Latest / This Week in Yellowstone National Park / This Week in Yellowstone: September 18th to September 24th, 2025

Transcript

This Week in Yellowstone: September 18th to September 24th, 2025 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

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From Yellowstone National Park, where snow has
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returned to the high peaks of the area and we
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continue our inevitable march toward the snowy
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season, this is that Scott guy you know and love
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with a brand new episode of This Week in Yellowstone.
0:25
What's up everybody this week in Yellowstone
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National Park from September 18th through September
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24th 2025 I'll tell you about the parks trash
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problem briefly talk about the bear attack Tell
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you that time is running out for driving on a
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scenic road and share some other fun and interesting
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things I'll also give you the complete weather
0:46
forecast wildlife report the news and everything
0:49
else you need to have an incredible time this
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week in Yellowstone As always, my standard disclaimer,
0:55
I mention park locations very casually, so if
0:58
you're unfamiliar with anything I'm saying, write
1:00
it down, give it a quick search online, that
1:02
will definitely help you, or you can reach out
1:04
to me. Also, please know that this podcast is
1:07
a passion project. I'm not paid or sponsored,
1:10
but if you do enjoy this and you want to support
1:12
me, you can review it, you can send me a quick
1:15
email, or you can check out my guidebooks on
1:17
hiking and wildlife watching in Yellowstone,
1:20
or you can join me for a guided Yellowstone hiking
1:22
tour. For details on all of that, just go to
1:24
outdoor -society .com or reach out to me directly.
1:29
This week's Yellowstone news. Some weeks, there's
1:32
like no news. Others, there's quite a bit. This
1:34
is one of those middle ones. So the first story
1:37
I'm going to talk about is the most recent bear
1:39
attack. If you missed the news, a 29 -year -old
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man was seriously injured but not fatally on
1:44
the Turbid Lake Trail in Yellowstone after what
1:47
park officials say was likely a surprise encounter
1:49
with a bear. This trail is in the Pelican Valley
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bear management area, and you're allowed to hike
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in there as long as you're sticking on the trails.
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And it happened about two and a half miles from
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the Pelican Valley trailhead. The person used
2:03
bear spray but still suffered injuries to his
2:05
chest and left arm, and it's not yet confirmed
2:08
whether the attacking black bear was a grizzly,
2:10
but wildlife staff believe it's probably a grizzly
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based on where the location is. So the Turbid
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Lake Trail is now closed until further notice.
2:19
National Park Service says there will be no action
2:22
taken against the bear since the encounter was
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defensive. This is the only bear injury incident
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in Yellowstone for 2025 and the first bear human
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in over four years. Now the Turbid Lake Trail
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is one that I have done. I've done most of the
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trails in the park and it is a heavy bear area.
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It's also near a lot of the areas where earlier
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this spring I was saying you know like maybe
2:47
don't hike here or the park may have it closed
2:49
for bear activity. This is that same area so
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it's likely the same bear that closed a few of
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the trails in that place earlier this year. however
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you know it is bear hyperphasia season as i've
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talked about and bears are eating a lot and are
3:05
very defensive of food sources so if you're going
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hiking make a lot of noise try not to hike alone
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but if you are hiking again alone make a lot
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of noise and always carry bear spray and always
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let people know where you're going Second news
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story, hold on to your hats. So you probably
3:23
saw this already, but there are headlines all
3:25
over the place about how Yellowstone staff removed
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more than 300 hats from the thermal areas this
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year. Well, there's more to this story as the
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Cowboy Daily, the Cowboy State Daily talked about
3:35
in their article titled, More than 13 ,000 pieces
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of garbage removed from Yellowstone thermal areas.
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And that was from September 13th, 2025. I'll
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summarize that quickly if you don't feel like
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reading it. Yellowstone's hydrothermal areas
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are getting a serious cleanup. This year, more
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than 13 ,000 pieces of trash have been removed,
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including everything from pizza boxes and hats
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to even a Birkenstock sandal. That includes over
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300 hats alone, with some items blown in by the
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wind and others just left by visitors. The geologic
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team cleaning these are covering the hot springs
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and geyser basins, and they've logged a total
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of over 1 ,300 miles of boardwalks and trails.
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and they've driven 11 ,000 miles to reach all
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of this mess. I that those numbers are staggering.
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So yeah, so these features that they're cleaning
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aren't just pretty, they're extremely fragile.
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So trash disrupts how they function, especially
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in place like morning glory pool, which used
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to kind of get a lot of things tossed in it.
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And it's lost some of its original vibrant color
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because debris blocked the underground flow and
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it changed the water temperature. So if you're
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visiting Yellowstone, pack out what you pack
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in. Keep a tight grip on your hat. Put all the
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garbage in your car in a garbage bag before you
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open your door just in case it's windy. Don't
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leave anything out there. That includes toilet
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paper if you're gonna pee or poo in the woods.
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Take that out. Don't just leave it and bury it.
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It's disgusting and doesn't decompose well. Please
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help protect what makes the park so magical.
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The last new story, there is a new east entrance
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webcam. So with absolutely zero fanfare, Yellowstone
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National Park webcam webpage has a new camera.
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For the first time, and I think this is true
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as I don't recall it being an active camera before,
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you can now see both directions at the east entrance
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gate. Previously, webcams on the park were at
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Old Faithful, Mount Washburn, Mammoth, the west
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entrance, and the north entrance. There is also
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occasionally a webcam looking at the lake that
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is sometimes linked on the main... Park website,
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but that's becoming harder to find. So why should
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you care about this webcam? You probably shouldn't
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unless you enjoy looking at both directions from
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the east entrance station like I do I check the
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webcams often usually to monitor the lines of
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the entrance gates and This new webcam at the
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east entrance will help me tell you what time
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that gate is most busy So in the long run, it's
6:01
good. Hopefully it stays up for a while But who
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knows webcams in national parks pop up and come
6:07
down all the time my experience of the week You
6:11
have a few more weeks for the Beartooth Highway.
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So in case you didn't hear, it snowed in the
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higher elevations around Yellowstone National
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Park this past week, or as my partner puts it,
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the mountains just put on a little bit of clothes
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after a summer of nakedness. While this round
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of snow isn't going to stick around for months
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on end, the September snow shower is a great
6:31
reminder that time is running out on a lot of
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cool experiences in and around Yellowstone. That's
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why this week... I'm strongly suggesting you
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plan your trip over the Beartooth Highway before
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it closes for the year. I've talked about the
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Beartooth Highway a few times this year. Check
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out the July 31st to August 6th episode or the
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June 5th to June 11th episode for a lot more
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information on that. Briefly though, the Beartooth
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Highway is a drive that captures the wild beauty
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of the Greater Yellowstone region. Winding up
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and over nearly 11 ,000 feet above sea level,
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surrounded by alpine lakes, there's tundra -like
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plateaus, and jagged mountain peaks in all directions.
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Because of that, this stretch of highway is often
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called the most beautiful drive in America. And
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if you've been meaning to check it off your list
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this year, or check it out, here's your reminder
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that time is running out. Each year the Montana
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and Wyoming Departments of Transportation do
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their best to keep the highway open through September.
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Sometimes with the weather as kind, you'll still
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be able to drive it into early or mid -October.
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But closures can happen suddenly with little
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notice. The smallest amount of snow and ice can
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make this road extremely dangerous. The exact
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date of when the highway closes changes from
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year to year, but the reality is that once snow
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starts to settle in, In the region, every day
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is borrowed time. So driving the Beartooth in
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late September has its own kind of magic. The
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crowds of summer have thinned, so you'll have
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overlooks and trailheads mostly to yourself.
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Even lakeside views that are usually popular.
8:09
You may be able to sit at Beartooth Lake for
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hours on end by yourself. The air is crisp. The
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sky seems sharper and bluer, and patches of golden
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aspen brighten the valleys far below. If you're
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lucky, you still might spot mountain goats picking
8:23
their way across the rocky cliffs, or marmots
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or picas squeaking from the talus slopes, doing
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all they can to gather food and everything for
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hibernation. If you're a photographer, the low
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sun and shifting weather help this dramatic light
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appear, and it makes the jaw -dropping scenery
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even more memorable. But the same things that
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make it beautiful also make it unpredictable
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the weather changes fast You can start in sunshine
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in Red Lodge or Cook City and drive straight
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into a snow squall at the summit Temperatures
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drop quickly at 10 ,000 feet obviously so even
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if it's 60 degrees down in the valleys It could
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be freezing or lower up top So if you're driving
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it bring layers check the forecast before you
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go and don't be surprised if you need a jacket
9:10
long pants, hat, and gloves. One of the best
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things about driving it in this late season is
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the sense of urgency one feels. It's a fleeting
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moment where you know you're just having to rush
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through kind of. It's like you're getting in
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on a secret before a long winter sets in. By
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mid -October, deep snow usually buries the highway
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and it won't open again until around Memorial
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Day next year. That's about seven months where
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this high -altitude wonderland is completely
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out of reach by car. So if you're visiting Elson
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this week or soon and the Beartooth has been
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on your list, or if you've been saying maybe
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next weekend I'll do it all summer long, this
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is the time. Grab a friend, grab your family,
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pack a thermos of coffee or cocoa, and hit the
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road before the snow closes the gates. So how
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do you check the conditions of the road before
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you go? You can reach out to me. You can check
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online and the best places online you can go
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to are the Montana Department of Transportation
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and the Wyoming Department of Transportation.
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Both of these sites provide real -time updates.
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They're not the most user -friendly, but you'll
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be able to find the information with a little
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bit of clicking around. A quick check before
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you hit the road can save you from a long detour
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or worse, getting caught in dangerous conditions.
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So your window is closing fast, please don't
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wait too long, the mountains are already whispering
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that winter is on its way, and once the snow
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sticks for good, the Beartooth Highway goes quiet
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to the masses until next year. My tip of the
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week. Sunset at Old Faithful. This week I could
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keep saying to go and watch the elk rut around
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Madison or in Mammoth like I have the last few
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weeks, but I wanted to change up the pace a bit.
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This week, I'm hoping you'll go and take the
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time to enjoy a sunset at Old Faithful. So, a
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little bit of a trigger warning here, I'm gonna
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talk about something a little depressing, but
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it's worth it, I think. Anyway, you get to know
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me more. So, years ago, I witnessed a death in
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Yellowstone and was extremely shaken up about
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it, as one should be. For a few days, I wandered
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the park and I was numb and in a daze. I'd go
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to Canyon, but I could still hear the screams.
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I could go watch for wolves, but each time I
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closed my eyes, I saw the blood. I was unsure
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if I could ever enjoy the park again. On a whim
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during that time, I went to Old Faithful one
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late September afternoon and sat on one of the
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mostly empty boardwalk benches. The sun was setting,
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a few clouds rolled in, and the majestic geyser
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erupted with hot water as the clouds above me
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erupted with hues of pink. It was then and then
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alone that I started to let the events I witnessed
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go, and I started to focus on the moment in the
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park. While you probably will never go through
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things that terrible in the park, I strongly
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encourage you to head to Old Faithful for a sunset
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eruption. The moment, especially with a Christmas
12:16
in the air and an earlier sunset, brings perspective
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on a whole lot of things. Life is hectic. The
12:23
world is stressful and worrisome. But a sunset
12:26
at Old Faithful is a moment in the here and now.
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It's an experience that hopefully calms a racing
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mind, gives one a last breathtaking moment to
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a great trip in the park, or is one more memory
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with a loved one. Maybe it's just one more thing
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to check off your list. It doesn't matter. What
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matters is that you carve out a chunk of time
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in your evening and make a sunset eruption happen.
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Sunset this week is around 730 p .m. and last
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light is a little before 8. So if you're in Old
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Faithful, in that area, an eruption is scheduled
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between 645 and 8, please stay. If you don't
13:05
enjoy it, I don't want to hear about it. You
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still have an opportunity to see the geyser erupt
13:10
and have an evening at Old Faithful. There are
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a lot of people who wish they could have that
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experience, so appreciate it even if it may not
13:17
be your thing. And now we shift gears with a
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random Yellowstone fact of the week. So here
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is a brief history of Gardner, Montana. Gardner,
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Montana has long been a gathering place, not
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just for trappers, settlers, and tourists, but
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for indigenous people who lived, traveled, and
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hunted in this valley for thousands of years
13:37
before Yellowstone became a national park. The
13:40
area at the confluence of the Yellowstone and
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Gardner rivers was part of the traditional homelands
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of the Crow, Shoshone, Bannock, Blackfeet, and
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other tribes. To them, these valleys and mountains
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weren't just beautiful backdrops. They were full
13:53
of resources, stories, and spiritual meaning.
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Yellowstone River was a lifeline, and nearby
14:00
passes served as important travel corridors.
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Even today, tribal nations maintain strong cultural
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and spiritual ties to the Gardiner Basin and
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Yellowstone. The first waves of outsiders to
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pass through came in the early 1800s. Fur trappers,
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men like Johnson Gardner, who worked at the region
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in the 1830s, moved into this rich valley, and
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the place became known as Gardner's Hole. Later,
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mountain men and explorers like Jim Bridger followed,
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and soon the region was firmly on Euro -American
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maps. But it's important to remember that these
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newcomers were stepping into landscape already
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full of deep indigenous history. By the 1870s,
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the town that would become Gardner started to
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take shape. Entrepreneurs like James McCarthy
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and H .R. Hoare set up bathhouses and simple
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lodging near the hot springs just inside the
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park boundary, trying to cash in on the growing
14:57
curiosity about Yellowstone's wonders. When a
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post office was established in 1880, Gardner
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officially had its start. Life here though was
15:06
about as wild as the Wild West gets. Saloons
15:09
and gambling halls thrived and for years the
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town didn't even have a jail. When one was finally
15:14
built, it burnt down in 1898. Gardner's fortunes
15:18
changed dramatically with the arrival of the
15:21
railroad. In 1883, the Northern Pacific Railway
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extended its line to nearby Cinnabar, and in
15:27
1903, the tracks reached directly into Gardner.
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Suddenly, trainloads of tourists were spilling
15:33
out onto the streets, eager to start their Yellowstone
15:37
adventure. Architect Robert Reamer, who designed
15:40
the Old Faithful Inn, also designed Gardner's
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Depot. Though passenger trains stopped running
15:46
here in 1948, the railroad helped put Gardner
15:50
firmly on the map as Yellowstone's northern gateway.
15:54
The same year, 1903, brought another defining
15:57
moment, the construction of the Roosevelt Arch.
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President Theodore Roosevelt, visiting the park
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on a hunting trip, laid the cornerstone in a
16:05
public ceremony. Its inscription, For the Benefit
16:08
and Enjoyment of the People, captured the vision
16:11
of national parks, and gave Gardner one of the
16:13
most photographed landmarks in the region. Over
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the years, Gardner has seen its shares of up
16:18
and downs. Buyers destroyed buildings, businesses
16:21
shifted, and the community had to continually
16:24
adapt to the changing waves of tourism. But some
16:27
traditions stuck. Parks Fly Shop, opened in 1953
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by Merton Parks, remains a family -owned fixture
16:35
and speaks to the town's long -standing connection
16:37
with fishing and the Yellowstone River. Today,
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Gardner is home to about 800 year -round residents,
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making it small in size but huge and important.
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It's the only Yellowstone gateway open to vehicles
16:51
year -round thanks to the relatively mild winters
16:54
of the Northern Range. Its location, right on
16:57
the park boundary, means that restaurants, motels,
17:00
and shops sit shoulder -to -shoulder with Yellowstone's
17:04
wildlife and landscapes. Elk wander down Main
17:07
Street all the time, and from a cafe window in
17:10
town you might spot pronghorn or even a bear
17:13
just outside of town. What makes Gardner so special
17:17
is that its history is layered. Indigenous peoples
17:20
laid the foundation with centuries of use and
17:22
cultural ties. Trappers and settlers added their
17:26
chapter with fur trading and frontier survival,
17:28
then entrepreneurs and railroad companies turned
17:30
it into a tourism hub, and generations of locals
17:33
have worked to balance that booming visitation
17:36
with a strong community. Gardner has always been
17:40
about connection, to the rivers that converge
17:43
here, to the park that draws millions, and to
17:46
the people who've just visited for countless
17:50
generations. Gardner remains not just a gateway
17:53
into Yellowstone, but a living community with
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a story as rich and complex as the park itself.
18:00
The weather for the coming week. Lamar Valley.
18:05
Thursday is going to be 70, low at 35. Friday
18:08
is going to be 72, a low of 38. Saturday is going
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to be 72 and a low of 39 with about a 15 % chance
18:15
of rain. Then Sunday is going to be 65 and 38.
18:20
expect about a quarter inch of rain and snow
18:23
in the higher elevations. On Monday, it's going
18:26
to dry out a little bit once we get in the afternoon.
18:29
A high of 65, a low of 34. Tuesday, high of 74,
18:34
low of 37. Wednesday, 75 and 41. The weather
18:40
for Gardner, Montana. Thursday, high of 75, low
18:44
of 37. Friday 77 and 40 Saturday 77 and 42 with
18:49
a 15 % chance of rain Sunday 70 and 40 with a
18:54
49 % chance of rain so expect rain that day Monday
18:58
high of 69 low of 38 21 % chance of rain largely
19:02
in the morning Tuesday 79 and 41 and Wednesday
19:07
80 and 44 the weather for West Yellowstone Thursday,
19:12
highest 71, low of 31. Friday, highest 73, low
19:16
of 35. Saturday, highest 73, low of 38. Sunday,
19:21
a high of 66 and a low of 35. Highest 66, low
19:26
of 35. With a 39 % chance of rain. Monday, highest
19:31
66, low of 31. Tuesday, highest 75, low of 35.
19:36
And Wednesday, highest 76, low of 38. Finally
19:40
we have the weather for Cody Wyoming on Thursday
19:43
a highest 74 a low of 49 Friday 76 and 51 Sun
19:49
Saturday 79 and 54 Sunday 78 and 51 with a 23
19:54
% chance of rain Monday 71 and 49 with a 24 %
19:59
chance of rain Tuesday 79 and 51 and Wednesday
20:03
82 and 55 so if you want warmer weather East
20:07
of the park is where that's going to be happening.
20:10
The road conditions. So currently all major roads
20:13
and most side roads in Yellowstone National Park
20:16
are open. This includes the Beartooth Highway,
20:19
but I would wager that there is a chance the
20:22
Beartooth Highway closes on Sunday night and
20:26
maybe Sunday during the day into Monday morning.
20:29
It's going to be cold and snowy there. so could
20:33
close could not be prepared for that if the weather
20:35
shifts at all craig pass that south of old faithful
20:39
could close and sylvan pass out towards the east
20:41
entrance could also close that's if the weather
20:43
shifts currently doesn't look that way but that
20:46
storm is a little bit out and you never know
20:49
with long -term forecasts so definitely um Sign
20:54
up for text alerts if you can if when you're
20:57
visiting you won't get those in the park But
20:59
you will get them when you're outside the park
21:01
with service and you can text eight two one nine
21:04
zero To the number eight eight eight seven seven
21:07
seven you can also stop by ranger stations They'll
21:10
have the weather or you can also call three zero
21:13
seven three four four two one one seven for recorded
21:17
information about the roads Camping information
21:21
Campgrounds are still open except for Indian
21:24
Creek. Things are starting to close a lot more
21:26
I was gonna put together a whole long list of
21:30
closures this week But life has happened if you
21:33
need to know if something is open and closed
21:35
I have provided a link in the show notes That
21:38
will tell you what is open and what is closed
21:40
in the park right now So right now there is just
21:43
a bear extravaganza going on all around the park.
21:46
There's been bear sighted by Canyon There's been
21:49
bear sighted in Hayden Valley. There's been bear
21:51
sighted out the East entrance road and over Dunraven
21:54
Pass. And there has been a ton of bears out by
21:57
Slough Creek and Lamar Valley. If you're looking
21:59
for bears, they're active right now. Put in the
22:03
time. Go to those places. I just said I would
22:05
start with Slough Creek and Lamar Valley. Honestly,
22:07
they might be far in the distance, but I usually
22:10
have good luck driving from Mammoth to that area
22:12
early in the morning. And those are usually like
22:15
bears crossing the road in front of me or walking
22:17
next to the road that also happens later in the
22:20
evening Wolf wise I haven't heard a lot of good
22:22
wolf reports from Hayden Valley recently doesn't
22:25
mean it's not gonna happen But the better wolf
22:28
watching right now is off in the distance out
22:30
by Slough Creek as always That's kind of where
22:33
I've been recommending all year because that's
22:35
been just a show all year bison everywhere Elk
22:41
Madison area out to West Yellowstone old faithful
22:45
even down in West thumb. There's some good elk
22:47
and Then pronghorn are starting to leave the
22:50
park migratory birds are also starting to leave
22:53
the park right now not in full force but just
22:56
slowly trickling out and then bighorn sheep are
23:00
decently visible every so often if you go to
23:03
calcite springs and look on the bluff I haven't
23:06
seen any down but they've been up on the bluff
23:07
walking around there also at the east entrance
23:10
and a few of them have been hanging out north
23:13
of the park near Yankee Gym Canyon and places
23:17
like that even out toward Tom Miner also mention
23:21
Tom Miner for bears listen to that episode it
23:24
was last week's episode if you want to know more
23:26
about that generally it's a good wildlife watching
23:29
time you're gonna the colder temperatures are
23:31
gonna help and you're gonna want to put in some
23:34
miles if you really want to have good sightings
23:36
so if you want more information I have a guidebook
23:39
that I have broken down my seasons and sections
23:41
of the road for wildlife watching or you can
23:44
reach out to me if you see anything cool and
23:46
want me to know about it please reach out to
23:47
me I really appreciate when people do that Trail
23:51
alerts and updates. Currently, as of the time
23:54
of this recording, all trails that are supposed
23:55
to be open in the park are open, except for that
23:58
Turbid Lake Trail and Pelican Valley, like that
24:00
area. Just avoid that area. Also, I've been getting
24:03
some emails from people asking what trails can
24:06
I go hike to to see bears that no one else can
24:09
see? I do know of some. I'm not going to share
24:12
that information, not because I'm a gatekeeper,
24:15
but because it's unsafe. If you're hiking specifically
24:18
to find bears right now, it means you're hiking
24:21
to areas that have a food source that bears are
24:25
eating heavily and are protective of. Not going
24:29
to send anybody out there. So if you want to
24:31
see bears, go to the places I mentioned in the
24:34
wildlife report, or you may get lucky elsewhere,
24:36
but I'm not going to be sharing specific trails
24:39
to see bears. Also, all the information on trail
24:43
conditions, including these closures, can be
24:46
found on the Backcountry Conditions page of Yellowstone
24:48
National Park. My truck of the week. Mystic Falls
24:53
and a distant view of Old Faithful. If you're
24:56
looking for a hike in Yellowstone that combines
24:57
waterfalls, forests, and is currently one of
25:00
the secret views of Old Faithful, the Mystic
25:04
Falls Trail is tough to beat. It's a moderate
25:07
4ish mile round trip hike with around 600 feet
25:09
of elevation gain that starts just north of Old
25:12
Faithful near Biscuit Basin. Now normally you'd
25:15
kick things off on this trail by hiking through
25:18
the Biscuit Basin boardwalk, but as we know,
25:21
that area is closed because of that huge explosion
25:24
at Black Diamond Pool. The boardwalk and the
25:27
parking lot are closed, so that means in order
25:30
to hike Mystic Falls, you're going to need to
25:32
keep an eye on park updates and start the trail
25:35
from a nearby pull -out or alternative access
25:37
point. Currently the route for this trail is
25:42
just south of that Biscuit Basin parking area.
25:45
It's by the Upper Geyser Basin Biscuit Basin
25:48
Trail and like I said just south of that Biscuit
25:50
Basin area. Once you're on the path The hike
25:54
pretty is pretty simple it eases you in you're
25:58
gonna hike through a creek area And then you're
26:00
gonna hit a lodgepole pine forest West of biscuit
26:04
basin you're gonna follow the little firehole
26:07
river Here wildlife is always a possibility.
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There's gonna be some songbirds still there I've
26:14
been seeing Rocky Mountain bluebirds still hang
26:15
out and that's really cool Squirrels are going
26:19
to be everywhere too, darting around, and because
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this is Yellowstone, there's always a chance
26:23
of spotting large animals like bison, elk, or
26:25
even a bear. A little over a mile in, you're
26:29
going to hear Mystic Falls before you see it.
26:32
The waterfall drops about 70 feet from the Madison
26:35
Plateau into a rocky canyon, and the spray and
26:38
roar are a welcome reward after that forest walk.
26:42
Most hikers actually stop here. And honestly,
26:45
it's already a beautiful destination. There's
26:47
cool mist in the air, there's some steam rising,
26:50
and the river bubbles, you know, with cliffs
26:52
framing the whole scene. It's gorgeous. But that's
26:56
only one part. If you have the energy, the trail
26:59
gets even better. Just past the falls, there's
27:02
a spur trail that climbs steeply up a set of
27:05
switchbacks to a ridge. This section isn't long,
27:08
but it's gonna get your heart pumping as you're
27:10
at elevation. As you climb, the trees open up,
27:13
and soon you're standing on a high overlook with
27:15
a panoramic view of the upper geyser basin. On
27:19
a clear day, you'll be able to see Old Faithful
27:25
erupting in the distance, along with the other
27:27
geysers sending steam plumes skyward. It's one
27:31
of those Yellowstone moments that feels almost
27:33
unreal. You're far from the crowds perched up
27:36
on a basin on a kind of cliffside Watching the
27:39
world's most famous geyser do its thing way off
27:42
in the distance and no one knows you're there.
27:45
It's really cool From that viewpoint you can
27:48
either hike back down the way you came to Mystic
27:51
Falls Or you can continue along that same trail
27:54
Makes it a little longer and swings back down
27:56
toward Biscuit Basin and then hits that junction
27:59
with the trail that you took to get there The
28:02
whole hike offers a mix of scenery, creekside
28:05
paths, forest shade, burned hillsides still in
28:07
recovery, and wide open overlooks. It should
28:11
take you a couple hours and a little extra effort,
28:14
but you're going to get a waterfall, a unique
28:16
view of Old Faithful, and a real taste of Yellowstone's
28:19
backcountry without straying too far from the
28:21
road. Because of the biscuit base enclosure,
28:24
conditions are a little different right now than
28:26
in previous years, but the trail is still very
28:29
much worth doing. when it's accessible. Make
28:31
sure it's accessible before you go. Pack water,
28:34
carry bear spray, and have it accessible. Give
28:37
yourself time for the overlooked climb, and most
28:40
of all, slow down at the falls. Slow down at
28:43
the viewpoint. Soak it all in. Mystic Falls isn't
28:46
the longest or hardest hike in the park, but
28:48
it's one of those rare ones where those looking
28:51
for something amazing will find something. Alright,
28:57
that is the end of this week's episode and next
28:59
week's episode. I return with all the information
29:01
you need to have a good week in the park, including
29:04
wildlife, weather, and trail updates. Until then,
29:09
happy trails! This week in Yellowstone is brought
29:22
to you by the Outdoor Society because that's
29:24
my company and that's where this is hosted. There
29:27
are no sponsors. This is a labor of love, so
29:29
thank you all for listening. Copyright 2025,
29:33
baby!