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This Week in Yellowstone: October 2nd to October 8th, 2025 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

0:00
From Yellowstone National Park, where bears are
0:02
feasting, snow will soon start falling, and at
0:05
the time of this recording, the government is
0:08
shut down. This is that Scott guy you know and
0:11
love with a brand new episode of This Week in
0:13
Yellowstone. This week in Yellowstone National
0:26
Park from October 2nd through October 8th 2025.
0:29
I'm really banking on Things staying the same
0:33
as they currently are because there is a lot
0:35
of things that could be changing and not just
0:37
the government shutdown That's going on at the
0:39
time of recording But I'm also banking on this
0:42
weather forecast to hold now if this snow doesn't
0:45
happen I am sorry for being snow. So snow focus
0:49
this week. I'm just excited about it It's the
0:53
information I'm sharing is still great information
0:55
as always. This week I'm going to tell you about
0:58
how bears are seemingly everywhere, tell you
1:01
to summit a potentially snowy peak, give you
1:04
tips on how to be prepared for a fall snowstorm,
1:07
and try to answer the question, how big is Yellowstone
1:10
really? I'll also give you the complete weather
1:13
forecast, the wildlife report, the news, and
1:15
everything else you need to have to have an incredible
1:18
time this week in Yellowstone. As always, my
1:22
standard disclaimer, I might miss a few details
1:24
here and there, so feel free to reach out. I
1:27
also mention park locations very casually, so
1:29
if you're unfamiliar, jot them down, look them
1:31
up, or again, reach out to me. Also, this podcast
1:34
is a passion project. I'm not paid or sponsored.
1:37
If you enjoy it, I'd love a review or a quick
1:40
email. If you'd like to support my work further,
1:42
you can check out my guidebooks on hiking and
1:44
wildlife watching in Yellowstone, or you can
1:46
join me for a guided Yellowstone hiking tour.
1:49
For details, visit outdoor. or just reach out
1:53
to me directly. This week's Yellowstone news,
1:56
the government shutdown update. Alright, so this
2:00
information is current as of Wednesday afternoon
2:04
at 3 48 p .m. That's October 1st and that's when
2:09
I'm recording this. If there are major changes
2:11
in the next few days I'll consider releasing
2:13
a standalone episode to let you know what's going
2:15
on. Until then, this is all that I know. So the
2:20
Trump administration has ordered Department of
2:22
Interior to keep most national parks open to
2:25
visitors when the government shuts down, using
2:28
recreation fees to fund limited staff for essential
2:31
services such as trash collection, campground
2:34
operations, and law enforcement. Most of the
2:37
national parks service 16 ,000 employees would
2:39
be furloughed, leaving only a skeleton crew in
2:42
place. Parks with fee revenue would stay accessible,
2:46
so that includes Yellowstone. Now Zantera one
2:49
of the main operators of other things in the
2:52
park Put out this press release we have received
2:57
word from the US Park Service That the entrances
3:00
and roads in the Yellowstone National Park will
3:02
remain open and accessible during the government
3:04
shutdown This means that our lodges restaurants
3:07
gift shops restrooms and services will be open
3:10
and welcoming guests and visitors from around
3:12
the world government provided services that's
3:16
visitor centers, public restrooms, et cetera,
3:18
will not be available. Please note that our public
3:21
restrooms will be open and available. They wanted
3:24
you guys to know that. The National Park Service
3:26
will provide emergency services, but please be
3:29
very careful when venturing into the park. Now,
3:32
obviously, things can and will change, but all
3:34
of this is accurate as of Wednesday, October
3:36
1st, as of 3 .49pm Mountain Standard Time. So
3:42
if you do plan on visiting the park this week,
3:44
pack out all the trash you bring in. Bring your
3:47
own toilet paper, and do not leave trash or human
3:50
waste outside anywhere. Also, drive extremely
3:54
safely. There's going to be emergency services,
3:58
but those are very limited from what I've heard.
4:01
Also, if you're recreating outdoors in the park,
4:04
do not take any risks that are unnecessary. If
4:08
something happens to you, it will take a long
4:10
time and the infrastructure is going to be severely
4:14
limited for help. So just try to be as safe as
4:17
possible and don't do anything that you feel
4:21
would make the situation worse for anyone. If
4:25
I know anymore, I will let you guys know. Otherwise,
4:28
that's all I know as well. I got a thing from
4:31
the park because I'm a tour operator and they
4:33
were like, hey, do you still want to operate
4:35
during the shutdown? And I said, of course I
4:38
do. So if you're in the park this week and you
4:39
want to hike, let me know. Happy to hook you
4:42
up with a fun hike. My experience of the week.
4:46
Bears and bears in snow. Few things are as fun
4:49
to see in Yellowstone as a grizzly bear foraging
4:51
for food in the fall while heavy wet snowflakes
4:54
fall from above. With the weather forecast shaping
4:57
up to be a little dicey this weekend, coinciding
5:00
with some awesome bear watching possibilities,
5:03
my experience of that scene of bear in the snow
5:06
might happen for you. And if it doesn't, I apologize
5:09
for getting your hopes up. I think it's a cool
5:12
thing. So right now bear watching in the park
5:15
is really awesome. I was in the park on Monday
5:17
and I saw seven bears That's three grizzlies
5:20
and four black bears and I didn't enter the park
5:22
until nearly 11 a .m. And I left the park at
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530 p .m. I drove from Gardner to the mud volcano
5:28
area through Hayden Valley Then from there to
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Canyon and then over Dunraven Pass and then back
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to Mammoth Nearly everyone I talked to on the
5:37
short hikes or wildlife watching spots had similar
5:40
bear experiences as I did those who have been
5:43
in the park a few days were telling me that every
5:45
day was a bear extravaganza. I mean sure there
5:48
were some people who didn't see any bears but
5:50
I can only tell you what could happen and what
5:53
I had happen. So even a month ago the bears were
5:56
on the move maybe eating at a carcass or something
5:58
but generally if you saw them they were traveling
6:01
from point A to point B. Because bears are in
6:04
hyperphasia right now, gorging themselves to
6:06
prepare for winter, they tend to stick in one
6:08
area for quite a bit of time if there's a food
6:10
source. That's one of the reasons why bear sightings
6:14
right now seem to be so much more prevalent and
6:16
long lasting. If you drive to where I say in
6:19
my wildlife report later in this episode, you
6:22
have a good chance to see some bears. But for
6:25
now, I want to let you know that... This less
6:29
than ideal weather that's coming in this weekend
6:31
may actually give you a once in a lifetime bear
6:33
watching experience that will continue to be
6:36
remembered years after your trip. That is, of
6:38
course, seeing a bear in a snowstorm. While seeing
6:42
any animal in a snowstorm is super awesome, the
6:45
times I've seen a bear while it's snowing out
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are still somehow way cooler. This is coming
6:50
from a guy who watched a herd of elk looking
6:52
at the falling snow in the early fall and some
6:55
of the elk look like they were trying to catch
6:58
snowflakes in their mouth, and this wasn't Gardener.
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It's still a memorable moment, you know, but
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as memorable as that elk sighting was, seeing
7:07
a bear in falling snow, those moments still stand
7:10
out even more. And maybe it's because we expect
7:12
bears to hide in their dens when there's snow
7:14
outside, and maybe it's seeing snowflakes sticking
7:17
to the back of such a massive beast is just truly
7:20
cool. No matter what it is, the moment you see
7:24
a bear while it's snowing out, It's truly awesome.
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Now, if you can safely do it, search for wildlife
7:31
as it's snowing during your Yellowstone visit.
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You might see nothing, but you may come across
7:37
a bear or two digging for grubs or eating berries
7:40
off a branch as big flakes of snow fall all around
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it. I could go more into detail about this, but
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that's the experience I want you to have. That's
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the experience I want to have this week. If you
7:53
have that experience, let me know. If I have
7:55
it, you'll certainly hear about it. My tip of
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the week. Be prepared for a fall snowstorm in
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Yellowstone. If you've listened to podcasts this
8:05
far, which I don't know why you'd skip to just
8:08
this point, but you know it's going to be snowing.
8:12
More than likely this weekend. So temperatures
8:15
are dropping, precipitation is coming in, and
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everything I'm looking at says that the park
8:20
could see you know, an inch to three to five
8:24
inches of snow in certain places. And while that
8:26
forecast could change, it may not. So you better
8:30
be ready for what an early fall snowstorm will
8:32
bring to the region. For starters, expect that
8:35
the high roads in the park will close both in
8:38
and out of the park. They may not close. But
8:42
they might, and one should be ready for this
8:44
this time of the year anyway, especially with
8:46
potential for snow in the lower elevations in
8:48
the forecast as well. I live at 4 ,500 feet and
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there's a chance of snow here. The average park
8:54
elevation is around 7 ,000 feet. So Yellowstone
8:57
has three passes where roads go over 8 ,000 feet
9:00
above sea level. They're Craig Pass, which connects
9:03
Old Faithful to West Thumb, Sylvan Pass, which
9:06
leads to the east entrance from Fishing Bridge,
9:08
and Dunraven Pass, which connects Tower to Canyon.
9:11
Each of these passes is known to close in early
9:14
season snowstorms. It's very common Outside of
9:18
the park the Beartooth Highway crests just under
9:20
11 ,000 feet above sea level and the Chief Joseph
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Scenic Highway Rises to over 8 ,000 feet above
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sea level if it snows those roads will close
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Maybe not for a long time But if it does snow
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out of safety the remaining skeleton park staff
9:40
will close those roads. So next, when you're
9:44
in the park this time of the year, expect wet
9:45
snow. While snow storms in the winter dump inches
9:48
or feet of light and powdery snow in the area,
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these early season storms pummel us with wet
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and heavy snow, making driving in any vehicle
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extremely difficult if there's a decent accumulation
10:02
at all. You know, a half inch to an inch if it's
10:06
sticking to the road could cause slick conditions.
10:09
Each and every year, people assume their all
10:11
-wheel drive or four -wheel drive will be just
10:13
fine in this wet and heavy snow. That includes
10:16
locals every year. And each and every year, we
10:19
watch those cars speeding by end up in accidents.
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Drive slowly, even if you think you'll be fine
10:25
in the conditions. Better safe than sorry, especially,
10:29
again, with a potentially limited response time.
10:33
Clothing wise this week is gonna be tricky those
10:36
of you who enjoy the cold weather will love this
10:38
coming week I'm gonna love it. It's about time.
10:41
It's cold those of you visiting from cold climates
10:44
or from warm climates will find this to be very
10:48
cold I was talking the other day to somebody
10:50
from Arizona and they were telling me how cold
10:54
it was and it was like 62 and sunny and I was
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in shorts and a t -shirt and I looked at them
10:58
like they were crazy but you know that's because
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I like the cold weather and I'm from here but
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if you're from a warm place it's gonna feel very
11:06
very cold how cold low temperatures in and around
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the park could drop as low as the teens this
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coming week there are even pockets that could
11:15
possibly be hit around 10 degrees or single digits
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However, know that these cold temperatures are
11:21
going to creep well over 40 on the coldest of
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days. And by midweek, our highs are going to
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be almost 70. Out in West Yellowstone, if you're
11:30
staying there, lows are going to be in the 20s.
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But the highs will be in the 40s to 50s and then
11:36
60s as we get through this weekend. Because of
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that, bring layers, have a warm hat and gloves,
11:42
and be prepared to be cold in the mornings and
11:45
evenings. That way, you can accept the day for
11:48
what it is and just move on. Also, it might be
11:51
rainy or snowy. You know, if the temperature
11:54
is not warm or cold, it's going to be like a
11:58
wet, wet snow, heavy rain. So have a decent layer
12:02
of like water resistant or waterproof materials.
12:05
Also have good footwear with traction. You know
12:09
those little heat packets for hands and feet?
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Those are also a good idea to pick up. You know,
12:13
worst case, you don't use them, but best case,
12:15
you have warm hands and feet. Also, always bring
12:18
an extra pair of socks, extra clothes with you
12:21
when you head out, just in case you get absolutely
12:24
soaked, cold, whatever. Now the question most
12:27
ask is, what can I do if it's cold and rainy
12:30
or snowy outside when I visit the park? The answer
12:34
is simple. Be prepared and do most everything
12:37
you've planned on doing. The cold, wet, and possibly
12:41
snowy days are truly special out here and seeing
12:43
the first layer of snow on the trees, hills,
12:46
prairies, and mountains is stunning. One of my
12:48
favorite things to do after a snowstorm out here
12:51
during the fall is to then walk around especially
12:54
by those golden aspen and then those leaves that
12:57
have fallen are sitting on the white snow. And
13:00
as the clouds part and the blue sky brightens
13:03
the day, it's truly, truly stunning. Sure, you
13:07
may not be able to drive all the roads, but what
13:09
will be open will still be awesome, amazing,
13:12
and make for a memorable day in Yellowstone.
13:15
Finally, for those wondering how the animals
13:17
will be in the rain or snow, know that they'll
13:19
be just fine. In fact, they might be even more
13:22
active in this weather. The snow and cold will
13:25
help with an urgency the animals of the park
13:27
are feeling to get ready for winter, possibly
13:29
making them eat and roam for food even more than
13:32
on a warm sunny day. Plus, if enough snow does
13:35
fall, you'll be able to see the movement of the
13:38
park wildlife in the freshly fallen snow. I could
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talk about this all day, but these should serve
13:45
as a good first step in being ready for a park
13:47
visit with this autumn snowstorm. But if you
13:49
do have any questions beyond this, just reach
13:51
out to me and I'll do my best to help you further.
13:54
My random Yellowstone fact of the week. How big
13:57
is Yellowstone really? One thing people seem
14:01
shocked by when they visit Yellowstone is the
14:03
sheer size and scale of the park. When they look
14:06
at it a map at home to plan their trip, many
14:09
fail to comprehend the distances and times it'll
14:11
take to go from one spot to the next. Talked
14:13
about this before but I'm gonna try and break
14:15
it down a different way. So Yellowstone National
14:18
Park spans about 2 .2 million acres. It is, I
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think, the fifth largest national park in America,
14:26
and that is counting the national parks in Alaska.
14:29
So you're looking at a large landmass. Often
14:33
you hear it described as bigger than Delaware
14:35
and Rhode Island combined, and that comparison
14:37
is fine, but it's kind of meaningless to anyone
14:40
who doesn't know the size of Delaware. We also
14:43
all know that Rhode Island is a tiny state, so
14:46
using it to compare anything always seems to
14:49
diminish the size of Yellowstone. No offense,
14:52
Rhode Island, you just aren't that big. I also
14:56
heard people say that Yellowstone is comparable
14:58
to the size of the state of Connecticut, or roughly
15:01
half the size of New Jersey. It's also more than
15:05
60 times the size of New York City. That's not
15:08
just Manhattan, but the entire city. Describing
15:11
how big Yellowstone is often comes down to square
15:14
miles, which is 3 ,472. To break that down a
15:18
little bit, Yellowstone National Park measures
15:21
approximately 63 miles north to south and 54
15:24
miles east to west. When it comes to roads, Yellowstone
15:29
has 392 miles of paved road, longer than the
15:33
driving distance from New York City to Pittsburgh,
15:36
Pennsylvania. In total, there are over 450 miles
15:40
of road, including unpaved segments within the
15:42
park, and that's pretty much the same distance
15:45
as going from New York City to Cleveland, Ohio.
15:47
It's also the same number of miles as driving
15:50
from Atlanta to New Orleans and just shorter
15:54
than driving from Houston to Dallas and back.
15:57
I'm trying to put that regionally for people
15:58
to understand. The famous Grand Loop Road, a
16:02
figure eight shaped system connecting most of
16:05
the park's major sites, alone covers 142 miles.
16:10
Driving the entire loop without stopping can
16:13
take four to seven hours depending on traffic,
16:16
bison jams, or road work. For example, the distance
16:19
from Old Faithful in the park southwest to Mammoth
16:22
Hot Springs near the northern entrance is about
16:24
50 miles, but that's going to take you roughly
16:26
one and a half to two hours to drive. From West
16:29
Yellowstone to the lake, it's about 40 miles,
16:33
which is an hour's drive at best. With these
16:38
vast distances lie enormous natural features.
16:42
There's Yellowstone Lake, that's 132 square miles,
16:46
and that's the largest high elevation lake in
16:48
North America. Beneath the surface, the park
16:51
sits atop one of the world's largest active volcanoes,
16:53
the Yellowstone Caldera, which measures about
16:56
30 by 45 miles. And in the park's nearly 1 ,000
17:00
miles of hiking trails and 10 ,000 geothermal
17:05
features including 500 geysers, it becomes clear
17:09
that Yellowstone is not just a park that you
17:12
visit in a weekend, and it's a park that you
17:15
need a lot of time to experience. It's more wilderness
17:18
than the size of a small state, right? It's a
17:21
place where distances are measured not in miles,
17:24
but in time. and in experiences. Each corner
17:28
of the park has its own landscape, its own grandeur,
17:32
and its own wildlife experiences to be had. If
17:35
you're coming here thinking it's only going to
17:37
take a certain amount of minutes drive from point
17:39
A to point B, then you need to start rethinking
17:42
that trip as far as how you're scheduling your
17:46
time. It's not going to be as fast as you think
17:49
to drive around the park. Now hopefully that
17:52
helped if it didn't I will continue to think
17:55
of ways to explain how big Yellowstone is The
17:59
weather for the coming week Lamar Valley on Thursday
18:02
a high of 67 a low of 41 with an 8 % chance of
18:06
rain Friday high of 64 low of 38 71 % chance
18:11
of rain Saturday high of 46 low of 30 78 % chance
18:16
of rain could get up to a half inch of rain Sunday,
18:21
high of 41, low of 22, a 56 % chance of snow.
18:27
Monday, high of 48, low of 22, 7 % chance of
18:31
rain. Tuesday, 55 and 28, 6 % chance of rain.
18:36
And Wednesday, 59 and 29, 10 % chance of rain.
18:40
Gardner, Montana. Thursday, high of 71, low of
18:44
41, 24 % chance of rain. Most of that's in the
18:47
morning. Then by that evening, Expect some more
18:50
rain. Friday, high of 69, low of 39, 58 % chance
18:55
of rain. Saturday, high of 46, low of 31, 87
19:00
% chance of rain, again around a half an inch
19:02
is expected. And then Sunday, a high of 43, a
19:06
low of 24. 53 % chance of rain. Monday, 52 and
19:11
24, 7 % chance of rain. Tuesday, 59 and 28, 5
19:16
% chance of rain. And Wednesday, 64 and 31, 5
19:20
% chance of rain. West Yellowstone. Thursday,
19:24
highest 67, low at 36, 24 % chance of rain. Friday,
19:29
high of 65, low of 35, 68 % chance of rain. Saturday,
19:33
high of 46, low of 28, 78 % chance of rain, could
19:38
be about four tenths of an inch. Sunday, high
19:41
of 43, low of 20, 59 % chance of snow. Monday,
19:46
51, low of 19, 7 % chance of rain. Tuesday, 58
19:52
and 24, with a 7 % chance of rain. And Wednesday,
19:55
61 and 26. 5 % chance of rain. Cody, Wyoming.
20:00
Thursday, high of 78, low of 49. Friday, high
20:04
of 74, low of 50, 69 % chance of rain. Saturday,
20:09
high of 53, low of 40, 83 % chance of rain. And
20:13
this says 3 quarters of an inch of rain. Sunday,
20:16
high of 43, low of 34, 56 % chance of rain. Monday,
20:21
51 and 36, with a 6 % chance of rain. Tuesday,
20:25
high of 58, low of 40, with a 5 % chance of rain.
20:28
And Wednesday, 67 and 42, with a 3 % chance of
20:32
rain. Now normally I cut it off here, but for
20:35
fun, because we're getting to that fun time of
20:37
the year for me, I am going to pull up Cook City,
20:41
especially through this weekend. So, Cook City.
20:44
Thursday, high of 63, low of 43, 19 % chance
20:48
of rain. Friday, high of 61, low of 39, 69 %
20:52
chance of rain, about a quarter of an inch, and
20:54
it also has some thundershowers. Saturday, high
20:57
of 44, low of 29, 83 % chance of rain, 7 tenths
21:01
of an inch. Sunday, high of 37, low of 23, 57
21:06
% chance of getting at least one inch of snow.
21:09
Monday, High of 45, low of 24, 15 % chance of
21:13
rain. Tuesday, 52 and 30, 5 % chance. And Wednesday,
21:18
57 and 32, with a 19 % chance of rain. Like I
21:23
said, just wanted to bring Cook City in the mix.
21:25
So that is the weather. Expect rain and snow
21:27
this weekend, and then absolutely beautiful weather,
21:30
starting Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday especially.
21:34
The snowpack update is still not ready. Hopefully
21:37
it's going to be back in a few weeks, but we'll
21:39
see, fingers crossed. Road conditions. All major
21:43
roads and most side roads are open right now
21:45
in and around Yellowstone. This includes Dunraven
21:48
Pass and the Beartooth Highway. However, snowfall
21:50
this weekend could cause road closures. And with
21:54
a limited staff to potentially clear roads, if
21:58
it needs to be cleared, they may remain closed
22:01
for a few days. So if it starts dumping snow
22:04
on those areas and snows on Saturday or Friday
22:07
night, I wouldn't expect those to potentially
22:09
open up till Monday or Tuesday. Could be wrong,
22:12
but just plan on that just in case. Now, for
22:15
up to date information on the roads, you can
22:18
call 307 -344 -2117 for recorded information,
22:22
or you can do what we all do here and sign up
22:25
to receive the Yellowstone road alerts on your
22:27
cell phone by texting 82190 to the number 888
22:31
-777. Camping information. every campground in
22:36
the park that Is open is open. That's what I
22:40
wrote down. Sorry for the amazing things Indian
22:43
Creek Madison and Grant are closed. I Have not
22:47
gotten any word about the national park run campgrounds
22:52
for sure being open or closed I will try and
22:55
include that in the show notes if I hear anything
22:57
But if you have reservations for those this coming
23:01
week with the government shutdown, you may want
23:03
to reach out to me, I will do some digging if
23:08
needed, if you can't find that information online.
23:11
Now, if you are coming to the park, there are
23:13
numerous sites available this coming week. You
23:15
will not have a difficulty finding a campsite
23:18
because the weather is not going to be fun. And
23:21
also, it's late in the year. The Wildlife Watching
23:25
Update. Alright, long time listeners, what am
23:29
I going to say? Where am I going to tell you
23:30
to go? Slough Creek in Lamar Valley. Like, that's
23:34
your best bet. Right now, out by Lamar, wolf
23:37
watching has been, I would say hit and miss because
23:41
I heard some people didn't see wolves out there,
23:43
but I know it's been consistent early in the
23:45
morning with wolves. Very consistent, very good
23:49
sightings. Yes, they've been in the distance,
23:51
but it's great. I would go there. Also, if you
23:57
go out there, there's going to be a lot of grizzlies
23:59
out there. If you go down to Hayden, The wolves
24:04
have been spotted there off and on. I didn't
24:07
see them when I was there, but again I was in
24:08
the middle of the day. If you go down there,
24:12
just look for the scopes. Obviously don't look
24:15
in people's scopes unless they allow you to,
24:17
but look for people with scopes set up. It's
24:19
either going to be a bear or a pack of wolves
24:23
or something. Probably won't just be an elk or
24:25
anything like that. Elk -wise, saw a lot of elk,
24:28
especially north of the park. Also, Mammoth had
24:31
some roaming around, Gardener had some right
24:34
there, and then Madison River between West and
24:37
Madison Junction. Also heard some elk out by
24:42
the canyon area the other day. Bears are literally
24:47
everywhere, as I said before. Just go to Hayden,
24:51
drive over Dunraven if it's open. Go through,
24:55
you know drop down scan around through Little
24:58
America through Lamar all the way out toward
25:01
Cook City I've had also a lot of people ask me
25:03
about moose right now and I'm gonna tell them
25:05
tell you the same thing I told them if you're
25:07
headed to the park looking for moose Best of
25:10
luck. This is not the best time to see moose
25:13
If you do want to see them, you're gonna have
25:15
to head out toward Cook City. That's more dependable
25:18
However, Tetons are where it's at where the moose
25:21
sightings are going to be more prevalent Bighorn
25:24
sheep, I saw a few north of the park by Yellowstone
25:27
Hot Springs. I didn't see any in the park when
25:30
I drove through. That doesn't mean they weren't
25:32
there, especially out by like Calcite Springs
25:36
area. I did have a cool bear sighting at Calcite
25:39
Springs that I want to share about. I was at
25:41
Calcite Springs like I always do when I'm in
25:43
the park, just swinging by looking and I was
25:46
hoping to see some bighorn sheep. And people
25:49
were looking down, and I was like, oh cool, bighorn
25:51
sheep are there. And it was a black bear sow
25:54
with a, like, cub of the year, and they were
25:57
walking along the river. And if you know Calcite
25:59
Springs, you're looking down hundreds of feet,
26:01
and you can see the two bears right along the
26:03
river at the very base of the canyon. It's a
26:06
really cool experience. They stayed in view for
26:08
a few minutes. I enjoyed it thoroughly. If you
26:11
do get a chance to... Just drive around and the
26:15
weather is working for you. Like I said, bears
26:17
and snow is great. Also that Monday, I talked
26:20
about the weather being kind of less than ideal
26:22
and like Friday, Saturday, Sunday, that Monday
26:25
when it starts to clear up should be pretty good
26:28
for wildlife, especially if it's been kind of
26:31
like awful for the weekend because while animals
26:34
are active, they may just bed down for a bit
26:36
of time too. Once it gets clear and that snow
26:39
starts to melt animals are going to be active
26:41
again because like I said, there's that sense
26:43
of urgency so Drive the park that northern range
26:46
is still popping off. It is fantastic. That's
26:49
where I would go I didn't go last time and had
26:52
good luck, but I had luck I didn't have that
26:55
knowledge going in so you may have the same thing
26:58
I guess like I said Hayden Dunraven pass when
27:01
it's open if it's open Lamar Valley all of that.
27:04
It's fantastic that and You know put in the miles
27:07
you'll be rewarded if you need more detailed
27:09
things Reach out to me. You can also pick up
27:12
my wildlife watching guidebook. I break it down
27:14
mile by mile You can find that on my website,
27:16
but happy to help you if you reach out to me
27:19
I do get sometimes get inundated with emails
27:21
or I'm off the grid for a while, but I do try
27:24
and help out when I can All right a new segment.
27:28
I know this is a little longer of an episode,
27:30
but I have a new segment very quickly What is
27:33
closing this week? In Canyon, the bear spray
27:36
kiosks, the Canyon Lodge cabins both close on
27:39
October 4th. Canyon Post Office, October 6th.
27:42
Fishing Bridge has the Museum and Visitor Center
27:45
closed on the 4th. The Park Store closed on the
27:48
4th. Grant and West Thumb, the Grant Visitor
27:50
Lodge, the Grant Visitor Center, and the Grant
27:52
Park Store all close on the 4th. The Grant Village
27:56
Dining Room closed on the 5th, as does the Lodge
27:58
Gift Shop. And then the grant post office closes
28:01
on the 6th. However, with the government shutdown,
28:03
I think the post office is currently closed.
28:05
I'm not sure about that, though. Lake Village,
28:08
Lake Lodge Cabins close on the 4th. Lake Lodge
28:11
Hotel and Cabins close on the 4th. Lake Lodge
28:14
Cabins gift shop closes on the 5th. Wiley's Canteen
28:17
closes on the 5th. Lake Yellowstone Hotel Deli
28:21
and Dining Room closed on the 5th. And the Lake
28:24
Yellowstone Hotel gift shop closes on the 5th.
28:27
In Norris, the Norris Park Store and the Norris
28:30
Geyser Museum both close on the 4th. In Old Faithful,
28:34
the Old Faithful Lodge and Cabins close on the
28:36
4th. The Old Faithful Lodge, Cabins, Bake Shop,
28:39
Cafeteria, and Gift Shop closes on the 5th. Trail
28:43
Alerts and Updates The Turbid Lake Trail is still
28:46
closed and for those of you hoping to do the
28:48
Yellowstone River Overlook Trail, know the Yellowstone
28:51
River Picnic Area and the Specimen Ridge West
28:54
Trailhead are currently closed. You can still
28:57
hike this, but you just need to park at the pullouts
28:59
a quarter mile east to access Spetson and Ridge
29:02
Trail, which then you can meet up with that Yellowstone
29:05
River Picnic Area Trail. All the information
29:08
on trail conditions can be found on the Backcountry
29:10
Conditions page of Yellowstone National Park.
29:12
It isn't always updated, and it probably won't
29:14
be updated this week or however long the shutdown
29:17
starts, but the information on there is better
29:20
than going in without any knowledge. Again, like
29:22
I said with the wildlife report, if you need
29:25
any advice for a hike. I have a guidebook of
29:29
my favorite hikes in the region or you can reach
29:31
out to me directly. I want to make sure that
29:34
you have a good time. And yeah, my Trek of the
29:37
Week, a mountain summit in the snow. Now, the
29:41
forecast this weekend probably means snow in
29:44
the mountains, as I've talked about way too much
29:46
on this episode. Sorry, everybody. But like I
29:50
said, I'm excited. So if you're headed there
29:53
to the park this weekend, Don't go into the mountains
29:55
for a hike. Like, just wait. When it's snowing
29:59
and raining outside, stick to the lower boardwalks
30:01
and easier, flatter hikes. Norris Geyser Basin
30:04
or anywhere in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone,
30:06
after snow or during snow is a true treat and
30:09
shouldn't be missed. In fact, I should probably
30:11
recommend the canyon, any hike there, if it does
30:14
indeed snow this weekend. But I'm excited about
30:18
snow, so I want to talk about a summit. So I'm
30:21
going to bail on the canyon. Go to Canyon for
30:24
an easier day. Go to Norris. But if you want
30:27
a more wild day, here you go. Once the weekend
30:30
is over and things have calmed down weather -wise,
30:34
those of you who are active and the right kind
30:36
of crazy should consider hiking up a stunning,
30:39
snowy, possibly sunny, summit in the sky. Especially
30:43
the early days of the week. So, I'm recommending
30:46
Bunsen Peak. I love hiking up Bunsen after a
30:49
good fall snowstorm. The trail is pretty easy
30:51
to follow and it's short enough that you don't
30:54
feel like you're putting yourself in too much
30:55
danger. You'll get to potentially see the forests
30:58
out in the distance covered with snow from above
31:01
and see the higher peaks around you absolutely
31:03
draped with a much needed covering. The trail
31:06
also has the potential for some cool animal tracks
31:08
in the mud and snow in the early morning hours
31:10
and the direct sunlight the mountain receives
31:12
will possibly have the weakened snow melting
31:15
away by mid to late afternoon on Monday. Bunsen's
31:19
a great hike even without the potential for snow
31:21
but getting up that high with wintry weather
31:24
makes the usually mild to many hike feel that
31:27
much more fun and exciting. Plus times running
31:30
out for Bunsen. Anyway, this is the last time
31:32
I'm gonna mention it the road to the trailhead
31:35
for mammoths is scheduled to close for the winter
31:37
in about a month and If you haven't done it and
31:40
you just want to climb a mountain in Yellowstone
31:42
That is a cool volcano in itself. I would do
31:47
it. It is definitely worthwhile, especially like
31:49
that Monday after snow If I can that is where
31:53
I'm going to be Monday morning is going up that
31:56
in the wet snow and just having a blast it's
32:00
going to be cool it's going to be windy it's
32:02
going to be cold but it will be something that
32:04
will be truly memorable again and really just
32:07
this great experience again if you want something
32:09
easier though go to canyon hike any of those
32:12
rim trails especially like park at the brink
32:16
of the upper falls and then walk to the brink
32:18
of the lower falls and then to uh lookout point
32:22
that's kind of a fun little walk and you get
32:25
some really cool experiences there and with some
32:27
snow it'll be gorgeous now i'm gonna go back
32:32
to the wildlife report because i know i just
32:33
kind of rushed through it now i'm like all right
32:35
i'm at 32 minutes it doesn't matter if you're
32:38
listening you're listening The wolves right now
32:41
in Slough Creek and Lamar Valley have been very
32:43
good because they are just taking down elk and
32:45
stuff. There are definitely kills out there.
32:48
You can hear them howling. You can see them pretty
32:51
well from a distance. There's even a chance they'll
32:53
be crossing the roads. There's also grizzlies
32:55
out there trying to also be on those kills. It's
32:58
really good. And I know I talk about going to
33:01
Lamar all the time. As I let off with that wildlife
33:04
report, just kind of like, go to Lamar, you know
33:07
what I'm going to say, but it's just true. It's
33:10
fantastic. I did have a very scenic grizzly in
33:13
Hayden Valley, but that's not the norm for me
33:16
in Hayden. I don't have good Hayden luck. So
33:19
I saw more bears from Canyon and then to Mammoth
33:25
than I did in all of Hayden Valley. I didn't
33:28
go out to Lamar that day. But I am telling you,
33:31
if you really want wildlife, wake up early. You
33:34
know, even if it's a little snowy, drive very
33:36
safe, but you're going to have some really cool
33:38
things. And the one thing I didn't mention is
33:41
as great as it is to see bears in snow, which
33:44
I love. It's also pretty fun to see bison just
33:47
draped in snow. So if you get there early when
33:50
they've been sleeping and they're covered in
33:52
some snow. you're going to get some really cool
33:54
pictures you're going to get some really cool
33:55
views of bison just kind of upset that winter
33:58
is here and especially the look on those young
34:01
bison's face knowing like oh the good times are
34:03
over it's kind of memorable and priceless and
34:05
also a little sad but like it just shows how
34:08
quickly things change and how everything needs
34:10
to be gorging and fattening up with that again
34:14
if you need any wildlife advice any trip advice
34:18
right now especially with the Visitor centers
34:21
being shut down all of those resources being
34:23
gone. Don't hesitate to reach out to me at all.
34:26
I love it If you're listening this far, I will
34:30
give you a Number you can text. I may not be
34:34
great about responding right away. I will do
34:36
my best. The number is 406 -589 -1873 Text me
34:44
any questions you have shoot me an email Do whatever
34:48
you need to do for information I will happily
34:50
do my best to help you out. All I ask in return
34:53
is that if you like what I do, do all those things
34:55
that other podcasts tell you to do, you know,
34:58
rate, review, recommend. And if you really want
35:00
to support me, head over to outdoor -society
35:03
.com. Consider picking up an e -book, an e -guide
35:06
book. They're $10 right now. I ship them out
35:08
as soon as I get back into service. And that
35:11
means a lot to me just because it, you know,
35:13
helps keep the lights on here in the studio and
35:17
lets me know that what I'm doing is appreciated.
35:19
Also, just a nice message. You know, if you have
35:22
a good time in the park, let me know about it.
35:24
To the family that messaged me that they listened
35:27
last week after I recommended going out to Slough
35:30
Creek and they saw otters playing. Like, how
35:33
cool is that that you got to see otters? That
35:35
is so awesome. I've never seen an otter in Slough
35:38
Creek's first meadow. Like I am so envious and
35:41
so happy for you. To the people that reached
35:43
out hoping to find a bear months and months ago
35:45
with a trip with their mom and then they got
35:47
to see grizzly bears and black bears and all
35:49
these animals, I'm glad I could help you. For
35:52
everybody else that emails, there's so many of
35:54
you that reach out. Truly appreciate it. Thank
35:57
you so much for listening. I'll be back next
35:59
week telling you everything you need to know
36:01
to have yet again another amazing week in Yellowstone.
36:05
But until then, happy trails. Copyright 2025,
36:30
baby!