Latest / This Week in Yellowstone National Park / This Week in Yellowstone: February 20th to February 26th, 2025

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This Week in Yellowstone: February 20th to February 26th, 2025 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

• 0:00
  From the confluence of the Gardner River and the Yellowstone River just outside of Yellowstone National Park,
• 0:06
  this is that Scott guy you know and love with a new episode of This Week in Yellowstone.
• 0:32
  What's up everybody, this week in Yellowstone National Park, February 20th and February 26th, 2025,
• 0:38
  I share one of my favorite winter tracks, give some tips on snowshoeing and cross country skiing etiquette,
• 0:44
  briefly mention some visitation statistics, and of course give you all the updates and more that you need to have a fantastic trip when you're visiting Yellowstone this week.
• 0:54
  Was that a run on sentence? Yes it was, but that's just because I'm way too excited to pause to give you this week's episode.
• 1:01
  Alright, standard disclaimer, I might miss a few things, so if there's anything else you'd like to know, reach out to me.
• 1:07
  I also mentioned park locations very casually, so a quick search might help if you're unfamiliar with the places I mentioned.
• 1:14
  Also, this report only covers drivable areas of the park.
• 1:19
  This week's Yellowstone News.
• 1:21
  Last week, Yellowstone National Park released their visitation numbers for January of 2025.
• 1:26
  January saw 40,363 visitors, a drop of 5.5% from January of 2024.
• 1:34
  This was also the least visited January since 2021, and was still the 8th most visited January in park history.
• 1:42
  If you want to know more about this, I did a deep dive into January's visitation numbers on a standalone podcast that I released earlier this week.
• 1:50
  Other news, the Yellowstone community is currently focused on the non-renewal of contracts for approximately 1,000 National Park Service staff throughout the Department of Interior, along with a reported high rain freeze.
• 2:03
  While discussions about these developments are widespread, specific details on how they will directly impact Yellowstone this year remain unclear.
• 2:11
  I will continue to seek information from reliable sources and provide updates as more concrete details emerge.
• 2:18
  But at this time, it's difficult to predict the park's staffing situation for the upcoming season.
• 2:24
  While the uncertainty is understandably concerning for many, an official statement from Yellowstone will be necessary to provide clarity.
• 2:32
  Once that information is available, I will definitely share further insights and my thoughts on all of this.
• 2:37
  But until then, I'm just waiting on an actual press release on how this will impact Yellowstone.
• 2:44
  Other than that, no real news to talk about this week.
• 2:48
  The Yellowstone Summit is currently happening, so if you want to know more about that, go to YellowstoneSummit.com.
• 2:54
  As always, no news is good news.
• 2:58
  So my experience of the week.
• 3:00
  Early morning boardwalk wonderings, that's what I wrote.
• 3:04
  I know my whole thing is to go beyond the boardwalks of Yellowstone, but sometimes you have to remember why the classics are the classics.
• 3:11
  My recommendation for this week is an early morning trek on the upper boardwalk at Mammoth Hot Springs, specifically to Canary Spring.
• 3:19
  Why the early morning and not any time of the day?
• 3:23
  Right after sunrise, the steam from the thermal features at the upper boardwalk to Canary Spring is usually still frozen, creating a gorgeous frozen archway in spots.
• 3:33
  So Canary Spring is quite possibly the most iconic thermal feature at Mammoth, and to see it when it's showcasing the colors and the ice, the terraces pop that much more,
• 3:42
  and it really shows why the region has been popular since the park's inception.
• 3:47
  To get here, drive up the hill from Lower Mammoth and park at the upper terrace parking area.
• 3:52
  Follow the boardwalk by taking a right when you can and head toward Canary Spring.
• 3:57
  Reaching Canary Spring from the parking lot is about a quarter of a mile or less depending on where you park.
• 4:03
  You'll probably want traction devices for this trek, and you'll definitely want warm layers.
• 4:08
  If you want to do more of the upper boardwalk area, have at it. Just don't walk the snowshoe and cross-country ski path that follows the entire upper terrace road.
• 4:17
  This is only for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Hiking this in regular shoes is not allowed.
• 4:25
  My tip of the week. So every so often someone shares an experience they've had in the park, and it inspires me to give some advice.
• 4:33
  This week the tip is for snowshoers and cross-country skiers who are going to be using the trails in the park for a fun day in nature.
• 4:40
  When snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the park, ungroomed and well-traveled areas like Mammoth's upper terrace,
• 4:46
  Blacktail Plateau, and up to Calcite Springs and Tower Fall,
• 4:50
  yes the official name is Tower Fall and not Tower Falls, and also yes, it sounds awkward, I struggle with this and I will later in the episode too.
• 4:59
  So when you're on those paths, there are lanes of travel for each activity.
• 5:03
  A snowshoer should never walk on the cross-country ski path, and a cross-country skier should also never get mad when a snowshoer is in their proper area.
• 5:12
  So why am I bringing this up?
• 5:14
  I've heard about snowshoers on the path to Tower getting yelled at and even pushed by a cross-country skier and cross-country skiers who have not been observing these rules.
• 5:24
  I've also heard of snowshoers not knowing where to walk in their designated areas and traipsying on the groomed cross-country ski paths.
• 5:31
  Mixed use trails are exactly that, mixed use.
• 5:34
  At most of the trail heads I mentioned at the start of this segment, there are signs illustrating where each activity group should travel.
• 5:42
  Follow these signs and when someone is not following them, be patient and kindly explain the rules and where they should be walking.
• 5:50
  There's no reason to get mad.
• 5:52
  Now if you're in the backcountry, the rules aren't as solid, but the general idea is to not be a jerk and ruin the pre-existing path.
• 6:00
  One run in I had similar to this was out in the backcountry where rules are a little less structured.
• 6:06
  I have a snowshoeing in a remote corner of the northern range on the struggle bus of my adventure post-holing to my knees and snowshoes and deep powder and really just not having an enjoyable day.
• 6:18
  I passed through a stand of trees and emerged into a clearing where I noticed old ski tracks, we're talking weeks old.
• 6:26
  The tracks had been destroyed slightly by a small bison herd that had passed through a few hours earlier and the compacted snow would give me a much needed reprieve from the sinking I was doing with each step.
• 6:35
  I waved the options and figured the bison had already ruined the area anyway, so what was the harm?
• 6:43
  I walked on this path for about a mile, following the ski tracks that had been ruined by the bison herd when I noticed some backcountry skiers coming toward me.
• 6:51
  I stepped off the tracks and waited for them to pass.
• 6:53
  They passed and when they were about 15 feet away from me, one of them started screaming at me swearing and yelling about how I ruined their ski trail.
• 7:01
  I tried to explain that the bison did it first, but it was pointless. I got called every name in the book as they skied away.
• 7:08
  When I was done, I chatted with a ranger friend and asked who was in the right. They tossed up their hands and didn't have a solid answer.
• 7:15
  That is when I was told what I said at the beginning of this paragraph.
• 7:19
  If you are in the backcountry, the rules aren't a solid, but the general idea is to not be a jerk and don't ruin the pre-existing path.
• 7:27
  When you are snow-shooting across country skiing, literally stay in your lane.
• 7:32
  Then there will be no problems.
• 7:34
  The weather for the coming week.
• 7:37
  Lamar Valley this week. Highs are going to be in the 30s and lows are going to be in the 20s.
• 7:43
  That may sound like serious winter in some places. This is going to feel warm and nice for locals who have been pretty cold recently.
• 7:50
  Expect snow showers on Sunday and Monday with a light chance of snow on Saturday and Tuesday.
• 7:55
  There is a decent chance of a little sun on Friday and Wednesday.
• 7:59
  For Cook City, after a potential for some light snow on Thursday, Friday looks to be partly cloudy.
• 8:05
  Then the snow starts with an inch or so expected on Saturday, 4 inches on Sunday, 2 inches on Monday, and then a half an inch on Tuesday.
• 8:13
  Wednesday looks to be partly sunny and expect highs to be in the upper 20s and 30s for the week with lows in the teens and 20s.
• 8:20
  For Gardner, Thursday will start a little snowy, but should end and clear up by late morning and Friday should be clear again.
• 8:30
  There may be some light snow showers heading into Saturday, but Saturday should be like Friday. Pretty nice.
• 8:35
  Sunday and Monday could actually see rain or snow showers. That made me stumble to see the word rain.
• 8:43
  Then the sun should return and by Tuesday and Wednesday should be pretty nice. Highs are going to be in the mid-up or 30s and low 40s all week.
• 8:51
  Lows are going to be all over the place, sometimes in the teens, other times in the 20s, or even up into the 30s.
• 8:57
  As always, temperatures may be higher or lower than I say and snowfall amounts may also be higher or lower.
• 9:03
  The area is hard to predict, especially more than a day or two out.
• 9:07
  With this talk of snow, the snowpack update. Last week's snowstorms continued to help stack things up, bringing the snowpack levels in the park into the upper 90% of normal range.
• 9:17
  Warmer temps this week will see those numbers drop a little, but it shouldn't be anything too significant or worrisome in the park.
• 9:24
  Lowlands are going to see some serious melt-offs, so if you're traveling to the park, check out the river. It may be flowing pretty decently or it still may be frozen.
• 9:34
  We don't really know at this point. With the snowpack right now, though, we are in good shape.
• 9:40
  This time last year, most of the park was well below 70% for the entire region.
• 9:45
  With snow, road conditions, the roads this week are going to be yellowstone roads in the winter.
• 9:52
  You may have some spots of visible pavement here and there. You may have sections of compact snow and ice in spots.
• 9:57
  As always, expect winter driving conditions, just lower your speed and know that the park roads do not have shoulders.
• 10:04
  Stay in the lane. I think I've said that a couple times this episode.
• 10:07
  For up-to-date information on the roads, you can call area code 307-344-2117 for recorded information.
• 10:16
  Or you can sign up to receive Yellowstone Road Alerts on your phone by texting 82190 to 888777.
• 10:27
  Text to the number 888777 and the subject should be 82190. This should get you signed up for those mobile alerts.
• 10:37
  And anticipate possible road closures due to inclement weather and dangerous driving conditions all the time when you're driving out in the winter.
• 10:45
  Camping information. I don't even know what to say at this point.
• 10:50
  Don't camp unless you have good winter gear and experienced in winter camping.
• 10:54
  In January, there were only 54 people total that camped in Yellowstone, which is almost 2 a day.
• 11:01
  So that's pretty impressive. But it's not common right now. Once we get later in the season and other campgrounds open up, I will have better camping information.
• 11:09
  This is just kind of a placeholder for right now. And if you want to camp and you have good gear, check it out. It's a cool experience.
• 11:17
  The Wildlife Watching Update. Alright, right now, Wildlife Watching is all over the place.
• 11:24
  I have heard reports of a moose with a calf that's been hanging out near the Blacktail Ponds area.
• 11:32
  The other day, I saw a solitary moose just strolling around by Lava Creek. That moose has also been around.
• 11:41
  There's also been wolf sightings out in that area as well. And that area is right by Mammoth.
• 11:45
  Like you head up the hill from Mammoth as you're heading toward Tower and Lamar Valley.
• 11:50
  And that's that first kind of plateau you reach after passing Undine Falls.
• 11:54
  So that's been a decent place. The owls have been out. The little pygmy owls.
• 12:01
  And so you may see those. Coyotes have been seen. There's been some foxes around.
• 12:06
  And wolf sightings have been a little less frequent than some would like.
• 12:11
  But that just means that they're probably going to pick up in this coming week. That's kind of how the ebb and the flow goes.
• 12:16
  Other than that, if you want to see the wildlife, just drive back and forth and look for people pulled off.
• 12:22
  Should be a decent week for weather and animals should be a little more active since it's going to be a little warmer.
• 12:29
  Hiking news and updates. Expect some pretty crummy snow this weekend.
• 12:34
  With temperatures climbing, the snow is going to compact a bit. Hopefully making some of the backcountry trails a little less of a slog to snowshoe on.
• 12:42
  But it also could go the other way. And it could be kind of uncomfortable to do some backcountry snowshoeing, skiing.
• 12:49
  But if you're on the main roads and snowshoeing or skiing on those closed roads, you should be fine.
• 12:54
  The trails that are maintained, like I'm going to say, they should be great. And if you get a chance, definitely check out an activity.
• 13:01
  Speaking of activities, my trek of the week is Tower and Calcite Springs.
• 13:06
  This is quite possibly one of the most trekked winter trails in the park, but for good reason.
• 13:11
  It's stunning, rewarding those who cross country ski or snowshoe here with fantastic views, stunning scenery, and a chance to see some wildlife all on a snow covered road that is often groomed.
• 13:22
  The trek is around 5 miles, with about 450 feet in elevation gain.
• 13:27
  The path is super easy to follow and one of my favorites to experience all that Yellowstone offers in the winter.
• 13:34
  With the road to Tower Fall closed in the winter at the Junction at Roosevelt, the only way to reach the stunning views once this road is closed is to do so on foot.
• 13:44
  And more often than not, I do this in snowshoes. Like I said before, it's also a great cross country ski path.
• 13:50
  Tower Fall and Calcite Springs are beloved roadside Johnson the summer months, but reaching them in the winter makes them truly special.
• 13:57
  Long gone are the full parking lots and paths bustling with activity.
• 14:01
  They've been replaced with a peacefulness and serenity that warms the heart and soul on the coldest of days.
• 14:06
  For me, the main highlight of this trek is the Calcite Springs Overlook.
• 14:10
  Don't get me wrong, Tower Falls, Tower Fall, sorry, from the viewing area is great.
• 14:15
  It's frozen and blue against that exposed rock and it's truly stunning, but I just think that the view from Calcite is better.
• 14:24
  At Calcite, the panoramic view that you'll see shows steam rising from the bottom of Bumpus Butte with the Yellowstone River flowing gorgeously far below your feet.
• 14:33
  You're going to see some examples of millions of years of geology and volcanic activity across the river, giving you access to kind of this view of the past against the impossibly steep canyon walls.
• 14:44
  To the east, towering mountains rise to meet the sky and along the canyon rim you might catch a glimpse of bison, elk, or bighorn sheep.
• 14:53
  Between Calcite and Tower, the road levels off and you get a walk along the canyon rim.
• 14:59
  On one side you'll be next to stunning rock formations, on the other side there's the sweeping view of the Yellowstone River and the surrounding landscape.
• 15:07
  This is legitimately one of the most stunning roadside stretches in all of Yellowstone.
• 15:11
  And in the winter, you get to take your time and walk it at your own pace, soaking it all in.
• 15:17
  Then, when you peel yourself away from the Grand Vista, you'll get to walk to the bridge spanning Tower Creek and look at the incredible designs caused by those freezing temperatures and the snow on the rocks.
• 15:28
  It's a really cool feature to stop and stare at Tower Creek for a minute.
• 15:32
  Once you reach Tower, the parking lot's going to be empty, the store's closed, I think the bathrooms are all closed, and there may be bison roaming nearby.
• 15:40
  Make sure none of them are on the trail, and then head down to the short path to the overlook.
• 15:46
  At the overlook, enjoy the beautiful view of the frozen waterfall and rocky pillars.
• 15:50
  It's definitely more than fine if you love this view more than Calcite Springs.
• 15:55
  Some people love Tower Fall right now, more than Calcite Springs, and that is perfectly acceptable, because you get a love Yellowstone.
• 16:02
  That's awesome.
• 16:03
  The wildlife sightings on this trek can also be quite good if one's lucky.
• 16:07
  You can see bison nearly every time, and occasionally see bighorn sheep, coyotes, foxes, elk, and even signs of wolves.
• 16:15
  While I've yet to see a wolf here, I've heard them howl and have spotted fresh tracks in the snow multiple times, almost every year.
• 16:23
  Do you love the idea of being on foot in the great outdoors but want to make the most of your time in Yellowstone?
• 16:29
  Picture yourself hiking the trails with a knowledgeable expert who knows the best spots, hidden gems, and all the incredible wildlife stories the park has to offer.
• 16:38
  My guided hiking tours will forever change how you view Yellowstone.
• 16:42
  Designed to give you an unforgettable adventure beyond the boardwalks, my tours will give you breathtaking views, memorable wildlife encounters, and a stress-free day in nature.
• 16:51
  If you're ready to hit the trails, reach out to me directly or check out my current guided hiking options at outdoor-society.com.
• 17:02
  Chances are, if you're listening to this, you already know my website, but you may not.
• 17:06
  So head over there, I do a lot of other things, including writing stories about the park and, like I said, offering tours.
• 17:13
  If you want to trek in the park, let me help you make your Yellowstone adventure one to remember. Consider booking a tour and go beyond the boardwalks with me.
• 17:23
  Alright, that is this week's episode. It's a little shorter than normal and I don't know how, I think I just might have spoken faster, but I appreciate you all for listening.
• 17:32
  If you enjoy this, please feel free to rate this podcast on wherever you listen to it.
• 17:39
  And give the appropriate amount of stars, leave a comment, do what you like.
• 17:44
  Otherwise, I will be recording another episode next week and I hope to see you in the park. Bye!
• 17:52
  This week in Yellowstone is brought to you by the Outdoor Society, because that's my company, and that's where this is hosted. There are no sponsors. This is a labor of love, so thank you all for listening.
• 18:13
  Copyright 2025, baby!