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This Week in Yellowstone: January 1st to January 7th, 2026 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

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From Yellowstone National Park, where snow is
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piling up, the moose are out, and winter is officially
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here in the new year, this is that Scott guy
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you know and love with a brand new episode of
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This Week in Yellowstone. Happy New Year everybody!
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This week in Yellowstone National Park from January
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1st to January 7th, 2026, I'll share one of my
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favorite winter snowshoe destinations, tell you
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to go off the beaten path safely, and let you
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know how many wolves are in the park. I'll also
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describe what the park is like in January so
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you can be ready for your trip. I'll also give
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you the complete weather forecast, the snowpack
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update, the wildlife report, and everything else
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you need to have an incredible time this week
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in Yellowstone. It's a new year, but I have my
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standard disclaimer. I may miss a few details,
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so reach out to me if you have any questions.
1:01
I also mention park locations extremely casually,
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so if you're unfamiliar with where I'm talking
1:06
about, a quick Google search can help or whatever
1:09
web browser you like, and you can also, like
1:12
I said, reach out to me. Please know that this
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report only covers the drivable areas of the
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park. Also, this podcast is a passion project.
1:22
If you enjoy it, I'd love a review or a quick
1:24
email. If you want to support my work, check
1:26
out my hiking and wildlife watching guidebooks
1:28
or join me for a guided hiking tour in Yellowstone's
1:31
backcountry. I also do snowshoe tours and I'm
1:34
currently pretty open in February. For more information
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on anything I just said, visit outdoor -society
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.com or contact me directly. This week's Yellowstone
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news. Guide vehicles stopping in the road. That's
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the headline. Over the holiday season, an article
1:51
came out from a Wyoming newspaper talking about
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a guide service stopping on the road for wildlife
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viewing. They'd stop on the road and then let
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their passengers out in the middle of the road.
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The incident was first discussed on a Facebook
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page from an anonymous poster. So, you know,
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it quickly spiraled into a cesspool of finger
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pointing, blaming and over the top insults and
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rhetoric. Why the newspaper decided to report
2:12
on this is anyone's guess. It's because negativity
2:16
drives engagement and engagement fuels add revenue.
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But that's not that's not what we're talking
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about. Now, why am I talking about this now?
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That's more important. Plain and simple, blaming
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one guide service over another for stopping in
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the road is silly. Every driving tour company
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I have seen operating the park has violated this
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rule dozens of times a year. And same with the
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hundreds of photographers with permits to operate
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in the park. Well, it is true that I went on
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a small rant or three last year about stopping
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on the road, I also gave away to report the behavior
2:49
and try to not single anybody out. Stopping on
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the road is going to happen. It is inevitable.
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However, we can all work better to make sure
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we're not the ones doing it. Never stop on the
3:00
road. Always use pullouts and be the park visitor
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you want others to be. Lead by example. Also,
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if you do see a guide company stopping in the
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road, this is why mentioning this. Report them.
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Take a picture of their vehicle and license plate,
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document the location, time, and date, and let
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a ranger at the visitor center know. The company
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will probably be lectured by the park, and if
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they continue to do these bad behaviors, they
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may lose their operating license. You can report
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anybody for any rural violations in the park.
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However, reporting tour companies will help everything
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get better. Tour companies have this ability
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to kind of set the tone of how other people should
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behave in the park. And when tour companies are
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doing a bad job of behaving in the park, more
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people are going to misbehave in the park as
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well. It's kind of this, you know, spiral of,
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well, if they're doing it, I can do it. And then
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everyone starts doing it. I'm mentioning this
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finally because it is something that I talk about
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a lot. Don't stop in the road Slow down if you
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can if there's no cars around But otherwise if
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you see an animal and there's cars all around
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you keep driving find a pullout and that will
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be that That's so you know starting the year
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off positive. I'm sorry. I'm sorry everybody
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I didn't really want to but I saw this and it
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was one of those Articles that just had to be
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talked about briefly because it took off like
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wildfire My experience of the week much more
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positive much more magical and wonderful It's
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honestly one of my favorite things to do when
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I'm in the park I do it all the time Especially
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in the winter because that's the best time to
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do it So there are so many awesome and unique
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places in Yellowstone that the majority of visitors
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have no idea of their existence It's one of the
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reasons I started this podcast is to share these
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things. It's the reason I write books It's the
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reason I'm a guide in the park Now my experience
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of the week is one of these spots Before I share
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how to get there, I want to make one thing very
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clear. This is not a secret spot at all. It's
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just one of those places that's not on the map
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or flyer you get when entering the park, which
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is why it's largely overlooked. Also, this experience
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does require you to get out of the car and into
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the cold, so do not attempt it unless you have
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good clothing for an hour or so outside and warm
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socks and durable winter boots. Now that we got
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all that out of the way, this week I'm hoping
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to convince you to go out to Pebble Creek Canyon.
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Located a short trek in the snow from the old
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Pebble Creek campground, this adventure leads
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you into frigid and frozen canyon, showing off
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huge rock walls, cool ice features, some animal
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tracks in the snow, and a hidden cave. To reach
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the cave and back from the pit toilet parking
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area at Pebble Creek, you'll travel a mile total
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and gain around 75 feet in elevation. It's mostly
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flat, it's pretty easy, and if you have good
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shoes and everything is frozen, it's a blast.
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You may want trekking poles or traction devices
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just in case. So once you've parked and layered
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up, walk around the gate to the campground, and
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there should be a beaten down and decently traveled
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path in the snow to follow. Like I said, this
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isn't a secret place. Yellowstone Forever takes
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groups there all the time. It's kind of fun to
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go there after they're leaving because they've
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done a brilliant job of marking the trail and
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beating it down and you can actually walk it
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in tennis shoes, but that's an aside. The trail
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is usually beaten down and it's really easy to
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follow. If there isn't a marked trail, this is
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what you do. You work your way to the campground,
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staying near the creek. Once you're at the end
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of the campground along the creek, you want to
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stay left of the creek almost the entire time,
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working your way next to logs, sometimes over
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them and along the snow covered and frozen creek.
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You'll then round a corner and get into a huge
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canyon with towering walls on either side. Enjoy
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this view as it's a pretty special place. From
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there, keep heading upstream through another
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narrow section and into another more open spot.
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This is where the cave will be. The cave is located
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on the other side of the creek, and if it's safe
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to cross, do it. I often will just enter this
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cave and hang out for a bit, sitting on the rocks,
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looking at everything. It is such a chill place
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to be. If you're looking for a short adventure,
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this is why I'm recommending it. I love this.
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Now that it's cold, you can do this. Now, if
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crossing the creek to the cave looks sketchy
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at all, if you can see water easily, things like
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that, do not do it. Be smart and be safe. And
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while you can continue upstream beyond the cave,
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there isn't much more there. I mean, there is,
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but it's a much different adventure. It's not
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an easy day, and I'm not recommending you do
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that. Instead, just hang out at the cave and
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then turn around and walk back the way you came.
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My tip of the week. What to expect when visiting
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Yellowstone in January. Visiting Yellowstone
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National Park in January requires planning and
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realistic expectations. This is the heart of
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winter in the park and access, transportation,
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and weather are all very different than the summer
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season. I've talked about this a lot, but if
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this is your first episode, then I really want
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you to know what to expect in January. I'll be
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doing this every month, what you expect in February,
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March, you get the deal. In January, most of
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Yellowstone is closed to personal vehicles. The
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only road open to regular cars is the route between
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Gardner and Cook City, passing through Mammoth
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Hot Springs, Roosevelt Junction, Lamar Valley.
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This road is plowed, but it can often be snow
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covered or icy, and drivers should not expect
8:29
bare pavement. Anywhere, really. If you do, consider
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yourself lucky. All of the other park roads are
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closed and inaccessible by car. Because of these
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closures, the only way to reach the park's interior
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in January, including places like the Grand Canyon
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of the Yellowstone, Old Faithful, and other thermal
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areas, is by guided snow coach or snowmobile
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tour. These over snow vehicles operate on groomed
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routes and require reservations. If visiting
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the geyser basins or the canyon area is a priority,
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booking a tour is essential. These tours do fill
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up. You'll want to get on that. I looked on some
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dates and a lot of dates I was looking at to
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do this are already full. The weather is also
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a major factor in January. Temperatures are consistently
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cold with average daytime highs ranging between
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24 and 28 Fahrenheit and overnight lows commonly
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around zero degrees Fahrenheit. Sub -zero temperatures
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are very possible, especially at night or during
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cold snaps. Wind and snowfall can further increase
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cold exposure and affect visibility. I'll continue
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to do my best to bring you the weather forecast
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so you can be as well prepared as possible. Services
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are also limited during this time of the year
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compared to the summer. There's only a small
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number of lodging and dining options that remain
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open inside the park. Those are going to be at
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Mammoth Hot Springs and Old Faithful Snow Lodge.
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Visitor centers may have reduced hours and fuel,
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food, and medical services inside the park are
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minimal. Because options are so limited, many
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visitors choose to stay outside the park and
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enter for day trips. Spots in Gardiner, Silver
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Gate, and Cook City are your best bet for quick
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entry to the park if you're heading into the
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Northern Range with your own car. If you're doing
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a snow coach tour, West Yellowstone snowmobile
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tours out there are good too. But otherwise,
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you know, you want to stay in Gardiner, Silver
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Gate, or Cook City. You could stay up in Livingston
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or Paradise Valley, but just know that those
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roads can also be very wintery. January is also
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one of the best times for wildlife viewing, particularly
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in the northern range. And that's where you're
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going to be able to drive your own car. You're
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going to see bison, elk, moose, coyotes and wolves
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and, you know, sometimes owls, a lot of other
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just random things. So it's really cool. The
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reason why I enjoy January as a time to visit
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for wildlife watching is because it's a lot easier
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to see the animals. The animals tend to travel
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on top of the snow or very slowly through the
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snow, and they move more during the daylight
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hours than they do in the warmer months during
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the summer. Now be aware that because the snow
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is so deep, wildlife, especially bison, often
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use roads and valleys to travel, so you should
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be prepared for slow driving and frequent stops.
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This is the time of the year when bison jams
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get pretty long especially with only a few cars
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in the park you can get some serious bison jams
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because the bison are going to travel on the
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path of least resistance and that path of least
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resistance is the road if they're going from
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point a to point b they're going to be on the
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road they're not going to waste any energy traveling
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through that deep snow so be ready to have lots
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of bison on the road for those hoping to hit
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the trails in january you better bring snowshoes
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or cross -country skis Hiking trails are going
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to be covered in a lot of snow and groomed ski
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trails are Extremely limited so just know that
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because of this winter trail adventures are only
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for the hardy and experienced There are those
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groomed ski trails I will talk about those in
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a future episode if you want to know them now
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reach out to me But they're few and far between
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so if you want to do some cross -country skiing
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It's going to be a lot of backcountry skiing
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to a lot of places, but this is why I snowshoe
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There are a lot of good ways to spend time on
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trails and, you know, if you are one of those
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hardy people that wants a winter adventure, do
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it. If you don't have a lot of experience, you
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should book a snowshoe tour with a guide like
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me. I know where to go. I know the snow conditions.
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I also provide the snowshoes. I give you all
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the information you will ever want to know and
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more about where we're hiking and everything
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about the park. I love snowshoe tours. We go
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to some really cool places. Some of them are
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very easy. Some of them are not so easy. It just
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depends what you want to do. So if you really
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want to get out in the winter, book a snowshoe
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tour with me. I am happy to take you out. It
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is great fun. Now if you don't want a snowshoe
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with me, you know I understand and if you also
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don't have snowshoes or cross -country skis And
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you don't have the experience and you don't want
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to do that, but you want to hike There are a
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few trucks you could you could possibly do You
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can walk anywhere in the park But you're gonna
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be sinking in the snow So if you do hike in an
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area Please make sure you're not walking in areas
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designated for snowshoe and cross -country traffic
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only. The Upper Mammoth Terrace Loop is one of
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those areas where people in just boots are not
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allowed. Also, when you are walking in boots,
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never walk in the ski paths or snowshoe paths.
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Your footsteps in just boots will ruin the ski
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tracks and you're just making it not fun for
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anybody. Now I know Bison also will just walk
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through everything, but Bison can't help it.
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You can. Overall, January comes with strict access
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limitations, cold temperatures, fewer services,
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and some really cool experiences. Visitors who
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plan ahead, dress appropriately, and understand
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the transportation requirements and the clothing
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requirements will be prepared for a safe and
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successful winter visit. That leads me to my
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random Yellowstone Fact of the Week, which is
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unrelated to winter, I don't know why I said
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it leads to. So my random Yellowstone Fact of
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the Week... There are the 2025 in historic wolf
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population. Before the holiday break, I attended
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a day of classes for guide training. While I
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could talk at length about the whole day, I instead
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want to share some information. I learned that
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day about the current wolf population in Yellowstone.
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As of the most recent count, there are 87 wolves
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within the boundary of the park. 54 of them are
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in the northern range and 33 are in the rest
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of the park. 68 of the wolves are adults and
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19 are pups. For those who want the pack breakdowns,
14:51
you are in luck. In the northern range, there
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are four known packs. They are the Eight Mile,
14:57
Rescue Creek, Junction Butte, and Bliss Pass
15:00
packs. The Eight Mile has 17 wolves, 9 adults,
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and 8 pups. The Rescue Creek has 16 wolves, 12
15:10
adults, and 4 pups. The Junction Butte has 15
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wolves, 9 adults, and 6 pups, and the Bliss Pass
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pack has six wolves and they're all adults. In
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the northern range, there are four groups. There
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are the Cougar Creek pack, the mollies, the Wapiti
15:28
Lake pack, and the 1470F group. Cougar Creek
15:34
has four members, all adults. The mollies have
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nine members, eight adults, and one pup. What's
15:40
interesting about the mollies is that they had
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a lot more pups this year, but all of them but
15:45
the one died. Disease is suspected, and we should
15:48
know more about that in the coming year. The
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Wapiti Lake pack has 18 members, all adults,
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and the 1470F group has two members, both adults.
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For those curious, the 87 wolves in the park
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are the lowest number since 2018, when just 80
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wolves roamed the park. In 2023, there are 124
16:11
wolves, and in 2024, there are about 120. Now,
16:17
interestingly enough, hunting outside the park
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is said to have played a very small role, if
16:22
no role at all, in the reduction of the wolf
16:25
population. Most of the deaths coming to the
16:28
wolves are from natural causes. That's if you
16:31
count wolf on wolf violence natural, which it
16:33
is. The wolves can be pretty brutal to each other,
16:36
that and the disease with the pups, that's really
16:38
going to impact that number year in and year
16:40
out. Hopefully that disease kind of works its
16:42
way out. There is no way to treat disease in
16:45
wolves in the park, especially if it's something
16:47
natural like this, the park is not going to be
16:49
doing anything about it. So. That's the wolf
16:52
number for the year. You're going to be hearing
16:54
more about this, I'm sure, in the coming weeks
16:56
from other places. Just wanted to let you know
16:58
ahead of time so then you can have some advanced
17:01
knowledge. But yes, there are 87 wolves within
17:03
the boundary of the park. There are a lot more
17:05
wolves just outside the park that aren't technically
17:07
park wolves. However, they are more likely the
17:10
ones being hunted. So do with that what you will.
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Those are in the states of Montana, Idaho, and
17:17
Wyoming, who have some pretty aggressive wolf
17:19
hunts. The weather for the coming week starting
17:24
with Lamar Valley on Thursday January 1st The
17:28
high is going to be 38 the low be 29 2 inches
17:31
of snow is expected Coming in later in the evening
17:34
on Friday high will be 37 low be 32 about a half
17:39
inch of snow on Saturday mostly cloudy high of
17:43
42 low of 32 about an inch of snow in the evening
17:46
Sunday 38 and 29 with an inch of snow expected
17:51
Monday 36 and 24 with 2 inches of snow Tuesday
17:55
31 and 22 with 2 inches of snow and Wednesday
17:59
31 and 17 with 2 inches of snow The weather for
18:03
Gardiner, Montana on Thursday high is going to
18:06
be 41 low of 32 Maybe a half inch of snow in
18:09
the evening on Friday high of 42 low of 35 tenth
18:14
of an inch of snow It's expected 47 % Saturday
18:17
mostly cloudy high of 45 low of 35 small chance
18:21
of some rain in the evening maybe snow Sunday
18:25
high of 41 low of 33 47 percent chance about
18:28
a quarter inch of snow Monday high of 40 low
18:31
of 28 about a half inch of snow Tuesday 35 and
18:36
27 with about three quarters of an inch of snow
18:39
and Wednesday high of 36 low of 21 with about
18:43
a half inch of snow expected The weather for
18:47
Cook City Montana Thursday high of 37 low of
18:51
28 2 inches of snow expected in the evening Friday
18:54
high of 35 low of 32 1 inch of snow expected
18:58
Saturday high of 39 low of 30 1 inch of snow
19:02
mostly in the evening Sunday high of 35 low of
19:06
28 2 inches of snow Monday 33 and 22 with 3 inches
19:11
of snow Tuesday 28 and 20 with 2 inches of snow
19:15
and Wednesday 28 and 15 with 2 inches of snow
19:18
Now I try to say this every so often but these
19:21
weather forecasts are going to be about as accurate
19:24
as I can give you as Always check the forecast
19:27
with the Ranger at a visitor center or something
19:30
when you're in the park they they will update
19:32
it constantly I can only update this once and
19:35
the later in the week we get the less Hope I
19:40
have that I'm giving you the right information.
19:42
Snow totals could be more, they could be less.
19:45
I always, this time of the year, lean toward
19:47
more snow, colder temperatures, and then if it's
19:50
not that, great. The snowpack update. As of December
19:56
31st, at 2 20 p .m., the snowpack is around 120
20:01
% in normal for this time of year. Last year
20:04
on this date, we were averaging around 80 % of
20:06
our normal level. Now there's a few things I
20:09
do want to address quickly in this I don't want
20:10
to go too long But our snowpack has been a little
20:13
weird this year snowpack in the mountains is
20:15
fantastic We just haven't gotten a lot of snow
20:18
in the lower elevations We have had some unseasonably
20:21
warm weather, but the snowpack is actually doing
20:24
pretty well It's just very unstable Especially
20:27
if you're gonna be like snowmobiling up in the
20:29
mountains or skiing up in the mountains. It's
20:30
it's pretty av avi prone like you probably don't
20:34
want to go up there for a little bit until we
20:36
have a lot nice long cold streak but our snowpack
20:39
is really good the western side of the park is
20:43
probably the weakest and that has about 100 percent
20:46
of normal the northwest side has about 110 percent
20:50
of normal the interior has about 139 percent
20:54
of normal and the northern range is about 110
20:58
percent of normal So we're doing pretty well.
21:01
It's it was shocking to me when I looked this
21:03
up, too. But, you know, hooray. Road conditions.
21:08
The only road open right now is the road between
21:11
Gardner, Montana and Cook City, Montana. That
21:14
is the only road open for your vehicle to drive
21:16
other vehicles over snow coaches, snowmobile
21:19
tours. They can go in the interior unless you're
21:22
booked with them. Don't even try. Please be aware
21:25
that the road between Gardner and Cook City.
21:28
can and will close at any time due to inclement
21:31
weather. They will plow it as I mentioned earlier,
21:34
but just know that it's not always ideal, so
21:37
expect less than ideal road conditions, drive
21:39
safe, you know, don't slam on your brakes, things
21:42
like that. If you need up -to -date road information,
21:46
you can call 307 -344 -2117 for recorded information,
21:51
or you can sign up to receive Yellowstone Road
21:53
Alerts on your mobile phone by texting the number
21:56
82190 to the number 888 -777. That's what everyone
22:03
here does, and I highly recommend that you just
22:06
sign up for those Yellowstone Road Alerts. Even
22:07
if you're not in the park, it's fun to hear what's
22:09
going on. Campground open in the park right now,
22:15
and that's the mammoth campground and that's
22:17
open year -round The wildlife watching update
22:21
so last week in the park has been pretty good
22:24
Wolves were pretty visible early like last weekend
22:27
and stuff especially out at a distance hell roaring
22:30
Lamar But no real close wolf sightings that I've
22:35
heard about if it is it's just one. You know
22:38
quickly crossing the road But if you wanna see
22:40
wolves, they're out there. It's hit and miss.
22:44
If they have a kill nearby that is out of sight,
22:46
you're probably not gonna see them. If they have
22:48
a kill that is in sight, you're probably gonna
22:51
see them. So, you know, good luck. Just keep
22:53
driving back and forth. The main story right
22:55
now, it's a moose party. It is an absolute moose
22:58
party in the park right now. Soda Butte Creek,
23:02
Round Prairie, that whole area beyond the Lamar
23:05
River trailhead and the Hitching Post bathroom.
23:08
If you keep driving out toward Pebble Creek,
23:10
which I talked about earlier, there's a good
23:12
chance you're going to see some moose. There
23:14
are also some bighorn sheep out by the confluence
23:17
I've been hearing about. And there's some bighorn
23:19
sheep kind of by the Yellowstone River picnic
23:21
area. They've been hanging out there. heard reports
23:24
of a pygmy owl out by cook city as well as the
23:27
you know foxes out there but generally it's the
23:31
moose right now um somebody asked me about otters
23:33
and how to and to tell them where they can see
23:36
otters and honestly i wish i had a better answer
23:39
for that otters are just dumb luck if they're
23:42
swimming in the river that time of the year when
23:45
you're driving by or that time of the day when
23:47
you're driving by then you'll see them otherwise
23:49
there's not really a known haunt where they hang
23:52
out Um, bighorn sheep I mentioned mountain goats
23:57
have also been spotted up by baronet peak and
23:59
out around prairie a few times by center Here
24:03
and there they're not in the massive herds. They're
24:05
in some smaller herds moving around So you're
24:07
going to see them coyotes are on the hunt. They're
24:09
having some fun We're almost to their mating
24:12
season same with the wolf mating season So I'll
24:15
be talking about that in the future episodes
24:17
in a couple of weeks But for right now, you're
24:20
probably gonna want to head out to Round Prairie
24:23
Soda Butte Creek area look for some moose scan
24:26
some trees up by Cook City for some Pygmy owls
24:32
and then enjoy the bison and if you see a congregation
24:34
of cars probably wolves Other than that, it's
24:37
it's a good time to visit the park. I saw some
24:39
good elk The last time I was there a couple big
24:42
beautiful bull elk in the snowstorm beautiful
24:45
day Loved it. So Have a good time. If you need
24:49
any specific advice reach out to me I will answer
24:52
any email you send me send me a text 407 -589
24:56
-1873 And also I do have a wildlife watching
25:01
guidebook that is based on all of my years of
25:04
Visiting the park. So, you know, I'm I like to
25:07
say I'm not that old. I'm getting up there everybody
25:09
So I'm in my mid 40s and I've been coming to
25:12
the park since I was a very little kid And I've
25:14
been watching the animals here the whole time.
25:16
I worked here. I Enjoy it. I worked here in college.
25:20
That's what I was gonna say and then now I live
25:22
and work here so if you want to know how to best
25:25
see animals and view the park how i view the
25:28
park wildlife wise that's what i do that's what
25:31
i have a guidebook for trail alerts and updates
25:35
no official trail alerts this week bears are
25:38
still out uh heard some reports of bear prints
25:41
outside of west yellowstone recently so carry
25:44
your bear spray even though it's winter have
25:46
it readily accessible, and know how to use it.
25:49
Also, the trail alert I do want to say is, there's
25:52
snow out there, you're going to posthole, that's
25:54
when your feet just go all the way through the
25:56
snow and the snow stops around your knees or
25:58
thighs. Try and get a pair of snowshoes, if you
26:01
don't have a pair of snowshoes and you still
26:03
want to hike, contact me, happily take you on
26:05
a tour, but be ready for deep snow and very slow
26:10
moving trail experiences. That leads me to my
26:15
Trek of the Week. which is Calcite and Tower.
26:19
The snowshoe up to Tower Fall in Calcite Springs
26:21
is a classic winter adventure in Yellowstone
26:23
National Park and one that you should not skip.
26:26
It's one of my favorites and it's an experience
26:29
that will have you love Yellowstone in the winter
26:31
even more. With the road to Tower Fall closed
26:34
in the winter at the junction at Roosevelt, the
26:37
only way to reach the stunning views once the
26:39
road is closed for the season is on foot. And
26:42
more often than not, On foot means snowshoes.
26:47
Tower Fall and Calcite Springs are beloved roadside
26:50
jaunts in the summer, but reaching them in winter
26:53
is truly special. Long gone are the full parking
26:56
lots and paths bustling with activity. They've
26:59
been replaced with peacefulness and serenity
27:02
that warms the heart and soul on the coldest
27:04
of days. Even when driving the short section
27:07
of road in the summer, one can't help be dazzled
27:09
by the views, but when you're on foot, You had
27:12
even more time to appreciate the sights, sounds,
27:15
and smells of the area. That's right! In the
27:18
winter, the sulfur smell from Calcite Springs
27:20
can be quite strong, giving you whiffs of the
27:23
thermal feature from far away. I suppose that
27:26
could be a lowlight to some, but come on, it's
27:30
Yellowstone. That smell of sulfur, that's the
27:32
park. For me, the main highlight of this trek
27:36
is the Calcite Springs Overlook. Don't get me
27:39
wrong, seeing Tower Fall from the viewing area,
27:41
frozen and blue against the exposed rocky towers
27:44
for which the area was named, is stunning, but
27:47
I think the view from Calcite is even more stunning.
27:50
At Calcite, the panoramic view you'll have seeing
27:52
steam rising from the bottom of Bumpus Butte
27:55
with the Yellowstone River flowing gorgeously
27:58
far below your feet. You're going to see examples
28:00
of millions of years of geology and volcanic
28:03
activity across the river, and then you get to
28:06
see towering mountains rise to meet the sky.
28:09
And along the canyon rim, you might catch a glimpse
28:12
of bison, elk, or bighorn sheep. Between calcite
28:16
and tower, the road levels off, and you'll get
28:18
to walk along the canyon rim. On one side will
28:21
be stunning rock formations, on the other sweeping
28:24
views of the Yellowstone River and the surrounding
28:26
landscape. This is legitimately one of the most
28:29
stunning roadside stretches in all of Yellowstone,
28:31
and in the winter, you get to take your time
28:33
and walk it alone, soaking it all in. Then, when
28:37
you peel yourself away from the grand vista,
28:40
you get to walk over the bridge spanning Tower
28:42
Creek, and then go look at the incredible frozen
28:46
waterfall. Now, before you reach the waterfall
28:50
and you reach the tower junction, the parking
28:53
lot is going to be empty, the store will be closed,
28:56
but there may be bison roaming nearby. Bison
28:59
love to hang out there. Make sure none are on
29:02
the short trail that lead to the waterfall overlook.
29:06
I've done that before, it's not fun. Just go
29:09
down, see if there's any tracks in the snow.
29:12
There shouldn't be, but there might be, and I
29:14
don't want you to scare a bunch of bison. Once
29:18
you've made your way down there at the overlook,
29:20
enjoy the beautiful view of the frozen waterfall
29:22
and the rocky pillars. It's definitely more than
29:25
fine if you love this view more than Calcite
29:27
Springs. I know I just said I love Calcite Springs
29:29
more, but we all have our opinions. The wildlife
29:33
sightings on this trek can also be quite good
29:35
if one is lucky. You can see bison nearly every
29:38
time, and occasionally see bighorn sheep, moose,
29:40
coyotes, foxes, elk, and even signs of wolves.
29:44
I've had an owl up there. I also had a peregrine
29:47
falcon one day. That was pretty cool. With wolves,
29:51
I have yet to actually see a wolf here, but I've
29:54
heard them howl while hiking here and I've spotted
29:56
fresh tracks in the snow multiple times each
29:58
year. Everyone who has an interest in winter
30:02
adventures outside in Yellowstone needs to do
30:05
this. This is the classic trek and one that dazzles
30:08
basically everyone who wanders it. Just know
30:11
you'll be gaining about five miles round trip
30:13
with roughly 500 feet of elevation gain, and
30:17
you're also starting out at 6 ,000 feet above
30:19
sea level. Now, if you've never snowshoed before,
30:23
and this sounds a little daunting, and you're
30:25
interested in doing it, please strongly consider
30:28
booking a private tour with me. I provide the
30:31
snowshoes, as I said earlier, and Tower and Calcite
30:34
Springs is a fantastic snowshoe adventure for
30:36
nearly all levels of outdoor enthusiasts. This
30:40
is a fun one for all ages and abilities. You're
30:43
following a road, so it's a nice wide area. It's
30:47
not too steep in any section, and it's sometimes
30:49
just groomed, so it makes it a very easy spot.
30:52
So if you're visiting the park this week, go
30:55
to Calcite, go to Tower, enjoy walking the closed
30:58
road covered in snow in the magic that is winter
31:02
in Yellowstone. All right, that is the first
31:06
episode of a new year. Thank you all for listening
31:09
Next week. I'm going to return with all the information
31:12
you need to have a good week in the park That
31:14
includes that wildlife update the weather forecast
31:17
and trail information as well as some fun facts
31:19
and anything else I feel like talking about Until
31:22
next week. Happy New Year and happy trails Abrupt
31:37
ending! This week in Yellowstone is brought to
31:39
you by The Outdoor Society. That's my company.
31:42
It's just me. I do this. It's a labor of love.
31:45
If you like it, tell your friends, rate and review
31:47
it. Shoot me a message. Otherwise, keep listening
31:50
and I hope to see you in Yellowstone. Copyright
31:53
2026, baby!