ever seen landscapes like Yellowstone's volcanic
canyons and waterfalls. Tower Fall quickly became
one of the region's most memorable natural landmarks.
Tower Fall actually played an important role
in the creation of Yellowstone National Park.
In 1871, artist Thomas Moran and photographer
William Henry Jackson visited Yellowstone with
a Hayden Geological Survey. Their job was to
document the region's landscapes. Moran created
a famous painting of Tower Fall while Jackson
photographed the area. Back east, Many people
doubted the stories about Yellowstone's geysers,
waterfalls, and dramatic scenery. Moran's paintings
and Jackson's photographs gave Congress and the
American people some of the first convincing
visual evidence of how extraordinary the region
really was. These images helped build support
for protecting Yellowstone, and in 1872, Congress
established Yellowstone as the world's first
national park. Because of that, Tower Falls connected
directly to the beginning of the national park
movement in the United States. As Yellowstone
became more popular in the late 19th century
and early 20th century, Tower Fall turned into
one of the park's major tourist stops. Roads,
overlooks, trails, and the nearby Tower Fall
General Store made the waterfall easy for visitors
to access. For many years, one of the most famous
features near the falls was a giant boulder balanced
close to the edge of the cliff. It looked as
though it might fall at any moment. June actually
what sex I'm gonna backtrack because I forgot
to write this but um Way back in like the 1910s
and all of that you could put a bet on when the
rock would fall So all of these people said the
rocks gonna fall and it was anywhere from minutes
to years in June of 1986 the rock finally did
fall Crashing into the canyon below and permanently
changing the appearance of the waterfall There
is also experienced erosion and landslides over
time A steep trail once allowed visitors to hike
to the bottom of the falls, though the trail
became increasingly unstable. Because of safety
concerns, Yellowstone permanently closed access
to the base of Tower Fall in 2004. Today, visitors
mainly view the waterfall from overlooks near
the parking area or hike down to the river but
never seeing the falls from that way. The only
way to see the waterfall is from that overlook.
If you hike, to the base of the falls you're
trespassing and it's illegal. Last year there
was some park staff some seasonal employees that
worked a tower that were like oh yeah you can
just hike up there you can hike up through the
creek don't do that don't go there at all it's
closed off. If you need a waterfall to go to
reach out to me I can tell you some great backcountry
waterfalls that people don't really go to or
know about. Today Tower Fall remains one of Yellowstone's
most photographed waterfalls. You can snowshoe
up there in the winter, and it's gorgeous and
frozen. It's awesome. What makes it special is
how many different stories come together in one
place. The waterfall reveals Yellowstone's volcanic
past, its glacial history, and the power of erosion.
It also reflects thousands of years of human
history, an important chapter in conservation.
The landscape around Tower is always changing
and... You never know what's going to happen.
Rocks might fall, there might be a change, and
then change how the waterfall is viewed. In that
sense, the waterfall is not just a historical
landmark. It's part of a living landscape that
continues to evolve just as it has for millions
of years. The weather for the coming week. As
always, this is the best forecast for the week
at the time of the recording. I record these
Wednesday afternoon and they drop on Thursday
morning. So this is the best I can do. The forecast
can change numerous times in a week, but this
should be within the ballpark of what you'll
experience when visiting the park. And just so
you know, this week is exactly why when people
are like, I'm visiting in May, what should I
pack? It's gonna be, it's fun. So right now as
I'm recording this up in Livingston, it's 87
degrees. Just keep that in mind when I talk about
Sunday's forecast. In Lamar Valley right now
when I'm recording, it's 80 degrees. So okay,
let's start with Lamar Valley then. On Thursday
the 14th, the high is 59, the low is 33, 1 %
chance of rain. Friday, 58 and 30, 1 % chance
of rain. Saturday 55 and 29, 44 % chance about
a quarter inch of snow. Sunday high of 40, low
of 26, 56 % chance of a half inch of snow. On
Monday high of 42, low of 22, with a 24 % chance
of rain or snow. On Tuesday high of 50, low of
27, 20 % chance of rain. On Wednesday high of
57, low of 29, with a 20 % chance of rain. And
that brings us to Gardner, Montana, which is
going to be very similar. In Gardner, Thursday
is going to have a high of 65, a low of 37, 1
% chance of rain. Friday, 63 and 34, 3 % chance
of rain. Saturday, 59 and 31, with a 50 % chance
of snow in the evening, about a third of an inch.
On Sunday, 43 and 28, with a 44 % chance of three
quarters of an inch of snow. On Monday, Snow
showers, high of 46, low of 25, with about a
tenth of an inch of snow. On Tuesday, high of
55, low of 30, 17 % chance of rain. On Wednesday,
high of 61, low of 33, 20 % chance of rain. In
West Yellowstone, on Thursday, a high of 61,
low of 30. No real chance of rain. Friday 61
and 28. No real chance of rain. Saturday 55 and
25 with 36 % chance of about a quarter inch of
snow. Sunday 42 and 23 with a 36 % chance of
a quarter inch of snow. Monday 44 and 19. 24
% chance of some precipitation. Tuesday 52 and
24. 14 % chance. And Wednesday 57 and 27 with
an 18 % chance. Cody Wyoming on Thursday windy
highest 71 low of 43 on Friday 71 and 40 Saturday
69 and 38 on Sunday 45 and 33 56 % chance of
a quarter inch of snow Monday 43 and 31 51 percent
chance about a tenth of an inch of snow Tuesday
57 and 37 17 percent chance of rain Wednesday
63 and 42 with a 17 percent chance of rain and
finally out the northeast entrance in Cook City
on Thursday high of 52 low of 32 Friday high
of 52 low of 30 Saturday, high of 50, low of
28, with a 48 % chance about a half inch of snow
developing in the late afternoon or early evening.
Sunday, high of 36, low of 24, expect about two
inches of snow. Monday, high of 37, low of 18,
with a 25 % chance of snow. Tuesday, high of
46, low of 26, 24 % chance of rain or snow. And
Wednesday, high of 51, low of 28, 30 % chance
of some rain. So if you're headed into the park,
it's gonna be warm -ish and cold. I know some
of you are like, 50 doesn't sound warm. 50 in
the park when it's sunny will feel like 70. I
say this all the time, I'm gonna repeat it. People
underestimate what heat feels like at elevation,
and 50 -something degrees in the sun is hot in
the park. So if you're coming to the park this
week, bring layers, be ready for rain, sun, snow,
wind. Speaking of snow, the snowpack update.
As of May 13th, the snowpack is around 65 % of
normal for this time of year. It's going to be
lower when they update it after today's snow,
or after today's sun. Like I said, it's super
hot today. The eastern and northern ranges of
the park are 73 % of normal, while the western
and southern sides are 50 % of normal snowpack.
Last year on this date, we were around 73 % of
our normal level for the whole park. You know,
we're we're doing okay, but it could be better
but could be worse. So who knows? road conditions
The only road closed in the park right now is
the road over Dunraven Pass connecting Canyon
to Tower All other park roads all other main
park roads are open be aware that any road can
close at any time due to inclement weather. If
they are wrong on the forecast and it snows more,
the east entrance will probably close and Craig
Pass connecting the south entrance west thumb
area to Old Faithful could close as well. It
might not close, but just know that those areas
have a possibility for closure. For up -to -date
information on roads, you can call 307 -344 -2117
for recorded information, or you can do what
all of us that live here do and sign up to receive
Yellowstone Road Alerts on your mobile phone
by texting 82190 to the number 888 -777. Camping
information. Mammoth is open, Madison is open,
Fishing Bridge is open, Bridge Bay opens on the
15th of May. The Wildlife Watching Update. So,
wildlife watching, as I said in the bear section,
very good right now. If you're headed to the
park this week, even with the weather being the
way it is, it's going to be awesome. Baby bison
popping up all over. Saw some swimming across
the Madison River. Out in Lamar, there's tons.
Hayden doesn't have a lot of bison right now,
maybe that's going to change, but... Hayden was
actually pretty slow wildlife wise. Everything
I saw, the bears that I saw, were closer on the
canyon side than actually in Hayden proper. Harlequin
ducks are down at Le Hardy Rapids. That's pretty
cool. Bears are pretty... Active out the east
entrance as well along the lake Connecting like
Lake Hotel area to West Thumb not a lot of wildlife.
There's occasional wildlife out there, but it's
not a consistent place So, you know keep your
eyes peeled out there. I'll talk about what you
can see out there a little later in the summer
But right now that's just a slow wildlife watching
spot same with the section from West Thumb over
Craig Pass down to Old Faithful It's just not
a heavy viewing wildlife area. There's animals
out there, and you might get lucky, but you're
not gonna see a ton. Now, around the geyser basins,
you might see some bears, you might see some
bison, there might be some pronghorn out there.
You know, it's great, it's good times. but always
keep your distance. I'm gonna talk about an event
in Hayden real quick before I forget. So at the
south end of Hayden Valley, right north of Lee
Hardy Rapids, there was a bear, or there's a
carcass that a bear was eating on and wolves
were eating on. This alone is not uncommon Bison
will be drowning as they try and cross the river
and just don't have the strength to do it Or
if runoff is high they might get swept away So
they will wash up on shore somewhere and the
things that eat meat will eat them What happened
last week was kind of what you'd expect from
a good viewing area that a lot of people know
about The park had volunteer staff there kind
of regulating the scene making sure everybody
kept their distance and eventually people were
trying to like sneak around and not be seen and
come down and by people I'm not necessarily talking
about just the average tourist I'm talking about
some professional photographers that were there
and they actually got yelled at by the volunteers
the photographers yelled back and then the volunteer
called the Rangers and the Rangers shut the entire
area down and made sure no one would go there.
So this is not uncommon behavior. This happens
all the time. There's a sense of ownership of
these wildlife viewing that visitors to the park
have. Even when I was in the park, I saw a guy
approaching a grizzly and I was just like, Hey,
you're too close. And he tried to convince me
that he was 150 yards away from a grizzly bear.
And I have a picture where He is almost the same
size as the bear in the picture. He was maybe
70 yards. 100 yards from all bears and wolves,
25 from bison, things like that. Again, always
happens. It's not new. It always will happen,
and it has nothing to do with the rise of social
media, but people get too close to bison. It's
going to continue to happen. Just remember, stay
25 yards from them. If they walk towards you,
walk away from them and keep that distance. Sorry
for that. Now, if you head up to the Northern
Range, bears are gonna be basically from Floating
Island Lake all the way out to Pebble Creek.
Like I said earlier, I saw a ton of bears, 26
bears in 72 hours is a lot. It's ridiculous,
to be honest. But you can do that too. Just put
in the miles, drive around. The section between
Roosevelt Junction and up to Tower, There's some
black bears up there. They are pretty close to
the road, so stay in your vehicle and give them
plenty of space. Finally, the wolves out at Slough
Creek. The wolves are going to be visible. They're
going to be pretty far away for the most part,
so don't expect to see them without binoculars
or a spotting scope. They are going to the den
out there. If anybody thinks I'm giving a secret
location here, they've been using the same den
area for at least the last six years, and everyone
in the park knows about it. It's written about
constantly. It's not a secret. So if you want
to see wolves go there However, know that there
are people that will sit out there all day They'll
get there before sunrise and leave after sunset
and by people I don't mean a handful. I mean
maybe like 50 cars Once the wolves are out that
area is gonna swell With vehicles and traffic
and it's going to be a bit of a madhouse. It's
not the most calming place to see wolves, but
you can see wolves. Otherwise, it's kind of a
matter of luck to see wolves, so that's where
you go if you really want to have the best odds.
So good luck navigating that. This isn't me being
negative about any of it. I just want you to
know what to expect. Other than that, if you
have any wildlife watching questions, reach out
to me or pick up my Wildlife Watching Guidebook
available through my website, Outdoor -Society
.com. And yeah, good luck, and I hope you see
lots of bears. Trail alerts and updates so the
backcountry conditions page is updated again
I'll have a link in the show notes as I will
from here on out throughout the summer. That
site is the easiest way to check the status of
the trail you want to hike and it's way easier
for me to refer you there than to try and read
what all the closures are since it fluctuates.
Please note the area around Fairy Falls, Imperial
Geyser, Queens Laundry and all of that is closed
until further notice. That's where the bear attack
happened. They're still keeping it closed out
of safety and that's a good thing. carry bear
spray everywhere you go, even the boardwalks,
have it readily accessible and not in a backpack,
and know how to use it. My Trek of the Week Lone
Star The Lone Star Geyser Trail in Yellowstone
National Park is a relaxing and scenic hike that
leads to one of the park's more off the beaten
path geysers. Tucked away just south of the often
busy Old Faithful area, the trail starts at Kepler
Cascades parking area on the Grand Loop Road
It's a 4 .8 mile round -trip hike on a wide gentle
rolling path that follows an old service road
through quiet lodgepole pine forests alongside
the Firehole River. It is gorgeous. The route
is pretty easy. Some places listed it moderate,
but if this is a moderate trail then everything
else is hard. So it's great for most hikers including
families because it's mostly flat. It's also
open to bicycles up into the geyser, and the
even surface makes it doable for sturdy strollers
too. It's kind of an all access point, so if
you want to go out there, it's a good walk that
is flat. As you walk this trail, you'll hear
the steady flow of the river, and you might see
some wildlife like elk, bison, deer, and a variety
of birds along the way. In summer, like later
in summer, wildflowers often brighten the trail
with pops of colors. There's a few out right
now, but not enough. and know that wild bear
encounters are kind of rare here. They are possible,
so carry bear spray and know how to use it. That's
every trail. Along this hike, you're gonna pass
a few small thermal features as you go, giving
subtle hints of the guys that are waiting at
the end. After about 2 .4 miles, The trail opens
into a peaceful clearing where Lone Star Geyser
sits, framed by forest and it bubbles quietly
between eruptions. The geyser itself is striking,
cream colored cone about 10 feet tall. It erupts
roughly every three hours, shooting water and
steam 30 to 50 feet into the air for about 30
minutes. Because it's so much more remote than
places like Old Faithful, there's not going to
be a ton of people there. You might even find
yourself sharing the moment with just a handful
of other people or no one at all, especially
if you go during the weekday at, you know, dawn
or not, not dawn, don't go out there at dawn
or dusk. Make sure you're there in daylight hours
and away from active wildlife times. There's
usually a logbook nearby where visitors note
the last eruption time, and that can help you
decide if it's worth hanging around. As always,
if it's anywhere close, it is worth staying.
You can also go to the visitor center at Old
Faithful itself and get an approximation of when
it's going to rub so you can time your walk from
there. Please note there are no restrooms, water
stations, or facilities on this trail, so be
sure to pack everything you need, water, snacks,
sunscreen, and the camera binoculars, and pack
everything out that you bring in. Like all trails
in the park, including boardwalks, dogs aren't
allowed here. Back to this trail. If you do want
to make this a longer day instead of 4 .8 miles,
it's gonna be a little like 10 mile day, there
is a connector path near the Old Faithful Lodge
and Visitor Center that leads to the main Lone
Star Geyser Trail. Yes, it adds a bit of a distance,
but it gives you the option to walk right from
the heart of Yellowstone's most iconic areas
to a remote area that's really cool. It's a really
fun way to escape the crowds and get into a quieter
corner of the park without needing to hop in
the car after Old Faithful. Whether you start
at Kepler Cascades or connect from Old Faithful,
Lone Star Geyser Trail offers a peaceful, rewarding
escape into nature. It's the perfect mix of forest
solitude, riverside beauty, and the rare chance
to see a geyser erupt in a quiet, natural setting.
If you're looking for a laid back hike with a
big payoff, this one's a gem. In next week's
episode, I'm going to return with all the information
you need to have a good week in the park, including
the wildlife update, the weather forecast, and
what trail you should hike. Until then, book
a tour with me, pick up a guidebook of mine,
and happy trails. 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.