From Yellowstone National Park where pretty much
all the snow that fell last weekend has melted
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 July 2nd to July 8th 2026
I'll let you know about the 4th of July celebrations
in and around the park, try to encourage you
to stop and smell the flowers, and then give
some history about the carcass dumping sites.
I'll also give you the complete weather forecast,
a cool trail to hike, the snowpack update because
it's back baby, the wildlife report, and everything
else you need to have an incredible time this
week in Yellowstone. So my standard disclaimer,
I may miss a few details here and there, but
feel free to reach out with any questions you
may have. I also mention park locations very
casually, so if you're unfamiliar with a place
that I'm talking about, just do a quick search
online or you can contact me via text 406 -589
-1873. Also, please know that this podcast is
a passion project of mine. I'm not paid, I'm
not sponsored, I do this because I want you to
have a good time in the park and love it as much
as I do. If you enjoy this podcast, I'd love
a review or a quick email, or recommend it to
a friend. If you want to support my work more,
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,
406 -589 -1873. Send any text questions you have
there. This week's Yellowstone news. It was not
a slow week last week. First thing I want to
talk about is last week's snowfall Obviously
it snowed over the weekend last weekend and it
snarled some people's plans as of yesterday You
know Tuesday I record this on Wednesday as of
Tuesday the 30th of June all roads in the park
were open everything was back to normal and That
could be the last snowfall until September We'll
see. We never know. And who knows? But that snowfall
was definitely through some people for a loop.
Those of you that went in the park last week
despite the weather, I'm glad you did. It looked
awesome. I'm glad we got more snow here. I'm
going to talk about the positives of the snowfall
later. But for now, just wanted to update everybody
on that. One of the other news stories I wanted
to briefly talk about was the bison attack that
happened at Mud Volcano. It was a 12 -year -old
who got attacked by the bison. As far as I know,
everything is okay. Obviously, it's never a good
thing to get attacked by a bison, but, you know,
they don't attack without reason. So, as always,
stay 25 yards away. If you see somebody getting
too close to a bison, don't just stand there
and film it. Say something. Use that opportunity
as a time to educate. If they react negatively
to you, then walk away. But, I have seen a lot
of things online about people seeing people go...
Too close to wildlife and instead of just even
saying hey You do know the rules are 25 yards
or just trying to do something about it They
film it and then they whisper like oh is it going
to attack? That is a lack of empathy. That is
a lack of human decency I know that there's signs
everywhere telling people to stay away from wildlife
people get excited and forget the rules We are
all flawed individuals who make mistakes in the
park. We get too excited. So Give somebody the
benefit of a doubt help remind them if they overreact
walk away but do your part as a good human being
I'm seeing too many people including some guides
just filming things for content and that's not
what we want the park to be we shouldn't be rooting
for anybody to get injured One thing about Mud
Volcano is it is a common place for people to
get gored. They call them gorings even if they
get tossed or trampled or whatever. Just a bison
goring. But Mud Volcano is a place where bison
will hang around right next to a paved path as
you're hiking up and a lot of people just hike
right up there and pass the bison closely. please
don't do that if there's a bison blocking there
it is a loop trail you can go around or if the
bison's blocking the trail just don't do it wait
until it leaves rangers might be there more because
of this incident last year i know they closed
part of that trail because of a bison or maybe
those two years ago but bison are going to be
getting more and more aggressive right now as
they enter their mating season i'm going to talk
about that next week but stay away from wildlife
enjoy everything Be smart, be safe, and help
your fellow human being. One last thing to mention
with the news is the opening times for entrances.
I've seen a lot of things online about people
asking, when can I enter the park? What time
does the park open? The park is open 24 hours
a day. If you go to an entrance station and it's
before it's staffed, then you drive in. If it's
staffed, then you stop. It's pretty simple. Don't
think that places don't open until seven or eight.
You can enter the park at any time of the day.
And if you're driving from West Yellowstone to
Lamar and you want to get there right after sunrise,
you're going to have to leave there super early.
So, you know, enter the park. But no, there are
no operating hours for the entrances. The entrance
stations are manned at different times, but you
can still enter when the entrance stations are
not manned. So I hope that helps clear up some
of the confusion there. My experience of the
week. Fourth of July celebrations in and around
Yellowstone. So the towns around Yellowstone
National Park are getting ready for what's shaping
up to be a big, lively Independence Day weekend.
This year feels even more meaningful because
the celebrations tie into the United States'
semi -quincentennial marking 250 years of American
Independence. Across the region, that translates
into a packed schedule of parades, rodeos, community
events, and fireworks all set against the backdrop
of mountains, rivers, and wide open western skies.
If you're passing through Yellowstone itself
during the holiday, it's worth remembering that
fireworks are not allowed anywhere inside the
park. Yellowstone National Park Public Affairs
is very clear on this point, since even the smallest
of fireworks can create a serious wildfire risk
in such a dry and heavily forested landscape.
There are no planned celebrations on the 4th
of July in Yellowstone National Park, so do not
expect any. The good news is that the gateway
towns surrounding the park lean all the way into
the holiday spirit. They are offering plenty
of ways to celebrate in some really cool towns.
So in Cody, Wyoming, near the east entrance,
this is going to be one of the busiest hubs for
the fourth. This year's theme, 250 years of legends,
liberty and lasting west, fits the town's personality
perfectly. The Cody Stampede Parade rolls down
Sheridan Avenue on both July 3rd and 4th at 9
.30 in the morning, and then the streets quickly
fill with visitors and locals throughout the
next few hours. Then during the weekend, there's
the Wild West Arts Fest, nightly Cody Stampede
rodeo performances, and a fireworks show over
the Shoshone River that brings a whole celebration
to a classic western finish. North of the park.
We have my personal favorite town the one that
I live in 53 miles north of Gardner Which is
Livingston, Montana and Livingston keeps things
festive with the same amount of hype and awesomeness
as Cody There is the Livingston Roundup rodeo
running at Park County Fairgrounds from July
1st through July 4th There's very few if no tickets
remaining for that, but you might be able to
like find somebody outside selling those One
of the highlights here is the roundup parade
on July 2nd That's a tradition that has been
going strong for more than a century from 3 to
6 in the afternoon Downtown fills up as people
line 2nd Street calendar and Main Street to watch
horses rodeo royalty patriotic floats business
floats from town and It's a great time I live
in town and can assure you that the vibe from
July 2nd through the 4th is nearly unmatched
anywhere in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem
and maybe anywhere in America. Like it's a really
good fourth time. Over at West Yellowstone the
holiday has more of an all -day walk -around
feel. Things kick off at Pioneer Park with the
farmers market and the town keeps the energy
going with community favorites like the Buffalo
Chip Chuck competition and the Pie on the Porch
fundraiser. By the evening everything shifts
for a 6 p .m. parade, live music, and then the
fireworks start about 10 15 right outside the
park boundary. If you're looking for something
smaller and a bit more laid back, Cook City,
near the east entrance, delivers a very different
kind of Fourth of July. The day centers around
the EMS Fourth of July parade and Fireman's Picnic,
where the whole community comes together for
a simple Main Street parade, a local fundraiser
picnic, and a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. Once
night falls, fireworks echo through the Beartooth
Mountains, giving the whole celebration the surprisingly
dramatic setting for such a small town. In Big
Sky, the focus shifts away from fireworks, so
don't expect that. Wildfires are real out in
big sky and they don't want to do fireworks so
don't expect any fireworks in big sky but expect
a celebration. There's a 5k run in the morning
followed by scenic lift rides or ziplining at
the resort. Later in the evening the community
gathers for a free music in the mountains concert
featuring the tiny band keeping the holiday spirit
strong without any fireworks in the mix. If you're
going to be in Bozeman, the Gallatin County Fairgrounds
become one of the main gathering spots for the
region. The Valley View Rodeo runs on July 3rd
and 4th at 7, and once the rodeo wraps up on
the 4th, the city's official fireworks show goes
off at 10pm, drawing a big crowd from both locals
and travelers. Gardner is a little quieter on
organized events during the actual holiday since
its rodeo takes place in June, but it still ends
up being one of the busiest base camps in the
region. You can use it as a jumping -off point
for a 4th of July rafting trip, go to the park,
or you can head up to Chico Hot Springs nearby
or Yellowstone Hot Springs, but there's really
not much going on in town itself. So all together,
in all of these towns, the Yellowstone region
offers a mix of big celebrations and small town
gatherings all woven into the same landscape.
Whether it's a packed parade in Cody or a quiet
mountain picnic in Cook City, the 4th of July
here feels distinctly western, with those open
spaces, big skies, strong communities, and a
shared appreciation for the land that ties all
of this together. Now there are obviously other
small towns all around the region hosting their
own celebrations, I mentioned a few, but there's
more so feel free to research and see what fun
can be had elsewhere in Wyoming, Idaho, or Montana
on the 4th. Good luck, and if you do light off
fireworks, do not start a forest fire. 4th of
July has so many forest fires that start, so
be safe, be smart, and celebrate responsibly.
My tip of the week. Stop and smell the wildflowers.
Most people visit Yellowstone National Park hoping
to see Old Faithful erupt, watch a grizzly bear
through a spotting scope, or catch a glimpse
of wolves in Lamar. Those are certainly unforgettable
experiences, but early July offers another incredible
show that many visitors overlook. Across the
park, meadows, hillsides, forests, and mountain
slopes explode with wildflowers, turning an already
beautiful landscape into one filled with vibrant
colors. Early July is one of the best times in
Yellowstone to enjoy the wildflowers because
the blooms are spread throughout the park. The
lower elevations are often nearing the end of
their peak while the higher elevations are just
beginning to emerge from beneath the snows that
have fallen and letting all that moisture start
to bloom. Since Yellowstone ranges from roughly
5 ,300 feet to 11 ,000 feet above sea level,
spring arrives at different times depending on
where you are. If flowers have just started fading
in one part of the park, another area may be
reaching its peak just a few thousand feet higher.
One of the best places to begin your search is
around Mammoth Hot Springs in the northern range.
This part of the park usually greens up earlier
than much of the rest of the park, making it
one of the places where summer flowers appear.
The beaver ponds trail is really rewarding during
early July. There's colorful displays of lupine,
lupine, depending how you want to say it, sticky
geranium, yarrow, flocks, wild rose, and if you're
lucky, bitterroot. There's also some arrowleaf
balsam root that at this lower elevation are
starting to die off, but still really cool. One
of my favorite flowers. There's also some paintbrush
that are blooming around 8 ,000 feet right now,
but I'll talk about that in a minute. Lamar Valley
and Hayden Valley are also really good for wildlife
watching But they're pretty good for wildflowers
as well as you scan through the valley look for
all different colors You're gonna get purples
and reds and blues and yellows and everything
you want But just it's not going to be like a
whole blanket of wildflowers They're just gonna
be spread out and it's gonna be lovely, but it's
not going to be like the whole Lamar Valley that's
one thing that I want you to know when you're
looking for wildflowers in the park You don't
get a super bloom like you see elsewhere We get
really good blooms, but they're kind of spread
out because everything here is big and spread
out So think of it like that think of it like
the trees in the park where someplace that more
trees some don't have as much That's how the
wildflowers are Now if you don't mind getting
a little elevation in the park, the slopes around
Mount Washburn and Dunraven Pass offer some of
Yellowstone's most spectacular summer wildflower
displays. With the lingering snow later into
the year and then this recent snow, you get really
different times of peak blooms depending on the
year. The best way really to see the flowers
in the area up Dunraven is to go up Chittenden
Road when it reopens and then just hike a little
bit. If you go up to Mount Washburn, that trail
is really good. It's going to be lined with tons
of flowers. You're going to have some paintbrush
up there, all sorts of things. So definitely
go check that out. If you want some different
wildflowers growing in a usual environment, that's
where the hydrothermal areas come in. You're
not going to quite have the same amount of plants
there or the same amount of wildflowers as other
places in the park, but you will have some there.
One of the things that makes July so Enjoyable
are these wildflowers blooming if you come across
the bright blue lupine or maybe some Scarlet
paintbrush or the fireweed that's gonna start
turning bright red All of these things are just
gonna be so beautiful, especially against the
big sky It is a fantastic thing every drive through
the park every day You're gonna start seeing
different wildflowers the more you slow down
take those pull -offs look for wildflowers enjoy
this. This is such a short season that you may
come from someplace where you have a long season
and you see wildflowers all the time. Wildflowers
here only last for a month or two and then they're
gone for the entire year. Now as beautiful as
Yellowstone's wildflowers are, they're surprisingly
fragile. It can be tempting to wander into a
meadow for a better picture, but don't do that.
I know like bison and everything roam through,
but with these wildflowers, do your best to allow
these blooms to take place without people. Social
trails created by visitors remain visible for
years, and that trampling can permanently alter
delicate alpine and meadow ecosystems. Again,
I know bison walk through, but the National Park
Service asks visitors to stay on established
trails whenever possible and avoid walking through
flower -filled meadows. Visitors also need to
remember that every flower in Yellowstone is
protected. Picking wildflowers is prohibited
throughout the park and for good reason. These
blooms provide nectar for native bees, butterflies,
hummingbirds, flies, and other pollinators. Later
in the season, many provide seeds that feed birds
and small mammals throughout the winter, like
they store all of these and then they eat. Some
species even provide food for larger wildlife.
Glacier lilies, for example, are one of the first
nutritious plants available to grizzly bears
after they emerge from their dens in the spring.
Leaving every flower where it grows helps ensure
that the next generation of plants, pollinators,
and wildlife can continue to thrive. The best
way to enjoy Yellowstone's wildflower season
is to simply slow down. Like I said before, stop
at the scenic pullouts, walk a trail instead
of rushing to the next geyser basin, and spend
a few minutes looking at the ground instead of
the horizon. You may still see bears, bison,
and elk, but you're also going to discover hundreds
of colorful blooms that remind you summer in
Yellowstone is every bit as spectacular as its
famous wildlife. My random Yellowstone fact of
the week, carcass dump sites. If you've ever
watched Yellowstone's employees load a dead bison
or elk on the back of a truck, you may have wondered
where it was going. You may wonder why I'm bringing
this up. Well, if you paid attention to some
social media a couple weeks ago, you noticed
that there was an instance where a bison was
dead and they had to lift it off the ground and
put it into the back of a truck. They didn't
do quite a good job. It's like it almost fell
off back on the road from the backhoe that or
whatever equipment they were lifting it up into
the back of the truck. But they got it in there
and then they drove away with it. And then what
happens, right? So Yellowstone National Park
is famous for allowing nature to take its course.
That's something that happens. Predators hunt
prey, scavengers clean up what's left behind,
and the nutrients from every animal eventually
return to the soil. So why would park staff remove
a carcass at all? The answer lies in one of Yellowstone's
lesser -known wildlife management practices,
designated carcass disposal sites, often called
carcass dumps. While the name may sound unappealing,
these remote locations serve an important purpose.
They help reduce dangerous encounters between
people and wildlife, while still allowing bears,
wolves, ravens, eagles, coyotes, and countless
other scavengers to benefit from natural food
source. Rather than disrupting nature, these
sites actually help preserve it. In most cases,
animals that die in Yellowstone remain exactly
where they fall. One of my tours that I take
goes into the backcountry way off the beaten
path in Lamar, and we find all sorts of bones
and antlers and skulls. A bison that dies during
a harsh winter, an elk taken by wolves, or a
deer that succumbs to disease quickly becomes
part of the park's natural recycling system.
Within hours, ravens and magpies arrive, then
coyotes, foxes, eagles, and in many cases grizzly
bears and black bears. than wolves, or maybe
in some other order, but large predators may
feed for days here, while insects, bacteria,
and fungi continue to break down what remains
long after the larger scavengers have moved on.
Eventually, every part just goes back into the
ecosystem, sometimes spread out, sometimes just
right there. There are times, however, when leaving
a carcass in place creates unnecessary risks.
Park staff removed large mammal carcasses that
are located near campgrounds, visitor facilities,
parking lots, roads, and other heavily used areas
because they can attract bears and other large
carnivores into close contact with people. A
dead bison beside a popular roadside pullout
might seem like an incredible wildlife viewing
opportunity, but it can quickly become a dangerous
situation once a bear gets there. Rather than
allowing thousands of visitors to gather around
an active feeding site, Park crews relocate the
carcass to a designated disposal area far from
roads and developed facilities. These carcass
disposal sites are not landfills or garbage dumps.
Instead, they're carefully selected locations
where wildlife can feed with minimal human disturbance.
Once a carcass is placed there, it often becomes
one of the busiest feeding locations in the surrounding
area. Because these sites attract multiple large
carnivores, the National Park Service does not
publicize their locations and neither will I.
Curious visitors seeking photographs could unknowingly
place themselves in extremely dangerous situations.
A bear feeding on a fresh carcass is often focused
on protecting that food source and will react
aggressively if surprised or wants to protect
its food source. Keeping those areas remote and
largely unknown benefits both wildlife and visitors.
Now, why am I talking about it? Because it's
something a lot of people should know. Also,
Yellowstone Carcass Disposal Sites are only one
part of the bare management strategy that has
evolved dramatically over the past century. During
the first half of the 1900s, the park actually
encouraged bears to gather at open garbage dumps,
sometimes bringing in carcasses, other times
just straight trash. And every evening, visitors
filled the bleachers to watch black bears and
grizzly bears rummage through piles of trash
and carcasses in what became known as the famous
bear shows. Feeding bears from automobiles then
became popular, and many bears quickly learned
that humans were an easy source of food. The
consequences of this were predictable, and according
to the National Park Service, between 1931 and
1969, Yellowstone averaged 48 bear -caused human
injuries and more than 100 incidents of property
damage every single year. Bears that became accustomed
to human food often lost their natural wariness
leading to increasingly dangerous encounters
with visitors. That changed in the 1970s when
the park adopted a modern bear management program.
The park then permanently closed its garbage
dumps and installed bear resistant trash containers,
prohibited feeding wildlife, and worked to eliminate
artificial food sources that attracted bears
into developed areas. Relocating carcasses away
from busy roadsides and campgrounds became another
important tool for keeping bears wild while reducing
opportunities for conflict with people. Visitors
can still occasionally encounter temporary trail
closures because of an animal carcass or because
of aggressive bears. We know that's going on
right now at the Mystic Falls area. Even if the
dead animal was hidden in the trees or near a
ridge somewhere, park biologists know that feeding
grizzly bear may be nearby. So closing a trail
for several days gives that bear time to feed
naturally before allowing hikers to return. While
these closures can be disappointing, they're
an important reminder that Yellowstone remains
one of the few places where large predators continue
to behave much as they have for thousands of
years. Most visitors will never see one of Yellowstone's
carcass disposal sites, and that's exactly the
point. These quiet, out of the way locations
allow wildlife to feed without attracting crowds
of people, cameras, or traffic jams. They also
demonstrate Yellowstone's modern approach to
wildlife management. Rather than interfering
with nature, park staff intervene only when necessary
to protect public safety. By moving carcasses
from developed areas to remote locations, Yellowstone
allows a natural cycle of life and death to continue,
while helping ensure that bears, wolves, and
other scavengers remain wild for generations
to come. Again, these carcass dump sites are
not someplace that you'll ever see, but if you
ever wander like... Where do all the animals
that die near the road go chances are that's
where they go There are some places that you
can walk to later in the year. I may talk about
that I may not just because you know keeping
these areas private is probably for the best
But know that animals are being fed and from
what I know they rotate where they dump carcasses
all the time So that way animals aren't just
expecting something there when it happens. A
few years ago a car hit a big semi truck hit
a bunch of bison and they dumped a bunch of bison
out in one of those and heard from some biologists
that bears and wolves feasted there for days
and everything was eaten and it was good. So
you know it's less than ideal to have an animal
get hit by a car but if something does die in
the park too close to road then it is getting
put back into a more remote place where wildlife
will be able to eat it. The weather for the coming
week. As always, this is the best forecast for
the coming week at the time of recording, which
is Wednesday, July 1st at 4 o 'clock. The forecast
can change numerous times in a week, but this
should be within a ballpark of what you'll experience
when visiting the park. So let's start with Lamar
Valley. On Thursday, A high of 71, a low of 41,
7 % chance of rain. On Friday, 72 and 40, 24
% chance of rain. Saturday, 77 and 45, 3 % chance
of rain. Sunday, 79 and 46, 17 % chance of rain.
Monday, 78 and 47, 24 % chance of rain. Tuesday,
77 and 47 with a 50 % chance of thunderstorms.
And then Wednesday, 75 and 45 with a 19 % chance
of rain. Gardner, Montana on Thursday high 74
love 43 5 % chance of rain Friday 75 and 43 24
% chance of rain mostly in the afternoon Saturday
81 and 48 3 % chance Sunday 82 and 49 15 % chance
Monday 82 and 50 20 percent chance Tuesday 79
and 50 42 percent chances some thunderstorms
and Wednesday 78 and 49 24 percent chance of
rain West Yellowstone, Montana Thursday 71 and
39 with a 24 percent chance of rain Friday 72
and 39 with a 24 percent chance of rain Saturday
77 and 43 with a 3 percent chance Sunday 80 and
45 with an 8 % chance. Monday, 80 and 46 with
a 12 % chance. Tuesday, 76 and 47 with a 20 %
chance. And Wednesday, 77 and 46 with a 14 %
chance of rain. Cody, Wyoming. On Thursday, high
80, low of 53, 60 % chance of a thunderstorm
in the afternoon. Friday, 84 and 55, 6 % chance
of rain. Saturday, 89 and 59. Sunday, 91 and
61, 16 % chance of rain. Monday, 84 and 60, 17
% chance of rain. Tuesday, 84 and 60, 32 % chance
of rain and thunderstorms. And Wednesday, 82
and 59 with a 34 % chance of thunderstorms. And
finally, Cook City, Montana. On Thursday, 68
and 43. Friday, 68 and 43. Saturday, 75 and 48.
Sunday, 76 and 48 with a 14 % chance of rain.
Monday 74 and 49 with a 50 % chance of thunderstorms
Tuesday 72 and 49 with a 60 % chance of thunderstorms
and Wednesday 72 and 47 24 % chance of rain That
brings me to the snowpack update, which I know
I said before that I wasn't gonna do again But
it snowed so I know some people are like oh,
what's the snowpack light? Snowpack is still
pretty much non -existent 0 % in normal now.
This is a little False, but it's gonna be warm
enough all the snow that fell the last few days
is going to melt in the next few days It's not
enough snow and it's not cold enough to stay
there There might be some snow on some trails,
but generally it's going to be absolutely fine
So I just wanted to mention that because it did
snow so people were asking Oh, how is the snow
going to be on the trails or the roads snowpack
is there? But it's not any different than it
was before this snow, especially after the next
couple days of warmth So don't worry about it
If there's snow on the trail, that backcountry
situation report will let you know. Road conditions.
No, park roads are closed right now. There are
a few spots of construction, but those should
be minimal delays. And while unlikely this coming
week, be aware that roads can close at any time
due to inclement weather. For up to date information,
you can call 307 -344 -2117. Or you can sign
up to receive Yellowstone Road Alerts on your
cell phone by texting 82190 to the number 888777.
Camping information. Everything is open. Have
at it. Well, I mean, if you have a reservation
or there's an open site, don't just go hog wild
on a campsite. Like, make sure that you have
a reservation and you're supposed to be there.
Other than that, it's a good time to camp. Love
camping this time of year. Thunderstorms are
going to roll through every bit. or every few
days but it's life and it'll be warm and things
will dry again. The wildlife report. So as is
normal for this time of year, wildlife sightings
are still pretty good but they are slowing down
and they're getting less consistent. As we warm
up especially this coming week, wildlife is going
to be very inactive during the day. I could be
wrong about this here and there but generally
that's the rule So know that if you really want
to see wildlife get there early I'm talking five
o 'clock to places six o 'clock seven o 'clock
in the morning So wolves right now are being
spotted in the northern range up by the Blacktail
Plateau area It is a good place to go to definitely
check them out then Out by Lamar. Some people
are seeing them and also down in Hayden. People
are seeing wolves down there Grizzlies are still
all over the place in a distance up in the northern
range, especially in Lamar. And then there are
some grizzlies that are hanging out outside of
Cook City east of town. Bears are kind of getting
out of the park and traveling higher right now,
especially grizzlies. So it's going to be harder
and harder to see them as the snow melts and
the temperature goes higher. Bison are starting
to herd up. Good place to see bison are going
to be the northern range. Probably in Little
America or Lamar Valley it they just go it kind
of go back and forth You may see some out here
and there between mammoth and Roosevelt But generally
that larger northern herd is going to be in Little
America Lamar Valley The other big herd will
be down by Hayden, but they could go from, you
know, Hayden Valley all the way to the geyser
basins and back. There's some places that they
go. So you might go into Hayden and you might
see nothing, then drive around, then come back
later in the day. And there could be a thousand
bison there. It's just going to be a matter of
luck if they're visible. But once they are, there's
going to be tons of them all over the road, all
over everywhere. So hang in there. Bison jams
are going to increase in Lamar, in Little America,
in Hayden. There's going to be bison roaming
around elsewhere, but generally those are the
two main herds. There's baby pronghorn all over
the place. Somebody captured some video the other
day of wolves chasing a baby pronghorn, and that
was pretty cool to see. They got the baby pronghorn
and they devoured it quickly, but Babies are
still out there baby elk are everywhere and it
is a good time for wildlife watching birds are
still everywhere. There's some immature Eagles
learning to fly there are There is a peregrine
falcon nest near calcite springs. I watched that
the other day. There's some osprey all over the
place. It is a good time. Just know, though,
that during the heat of the day, it's going to
be a lot less active. That's not to say it's
going to be completely inactive. It's just going
to be a lot less active. So if you really want
to see things, you need to be in these valleys
or driving to these valleys in good wildlife
areas. At sunrise or a little after and then
a couple hours before sunset To sunset and then
golden hour and all of that. That's how you want
to book end your day during the day Go out and
do things and then if you see wildlife, that's
great But generally that's going to be the rule
of thumb from here all the way through July Next
week. I will be talking a lot more about the
bison rut, but it is picking up There are some
AI generated guide things online that are saying
it doesn't start till September same with that
guide along app I heard is saying that the bison
jam or not bison jam the bison rut doesn't start
until September that is Completely inaccurate
it is going now will pick up speed in the coming
weeks into August This is the time where it really
starts to get good So if you want to be here
for bison... This is the time to do it. If you
want to be here for grizzly bears, it's going
to be harder and harder to see them, especially
as the heat increases and they start going higher
for a better protein source. So if you do want
more tips on where to see wildlife, reach out
to me via text 406 -589 -1873. I'll try my best
to respond to everybody. I kind of get inundated
at times. And so I do my best. I'm sorry if I
don't get to you. It's not because you did anything
wrong. I sincerely apologize. I wish I could
talk to all of you, but know that Northern Range
early morning, the Bermuda Triangle still has
lots of black bears. And if you see some grizzlies,
you're probably going to see them out the east
entrance, maybe in Hayden, maybe on the ridges
in Lamar, and maybe you'll get lucky, especially
if you drive a bare -toothed highway. So good
luck, and I will give you more wildlife next
week. So trail alerts and updates. Backcountry
conditions page is updated again. They updated
this week. There's a link in the show notes.
This is the easiest way for me to share the status
of every trail. Go to the link provided in the
show notes of a hike you want to do and click
on it. If you can't find information about something,
reach out to me. 406 -589 -1873 via text, I will
happily tell you how the trails are. If you are
hiking, as always, carry bear spray, have it
readily accessible and not in a backpack, and
know how to use it. My Trek of the Week. So I'm
going to be sharing a hike of the week that you're
probably going to need me for or need some advice
for, but I want you to know that there is an
old wolf den you can hike to and see the original
crates the wolves were brought into the park
and and see the original enclosure that they
were brought in I've been hemming and hawing
going back and forth about do I share this or
not and then I realized that this is something
that a lot of guides take their clients to Yellowstone
forever takes people to it's a well -known thing
there's stuff online about it not a ton but there's
stuff online about it and my listenership currently
is a pretty cool people so I want to share this
with you and if you want actual details of where
it is and how to get there I can help you out
but I will be very kind of strict about just
make sure that you are well behaved up there
that you're smart that you're safe it is a sacred
place for the park and that's why I want to share
because we all need to be able to have the opportunity
to connect in things however if I find like that
this is going too far and people are trashing
these sites I will delete this part of this episode
and re -upload it without this. So if you do
want to hike here, please be respectful. Please
know that this is a very important spot, and
the more people that go there and trash it, the
less likely we'll be able to have cool places
like this to hike to. The park can and could
easily close this at any time. So I want to tell
you about the Old Wolf Pin in Lamar Valley. It
is located near the Buffalo Ranch, right in Lamar
Valley that Yellowstone Forever runs. And if
you're staring at the Buffalo Ranch from that
big parking lot across the street with your back
to the Lamar River and you're looking at the
building, there's a pull -out to your right,
little ways down. If you go there, it's not a
huge pull -out, it's not even paved, it's just
a little indent. If you go there, and that's
gonna be on that north side, the same side as
the ranch, There's a little boot path that leads
through there. Eventually that boot path leads
to a double track old road. That old road you
follow until there's a trail and then you follow
the trail up and eventually you get to this cool
pen that they put the original bison in. This
is a place that is really awesome and it's really
sacred. It's also a cool place to see skulls
and antlers leave them there, but it's a cool
place to see What the park what Yellowstone forever
talks about this is all public land. We're all
welcome there So you can go there you can see
a bighorn sheep skull you can see antlers They're
kind of off by a tree on your way up by a shooting
gallery that the Rangers used to use his target
practice It's a cool historical area again. I'm
not trying to be vague about it. There's no trail
signs There's nothing marked so I just have to
kind of describe it and if you want to know more
I can tell you more The hike up there and back
is under four miles. You do gain a couple hundred
feet of elevation. I think it's like 500 feet
of elevation and you're walking through insane
grisly territory. Lots of bison are there, lots
of pronghorn, all sorts of things that you have
to be super alert for. Another cool element of
this is that there are a lot of wildflowers up
there right now. Absolutely gorgeous. Highly
recommend just going up that hillside and looking
at wildflowers. Again, you follow that to track
up you get to a creek crossing and then you see
the small fenced in area that small fenced in
area has nothing to do with the wolves it's kind
of like where they have repeaters and things
like that located the energy that they need is
i i don't know i'm making things up i don't know
what's fenced in and it's small fence but from
there you go around that fence and then you climb
a steep hill and then you get to a rolling hill
and then you just keep following the trail you
drop down another creek crossing and rise up
and then you are at the fenced in area where
the wolves were The fence is dilapidated in parts.
Some of the old wooden structures where the wolves
were brought in via plane and then truck, those
are there. And, you know, some are falling apart.
There's trees there. This is also a place where
sometimes bears hang out and eat carcasses. You
need to be alert here. But it's a cool place.
Again, I wanted to talk about it. It's a place
that doesn't get enough love and we need to start
understanding and sharing some of this history.
I like to go up there a couple times a year.
I don't like to abuse going up there. But if
you're looking for some place just really to
connect to the wolves, to the history of the
wolves, and to kind of the human and wildlife
elements. Buffalo Ranch itself also has a unique
history of saving the bison in the park. It's
an amazing place too, not open to the public.
But this trail, open to the public and worthwhile.
It's a good short hike for dedicated hikers who
have some route finding abilities if you can't
do that There's not much that rivals this but
Right now if you can't do this and you want to
hike to do again reach out to me I have a guidebook
within that guidebook has chapters of where the
best wildflower hikes in Yellowstone and around
the region That I like and I share that there.
So there's plenty of hiking to do I just wanted
a little less formal thing where I want you to
know that there are some cool places that I know
that I'm happy to share with you if you promise
to be a good steward of the land and help encourage
other people to be good stewards too. This is
a fantastic trail up to this wolf pen that is
no longer used but it's a cool slice of history
and as we celebrate 250 years of America I think
some of this history even if it's recent should
be shared with everybody so again reach out to
me if you need any more information about this,
and I'll do my best to get to you. I have a very
busy week coming up, but I want to help everybody
experience the park, fall in love with the park,
and really help continue to protect it for the
next however long we can. That's it for this
week. In the next episode, I'm going to return
with all the information you need to have a good
week in the park. That includes the wildlife
update, the weather, the trail conditions, everything
you need to know. So until then, Pick up a guidebook
of mine, tell your friends about this podcast,
and happy trails. Otherwise, keep listening and
I hope to see you in Yellowstone. Copyright 2026,
baby!