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This Week in Yellowstone: March 19th to March 25th, 2026 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

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From Yellowstone National Park where it'll be
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super warm this weekend and may snow a little
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next week because this is March in Yellowstone
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This is that Scott guy you know in love with
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a brand new episode of this week in Yellowstone
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What's up everybody this week in Yellowstone
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National Park from March 19th to March 25th,
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2026. I'll share with you why the Blacktail Ponds
0:31
is a great place to go this week and over the
0:33
next month or so. I'm going to tell you why a
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50 degree day in Yellowstone's northern range
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will feel so much warmer and try to convince
0:40
you to appreciate Undine Falls. I'm even going
0:43
to share an easy hike just outside of the park
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that I love and think you will too. I'm also
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going to give you the complete weather forecast,
0:50
the snowpack update, the wildlife report, and
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everything else you need to have an incredible
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time this week in Yellowstone. Standard disclaimer,
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I may miss a few details here and there, so please
1:01
feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
1:03
I also mention park locations casually. If you're
1:06
unfamiliar with a place I'm talking about, a
1:08
quick search can help. Also, if you just need
1:11
more information, reach out to me. Please note
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that this report only covers the drivable areas
1:16
of the park, which currently is the northern
1:18
range. Finally, for this intro, this podcast
1:21
is a passion project of mine. If you enjoy it,
1:24
I'd love a review or a quick email letting me
1:27
know that you like it. If you want to support
1:29
my work further, you can check out my hiking
1:31
and wildlife watching guidebooks or join me for
1:33
a guided hiking tour in Yellowstone's backcountry.
1:36
For more information, visit outdoor -society
1:38
.com or contact me directly. If you haven't booked
1:42
yet and you're coming to the park, book a trail
1:44
tour with me. I guarantee it's going to be a
1:47
great time. This week's Yellowstone news. So
1:51
over snow travel is over for the winter. As of
1:54
March 15th, all over snow travel for the winter
1:56
of 2025, 2026 is over. The park is now transitioning
2:00
to opening interior roads, which is scheduled
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to start on April 17th. Sometime in between that.
2:07
The roads of the interior are going to open for
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biking, so you'll be able to bike from West Yellowstone
2:12
all the way up to Mammoth if you felt so inclined.
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Obviously, you could bike from Mammoth to West
2:18
Yellowstone or just to any of the other spots
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in between that route. Highly recommend it. I'm
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going to be talking about that in later weeks,
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so stay tuned for that. Also in the news, this
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just came out on Tuesday at 1043 a .m. A press
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release from Yellowstone. Yellowstone National
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Park sees 4 ,762 ,988 ,000 visits in 2025. So
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that will be the second busiest year in the history
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of Yellowstone National Park, only behind the
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2021 year. Because this episode is already pretty
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jam -packed, I'm not going to dive into these
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stats, but you can now know that Yellowstone
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saw its second busiest year in history in 2025
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with 4 .7 million visitors. Just so you know,
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2024 had 4 ,744 ,353, which was the second busiest
3:13
year. Now it's the third busiest year. So 2025,
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second busiest year in Yellowstone National Park
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history. The only other new story I was going
3:21
to talk about is a very brief one about how ravens
3:25
in the park have been now known to follow and
3:29
hang out where wolves hunt and the ravens will
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kind of hang out in that area even if the wolves
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aren't there, knowing that the wolves are going
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to eventually hunt there. Ravens are very smart
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and they can recognize faces for a long time.
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They know individual cars. They are extremely
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smart creatures. This isn't really news per se,
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but it was a scientific study that actually proves
3:54
that these ravens are hanging out in known wolf
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hunting corridors, which is pretty cool. And
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also it means that if you see a bunch of ravens
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around, hang out there a little bit. It might
4:05
be a good place to stop and scan. I'll provide
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the link to that study or article in the show
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notes to this if you want to know more. My experience
4:14
of the week. Go scan black tail ponds. I've mentioned
4:19
Blacktail Ponds I think a week or two ago. Every
4:22
week blends together, I'm sorry. But Blacktail
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Ponds is one of these places that in the spring
4:27
is one of the most compelling places to witness
4:30
the transition from winter to spring in Yellowstone
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National Park for wildlife watching. As far as
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like seeing things in spring, like you think
4:38
wildflowers or blooms or things like that, it's
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not that interesting. But wildlife wise, it's
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fantastic. The ponds, just a few miles east of
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Mammoth, sit in a broad open valley along the
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park's northern range. The area is pretty cool
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weather -wise, no pun intended. The snowpack
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is lighter here than at the higher elevations,
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but the temperature is pretty cold as it doesn't
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get a ton of direct sunlight until later in the
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winter or early spring. And that's what makes
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this a really cool place for wildlife watching.
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the ponds and bogs freeze over and melt and freeze
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over and melt because it's not a super super
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cold place and what happens is the bison are
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going to walk across that every year frequently
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crossing the ponds and surrounding boggy flats
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and all winter long some animals become trapped
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in the mud or icy water and are unable to escape
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According to the National Park Service, natural
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winter mortality is an important ecological process
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in Yellowstone, and these carcasses that are
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left on the landscape provide a vital source
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for scavengers and predators. At Blacktail, this
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process is especially visible since it's right
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next to the road. This winter, three bison are
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said to have died at Blacktail ponds, each frozen
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and hidden during the winter. Now that spring
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is here, they're becoming visible again. As I
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mentioned previously in the wildlife report,
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one of the bison carcasses is visible and eagles
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and crows and ravens and magpies and all of those
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are eating at it. One reason I'm recommending
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it right now is this about the time of year that
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a grizzly will come out emerging from their dens
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and try to find easy food. This is easy food.
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The carcasses in the black -tailed ponds. This
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is a well -known area. Grizzlies know to come
6:23
here. While at the time of recording, there isn't
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a grizzly out there, I almost guarantee that
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there will be a bear here in the next couple
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days, weeks, or month. This is an area that you
6:34
really need to go to, especially in mid -March.
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During these few weeks of shoulder season, fewer
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visitors travel the stretch of road, and the
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setting can feel remote despite being close to
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a main route through the park. By early April,
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if bears are nearby, this main pullout fills
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up Before sunrise and people hang out there all
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day waiting right now though. You could be here
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alone with a handful of others Now if a grizzly
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is feeding after a few days and continues to
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feed expect the area to be quite busy There's
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one main sign to overlook for blacktail ponds,
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but there's a lot of other ones on either side
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all of these could net some really good bear
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sightings, especially once the bears are out.
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Obviously, if they're not, you might not see
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much, but you will see something. There are plenty
7:22
of animals walking around. There are constantly
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coyotes walking back and forth. There's eagles,
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both bald and gold. There are bison that are
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around. There'll be some pronghorn moving through.
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There could be anything out there. So definitely
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stop and scan here. You might be the first person
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to see the bear coming up over the hillside,
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or you just might see something cool. I love
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sitting and stopping here. Blacktail is one of
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these areas that opens up for hiking a little
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later and is really great. But for now, your
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experience is just stopping near blacktail ponds
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and scanning, finding those bison that are in
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the ponds, waiting to see what is going to feed
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off of them, and hopefully you get to have an
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early grizzly bear experience from a distance.
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That leads me to my tip of the week. Completely
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unrelated to black tail and grizzly bears, just
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so you know. All right, my tip of the week, sunshine
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and elevation. Why Yellowstone's 50 degree days
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feel so warm. As you'll hear in the weather report
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a bit later, this week is expected to be quite
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warm in Yellowstone with highs in the 50s in
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the park and maybe even the 60s or 70s out in
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Gardner. Most of you are going to be hearing
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these numbers and scoffing as 50 degrees isn't
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warm in most of the country. Well, that is true.
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a 50 -degree day in Yellowstone hits differently.
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A sunny 50 -degree day can feel surprisingly
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warm on the northern range in Yellowstone National
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Park, even though the same temperature might
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feel chilly in many low elevation places. Part
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of the reason comes down to altitude. Much of
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Yellowstone's northern range sits well above
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6 ,000 feet, and some areas are even higher than
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that. For example, Lamar Valley sits about 6
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,500 feet above sea level, and at elevations
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like this, the atmosphere is thinner, which allows
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more of the sun's energy to reach the ground.
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Scientists and public health organizations note
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that ultraviolet radiation increases with elevation,
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often by roughly 4 to 12 percent for every thousand
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feet gained. That means sunlight can feel noticeably
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stronger in the mountains than at sea level,
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even when the air temperatures remain cool. Standing
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in full sun on a calm March afternoon can feel
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surprisingly warm, especially after a long winter.
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Now I know some of you are doubting this, but
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every single year people tell me that I'm correct.
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This isn't me tooting my horn on a podcast about
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being right, this is just what happens. Before
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their trips from warm areas, they'll email me
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telling me that 60 degrees is chilly and they'll
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be fine. yet when they get here in March, the
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high will be 50 or 60, and then they'll tell
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me how hot it was. Obviously there's a chance
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you're going to tolerate it better, but the majority
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of people I talk to that have experienced warm
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days, like 50, 60 degree days in Yellowstone
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this time of year, tell me how much warmer it
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feels. The clarity of mountain air also plays
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a role. Compared with many urban or coastal areas,
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Yellowstone's high valleys often have very dry,
10:19
clean air. Now this very dry air is something
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I'm going to talk to you later in the year. It's
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really dry out here. Bring chapstick, bring lotion,
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bring everything you can. It is very dry. Also,
10:29
constantly drink water. It's very dry. There's
10:33
actually some cacti that grow around in the park,
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especially the northern side, and people don't
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expect that for how cold and snowy it is at times,
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but it's a very dry area. So there's fewer particles
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to scatter sunlight when there's more direct
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solar radiation that reaches the landscape. Wide
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open views across sagebrush flats or grassy hillsides
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leave visitors fully exposed to that sunshine.
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If snow is covering parts of the ground, the
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light can feel even more intense, causing you
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to burn from the reflection. Trust me on this,
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getting a sunburn on your nostrils is not as
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fun as it sounds. The bright snow fields can
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reflect a large percentage of incoming solar
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radiation, sometimes as much as 80%. That reflected
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energy reaches people from below as well as above,
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creating a kind of radiant warmth that feels
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stronger than the thermometer suggests. This
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is one reason people sometimes feel warm enough
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to shed layers while standing in sunlight on
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the snow, only to cool quickly when stepping
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into shade or wind, while also on the snow. Seasonal
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timing here matters. By mid -March, the sun is
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climbing higher in the sky compared with mid
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-winter. Longer days and stronger solar angles
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mean more concentrated sunlight reaches the ground
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during midday hours. Even though the overnight
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temperatures are going to still drop below freezing,
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the afternoons will feel very mild and inviting.
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This change is very noticeable across the northern
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range, where snow begins to soften as does the
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ground itself, and wildlife becomes more active
12:02
and the landscape starts hinting at spring. Wind
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conditions can also make a really big difference.
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When breezes are light, south -facing slopes
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and sheltered pullouts along the park road can
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quickly warm under direct sun. Dark soil, rock,
12:16
and vegetation absorb heat and release it back
12:18
into the surrounding air, creating small pockets
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of localized warmth. Now there's also the simple
12:24
human factor for those of us who live in the
12:25
mountains. After months of winter, a day in the
12:28
40s or 50s feels like a turning point. Visitors
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and wildlife alike respond to this shift. Bison
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begin lingering longer on exposed hillsides,
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birds become more vocal, and people find themselves
12:40
just hanging out at overlooks just to enjoy the
12:42
sensation of sunlight on their faces. Taken together,
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high elevation, strong ultraviolet exposure,
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reflective snow, cleaner air, and the seasonal
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return of longer days help explain partially
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why a 50 degree day in Yellowstone can feel warmer
12:58
than expected. It's one of the small but memorable
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pleasures of visiting the park's northern range
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in the late winter, early spring, and it's one
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of those things that, like I said, you may not
13:08
feel it. but a lot of people do feel this and
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are very shocked at how warm it is this will
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be something i'll talk about in the summer too
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because the temperature will be 70 or 75 as a
13:18
high and people from warm areas will say oh i'm
13:21
fine then they'll get here and do something active
13:24
and it will be so hot that they will kind of
13:27
wonder why they aren't handling the 70 degree
13:31
day better so know that it's going to feel a
13:35
little warmer and knowing that you'll be prepared,
13:37
layer well, you'll be fine. My random Yellowstone
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fact of the week, Undine Falls in Lava Creek.
13:45
Undine Falls is one of the most accessible and
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quietly scenic waterfalls in Yellowstone National
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Park. Although smaller than some of the park's
13:53
famous cascades, it has a rich geological story,
13:56
a layered naming history, and a distinctive place
13:59
in the landscape in Yellowstone's northern range.
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Despite all of this, Many guidebooks to the region
14:05
omit the falls and creek or tell you to skip
14:07
stopping at the area entirely. More often than
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not, the authors and editors of these books are
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only focused on the version of the must -see
14:15
regions in the park, not really encouraging visitors
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to stop everywhere and find their own moments
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of natural beauty and bliss in nature. Undine
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Falls is found along Lava Creek about four miles
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east of Mammoth Hot Springs on the road toward
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Tower. The falls are visible from a roadside
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pullout and overlook, making them one of the
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easiest waterfalls in the park to view. The waterfall
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drops through a narrow gorge and three distinct
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plunges, reaching a total height of roughly 60
14:41
feet. I triple -checked this stat because I was
14:44
like, that seems small. But... The gorge itself
14:48
is bigger than that, so the waterfall feels like
14:50
it's bigger than 60 feet, even though the waterfall
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itself is 60 feet. It's kind of one of these
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things that I didn't believe, but everybody says
14:57
60 feet, so it must be 60 feet. Beyond the waterfall,
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Lava Creek continues downstream for about a mile
15:04
before joining the Gardner River, placing the
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falls within the broader drainage of Yellowstone's
15:08
northern range. Despite its modest height compared
15:11
with Yellowstone's famous canyon waterfalls,
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Undine Falls has appeared in park publications
15:17
and even on the cover of a July 1977 issue of
15:21
National Geographic. For a waterfall that some
15:24
say isn't worthwhile to even stop at and see
15:27
from the easy pullout, this is a very fun fact
15:30
to point out. Like many Yellowstone waterfalls,
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Undine Falls owes its existence to ancient volcanic
15:36
processes. Lava flows that occurred roughly 700
15:40
,000 years ago created resistant basalt layers
15:44
that now form cliffs and ledges. As lava creek
15:47
cut downward through the softer rock, these harder
15:50
lava deposits formed the stepped drops that shape
15:53
the waterfall today. The result is a classic
15:56
multi -tiered plunge waterfall where water fans
16:00
over successive rock shelves before collecting
16:02
in the gorge below. The name Undine Falls has
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surprisingly specific origins tied to the late
16:09
19th century exploration and naming. Early visitors
16:12
and surveyors sometimes refer to the waterfall
16:14
by other names, including the East Gardner Falls
16:17
or Gardner River Falls, reflecting confusion
16:20
about local waterways. The modern name was reportedly
16:23
given in 1885 by geologist Arnold Haig, a member
16:27
of the USGS team studying Yellowstone's volcanic
16:30
landscape. He chose the name Undine after water
16:34
spirits from German mythology. These mythical
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beings were often portrayed as female figures
16:39
associated with springs, rivers, and waterfalls.
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The poetic name reflects a broader pattern in
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Yellowstone's early exploration area, when scientists
16:47
and explorers frequently drew on classical or
16:49
mythological themes when naming features in Yellowstone.
16:53
Now, when Dean is best known as a roadside scenic
16:56
stop, there's a signed pullout that allows visitors
16:59
to walk a very short distance to an overlook
17:01
that provides a clear view of the entire waterfall.
17:04
However, few know that the nearby Lava Creek
17:07
Trail offers additional views. The longer trail
17:11
system runs about 4 .2 miles one way as a through
17:15
hike down to the Gardiner River, but for the
17:18
purpose of appreciating Undine Falls, it can
17:20
be seen as a one -mile round -trip hike that
17:23
doesn't really have any elevation gain or loss,
17:26
and you get a stand on the top of the falls and
17:28
the canyon rim. Please know that if you do hike
17:30
here, and anywhere else in Yellowstone, expect
17:33
wildlife on the trail, carry bear spray, and
17:36
have it readily available, and know how to use
17:39
it. Undine Falls' layered drops, mythical name,
17:42
and easy accessibility have made it a memorable
17:45
landmark for some visitors. Yet, many visitors
17:48
pass the overlook without realizing the falls
17:51
are there, or thinking, well, it's not in the
17:53
main guidebook that I picked up, so I'm not going
17:56
to see it. That's why it's still for some a relatively
17:59
hidden gem along a major park road. Undine Falls
18:03
represents a convergence of Yellowstone themes,
18:06
volcanic geology, early scientific naming, wildlife
18:10
habitat, and accessible scenic beauty. Its name
18:13
preserves a fragment of 19th century imagination,
18:16
while its setting along Lava Creek illustrates
18:19
how water continues to sculpt this plateau. In
18:22
a park known for massive waterfalls and geyser
18:25
basins, Undine Falls stands out not because of
18:28
size, but because of the way it connects all
18:30
of these together in such a beautiful setting.
18:34
The weather for the coming week. So as always,
18:38
the weather forecast is going to be very accurate
18:41
at the start of this, and then as we get to like
18:44
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday next week, it's going
18:46
to be somewhat accurate. So just keep that in
18:48
mind. We're going to start with Lamar Valley.
18:51
Thursday the 19th Lamar Valley is gonna have
18:54
a high of 59 and a low of 32 on Friday 61 and
18:59
34 Saturday 57 and 27 with some rain in the afternoon
19:04
evening Sunday 50 and 26 Monday 49 and 35 Tuesday
19:11
54 and 40 and Wednesday 56 and 26 and there's
19:16
currently a chance of one inch of snow in the
19:19
evening or so I Hesitated there because again,
19:24
it's Wednesday night. That's a long ways from
19:25
now the weather for gardener, Montana on Thursday
19:29
Highest 65 low of 40 Friday high of 67 low of
19:34
40 Saturday Highest 64 low of 32 with a 24 %
19:39
chance of rain in the afternoon and evening Sunday
19:42
56 and 32 Monday 55 and 39 Tuesday 60 and 44
19:49
and Wednesday 62 and 29 with some rain probably
19:54
in the evening and That leaves us with Cook City
19:58
on Thursday Cook City is gonna get up to 55 with
20:01
a low of 36 Friday will be 57 and 38 Saturday
20:06
54 and 27 with a 51 % chance of rain in the evening
20:11
Sunday 46 and 28 Monday 46 and 35 Tuesday 51
20:18
and 40 and Wednesday 54 and 24 with a 61 % chance
20:23
about an inch of snow that evening the snowpack
20:27
update As of March 17th, the snowpack is around
20:31
105 percent of normal for this time of year.
20:34
The eastern and northern ranges of the park are
20:36
113 percent of normal, while the western and
20:39
southern at sides are about 85 percent of normal.
20:42
Last year on this date, we were averaging around
20:44
104 percent of our normal level, so we're pretty
20:47
much right where we should be. It's good news.
20:51
Warm temperatures obviously are going to melt
20:53
some of the snow, but looks like next week could
20:56
be wet and cold again, so... We shall see. Road
20:59
conditions. As always this time of year, the
21:02
only road that's open that you can drive on is
21:04
the road between Gardiner, Montana and Cook City,
21:06
Montana. This week the road should stay open,
21:09
they should be fine, but if a storm rolls in
21:12
that currently isn't in the weather forecast,
21:14
just know that these roads can't close at any
21:17
time due to inclement weather, but they generally
21:19
open up pretty quickly. For up -to -date road
21:22
information, you can call 307 -344. 2117 for
21:26
recorded information from the park, or you can
21:29
sign up to receive Yellowstone road alerts on
21:31
your mobile phone by texting the number 82190
21:35
to the number 888777. Camping information. There
21:42
is only one campground open in the park right
21:44
now, and that's the Mammoth campground, which
21:45
is open all year. Not very used right now. It's
21:49
going to start filling up a little more each
21:51
and every night. each week so just know that
21:54
but if you're coming to the park and want to
21:56
camp you should have no problem getting a campsite
21:58
here the wildlife watching update so wildlife
22:03
sightings were really good this last week and
22:05
I think with the weather being the way it is
22:07
should continue this week obviously if you're
22:10
headed into the park on the really warm days
22:13
Things probably aren't going to be that active
22:15
during the heat of the day. The bison might be
22:17
especially near like water sources and in the
22:19
mud every year around this time when it gets
22:22
to be warm. The bison kind of have a party out
22:25
in Little America, it seems like. So I'd head
22:28
there. Also go to Lamar. There'll be some bison
22:30
there. There'll be some moving around just throughout
22:32
the northern range. So keep an eye out for those
22:34
bison. Pronghorn are on the move, headed in the
22:37
park. If you drive Old Yellowstone trail south
22:40
from the Yellowstone Hot Springs down to the
22:44
arch in Gardiner. You'll probably see a lot of
22:47
pronghorn. You may see some elk out that way.
22:50
And then you might see some bighorn sheep still
22:51
hanging out by Yellowstone Hot Springs. In the
22:55
park itself, elk are going to be hit and miss.
22:59
They are currently the bulls are losing their
23:02
antlers. So you may see like. an elk with just
23:05
one antler wandering around. It's going to fall
23:07
off, but it's kind of cool to see. So keep an
23:10
eye out for that. Rocky Mountain Bluebirds are
23:12
on the move. I went on a drive today north of
23:14
the park and I saw a couple dozen in a six mile
23:17
radius. Golden Eagles I saw soaring above the
23:22
Jardine area. So that's kind of near Gardner
23:25
and also a lot of bald eagles, things like that.
23:28
Now, there was some excitement on Tuesday when
23:33
one of the guiding services saw a mountain lion
23:36
near the moose tree around Hitching Post. I had
23:40
a friend that was telling me all about it. They
23:43
just missed it, but the guides were super stoked
23:45
about it. Mountain lions are very rare to see,
23:47
even more rare to encounter if you're hiking.
23:49
Don't be afraid of them out here. You're not
23:51
going to see one more than likely, so if you
23:53
do, just consider yourself very lucky. the wolves
23:57
are kind of all over the place um hell roaring
24:00
was decent also little america or out by slew
24:05
lamar and then kind of um the cash creek bend
24:09
in lamar if you know where that is kind of by
24:12
the footbridge area if you follow that all the
24:15
way down to the river and then it bends left
24:17
that's kind of where the wolves have been going
24:19
back and forth you might be seeing them they
24:21
might have a carcass uh speaking of carcasses
24:24
definitely go to the black tail ponds area, see
24:27
what the carcasses they're doing. There's also
24:30
been more bear sightings. I have heard of three
24:33
grizzly sightings so far this year, not counting
24:36
that one in January. So be alert. They're mainly
24:40
really far out, but those sightings are going
24:42
to get closer and closer as the bears get a little
24:45
more active and food sources become less dependable
24:50
wherever they're at. And they'll need to move
24:52
closer. Other than that, it's going to be a good
24:54
week. Osprey should be back soon, but they're
24:58
not quite back yet. I did hear a western meadowlark
25:01
north of the park. So spring is here. This warm
25:05
weather is going to do quite a lot to really
25:08
wake things up. So if you're in the park, expect
25:11
a good morning, good evenings and even a good
25:14
midday, possibly if it's not too hot. Trail alerts
25:18
and updates. There's no official trail alerts
25:21
this week. These are going to be resuming in
25:23
like April or early May. So everything is basically
25:27
my knowledge instead of just all over park knowledge.
25:30
So right now, bear sightings are becoming more
25:32
common and will only be increasing after every
25:35
passing week. Carry bear spray, have it readily
25:38
accessible and not in a backpack and know how
25:40
to use it. Very important steps here. Also know
25:43
that if you are hiking, it's going to be muddy.
25:46
It's gonna be pretty gross. Yes, it's gonna be
25:48
warm and things are gonna start drying out But
25:50
also some of that snow is gonna melt the ground
25:52
is gonna start thawing a bit from some freezes
25:54
It's gonna be muddy. It's gonna be gross and
25:57
have a pair of shoes and socks to change into
26:00
and just know that You may just have to bail
26:03
on a hike if it's too muddy That's just how it
26:05
is this time of year for snowshoeing and skiing.
26:09
It's not gonna be great Especially anywhere at
26:13
least a tower probably to Pebble Creek. I wouldn't
26:18
really bother, but if you're down to try, go
26:21
ahead. Snow -shoeing and cross -country skiing
26:23
are gonna be much better past Pebble Creek and
26:26
all of that. And that leads me to my Trek of
26:29
the Week, Yankee Gym Canyon. Access from the
26:33
west side of Yankee Gym Canyon, outside of the
26:36
park, this figure -eight shaped trail, which
26:39
it kind of is a figure -eight shaped trail, um...
26:42
I'll explain a bit on how it is in a second,
26:45
but this trail puts you in the steps of indigenous
26:48
populations that call the region home, as well
26:50
as lets you walk along the original road that
26:52
led to Yellowstone. It also follows a railroad
26:55
grade, you pass an old cabin, it's a really cool
26:59
area, and it's found at the southern end of Paradise
27:02
Valley, just below Tom Miner Basin. The Yankee
27:05
Gym Canyon Trail is one that nobody aside from
27:07
a handful of locals hikes. and right now it's
27:11
a good one because it's not going to be that
27:13
muddy and it's super scenic and awesome. After
27:16
locating the Trailhead parking lot, which is
27:19
nothing more than a clearing of dirt and unsigned,
27:22
you have two choices. The easiest is to park
27:25
and then walk down the dirt road to the river
27:26
following the old railway grade upstream. you
27:30
follow this path for about a mile and a half
27:31
or so and along the way you'll be above the river
27:35
so you're going to have good views of some wildlife
27:37
especially osprey and eagles the osprey are coming
27:40
back any day now you're also going to pass through
27:43
the parking area for the sphinx creek picnic
27:45
area and pass by an old cabin once you pass the
27:49
sphinx creek picnic area about 1 .5 to 1 .6 miles
27:53
from where you parked, you're going to see a
27:56
path on the right. It's going to look more like
27:59
a boot path at this point. Take this path. And
28:02
along the way, you're going to come across interpretive
28:04
signs, as well as old advertisements for Gardner
28:06
and Yellowstone spray painted on rocks. This
28:09
is the original road to Yellowstone National
28:11
Park. This section is short, and it's only about
28:14
a half mile long before it drops down again to
28:16
meet the main path. But it's definitely a hidden
28:19
gem and something few ever see. Once you drop
28:22
down and reach the main path, which is by a gate
28:24
closure, turn around and follow the river downstream
28:28
and replace your steps to get to the car. In
28:30
total, this is about four miles with around 400
28:32
feet of elevation gain. I'm recommending this
28:35
trek outside of the park right now for a few
28:37
reasons. The first is that the trails in the
28:40
park will be quite muddy. If that is a deterrent
28:43
for you, let me know and I'll recommend other
28:45
hikes in the park. The second reason, I think
28:49
you'll like Yankee Jim right now, is the birding
28:51
and wildlife potential. Last week while driving
28:54
to the trailhead and hiking the trail, I saw
28:57
about 100 elk, some common mergansers, a dozen
29:00
bighorn sheep, and a couple of eagles. This time
29:03
of year, you may also see bluebirds, sanjo cranes,
29:06
western meadowlarks, and other animals and birds.
29:10
Thirdly, which is a word, but I feel it shouldn't
29:12
be. The temperatures are increasing this week
29:15
and weekend leading to some snow melt and helping
29:17
to raise the river a bit. It's going to be super
29:20
scenic. The river is going to be a little louder.
29:22
There's going to be this energy there. It's going
29:23
to be awesome. If you want more information on
29:26
this hike or other hikes in and out of Yellowstone,
29:29
please contact me. I also have a guidebook specifically
29:31
for this as well as offering hiking tours in
29:34
the park. This book that I wrote covers 50 of
29:37
my favorite hikes in the region with something
29:39
for every month of the year. Trust me, if you
29:42
want to hike in the park or outside the park,
29:44
you need this book. And that is pretty much the
29:47
end of this week's episode. In the next episode,
29:50
I'm going to return with all the information
29:51
you need to have a good week in the park, including
29:53
wildlife, weather, and trail updates. Until then,
29:57
book a tour with me, pick up a guidebook, and
30:00
happy trails. This week in Yellowstone is brought
30:14
to you by the Outdoor Society. That's my company.
30:17
It's just me. I do this. It's a labor of love.
30:19
If you like it, tell your friends, rate and review
30:22
it. Shoot me a message. Otherwise, keep listening
30:25
and I hope to see you in Yellowstone. Copyright
30:28
2026, baby.