From Yellowstone National Park where it seems
like once -in -a -lifetime wildlife experiences
are happening every day, 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 in Yellowstone National Park from May
28th to June 3rd, 2026. I'll share with you why
this week is so good for wildlife watching, talk
about how to ensure you're being an ethical visitor
while in the park, and let you know about off
-trail travel in Yellowstone. 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 may miss a few details here and there, so if
there's something you want more clarification
on, just reach out to me with any questions.
I also mention park locations very casually,
so if you're unfamiliar with some place I'm talking
about, a quick search can help, or again, just
reach out. Also, this podcast is a passion project
of mine. I'm not paid, I'm not sponsored, I do
this out of love. So if you enjoy it, I'd love
a review or a quick email, or better yet, Reach
out on any social media that you have and recommend
this to other people. The more we grow, the better
this podcast will be. If you want to support
my work, you can check out my hiking and wildlife
watching guidebooks or join me for a guided hiking
tour in Yellowstone's back country. For more
information, visit outdoor -society .com or contact
me directly 406 -589 -1873. Currently booked
up through all of the rest of May and pretty
busy in June but reach out I may be able to squeeze
you into my calendar if you want to book a trail
tour with me. All right this week's Yellowstone
news. So the main news right now in the park
is pretty simple. West Yellowstone is going to
have a long line pretty much every day from here
on out. A lot of people have been asking me why
West Yellowstone has a line and the answer is
very simple. West Yellowstone has more amenities
they do a better job marketing and they get traffic
coming from like Island Park area in Idaho or
Big Sky and all of that. So everybody congregates
in West Yellowstone. West Yellowstone will more
than likely have a line of some sort every day
from 830 until 11. Those hours may be longer
or shorter, but expect a line at the entrance
station. Now one thing when I have shared pictures
of these lines recently, people are telling me
that these lines are due to the budget cuts of
the federal government. The lines at the entrance
station have nothing to do with that. West Yellowstone
has had lines in terrain for the last 10 to 15
maybe even 20 years I started looking to the
webcams pretty much daily about 15 years ago
So it's a common problem It is because so many
people come in through that gate West Yellowstone
has positioned itself as the like gateway to
the park especially the thermal areas and it
also has Occasionally cheaper amenities and a
lot more campgrounds and things like that that
are well known and publicized so if you're staying
in West know that you need to get to the entrance
station before 8 or After 10 30 or 11 to kind
of avoid those lines also know that everybody
that enters the park is then driving the same
Road to get to Madison and then if they're going
to the geyser basin They're driving the same
road to old faithful. So all of those cars generally
head in the same direction If you're visiting
the park, know that the first bison people see,
they're going to stop at. And traffic can take
you for that, you know, 13, 14 miles from West
Yellowstone to Madison Junction. That can take
you half hour, 45 minutes, even an hour on a
good day. So just expect that and know earlier
you get there, the better it is. Also, everyone
leaves around the same time, around five or six.
So there's usually a backup going the other way.
So just plan your day around that. That's really
the biggest news. It's not news per se, but like
I want to tell you if you're visiting that area
to know that's what's going to happen. All right.
My experience of the week. Babies are everywhere.
Not human babies. Well, maybe, but like they're
not roaming around Yellowstone talking about
animal babies. So with all the roads open in
the park, including the Beartooth Highway, this
week is a truly perfect time to be in Yellowstone.
Warm days, cool evenings, and occasional thunderstorms
all bring energy to the park, but that is nothing
compared to the buzz created by all of the babies
in the region. Right now, elk are calving, the
last of the baby bison are being born for the
season, newborn birds are walking and flying,
bear cubs are scampering around trees and through
the prairie, and almost everywhere you look,
there is something going on. If you're lucky
enough to be visiting the park right now, Congratulations
on being here for what I consider to be the best
wildlife watching time of the year. Yeah, I know
fall is good, but nothing compares to late May
and early June with the activity that's going
on. One of the most iconic signs of spring in
Yellowstone is the arrival of bison calves. A
lot of people call them red dogs because they're
bright reddish orange coats, and these calves
are usually born between late April and early
June. By late May, herds here at the park are
full of newborns nursing, running, jumping around,
having the zoomies, and just trying to keep up
with adults during migration and grazing movements.
They're also swimming across rivers and not every
river crossing goes well. So if you do see some
bison swimming across some of the swollen rivers
right now, know there is a chance you might see
something that is less than ideal. I'll leave
it at that because I don't want to like really
bum people out because it's a good time to be
in the park. The park also just announced that
elk calves are arriving in large numbers right
now. It tends to happen late May or early June
as well, and cow elk often leave the herd temporarily
to give birth in quiet meadows or forest edges
where the calves can remain hidden during their
first days of life. Unlike bison calves, young
elk spend much of their time lying motionless
in vegetation while their mothers feed nearby.
I bring this up because visitors sometimes mistakenly
assume these calves have been abandoned. In reality
the mother is usually close by and intentionally
keeps her distance to avoid attracting predators.
Park officials strongly warn visitors to never
approach or touch young wildlife even if the
animal appears alone. One reason why the female
elk is going to not be near her baby is because
grizzly bears love and even black bears love
to hunt down and eat newborn elk. This is something
you'll see a few years ago. I was at calcite
springs with my mom at the end of may and we
saw a black bear with two cubs and the cubs were
up in the tree playing around and then the mom
just kind of like ventured off and there was
a crowd there the rangers are there the whole
scene was taken care of and about five minutes
after the bomb disappeared there is this screaming
animal screaming noise and it was a female elk
basically agony because the black bear sow had
killed her calf the black bear mom came back
blood all over her face rounded up the cubs and
they went and ate the rest of the well the mom
ate the rest of the calf and while the mom stood
on the elk mom stood on a hillside just screaming
and it was truly terrible and my mom said hey
I want to go I don't want to be here anymore
so that might happen Also, moose calves begin
appearing this time of the year, especially in
the wetter areas throughout the park and surrounding
forests. Yellowstone's moose population is not
great. You don't have a very good chance of seeing
moose in Yellowstone. I'll be talking about that
in the coming weeks, but really the best chance
to see moose is going to be if you go up toward
that northeast entrance. out that way is your
best chance in the park to see moose. You might
see them elsewhere, but that's your best chance.
And so like elk, cow moose are highly protective
mothers and become extremely aggressive if they
feel threatened. And early summer is the best
time to spot these moose feeding in ponds. But
again, you're probably not going to be seeing
them too much unless you go out toward Cook City
and even then that's going to be rare. Black
bears and grizzly bears also become far more
visible during the late spring. Right now it
is a bear extravaganza almost to a point of it
being a problem. I'm going to talk about that
a little later but bears are everywhere. Cubs
were born during the winter and so now they're
out like meandering around. Grizzly mothers with
cubs are frequently spotted moving through open
valleys searching for food after emerging from
their dens and the bear cubs spend much of their
time wrestling climbing and following their mothers
closely while learning survival behavior. Black
bears are similarly active throughout forested
areas and lower elevations, especially in that
Bermuda Triangle area I've talked about before
by Tower, Roosevelt, Floating Island Lake, out
to Little America Slew Creek. That's gonna be
like a really good place to see some bears. Yellowstone's
wolves are raising pups during the same time
period right now, and though it is hard to see,
There is a chance that if you go someplace like
Slough Creek and you patiently wait and watch
you may occasionally observe adults carrying
food back to the den areas or Having the pups
leave the den for the first time and chew on
bones and antlers that are scattered about It's
truly a special moment if there is a den Stay
as far away as you can stay with everybody else.
Do not approach any sort of baby animal in the
park ever ever ever um again talk about that
in a little bit probably so bird activity also
explodes across the yellowstone during late may
and early june san ho cranes can often be seen
with their babies called colts in wet meadows
while trumpeter swans guide young birds across
ponds and then the bald eagles osprey and other
raptors are actively feeding at their newborns
at their nests during this period so if there's
a visible nest you'll probably see the parents
coming and going bringing fish and stuff like
that Spring is absolutely beautiful in Yellowstone,
but I also want to repeat that it's one of the
most sensitive times for wildlife. Young animals
are vulnerable and repeated human disturbance
can create serious stress for mothers and offspring
alike. Rangers constantly remind visitors to
remain patient, stay at safe viewing distances,
and avoid blocking wildlife movement near roads
and trails. When animals are crossing the road
or look to be crossing the road, this is the
one time I say stop your car in the road. If
a wolf or a bear or you know those large Predators
are crossing the road. You need to set a good
example and give them safety Bison whole different
story, but we'll talk about that. You know, I've
talked about that I think too much so Just know
that if there are animals near the road Rangers
will typically be there if they're not there
yet Help out and just trying to help maintain
the scene of keeping everybody away set a good
example and stay away Don't approach them. I'm
gonna talk about that in just a minute. So if
you are here this week Drive around look for
animals in the morning and the evening and you
will see babies everywhere You're gonna see this
energy of the park that will not exist come July
This is a very special time in the park and it
is not like this all the time So embrace it enjoy
it and know that you're just some of the lucky
people to be in Yellowstone at this time. My
tip of the week. How to be an ethical photographer.
Now I know a lot of these tips of the weeks and
every every week recently I've been kind of like
here's what you have to do here are the rules
and regulations and the reason I'm doing that
is because the park has asked people specifically
guides to make sure that we're helping remind
people of the rules and regulations because they
can only do so much. As I talked about the lines
at West Yellowstone not being impacted by the
budgets of the National Park, the amount of staffing
that operates inside of the park is directly
impacted by those budget cuts. So there's a lot
of volunteers helping out, there are rangers
going around, but it's never enough. And so the
more of us that can repeat this message, hopefully
the more people will listen and the better behavior
everyone will have. We all know Yellowstone National
Park is one of the greatest wildlife viewing
destinations in North America. Few places offer
the chance to see grizzly bears, wolves, bison,
elk, moose, foxes, great gray owls, and bald
eagles all within the same ecosystem, sometimes
within a couple miles of each other. That experience
is what draws millions of visitors to the park
every year, especially for photographers hoping
to capture unforgettable wildlife moments. Now,
I do want to clarify something here. Some of
you may be listening and be like, I'm not a photographer,
it's fine. When I say photographer, most people
assume that I'm talking about DSLR cameras, super
big lenses, all of those. But right now, I'm
talking to everybody, be it iPhone, iPad, disposable
camera, whatever. We have to make sure while
taking pictures that we remain ethical to the
wildlife in the park. Yellowstone's popularity
has created growing problems caused by people
getting too close to animals in pursuit of pictures
and videos. Rangers on scene or the visitor centers
are constantly reminding visitors about ethical
wildlife watching and not just about like getting
a shot but just being in the park in general.
Yellowstone promotes the message give it room
use a zoom as a reminder that wildlife should
be photographed from a safe and respectful distance.
If you need a closer image use binoculars spotting
scopes or a zoom lens instead of walking closer
to the animal. Sounds simple enough, right? Everybody
that visits the park has handed something that
says the park requires visitors to stay at least
25 yards from bison, elk, deer, and most other
wildlife and at least 100 yards from bears and
wolves. These distances are minimum safety requirements,
not targets for how close you can get. Every
year, Visitors ignore these rules while attempting
a picture. We've seen the videos, we've seen
all the social media accounts, and most everybody
knows that bison are responsible for more injuries
in Yellowstone than any other animal because
people constantly underestimate them. Despite
their calm appearance, bison can run 30 to 35
miles an hour and react instantly when they feel
crowded or threatened. There's no real warning
sign for a bison. It will be there grazing and
then it will charge. Several visitors in recent
years have been tossed or seriously injured after
approaching bison too closely for photographs
and it's more than likely going to happen again
this year and I say that just because Statistically,
it probably will happens almost every year and
just last week I was in the park and I was at
old faithful and there are people having lunch
at a picnic table near the gas station and the
gift shop Little away from the lodge and a bison
walked up to them and they stayed at their picnic
table The bison was three feet from them It was
not great and the more that that happens the
higher the likelihood something is going to happen
again quick aside here There's a lot of people
that will celebrate when people get attacked
by animals. I am NOT one of those I don't follow
any of those sites. I don't participate in that
level of social media of trying to shame somebody
It doesn't help this helps talking to people
individually calmly politely and just reminding
people because One of the most important things
to know about Yellowstone is that it's really
easy from afar to say I would never do that It's
really easy to see an animal see a picture of
an animal and see somebody standing too close
and be like, oh they're idiots Why would they
do that? Right? Like I would never do that Most
people I know that come to the park end up getting
closer to wildlife than they mean to Largely
that is because once one person does it, then
two more people join, then five people join,
then ten people join, then all of a sudden you
have a large crowd around an animal that's too
close. Usually these are bear encounters, things
like that. You're supposed to be a hundred yards
away from a bear at all times at least when you're
outside of your car. That is an entire football
field. If you've been to the park, how many bear
sightings have you been out of your car without
having an entire football field separating you
and the bear? Last week, I saw four bears. All
four of those bears were way closer than a hundred
yards, and there were people out there. There
were even some rangers out there. If there's
a ranger there, you can stand where the ranger
tells you to. If there's not a ranger there,
don't stand so close, right? I think there's
a song about that. While bison are obviously
an issue, wolves and bears present a different
concern. Ethical wildlife watchers understand
that repeatedly crowding predators can alter
their behavior and increase dangerous interactions
with people. Talked about that last week, so
I'm not going to belabor that point. But I will
say that this isn't even now regulated to bears,
bison, and wolves. Just last week, a flock of
photographers chased a great gray owl away from
the road and into an area closed off to bear
management. They ignored signs and continued
to follow the bird to try and get the perfect
picture. When they returned, a ranger was waiting
for them and ticketed them. Now, some of these
were part of actual tour groups. Some had super
expensive camera setups. Some had iPhones. All
of them were stalking wildlife and entering a
closed zone. Again, it's really easy to say I
would never do that, but being in the park has
this way of making people kind of Forget about
the dangers. It is safety in numbers. There's
kind of like a wanderlust that takes over I am
guilty of this I have been I am striving to never
be again, but it happens to pretty much everyone
so just know that you do your best and You continue
to do your best the number one thing this whole
rant is just to say the following responsible
wildlife photography and being a responsible
ethical visitor means allowing animals to behave
naturally. Chasing wildlife from pullout to pullout,
surrounding animals with crowds, blocking their
movement, or entering the landscape to get closer
to them for better pictures creates unnecessary
stress on the animals and increases danger for
visitors. To be an ethical visitor in the park,
it's very easy. Stay near your vehicles, use
pullouts correctly, make sure that you respect
rangers when they tell you something, Follow
posted and written rules. It's it's again something
that's a lot harder once you're there It's easy
to say this in the time now You will see something
countless times in the park and that's when there's
a wildlife jam You're gonna see people exit their
vehicles to walk up to see what's going on or
run up to get that picture of the bear Don't
do this, please Some of the best wildlife viewing
experiences happen when people remain patient
and allow the animals to move naturally through
the landscape. By having people get out of the
cars and run up to see what's up there and take
pictures you're creating stress you are impacting
animals behaviors. Yellowstone remains one of
the last truly wild ecosystems in lower 48 and
ethical wildlife watching helps protect that
wilderness. Respecting distance regulations using
zoom lenses and putting animal welfare ahead
of Pictures ensures future visitors will continue
experiencing these animals the way they're meant
to be seen. Wild, free, and undisturbed. My random
Yellowstone fact of the week. Hiking off trail
in Yellowstone National Park. There's something
incredibly tempting about leaving the trail behind
in Yellowstone National Park. Beyond the crowded
boardwalks and scenic pullouts lies one of the
largest intact wilderness ecosystems in North
America, full of remote valleys, dense forests,
stunning peaks, wildlife corridors, and hidden
geothermal features. While the park will never
talk about this, as they don't want to encourage
people going off trail, it is one of the things
I'm asked quite often while I lead tours in the
park. Off trail hiking is allowed in many parts
of Yellowstone, but it comes with serious responsibilities
and important regulations that every visitor
needs to understand before they go into the backcountry.
Yellowstone is not an ordinary mountain park.
The landscape is shaped by geothermal activity,
active wildlife habitat, rapidly changing weather,
and rugged terrain that can quickly become dangerous
for unprepared hikers. While some areas allow
cross -country travel, others prohibit it. primarily
in thermal areas and bare management areas. The
most important rule in Yellowstone involves the
thermal terrain. In geothermal areas, visitors
are required to stay on designated boardwalks
and marked trails at all times. Beneath the surface,
thin crusts can conceal boiling water and unstable
ground. What appears solid may collapse without
warning. Walking off trails in thermal zones
is illegal and extremely dangerous. Now this
is where things get a little murky details -wise.
Some trails in Yellowstone's backcountry go directly
through thermal areas with no boardwalks. This
is allowed as long as you're on the official
trail. But if you are ever unsure assume that
you shouldn't be allowed there and turn around.
Another reason not just that you might break
through and die is that thermal areas are incredibly
fragile. One footstep can permanently damage
delicate geothermal features. So even remote
backcountry thermal areas have restrictions.
Hikers should never assume geothermal terrain
is safe to explore freely simply because it's
far from developed boardwalks. As I just said,
stay on the trail and never ever venture elsewhere
in the backcountry thermal area that you're wandering,
even if you see bison tracks or other human tracks.
Bison will break through the crust and die all
the time. It is not something that is rare that
lots of animals die from breaking and falling
into thermal areas. Now the other thing in the
backcountry to be aware of is the wildlife regulations.
Yellowstone sits at the center of one of the
most important grizzly bear ecosystems in the
lower 48 and the park uses numerous seasonal
bear management areas to reduce dangerous encounters
and protect habitat. These restrictions change
throughout the year depending on bear activity.
Some areas close completely during certain seasons
while others restrict visitors to designated
trails or daylight travel only. In some locations
off -trail hiking may be prohibited entirely
during peak bear activity. Pelican Valley is
one of the best known examples because of its
heavy grizzly use, but similar restrictions occur
throughout the park near Yellowstone Lake, the
Two Ocean Plateau region, and portions of the
Gallatin backcountry. These rules exist for a
reason. Yellowstone has a long history of dangerous
bear encounters, including fatal attacks. Off
-trail hikers face greater risk because they
often move through thick vegetation or remote
terrain where visibility is limited, increasing
the chance of surprising a bear at close range.
Bears are also really smart. They know where
people travel. A lot of the backcountry trails
also have horses that travel them. So they know
that these are thoroughfares for people and horses
and things like that. When you're not in one
of those areas, Bears don't expect you there,
so it's more of a surprise. And if you surprise
at a wild animal, it's gonna go one of two ways,
they're gonna run away, or they may charge you,
you know? Just know where bear management areas
are, and if you don't, I've talked about this
before, but also you can look at a bear management
backcountry map or go into visitor's center and
ask. Now, as I always say, anyone hiking in Yellowstone,
including boardwalks and simple trails, should
carry bear spray. in an easily accessible location,
not buried inside a backpack. You need to know
how to use it. You need to be confident with
it. Sometimes, if you're hiking, you might have
two seconds. That is two seconds to get your
bear spray out, take off the safety, and spray
it. You have to know how it works. The park obviously
also strongly recommends hiking in groups and
making regular noise when moving through dense
vegetation. Talking, clapping near blind corners,
and staying alert for tracks, scat, or carcasses
can help reduce the likelihood of sudden encounters.
I do also want to say here something about bear
bells. Bear bells, mostly ineffective, don't
even bother. I talked to a bear expert about
this and they said that bear bells mimic more
of a bird call than anything else, and bears
are not afraid of birds. And if a bear hears
a bird, it's not going to give it a second thought.
If it hears a human voice that associates with
human behavior, it's going to be more alert and
probably run away. So talk loudly, make sure
that you're safe, don't do things that will put
you at risk. So with off -trail travel, If there
isn't a sign where you're at, you can walk there.
However, I do recommend going to a visitor center
before you engage in off -trail hiking because
it really is one of those things that you have
to be smart and experienced to do. in order to
get experience you need to do it right but like
go with somebody else that knows what to do learn
the rules and regulations because off -trail
hiking here can be unforgettable for those who
prepare carefully those who understand the rules
and those who respect the environment but you
need to remember that in Yellowstone wilderness
will still set the terms and rules and regulations
exist for a reason Alright shake off all of that.
That was a lot of heavy stuff. So let's talk
about the weather. I love that transition every
week By the way in future weeks all of these
tips and things are going to be lighter and lighter
I just really want to hammer some of these things
now because this is a dangerous time to do a
lot of things in the backcountry Especially or
you know when you spot wildlife, there's a lot
of people in the park So I just wanted to reiterate
all of those things. I thank you all for listening
It's extremely important, and I know it can be
tedious, but the more of us that behave well
in the park, the better the park's going to be.
And one thing about bad behavior in the park,
99 .9 % of everyone who visits the park does
an amazing job. That other percent, not so much,
but you're never gonna have 100 % perfect behavior.
So, all right, weather for the week. Let's start
with Lamar Valley. On Thursday, high of 77, low
of 42. On Friday, high of 72, low of 42, maybe
a thunderstorm in the afternoon. Saturday, it's
gonna be rainy, rain's gonna start overnight.
It's gonna be 52, it was a high, 38 is a low,
50 % chance of a half inch of rain. On Sunday,
a high of 51 and a low of 34, 43 % chance of
about a quarter inch of rain. On Monday, it starts
to dry out, 61 and 34 with a 23 % chance of rain.
Tuesday 66 and 35 17 percent chance of rain and
Wednesday 69 and 38 with a 16 percent chance
of rain Gardner, Montana Thursday high of 82
low of 45 Friday high of 80 Low of 46, 19 % chance
of rain, maybe a thunderstorm in the afternoon.
Saturday, cools off and rain again. 57 and 42,
with a 92 % chance of 6 tenths of an inch of
rain. That's a lot of rain out here for a place
that gets like 14 inches of rain a year. Sunday,
high of 55, low of 36, 70 % chance of a quarter
inch of rain. Monday, just like Lamar, things
start to dry out. 65 and 37, 24 % chance of rain.
Tuesday 71 and 39 10 % chance of rain and Wednesday
74 and 42 20 % chance of rain West Yellowstone,
Montana Thursday high of 77 low of 37 Friday
high of 73 low of 38 About a 38 % chance of a
thunderstorm in that afternoon Saturday wet 49
low at 35 50 % chance over a half inch of rain.
Sunday, still wet, 51 and 29, 42 % chance of
about a quarter inch of rain. Monday, high of
60, low of 30. 18 % chance of some rain. Tuesday,
67 and 33, 9 % chance. And Wednesday, 70 and
35, 15 % chance of rain. Cody, Wyoming. Thursday,
high of 84, low of 54, maybe some afternoon thundershowers.
Friday, 83 and 57 10 % chance of some rain in
the middle of the day Saturday 64 and 49 with
a 41 % chance about 3 tenths of an inch of rain
Sunday 64 and 45 with a 24 % chance of rain Monday
71 and 46 17 % chance of rain Tuesday 75 and
48 17 % chance of rain and Wednesday 74 and 51
12 % chance of rain and finally for the weather
Cook City, Montana Thursday highest 70 low of
43 maybe rain shower in the evening Friday 66
and 41 with a chance of rain in the afternoon
Saturday 50 and 37 50 percent chance about a
half inch of rain Sunday 48 and 33 with a 45
percent chance about a quarter inch of rain Monday
57 and 35 with a 24 percent chance of rain Tuesday
60 and 36 with an 18 percent chance of rain and
Wednesday, 64 and 39 with an 18 % chance of rain.
As always, this is the best forecast for the
week at the time of recording, which is 1253
PM on Wednesday, May 27th. Forecasts can change
numerous times in a week, but this should be
within the ballpark of what you'll experience
when visiting Yellowstone. The snowpack update.
As of May 26th, the snowpack is around 52 % and
normal for this time of year. Eastern and northern
ranges of the park are about 61 percent of normal
while the western and southern sides are about
37 percent of normal. Last year on this date
we are averaging around 77 percent of our normal
level for the whole park. Obviously this is not
great for potential runoff. Rivers are going
to drop later in the year and get too hot and
fishing is going to be impacted but doesn't impact
anything right now. So if you're in the park
right now this snowpack doesn't mean much. Please
know though that with the rain Coming in, there
is a chance the Beartooth Highway will get some
snow on it. They may close it depending on how
much snow they get over the weekend. Be aware
of that. And that brings me to road conditions.
Currently there are no main park roads that are
closed. There is a chance, like I said this weekend,
some park roads could be closed due to inclement
weather. If you want to know this, get up to
date information one of two ways. You can call
307 3 4 4 2 1 1 7 for recorded information or
you can sign up to receive Yellowstone road alerts
on your cell phone by texting the number 8 2
1 9 0 to 8 8 8 7 7 7 camping information mammoth
is open madison is open fishing bridge is open
bridge bay is open tower is open and canyon opens
on the 29th the wildlife watching update So right
now, as I mentioned earlier, wildlife watching
is amazing right now. If you drive in the northern
range, very good chance you're going to see some
black bears, especially from like Floating Island
Lake to Tower Falls and then out to Slough Creek
area, that bear muted triangle. The other day
I was out there and within three miles I saw
four different black bears. So great, great bear
sightings there. Baby bison are all over the
place. So enjoy watching them. Honestly for bison
wise Little America has been the best place for
me. That is between Roosevelt and Lamar Valley
proper I talked about that last week and like
where is Lamar and how do you visit Lamar, right?
So give that a listen if you want to know where
that is. That's been the best place for baby
bison also some pronghorners starting to congregate
there and They're gonna have their babies soon
as well out near that same area. There are also
some bighorn sheep I've been seeing a lot. There's
also some sandhill cranes with some babies. There
are a lot of things going on that way. Slough
Creek is also very active right now for bears
and for wolves, as well as Lamar Valley. Hayden
Valley is still fine. You'll see some stuff there,
but it's not going to be as animal heavy. If
you head out the east entrance, bears, great
gray owls have been out there. and generally
it's been good for even some bighorn sheep up
by sylvan pass um again if you're going to the
park your best bets for wildlife watching are
going to be basically from blacktail plateau
drive that i think is still closed maybe they'll
open it this week currently it's still closed
as time of recording but if they open that from
there all the way to tower maybe even over dunraven
then down through Hayden a bit and then out the
east entrance also out to Lamar Valley. Those
are really like your constant corridors. I will
always and forever recommend the northern side
of the park for wildlife watching over anywhere
else just because of the density of animals there.
You might have better wildlife watching experiences
elsewhere. There are some grizzlies around the
Norris area that you might see but general predictability
and consistency. That northern range is where
I always recommend people go if they really want
to see wildlife next to the road If you are visiting
the park this coming week reach out to me happy
to help you uh know where to go to see wildlife
if you'd rather just You know get a wildlife
watching guidebook and support the podcast I
have a wildlife watching guidebook that is available
in both ebook and paperback formats I wrote it
out of love and to help people for specifically
this i've been visiting the park for so long
that I Want everybody to have the same good experiences
that I have I also have a hiking guidebook Definitely
check that out if you're interested in some trails
which leads me to the next section of trail alerts
and updates So the backcountry conditions page
is updated. I always have a link to it in the
show notes It is the easiest way to check the
status of a trail that you want to hike No matter
where you hike carry bear spray have it readily
accessible and not in a backpack Please know
how to use it ahead of time Alright my trek of
the week. I was gonna hold off on this but you
know, it's with the snowpack It's it's good to
go. So here we go. One of my favorites the Bunsen
Peak Trail The Bunsen Peak Trail is one of those
Yellowstone hikes that delivers far more than
people expect It's relatively short by park standards,
but don't let the mileage here fool you This
is not an easy walk for most visitors. The trail
begins at over 7 ,000 feet in elevation and the
climb gains roughly 1300 to 1600 feet in over
two miles depending on where you measure from.
The altitude alone catches many hikers off guard
especially visitors coming from lower elevations.
There's also not a ton of shade on this and you're
working up switchbacks through scree for a lot
of the trail. Located just south of Mammoth Hot
Springs near Swan Lake Flats Bunsen Peak rises
prominently above Yellowstone's northern range.
The peak itself is an extinct volcanic cone named
after German scientist Robert Bunsen best known
for the Bunsen burger I swear I said burner not
burger, but I'm not gonna edit it out and you
can tell me did I say Bunsen burger or bunsen
burner that first time Interestingly enough about
Robert Bunsen. He never actually visited Yellowstone.
The mountain was just named after him The standard
out and back route is roughly 4 .4 miles round
trip, though some hikers choose to extend the
adventure into a larger loop using the Bunsen
Peak Road Trail and Osprey Falls Trail. Most
people complete the main summit hike in about
3 -5 hours depending on pace, weather, and how
long they spend at the top. The climb begins
almost immediately from the trailhead. After
leaving the trailhead, the route works steadily
uphill through a series of switchbacks winding
through lodgepole pine forests. This is really
the most shady spot. There is nothing technical
about this trail itself, but the grade is consistent
enough that most hikers are going to feel it
quickly. This is one of those hikes where people
underestimate the effort required because the
distance looks shorter on paper. I've gone up
there and I've seen people not carrying anything
with them. No food, no water, no backpack, no
bear spray, nothing. This area has bears. I don't
care how many people hike it, it has bears. Years
ago, there was a person hiking and a black bear
ran through the forest knocked her down and kept
running. There's bears out here. I've seen grizzlies
on the backside of Bunsen numerous times middle
of summer. So always have bear spray, always
be prepared, and know that this is a serious
hike where you need to bring more than you think
you do. After the lodgepole pine, you're going
to start climbing higher. The forest begins to
thin and the views gradually open. Before long,
you're treated to sweeping views of Swan Lake
Flats, Golden Gate Canyon, and Mammoth Hot Springs.
With every switchback, the views get better and
better, so keep climbing. Higher on the mountain,
the landscape continues to open up. All the trees
really fade away to rocky slopes. You're then
going to get broad views across Yellowstone's
entire northern range. Electric Peak dominates
the skyline to the northeast and often becomes
the visual centerpiece of the hike. Please know
though that wind can become intense near the
summit ridge even during summer, so carrying
an extra layer is a smart idea. At 8 ,564 feet
above sea level, the summit of Bunsen Peak offers
one of the best panoramic views in northern Yellowstone.
From the top, hikers can see everything that
you would want. On especially clear days, visibility
reaches deep into the surrounding wilderness
including portions of Blacktail Plateau and Yellowstone's
northern valleys. This is a great place to sit
and scan as well. On the back side to the east,
if you look on some of the cliffs sometimes you
see mountain goats and stuff. It's really cool.
Wildlife sightings are common throughout the
area. Elk and mule deer are frequently seen near
the trail and both black bears and grizzly bears
inhabit the surrounding terrain. As I said before,
even though Bunsen Peak is considered a popular
day hike, hikers should still carry a bear spray
and remain alert, especially during quieter mornings
or evening hours. Summer also is going to start
bringing some cool wildflowers, so don't get
too distracted looking at wildflowers and still
look for animals because they're everywhere.
Also, regarding animals on this trail, there's
some chipmunks at the top. Do not feed them.
They are extremely aggressive. One day I was
sitting up there having lunch at the little Station
that's up there with the sign -in sheet and a
chipmunk jumped in the back in the hood of my
son shirt I was wearing and I had to like rip
that off of me as I had a sandwich in hand and
like my son shirt ran around on the ground because
the chipmunk was caught in it and There is a
camera up there that I asked if they had the
footage of and they told me I couldn't so I Still
want to see that if there is anybody in the park.
It was years ago I know you don't have anymore,
but just know don't feed any wildlife Alright,
one last thing for this, for hikers looking for
a bigger challenge, the route can be extended
beyond the summit. The trail continues along
the ridge before descending the backside of Bunsen
Peak that leads to the Bunsen Peak Road Trail
which eventually connects to Osprey Falls and
Sheep Eater Canyon. Adding these sections creates
a much longer and more demanding day with additional
elevation change, but also turns the half day
hike into a more rewarding loop. in Yellowstone's
northern range. So I love doing the whole loop,
but I also like, you know, love being tired after
a day of hiking. Bunsen Peak remains one of the
best choices in Yellowstone for hikers wanting
a true summit experience without committing to
a full backcountry expedition. It's close to
the road, accessible for many visitors, and delivers
some of the most impressive views in the Mammoth
area. Between the steady climb, expansive scenery,
volcanic history, and a constant reminder of
Yellowstone's scale, this trail manages to feel
like a real mountain adventure in just a few
miles. Alright, that is it for this week. I always
appreciate you all listening. If you felt like
these last couple episodes have been a downer,
I apologize. Just really trying to, like I said
before, make sure that I'm doing my part to try
and make the park as best as I can. All of you,
continue to be great stewards of land. Say hi
to me when you see me in the park, I love that.
Shoot me a message via text 406 -589 -1873. Send
an email, review, all of that, and I will see
you next week. Oh, next week's episode? Guess
what, I'm gonna return with all the information
you need to have a good week in the park, including
wildlife, weather, and trail updates. Until then,
sincerely thank you for listening. Book a tour
with me, pick up a guidebook of mine, and happy
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2026, baby.