Latest / This Week in Yellowstone National Park / This Week in Yellowstone: August 27th to September 2nd, 2026

Transcript

This Week in Yellowstone: August 27th to September 2nd, 2026 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

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From Yellowstone National Park, where elk bugles
0:02
are starting to be the soundtrack to the mornings
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and evenings, this is that Scott guy you know
0:07
and love with a brand new episode of This Week
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in Yellowstone. What's up everybody, this week
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in Yellowstone National Park from August 27th
0:25
to September 2nd, 2026. I'll let you know what
0:29
to actually expect when visiting the park in
0:31
September, talk a bit about the importance of
0:33
obsidian in the park, tell you what is closing
0:36
in the park this week, and try to explain why
0:39
seeing a grizzly this time of year is so hard
0:41
to do. I'll also give you the complete weather
0:43
forecast, a cool trail to hike, the wildlife
0:46
report, and everything else you need to have
0:49
an incredible time. this week in Yellowstone.
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My standard disclaimer, I may miss a few details
0:54
here and there. And I also mentioned park locations
0:57
very casually. So if you're unfamiliar with a
1:00
place I'm talking about, a quick search online
1:02
can help or just reach out to me. You can email
1:04
me at the Outdoor Society at gmail .com or send
1:08
me a text at 406 -589 -1873. Also, please know
1:14
that this podcast is a passion project of mine.
1:17
I'm not paid. I'm not sponsored I do it because
1:19
I enjoy it and if you enjoy it I'd love a review
1:22
or a quick email or text. If you want to support
1:25
my work more, you can check out my Hiking and
1:27
Wildlife Watching guidebooks, or you can join
1:30
me for a guided hiking tour in Yellowstone's
1:32
backcountry. I'm currently starting to fill up
1:34
for next year, so reach out if you're visiting
1:37
the park next year and maybe we can make something
1:39
happen. All of my guidebooks, tours, all of that
1:42
can be found at outdoor -society .com or again,
1:46
contact me directly. The Outdoor Society at gmail
1:49
.com or 406 -589 -1873 for texts. This week's
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Yellowstone news. So there's not a lot going
1:58
on in the park newsworthy wise, which is always
2:00
good. I'm always happy not to have much to talk
2:03
about. There has been a video circulating in
2:06
social media of a person hiking out. It looks
2:10
like Lamar Valley and there was a single wolf
2:13
following them and the guy hiking sprayed some
2:17
bear spray at the wolf to try and get to go away.
2:19
There's been a lot of like conjecture of, well,
2:21
that guy shouldn't have been out there hiking.
2:24
And then some of it's like, well, there's a trail
2:26
out there or there's not a trail out there. I've
2:28
said this before, and I'll say it again. If there's
2:31
an area you're not allowed to go to, the park
2:33
will put up plenty of signs and make sure people
2:36
don't go there. Currently, the only places you
2:39
can't go are closed trails, which are on the
2:42
backcountry situation report, and I have a link
2:44
to that in the show notes. The thermal areas,
2:47
you can't go off trail there or you can't go
2:50
off trail and bear management areas. Other than
2:52
that, you can walk where you want. So I know
2:56
a lot of people don't want people walking out
2:58
where there's a potential for wildlife, but there's
3:01
a potential for wildlife everywhere in the park.
3:03
I was talking about this the other day. I've
3:05
seen grizzly bears on the boardwalks. I've seen
3:08
bison on the boardwalks. You know, there's animals
3:11
all over the park. And just because there's a
3:14
trail there doesn't mean that the animals aren't
3:15
going to be there. I know a lot of people will
3:18
see something like that and think, oh, that shouldn't
3:20
have happened. Incidents with wildlife happens.
3:23
It looks like all went well from what I've heard
3:25
It was an experienced hiker in Yellowstone did
3:27
everything right nothing bad happened. That's
3:30
the end of that So just wanted to mention it
3:32
briefly in case you saw it on social media. It's
3:34
not really a news story man encounters wolf while
3:38
hiking in Yellowstone is not like The most amazing
3:42
thing you're ever gonna hear from the park. It
3:43
happens all the time I've had tours where we
3:46
encounter wolves in the backcountry. It just
3:47
happens and it looks like everything happened
3:50
that wolf learned a lesson that don't approach
3:52
people which is good because we don't want wolves
3:54
to be habituated that's a whole other conversation
3:57
we'll probably get into in the fall or winter
3:59
but for now if you see that video know that just
4:02
like that bison video of that guy getting tossed
4:05
everybody involved did everything correctly sometimes
4:08
things just happen in this one no one got hurt
4:11
no animal got hurt and that was that The other
4:15
news thing I want to talk about is that this
4:17
is really the last week I mentioned it off the
4:19
top. This is really the last week for everything
4:22
in the park to be open. Next week, things really
4:26
start to close and they close every single week
4:28
more and more things. This is the last week in
4:31
the park that you can do horseback and stagecoach
4:33
rides. Also the dining room at Roosevelt the
4:38
Roosevelt store is going to be closing on the
4:40
seventh Tower Roosevelt gas station the inside
4:43
of it closed on the six There are some other
4:45
things that are closing right now like repair
4:47
shops and things like that But I generally don't
4:50
cover that anyway, but I want you to know this
4:52
is really that last week The last full week of
4:55
everything that's open in the park being open
4:58
And then we're just going to watch it kind of
5:00
close off. So be aware of that for next week.
5:03
This week, enjoy what's open. If you're on the
5:05
fence about booking one of those horseback tours
5:07
or stagecoach rides or cookout dinners out of
5:10
Roosevelt, recommend doing it. It's a unique
5:13
experience. And when else can you do that? Right.
5:15
So enjoy that. That's really all the news. So
5:18
we are going to jump right in to the experience
5:22
of the week. Apologies for the stutter there
5:25
or the delay. I've done this so many times and
5:28
then I forget what comes next, even though I
5:30
have my template right in front of me. So my
5:33
experience of the week is do not expect September
5:36
to be empty in the park. There's this myth going
5:40
around. I talk about it every year. I've talked
5:42
about it the last decade or so on my website,
5:45
and now I talk about it on the podcast. But there's
5:48
this myth that once the kids are back in school,
5:50
the parks are empty. This is false. This is fundamentally
5:54
false on every single level. September in Yellowstone
5:58
National Park gets about 94 to 97 % of the visitation
6:02
that it gets in August. I'll say that again.
6:06
94 to 97 % of the visitation of September compared
6:10
to August. That means if August had a million
6:13
people, that'd be 940 ,000 to 970 ,000 people
6:17
in the park. And that is a lot of people. You
6:20
will have over 800, probably over 900 ,000 people
6:24
this September in the park. Those are facts.
6:26
It doesn't mean that it's not going to be fun
6:28
to visit. I just really have to make sure that
6:31
if you're visiting that you know that that's
6:33
going to happen. Obviously, it does feel less
6:37
crowded because the people that are visiting
6:40
are usually a different age and a different speed.
6:43
People going back to school is real. However,
6:47
we have a larger retiree work from home population
6:52
than we've ever had. So everybody that wants
6:54
to avoid the summer when all the kids are there
6:56
is now coming in the shoulder season. I like
6:59
to study statistics. If you know me at all, you
7:02
know I could talk about this forever. I'm not
7:03
going to talk about numbers right now, but September
7:07
is a popular month. Because like I just said,
7:11
it's a good shoulder season month the elk ruts
7:13
going on Everything's a little cooler animals
7:17
are starting to be more active when they were
7:19
more lethargic in the summer there's a sense
7:22
of like urgency for all the animals too because
7:25
winter is coming and That's not just a Game of
7:29
Thrones reference, it is winter is coming and
7:31
winter is very harsh here, so everything needs
7:33
to get ready. September is when we start seeing
7:35
bears really start eating for hyperphasia to
7:39
just pack on the pounds to get through winter.
7:41
As I mentioned, the elk rut is going to start
7:44
popping off any day now, and it's an exciting
7:47
time to be in the park. Fall colors hit, daylight
7:51
hours shortened dramatically. There's a crispness
7:54
in the air. September may see the first snow
7:56
in the mountains. It's a great time, but it's
7:59
not going to be an empty time. And I know that
8:03
like everything you may read will say it's going
8:06
to be much less crowded. That's still October.
8:09
October, though, is still growing. I'll talk
8:11
about that at the end of September. But right
8:13
now, if you come in September to the park, here's
8:16
what to expect. The popular areas will be crowded.
8:20
Wildlife jams will occur. The lesser known spots
8:24
will be empty. Wildlife watching will be amazing.
8:28
The rivers will be really pretty. The stars are
8:31
going to be gorgeous. It's going to be super
8:33
awesome to go to. Like I love September. It's
8:37
one of those months that I usually take off from
8:39
guiding because I love going out in September
8:42
so much. If you're a hiker, September is the
8:44
time to visit. You have cool mornings, your highs
8:47
maybe get in the 70s, but probably not. You're
8:51
just going to be able to hike in a sun shirt
8:53
and roam around in mostly snow -free trails.
8:56
Yes, you're going to have to be very bear -aware,
8:59
but if you're hiking in Yellowstone, you should
9:00
always be very bear -aware. If you noticed me
9:03
just over -enunciate, I had to record that three
9:05
times because the first time I did it, I said,
9:08
be very bear -a -bear. And that's not, that's
9:11
nothing, but be very bear -aware. This is the
9:16
time, especially if you're going up in the high
9:17
country. I really like to do long days in the
9:20
mountains right now. The rivers and creeks are
9:22
low if you need to forward them. It is a fantastic
9:25
time for trails. If you're visiting in September
9:27
or early October and we don't get a lot of snow,
9:30
message me. I will tell you where I'd be hiking
9:32
right now and hopefully you go there because
9:35
it's truly fantastic. I mentioned that the areas
9:37
that are popular are crowded and that's going
9:39
to be the case. But with the shortened daylight
9:43
hours, You're going to see crowds disperse even
9:47
faster in the afternoon and get there kind of,
9:50
you know, later in the morning because sunrise
9:52
isn't as early. So you can really plan your time
9:54
around decent hours. You don't have to stay out
9:57
in June and July. You kind of have to stay out
9:59
for sunset until nine thirty, nine forty five
10:02
now. Sunset's around eight fifteen. And that's
10:06
great because you can watch sunset at the lake
10:08
at eight fifteen and you can drive back out to
10:10
West Yellowstone. You're there, you know, nine
10:12
thirty. maybe 10 depending on what's there. Yes,
10:15
it's going to be dark to drive through the park,
10:16
but you know, if you visit, you know you kind
10:19
of have to do that to do the things. The fall
10:21
colors in September in Yellowstone are going
10:24
to be muted for what a lot of people expect.
10:27
The better fall colors in this region will be
10:30
down in the Tetons. I will admit that the fall
10:33
colors in the park in Yellowstone are great,
10:35
but the Tetons are really where it's at. Usually
10:38
this time of the year, September, early October
10:40
is when I take my yearly trip to the Tetons to
10:43
see the fall colors, to see the moose mating,
10:45
all of those things. If you're in the area, recommend
10:48
doing that. But the fall colors here, these colder
10:51
nights that we have really start getting the
10:54
reds and the oranges on some of the underbrush
10:56
to be really beautiful. The fireweed right now
10:59
has some cotton blowing around off of it. It's
11:02
a really pretty time. Hillsides are starting
11:03
to erupt in some red from all of the plants there.
11:06
It's pretty, but don't expect a lot of, you know,
11:09
leafy trees to be turning. We do have Aspen,
11:13
and those Aspen will be turning gold. And then
11:15
you can just sit under them with a white bark
11:17
and listen to the golden leaves rustle in the
11:19
wind. If it's blue sky, it's like the most picturesque,
11:23
wonderful thing. I love it. And that's why you
11:26
come in September. You get those moments. The
11:29
picnic areas will be less crowded than in the
11:31
summer. You will have less people and it's a
11:33
different type of person in the park. That's
11:36
not a judgment statement. That's just a fact.
11:38
You're going to have older people. You're going
11:40
to have younger people that are in camper vans
11:42
instead of families that are going to need to
11:45
do more activities. People will really plan to
11:48
be much slower in the park. And that's where
11:51
this idea that the park isn't as crowded comes
11:53
in. You get a lot less people rushing to and
11:56
fro trying to see everything. And you get a more
11:59
experienced Yellowstone National Park crowd at
12:02
most places. You still have first time visitors
12:04
and as you should. But I've noticed that a lot
12:07
of people that come in September really know
12:09
the park. And so their experience are. is a lot
12:12
more like, OK, yeah, maybe we'll go see Old Faithful
12:15
once and then we want to go to our favorite spot
12:18
out here or we want to go post up at a pullout
12:20
in Lamar for the next four hours or we're going
12:23
to do a hike because we love this hike this time
12:25
of year. It's a different group of people coming
12:27
in. Every season is a little different. So September
12:30
is going to have that. You will have some traffic
12:32
jams at West Yellowstone. That's going to happen.
12:34
You're going to have parking issues at Grand
12:36
Prismatic Overlook at some of the more popular.
12:39
geyser basins you're gonna have bison that are
12:42
gonna snarl traffic you're gonna have elk if
12:45
there's a bull elk around you're gonna have people
12:47
just losing their minds next week is my elk special
12:51
it's a regular episode it's not gonna be a standalone
12:53
bison episode like i did but i'm gonna primarily
12:56
be talking about the elk rut and things like
12:58
that so wait for that for next week but know
13:01
that if there is a bull elk around It's a bit
13:04
of a madhouse no matter where you are, whether
13:06
you're in Mammoth, you're in Madison, you're
13:09
at the lake. There's a bull elk bugling and he's
13:12
trying to get his harem together. You will see
13:15
the craziness of September visitation and every
13:17
month has craziness because it's Yellowstone
13:19
and people are excited and I love that they're
13:22
excited. Just make sure you follow the rules
13:23
and we all can enjoy this. The other thing I
13:26
wanted to talk about September is things will
13:29
close. Plan ahead with that some restaurants
13:33
will close if they didn't get enough seasonal
13:35
workers in West Yellowstone or Cook City or Gardiner
13:38
Then they may have reduced hours That is a very
13:41
important thing to know because if you expect
13:43
things to be open late in the shoulder seasons
13:46
You will be disappointed and you might have to
13:48
get food at a gas station I've done that when
13:51
I visited years ago. I had some friends visit
13:54
the other year and they mistimed it and They
13:57
ate just gas station sandwiches for dinner and
14:00
it was fine you know but it's just because oops
14:03
we stayed out too long and then everything was
14:05
closed so know that but otherwise if you're visiting
14:08
in september just know it's not going to be completely
14:10
empty but also know that september is so magical
14:14
and so wonderful i love it i am Truly stoked
14:17
that September is here. I mean, yes summer went
14:20
way too fast for me, but September's here You're
14:23
gonna probably hear about me doing super long
14:25
days on the trails wildlife watching is gonna
14:28
increase We're gonna have bears just eating tons.
14:31
You have elk bugling. You're gonna have Marmots
14:35
and pikas gathering as much food as they can
14:37
for the winter. You're gonna get the migratory
14:40
birds gathering together Before they leave in
14:42
October the end of September. It's a good time
14:45
to visit If you are visiting, be very excited.
14:48
Just know you may not be alone all the time.
14:52
All right, that was my unscripted section. Now
14:55
I'm going to have my tip of the week. Why are
14:59
grizzly bears so hard to find in late August?
15:02
Oh, all of August. So if you're in Yellowstone
15:05
at the end of August, middle of August, early
15:08
August, and you're hoping to see a grizzly bear
15:11
from the road, it helps to understand one thing.
15:14
The bears are around, but they're not going to
15:17
be where they were in May and June and some of
15:20
July. Mid to late August is an interesting transition
15:24
point for Yellowstone's bears. Summer's winding
15:27
down, fall's approaching, and the animals are
15:30
spending much of their time looking for the most
15:32
nutritious foods they can find. Where those foods
15:35
are located can have a much bigger influence
15:37
on where you'll find the bears throughout the
15:40
park. For grizzly bears especially, Late summer
15:43
is a period of intense feeding. From June through
15:46
August, grizzlies eat a wide range of foods including
15:49
grasses and sedges, thistle, fireweed, biscuit
15:52
root, ants, army cutworm moths, all of these
15:56
things. But by midsummer, they also then start
16:00
honing in on berries. This time of the year,
16:04
even a few weeks ago, this is the time of the
16:06
year when the berries start popping out and the
16:09
bears will go crazy for them. One place I usually
16:12
see some black bears this time of the year is
16:14
the Slough Creek Trail, especially those first
16:15
one to two miles. I've had them right next to
16:18
the trail and I've just basically shut the trail
16:20
down and didn't let anybody hike it because there
16:22
were three black bears just hanging out right
16:24
by the trail and it's not safe to walk by them
16:26
when they're eating. Now, we're not talking about
16:29
blackberries, though. Most people that have reached
16:30
out to me, by the way, this is a viewer -centric
16:33
or listener -centric answer for a bunch of questions
16:38
I've gotten about where to see grizzlies because
16:40
people want to see grizzlies and grizzly sightings
16:43
have been very minimal. And one of the reasons
16:45
for that is because those grizzlies are really
16:49
looking for very high calorie foods. And those
16:54
are moths and whitebark pine seeds. These moths
17:01
that they eat spend a lot of their time way high
17:04
up this time of the year above 10 ,000 feet and
17:08
grizzlies will climb to these areas and turn
17:10
over rocks and feed on them just over and over
17:14
again. The moths are extraordinarily extraordinarily
17:17
nutritious and the National Park Service says
17:20
that a bear can consume tens of thousands of
17:23
these moths in a single day. One thing that you
17:27
need to know is that there are not roads up to
17:29
these 10 ,000 foot rocky areas. These are remote,
17:33
and the bears are going to remote areas right
17:36
now to eat. For a visitor driving Yellowstone's
17:39
roads, that's not especially encouraging. A bear
17:42
concentrating on moths right now in the high
17:45
mountains, not going to be visible from roadside
17:47
meadow, not even with spotting scopes or things
17:49
like that. You're going to really have a hard
17:51
time seeing them. Plain and simple. They're with
17:55
the best food source. This is like if we all
17:57
had this little diner that no one else knew about
18:00
but we had to walk Way through the woods and
18:03
like hide from everybody to go eat at this best
18:05
diner in the world That's what these bears are
18:08
doing. It's not that they want to keep it a secret
18:10
It's just that that is where these moths are
18:12
there's also whitebark pine needles up high there
18:16
and so that's where they're going to be I I know
18:19
it's a little frustrating but This is the reality
18:23
of where grizzlies are and this is why it's important
18:25
to understand this Migratory if you want to use
18:28
that word for this pattern that the animals have
18:30
where their food sources are I talked a lot last
18:33
year about the whitebark pine and if you want
18:36
to check that out I think is around this time
18:37
of the year and so the bears are going up there
18:41
and This is kind of fun because they go up there
18:44
and they eat these seeds And it's nice, but one
18:47
of the things that they love doing is finding
18:50
the caches made by red squirrels and other little
18:52
rodents and just eat what they've been storing
18:55
for the winter. Now you may feel bad for them
18:58
but squirrels and things like that are notorious
19:00
for gathering a bunch of food and then forgetting
19:02
about it. So this has been happening forever
19:04
and this is how things survive. So the bears
19:07
are moving up higher and that means it's going
19:09
to be a lot harder to see. If you do things like
19:11
the specimen ridge trail or you go up Mount Norris
19:14
or even Mount Washburn you might have better
19:17
luck up there. If you see a grizzly right now
19:22
just next to the road in a valley it's because
19:24
there's a good food source there. And if there's
19:26
a good food source there, it's going to be there
19:28
for a while. So if there is a bear nearby, it's
19:31
not going to be roaming as far theoretically
19:33
right now as much as it was in the height of
19:36
the summer when it was just kind of roaming around
19:37
and doing its bear thing. Right now, everything
19:40
is locked in on where food is. The later in the
19:43
season we get, the more narrow that focus gets
19:46
on food sources. So if there's food around, they
19:49
are very attentive to it. Now this may sound
19:52
like a bummer, but this isn't to say that the
19:54
valleys are empty of bears Or you're not going
19:56
to see them quite the opposite Yellowstone's
19:59
wildlife Goes everywhere and again, they go where
20:03
those food sources are so you can go Tower Roosevelt
20:06
to Canyon and Then in Hayden Lamar and you might
20:10
see a grizzly bear if you go out toward the Beartooth
20:13
Highway right now That's a high elevation area.
20:15
There might be more grizzlies out there. I will
20:17
be keeping track of where they are and trying
20:20
to let you know when you're visiting. Right now
20:22
you're just going to have to put in the miles
20:23
like I always say in the wildlife report. The
20:26
challenge for finding bears right now is that
20:29
again they're just up high and there's not a
20:32
lot of up high access in the park. The good news
20:35
is that August is the hardest month for me and
20:39
a lot of other people to see grizzlies in the
20:41
park. Why is that good news? August is over as
20:46
this podcast lasts the entire week, we're going
20:50
to get into September. September is when you
20:52
start seeing more black and grizzly bears on
20:54
roadside meadows really feasting. So if you were
20:57
in the park this last month, know that this was
20:59
the hardest time late July through the month
21:01
of August is the hardest time to see a grizzly
21:03
bear. And so next time you come back to the park,
21:06
you can know that and plan differently if you
21:09
can. You know, you come to the park when you
21:11
can and you see what you see. The park allows
21:14
you to see what it allows you to see. And we
21:15
can't really control that. So maybe you saw a
21:18
grizzly. Maybe you didn't. But if you are coming
21:20
this week, we're going to start getting to the
21:22
point where, yes, grizzlies are up high, but
21:25
they're also going to be locking in on some of
21:27
those historic food ranges. So if bears are known
21:29
to be a certain place. During September and October
21:33
they're going to return to that place if there's
21:36
a route in a field I'm thinking around the Grizzly
21:38
Lake area. Maybe check out that area You know
21:42
that there is a consistency to where they get
21:45
their nutrition as long as it's still there so
21:48
Listen to the wildlife report talk to people
21:51
when you're visiting the park talk to the Rangers
21:52
They can tell you where things are and if you
21:55
visited in August and didn't see a grizzly bear.
21:57
Don't worry I only saw one all year and it was
22:00
way off on a hike and I saw it from three miles
22:02
away on a ridge so I didn't really get a good
22:05
grizzly sighting this August but I expect better
22:08
sightings in September and September is right
22:11
around the corner. My random Yellowstone fact
22:13
of the week. Yellowstone's obsidian. Few rocks
22:17
in Yellowstone National Park tell a more remarkable
22:19
human story than obsidian. For thousands of years
22:23
These rocks were one of the most valuable toolstones
22:26
available to people living and traveling across
22:28
the American West. Yellowstone's obsidian was
22:31
quarried, shaped into razor -sharp tools, carried
22:35
across enormous distances, and traded between
22:38
communities. Archaeologists can now trace some
22:41
of those ancient journeys, chemically, so, you
22:43
know, looking at the rock, revealing that Yellowstone
22:46
was connected to a continent -wide network of
22:48
movement and exchange long before the arrival
22:51
of Europeans. This is not a shock, the trade
22:53
economy of the indigenous folks was amazing.
22:57
Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass.
23:00
It forms when silica -rich lava erupts and cools
23:02
so quickly that crystals do not have time to
23:05
develop. Instead of becoming a conventional crystalline
23:08
rock, the molten material solidifies in a glass.
23:12
The process requires both rapid cooling and magma
23:15
with the right chemical composition. Yellowstone
23:18
is particularly well suited to producing obsidian
23:21
because of its volcanic history that has generated
23:24
extensive rhyolite lava flows, which are rich
23:26
in silica and highly viscous. That viscosity
23:30
slows the movement of atoms needed to form crystals,
23:33
helping preserve the glassy texture. One of the
23:36
most spectacular examples is Obsidian Cliff.
23:39
Located along the road between Mammoth and Norris,
23:42
the cliff exposes an enormous obsidian -bearing
23:44
rhyolite flow that erupted roughly 180 ,000 years
23:48
ago. Unlike most obsidian deposits, which occur
23:52
as scattered rock mixed with other geologic material,
23:55
Obsidian Cliff forms a massive exposed cliff
23:58
approximately 98 feet or 30 meters thick. The
24:02
site was designated a National Historic Landmark
24:04
in 1996 because of both its geologic importance
24:08
and its extraordinary archaeological significance.
24:12
The qualities that make obsidian fascinating
24:15
to geologists also made it extraordinary for
24:18
humans. When obsidian breaks it produces what
24:21
is called a Concodial fracture. I probably said
24:26
that wrong. That creates thin curve flakes with
24:29
extremely sharp edges. Skilled toolmakers could
24:32
strike a piece of obsidian and remove precisely
24:36
shaped flakes, producing knives, scrapers, spear
24:39
points, arrowheads, and other cutting tools.
24:43
So people began quarrying obsidian at Obsidian
24:45
Cliff more than 11 ,000 years ago. Archaeological
24:49
investigations have identified quarry pits, workshops,
24:52
flakes, cores, and finished tools, showing that
24:54
people were not simply picking up a few attractive
24:57
pieces from the surface, they were deliberately
24:59
seeking out material and processing it at the
25:03
source. Obsidian from obsidian cliff became one
25:06
of the most widely dispersed obsidian sources
25:08
used by hunter -gatherers in what is now the
25:10
entire United States. So this little area in
25:14
Yellowstone National Park that you drive through
25:16
just south of Mammoth, which is largely overlooked
25:19
by everyone visiting the park, is one of the
25:21
most historically significant obsidian places
25:24
in the United States, if not North America. But
25:28
it's not just there. Yellowstone isn't limited
25:30
to just a single obsidian source. Archaeologists
25:34
have identified at least 16 prehistoric obsidian
25:37
sources within the greater Yellowstone ecosystem.
25:40
including locations like Cougar Creek, Park Point,
25:44
Conan Creek, and other areas around the park
25:46
and surrounding region. Different communities
25:48
could therefore obtain obsidian from sources
25:50
closer to where they are traveling, but obsidian
25:53
cliff became especially important because of
25:55
the quality and abundance of material. So you
25:58
may be wondering, how do they know that obsidian
26:00
came from obsidian cliff? And that's because
26:03
obsidian has a chemical fingerprint. There's
26:07
trace elements within obsidian that vary from
26:09
one source to another. Scientists can analyze
26:13
an archaeological artifact and compare its chemical
26:16
composition with known geological sources. This
26:19
allows researchers to determine where a particular
26:22
piece of obsidian originated without destroying
26:24
the artifact. In effect, the rock carries a geologic
26:28
signature that can reveal where it came from.
26:30
These fingerprints have revealed just how far
26:33
Yellowstone Obsidian traveled. Material from
26:35
Obsidian Cliff has been identified at archaeological
26:37
sites throughout the Rocky Mountains and Great
26:39
Plains, and as far north as western Canada, and
26:42
as far east as the Great Lakes and Ohio. The
26:46
obsidian in this region also can help provide
26:49
a window into the earliest chapters of Yellowstone's
26:52
human history. One Clovis point found near present
26:55
-day Corwin Springs just north of the park was
26:58
made from obsidian cliff obsidian and dates to
27:01
around 11 ,000 years old This discovery demonstrates
27:07
that people were not only present in this region,
27:10
but they were also Recognizing what was useful
27:13
very established and setting things up I wanted
27:16
to talk about Obsidian Cliff because it doesn't
27:19
get as much love as I feel it should for how
27:21
important it is. Yellowstone has so many awesome
27:24
places, so many places where you're just like,
27:28
your mind is blown. Obsidian Cliff is very subtle.
27:30
you'll drive by it you might see the little kiosk
27:35
on the side and very small parking area that
27:38
kiosk is part of the national historic on the
27:40
national historic registry by the way that's
27:42
a fun little fact that no one really cares about
27:44
but i read that the other day and i like to share
27:47
it every chance i get but obsidian cliff shows
27:51
the importance of yellowstone and it also shows
27:54
how important yellowstone has been for humanity
27:57
since day one in this area I love obsidian cliff.
28:01
Next time you drive through, stop, read the little
28:03
display, look at the cliffside, and know that
28:07
while it's not the most impressive and jaw -dropping
28:10
thing, this easy -to -miss roadside stop is one
28:16
of the most important pieces in hunter -gatherer
28:19
history in America. So I wanted to mention that
28:22
this week. Now let's talk about the weather.
28:25
Alright the weather for the coming week as always
28:27
this is the best forecast at the time of the
28:29
recording is currently 422 p .m. On Wednesday
28:33
August 26th, so let's start with Lamar Valley
28:36
Lamar Valley on Thursday is gonna have a high
28:39
80 a low of 49 24 % chance of rain Friday 66
28:44
and 48 75 % chance of rain maybe a third of an
28:48
inch Saturday 64 and 33 68 % chance of rain,
28:53
maybe four tenths of an inch. Sunday, 59 and
28:56
35. 60 % chance of rain, looks to be tailing
28:59
off in the afternoon evening. Monday, 69 and
29:02
40, 11 % chance of rain. Tuesday, 71 and 42,
29:06
24 % chance. And Wednesday, 68 and 41, 19 % chance.
29:11
Gardiner, Montana. Thursday, high 84, low 51,
29:15
11 % chance of rain. Friday, 70 and 51, 60 %
29:19
chance of thunderstorms. With about two tenths
29:22
of an inch of rain. Saturday, 68 and 45, 73 %
29:26
chance of rain, maybe a third of an inch. Sunday
29:29
62 and 37 52 percent chance about a tenth of
29:32
an inch of rain trailing off in the afternoon
29:35
Monday 74 and 44 8 percent chance Tuesday 75
29:39
and 44 17 percent chance and Wednesday 72 and
29:43
44 17 percent chance West Yellowstone on thursday
29:48
high of 79 low 45 10 chance of rain friday 65
29:53
and 45 66 chance of a third of an inch of rain
29:57
saturday 62 and 40 74 chance about a half inch
30:01
of rain sunday 59 and 31 64 chance about two
30:07
tenths of an inch of rain and by the way i did
30:09
say 31 uh monday 68 and 38 37 % chance of some
30:15
rain Tuesday 70 and 38 21 % chance of rain and
30:19
Wednesday 67 and 38 22 % chance of rain in Cody,
30:24
Wyoming Thursday High of 88, low of 66, 13 %
30:28
chance of rain. Friday 78 and 61, 24 % chance
30:32
of rain. Saturday 75 and 57, 24 % chance of rain.
30:36
Sunday 75 and 49, 14 % chance of rain. Monday
30:40
79 and 55, 6 % chance of rain. Tuesday 82 and
30:45
56, 18 % chance of rain. And Wednesday 79 and
30:49
55, 10 % chance of rain. and finally cook city
30:53
montana are we ready for this one thursday 75
30:56
and 50 24 chance of rain friday 62 and 48 73
31:01
chance about third of an inch of rain saturday
31:06
60 and 43 80 chance of four tenths of an inch
31:10
of rain sunday 55 and 36 eight 57 chance of 0
31:17
.18 inches of rain Monday 65 and 42 12 percent
31:22
chance of rain Tuesday 68 and 43 24 percent chance
31:25
of rain and Wednesday 65 and 42 19 percent chance
31:30
of rain by the way that Sunday that Saturday
31:34
and Sunday low It might snow in the Beartooth
31:36
Highway. So do not be surprised if the Beartooth
31:39
Highway closes Sunday, maybe Saturday as well
31:42
It may not this forecast could just be tossed
31:45
out the window in like two hours. But as of right
31:48
now Could happen. As of right now, no major roads
31:51
are closed in the park. Those dirt roads like
31:53
the Blacktail Plateau Drive will be closed if
31:56
it rains. Know that there's going to be some
31:58
construction here and there that's going to delay
32:00
you. It hasn't been too bad at all. And, you
32:03
know, if the weather does get bad and it snows.
32:05
There might be some temporary road closures.
32:08
We'll see it. This is a weird time of the year,
32:11
so we're just going to see if it happens. It
32:13
happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't. But if you
32:16
want up to date road information, you can call
32:17
307 -344 -2117 for recorded information, or you
32:22
can do what we all do out here. Just sign up
32:25
and receive Yellowstone road alerts on your cell
32:27
phone by texting the number 82190 to the number
32:31
888 -777. Camping information. Everything that's
32:36
open this year is open this year. So if you're
32:39
camping, have fun, might be what? The Wildlife
32:42
Watching Report. So as you heard me talk about
32:46
earlier, wildlife watching is hit and miss right
32:48
now. The bison rut is winding down. I saw somebody
32:52
posting that the bison rut's over. It's not true.
32:54
Bison Red is not over. I was there yesterday
32:57
and bison were running around. They were doing
33:00
the lip curls after females. They were battling
33:04
each other. Bison Red is not over. Bison have
33:08
been better in Hayden Valley than they were the
33:11
previous few weeks, so that's good. They've also
33:13
been really prevalent in Little America and the
33:16
Lamar Valley. I saw so many right next to the
33:20
road driving to Lamar Valley yesterday. So if
33:22
you want good bison sightings That's where I'd
33:24
personally go Hayden can be hit and miss but
33:27
if they're there they're gonna be there right
33:29
on the road So enjoy that the elk rut is starting
33:33
The question mark with starting the elk are starting
33:38
to gather where they normally gather. So right
33:40
now there's more elk and mammoth The big bull
33:43
elk number 24 is back in Mammoth. I'm going to
33:46
be talking about him next week, specifically
33:49
him next week. So that should be hopefully interesting.
33:53
I'll also be talking about the elk more as it's
33:55
actually going to be popping off. But right now,
33:58
don't be surprised to start hearing some bugles.
34:00
to start seeing more bull elk emerging. They've
34:03
scraped off some of the most of that velvet.
34:05
They are looking good and they are ready to battle
34:08
and mate and get their harems going. So Madison
34:11
River Valley around the lake should be good,
34:14
too. And then definitely Mammoth Gardner. That
34:18
whole area that's always really good will have
34:20
elk. I drove through yesterday and I saw about
34:23
45 elk and mammoth. So I. I expect that to continue,
34:28
but they could roam around. They do that. They're
34:30
animals. So know that. And then let's see. Bighorn
34:34
sheep have been few and far between as of late.
34:37
So that's been a little disappointing. I've heard
34:39
they've been pretty good up Chittenden Road by
34:43
Mount Washburn and then also out the East entrance.
34:46
They've just been roaming around closer to the
34:48
East entrance side of the pass than the park
34:50
side of the pass, if that helps. then wolves
34:53
have been spotted out in Lamar in that general
34:56
area quite a bit they've been far out there was
34:58
a dead bison that grizzlies were eating or a
35:01
grizzly was eating and wolves were kind of harassing
35:04
them a week or two ago so that could continue
35:07
to happen I would head out that way and then
35:10
just see what's going on people have been seeing
35:12
them from the force wolves from the forces of
35:14
nature trail as well not as frequent as like
35:18
a month ago but Then I'd also go down to Hayden
35:21
and look for the wolves down there. Those are
35:23
going to be your three main spots. And then bears
35:26
are just going to pop up. You know, I wish I
35:29
had a better solution, but as I talked about
35:30
with bears, just a hard time for bears. I've
35:33
seen more bears within three miles of Livingston,
35:35
Montana than I have in the park in the last week.
35:39
Now that's they're all black bears, but I've
35:42
seen more bears. I haven't seen a black bear
35:44
in the park in quite a while. So I don't really
35:47
know what to tell you. It may change overnight,
35:50
especially this cooler weather that's going to
35:52
force some things to move. So expect maybe bear
35:54
sightings to pick up later in the weekend. Other
35:58
than that, pronghorn are starting to gather a
36:00
little more. And then I've seen more deer driving
36:04
between mammoth and Roosevelt than I ever have.
36:07
Some good bucks are out there as well. And then
36:11
Sandhill cranes are. all over, been seeing some
36:14
cool eagles and ospreys, so it's a good time.
36:17
These cooler temperatures may reduce visibility
36:19
and you may not be able to scan as much, but
36:21
again, you put in the miles, you put in the work,
36:23
you may be rewarded with really good animal sightings.
36:26
If you need more animal sightings, I have a wildlife
36:28
watching guidebook. It's pretty good. If I say
36:31
so myself, I'm not one to brag, but it's based
36:34
on my entire life visiting the park. And while
36:38
animals aren't predictable, they do have some
36:40
tendencies that are repeated. And I share those
36:43
and I really try and give you all of the knowledge
36:45
that I have so you can have your best chance
36:47
of seeing wildlife. Trail alerts and updates.
36:51
So I just pulled up the backcountry conditions
36:53
page last week. I threw something in the show
36:56
notes that I didn't mention that a big trail
36:58
was closed. Does not appear to be closed anymore.
37:02
So that's good. There is a carcass way out way
37:07
beyond where people are going to be day hiking
37:09
on Cache Creek specimen, not specimen ridge,
37:13
but Lamar Valley, lower Cache Creek area. I.
37:18
heard about it there's a lot of grizzly prints
37:19
out that way there wolf prints out that way too
37:22
so you know be very alert it's a time that i
37:26
think a lot of people are like oh it's a little
37:27
more laid back wildlife wise because of things
37:29
like i said but bears can be everywhere if there's
37:33
a food source there they will be protecting it
37:35
so be alert carry bear spray don't have it in
37:37
the bottom of your backpack know how to use it
37:40
and have it ready to be deployed in one to two
37:41
seconds and finally my trek of the week The Specimen
37:46
Ridge Petrified Forest Trail. If you love short,
37:49
steep hikes with a big payoff, this is the hike
37:52
you'll want to put on your Yellowstone list for
37:54
this week. Now, I will say that if it's raining,
37:57
this trail can be muddy, the views aren't going
37:59
to be as good, but if it's not raining and the
38:01
storm's passed and you feel like dealing with
38:03
mud, or if it's not muddy at all, definitely
38:06
go up here. It's short -ish, it's steep, and
38:10
it gives you a stunning view and some really
38:12
cool geology. What makes this great is you get
38:15
to see petrified trees up close, not in a cage
38:19
like the one at the petrified tree parking area.
38:22
You get to see them on a hillside with sweeping
38:25
views and you get to touch them. Don't take them,
38:28
don't chip anything off, leave them the way you
38:30
found them. But you get to have a tactile experience
38:33
on a really cool trail. Now petrified wood that
38:37
you're going to find here is roughly 50 million
38:39
years old and dates back to when Yellowstone
38:42
looked dramatically different than it does today.
38:44
Ancient volcanoes that you're going to be looking
38:46
at if you climb up it to the north and northeast
38:49
were active and covered this part of the park
38:52
which wasn't a park obviously then with ash rock
38:56
and mud and over millions of years the mineral
38:59
rich mud and all of that moved through the wood
39:02
and replaced it and turned it into stone and
39:06
it's really cool. The original wood disappeared
39:09
and it just left behind remarkably detailed stone
39:12
replicas of the trees. You can look at some of
39:15
these pieces and you can see the rings of the
39:18
trees in rock. Now before I describe the route
39:20
to get there I want to share Yellowstone National
39:23
Park's basic directions because this is not a
39:26
traditional well -marked trail. From the pullout,
39:29
look southwest away from the road. Toward the
39:32
top of the ridge, around the 2 o 'clock position,
39:34
you should be able to see a cliff outcropped
39:36
containing petrified trees. The outcrop is your
39:39
ultimate destination. From the pullout, follow
39:41
the abandoned service road for about 100 yards,
39:44
then ignore the boot path on the left and keep
39:47
going up the ridge. Continue on the most obvious
39:50
trail to the top of the open ridge, then follow
39:52
the ridge southwest toward the cliff outcrop.
39:56
There are wildlife trails that traverse the forest
39:58
below the ridge but these can lead you off the
40:00
route so stay on the main path and avoid following
40:03
animal trails into lower terrain. After exploring
40:06
the petrified trees return the way you came.
40:10
Let me give you a little more detail than that
40:11
because finding your way is part of the adventure
40:14
on this hike. You're going to start by crossing
40:16
an open sagebrush meadow and there's a good chance
40:19
you're going to see bison along the way. Give
40:21
them plenty of room. This first section is relatively
40:24
easy, although you gradually gain elevation as
40:27
you cross the meadow. After roughly half a mile,
40:30
you begin leaving the open prairie and approaching
40:32
the trees that are straight ahead of you from
40:34
the parking area. At this point, just keep following
40:38
the trail up the ridge up the hillside. The route
40:41
up the ridge is fairly well -worn, so when you're
40:44
unsure to go, just keep following the most obvious
40:46
trail upwards. This is the one place where you
40:49
really don't want to improvise. There are some
40:51
branches of trails that go left and right and
40:54
all over. Stay on them. You'll know once you're
40:58
up there, you're really going to know which is
41:00
the obvious path, but some of these animal paths
41:04
do look pretty good, but just know that if you're
41:06
not climbing, it's probably not the right way
41:08
to go. At just under a mile, you should be on
41:11
or approaching the ridge, and the route becomes
41:13
easier to identify. This is where the hike starts
41:16
getting much more interesting. You're going to
41:18
start seeing pieces of petrified wood and smaller
41:20
stumps along the trail, and as you climb higher,
41:22
the size and number of the petrified trees that
41:25
you're going to see increase. You're going to
41:28
be at this area called the fossil forest, and
41:30
what you're envisioning right now is not correct.
41:33
I hate to break it to you. You think fossil forest
41:35
and you're like, it's a whole forest of petrified
41:37
trees. When you start going up the ridge, you're
41:40
going to get near the top of the ridge and then,
41:43
you know those boot pads I said to ignore earlier?
41:45
There's going to be one that swings to the right
41:47
a bit and you're going to see a stump there that
41:49
looks like a big rock. That's where you want
41:51
to go. So just swing down there, then you're
41:53
going to see some really cool things. You're
41:55
not going to see a whole forest. You're going
41:57
to see pieces of trees and a good stump with
42:00
some cool crystals and things like that in it.
42:03
The tree that you're going to see probably closest
42:05
up. It's hard to imagine, but supposedly that
42:08
tree was about 200 feet tall. I've sat and looked
42:11
at it. I've read this numerous times and my brain
42:13
can't fathom this, but like it's really cool.
42:16
If you look at it, there are some cool crystals
42:18
that are formed inside of it. It's a really awesome
42:21
piece of petrified wood that is the tree. If
42:25
you look around, you may see some other ones
42:27
down in the trees. I don't recommend going down
42:30
there. I think if you find this big one, then
42:33
this is kind of the one that you want to see.
42:35
It's the best experience, the best picture. If
42:38
you want to do more, fine. But if you want to
42:40
do something else and make more of a day about
42:42
it, then continue up the ridge and you're going
42:45
to hit the top of the ridge. And when you get
42:47
to the top of the ridge, you're going to look
42:48
down to the south and you're going to see a trail
42:51
marker. Go to the trail marker. There's a bison
42:54
skull there. There's antlers, really cool things.
42:57
If you do this, know that this is a relatively
43:00
short hike. It's around four or five miles round
43:02
trip with about 2 ,000 feet of gain, but if you're
43:05
not used to the steepness of climb or the footing
43:07
isn't great, it will be a little harder. So try
43:11
your best on this. If it's muddy, don't do this
43:14
one. Reach out to me. I can recommend another
43:15
trail or you can pick up my hiking guidebook
43:17
where I have 50 plus of my favorite hikes in
43:21
the region both in and out of the park to give
43:24
you the perfect day. But if the weather's good,
43:26
I think you're really going to like this one,
43:28
especially when you get through the meadow and
43:30
then you can start climbing up on the ridge,
43:32
hang out at the top of the ridge for a while.
43:34
It's part of the specimen ridge trail that runs
43:37
from where that new bridge crosses the Yellowstone
43:40
River all the way to Lamar River and the Lamar
43:43
River Trail. It's a long day. Not recommending
43:45
doing that today, but you can see part of it
43:48
and you can see what the potential of that is.
43:51
So enjoy that one. I hope you get to hike it.
43:54
I hope the weather's not too bad and this forecast
43:56
changes. But if it is, enjoy a rainy day, walk
43:59
some cool places, go to a lake and watch it rain
44:01
on the lake and just enjoy nature for the unpredictability
44:06
that you'll have, but it's always going to be
44:09
beautiful. Oh, and it should go without saying,
44:11
but I am going to say it. If you go and hike
44:13
up the petrified tree where you find the bison
44:15
skull and you find the antlers and stuff, leave
44:17
everything there. Do not take anything. I know
44:20
I said it earlier. I'm going to reiterate this
44:22
just because I want to be responsible for this
44:24
podcast and let remind everybody. Leave everything
44:27
where it is. Keep everything as pristine and
44:30
natural as possible. If you see trash, pick it
44:32
up and enjoy your day. Alright, that's it. That
44:35
is it for this week. In next week's episode,
44:38
I'll return with all the information you need
44:39
to have a good week in the park. That includes
44:41
the wildlife update, the weather forecast, and
44:44
a trail that I think you should hike. Like I
44:46
said earlier, next week is going to be a lot
44:49
about elk, a lot of cool things that I found
44:51
about the elk, and I'm just going to make sure
44:54
that you are stoked for the elk rut as I am.
44:57
Till next week, pick up a guidebook of mine.
44:59
Recommend this podcast to somebody who's visiting
45:02
the park book a tour with me for next year and
45:05
until then happy trails Abrupt ending this week
45:19
in Yellowstone is brought to you by the Outdoor
45:21
Society. That's my company. It's just me I do
45:24
this It's a labor of love if you like it tell
45:27
your friends rate and review it Shoot me a message.
45:30
Otherwise, keep listening and I hope to see you
45:32
in Yellowstone. Copyright 2026, baby!