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This Week in Yellowstone: February 5th to February 11th, 2026 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

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From Yellowstone National Park, where it feels
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more like late March or early April than early
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February, this is that Scott guy you know and
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love with a brand new episode of This Week in
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Yellowstone. What's up everybody? This week in
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Yellowstone National Park from February 5th to
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February 11th, 2026, I try to encourage you to
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drive to Cook City, tell you what you need to
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have to have a good day wolf watching, share
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the story of Yankee Gym Canyon, and tell you
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about a scenic hike to the Yellowstone River
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that's located just outside of the park. I'll
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also give you the complete weather forecast,
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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
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feel free to reach out with any questions. I
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also mention park locations very casually, so
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if you're unfamiliar with any place I say, a
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quick search online can help. Also know that
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this report only covers the drivable areas of
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the park. Finally, for this intro, this podcast
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is a passion project. If you enjoy it, I'd love
1:14
a review or a quick email. And if you want to
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support my work further, you can check out my
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hiking and wildlife watching guidebooks or join
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me for a guided hiking tour in Yellowstone's
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backcountry. For more information on all of that,
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visit outdoor -society .com or just contact me
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directly. 406 -589 -1873. Seriously though, book
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a trail tour with me. You're not going to regret
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it if you do. This week's Yellowstone news. I'm
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going to talk about it during the snowpack section
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So this week's Yellowstone news is really slow.
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Nothing really happened in the park There were
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a few stories about some uplift happening out
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by Norris things like that, but those are very
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standard I talked about a couple of weeks ago
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Go to the USGS Like volcano report for Yellowstone.
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They will tell you everything you need to know
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other than that. It's just been a slow week.
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It's been warm Snow is melting a little bit.
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Not a lot going on as far as like important hitting
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news stories, which is good. So that leads me
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to the experience of the week. My experience
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this week sounds kind of like a cop out, but
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it's not. It's something that I really enjoy
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doing and not enough people do. What is it? Head
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all the way to Cook City. Very basic, right?
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For some of you, this is the no brainer. Since
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there's only one open road in the park, it makes
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sense to drive from Gardner to Cook City and
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back. However, more and more I see people drive
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to Soda Butte or Pebble Creek or even just the
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hitching post pullout with the pit toilets by
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Lamar Valley and then they turn around and go
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back to Mammoth. And those who do this miss out
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on some fantastic mountain scenery, a potential
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for wildlife like foxes and moose, and a chance
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to grab a cup of coffee or snack in a tiny town
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surrounded by snowy mountains. Once you pass
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Pebble Creek, the landscape in Yellowstone begins
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to shift. The snow piles deeper, the trees press
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closer to the pavement, and visibility for wildlife
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drops compared to Lamar's open valleys. But that
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doesn't mean that it's not worth going or that
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you're not going to see animals. The road narrows
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slightly as it skirts Icebox Canyon and follows
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Soda Butte Creek. As you climb, Baronet Peak
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dominates the view on your left, its sheer face
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lined with frozen waterfalls in the winter. If
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you're driving this way, be sure to stop at the
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Baronet Peak overlook on the north side of the
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road. with binoculars or a spotting scope. Patient
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viewers can sometimes spot mountain goats tucked
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among the cliffs and the ice. And very least,
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you're going to see a bunch, like a dozen or
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more frozen waterfalls just on the side of the
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mountain. Really cool to see. As you continue
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toward Cook City, the scenery opens up again
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as you near the northeast entrance. As you're
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exiting the park, the views to the south expand
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dramatically with snow -covered ridgelines stacking
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into the distance. It's easy to get distracted
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by the mountains, but keep an eye on the lower
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meadows as well. This stretch has excellent moose
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habitat and winter sightings here are surprisingly
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common. Once you drive a little bit beyond that
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Entrance gate you're gonna pass through the little
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tiny town of silver gate calling it a town I
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don't even know if that should count If you drive
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through it eating blink long enough, you're gonna
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miss it Silver gate is largely closed up in the
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winter. It's a fun tourist town in the summer,
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but there's not a lot there right now There might
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be someplace open but the town mostly sleeps
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right now. So keep driving just beyond that town
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Pull into the parking area near the Mount Republic
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Chapel for one of the best views in the area.
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Republic Mountain rises sharply above Cook City,
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gaining more than 2 ,600 feet in just a mile
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from where you're at. Known historically as Republic
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Peak, the mountain's name was officially changed
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to Republic Mountain in 1959, but its imposing
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present hasn't changed at all. As you roll into
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Cook City, watch along Montana Street, which
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is going to be like one of the first streets
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on your left, where foxes are frequently spotted
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in the winter. They more than likely are being
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fed by locals, but you know, if you want to see
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a fox, they're there. It's outside the park.
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Can't do a ton about that. If you're lucky enough
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to see them, park in town and walk back to observe
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them from a safe distance rather than stopping
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in the roadway. Every time they're out, I see
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somebody just stopping in the middle of the road,
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turning off their car, getting out. I know Cook
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City isn't that busy, but, you know, still be
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a nice person and don't park in the middle of
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the street. Once you're in Cook City, wander
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into shop, stop by the visitor center and know
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that the visitor center has a small museum and
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the town's only public restroom. So take a minute
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to appreciate that and being at the literal end
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of the road. I also recommend a stop at Cook
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City Coffee. They make a good drink and have
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good snacks. Let them know you heard. Of them
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from this podcast if that's where you did indeed
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hear from of them first And maybe they're gonna
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give me a free drink or something next time.
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I'm there I don't know I haven't floated that
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by them But you know the more people know about
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me and know about this podcast the better for
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everybody, right? Once you've wandered the town
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a little bit, which should only take about 20
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minutes or so Take your time as you head back
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Look for moose, foxes and other wildlife. Enjoy
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the mountain views. Read all those historical
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signs you missed on the drive out and revel in
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the remoteness. Driving to Cook City and back
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allows you to discover a different side of Yellowstone
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in the winter and maybe even encourage you to
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stay there next time you visit the park in the
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winter. It's a great place. I love driving out
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there. The views are cool. Everything is kind
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of good. It's, you know. when one of the main
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places to stop is the Exxon station. You know
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you're in a good town, but like there's some
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good food. There's great people. Be respectful,
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be kind, spend some money in the little town
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and then enjoy the drive back into the park.
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My tip of the week. If you want to see wolves,
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you need to have binoculars or a spotting scope,
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maybe both. If you're heading to Yellowstone's
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northern range this winter, forget about animals
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prancing up to your car window. Sure, pictures
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on social media may make it seem like you'll
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have plenty of up close and personal sightings
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of wildlife in the park, but the reality is that
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some of the animals are going to be very far
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away. You're probably going to see some bison,
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elk, or deer close to your car, but animals like
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wolves are generally pretty far away from you
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at all times. That's good, but that's also why
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you need binoculars or a spotting scope when
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you're visiting the park. These are essential
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for wildlife watching in the park, and they're
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not really optional. You can get away with it,
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but why? It's gonna be a frustrating time if
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everything is far away, and I'm gonna explain
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why in just a second. So even when animals are
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easier to see thanks to snow cover, they're rarely
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close. Wolves in particular are long -distance
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subjects. In Slough Creek, Hell Roaring, and
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Lamar Valley, those are some of the best wolf
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-watching places in the world, wolves are often
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hundreds of yards to a few miles away. Now I
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know what some of you are thinking. Plenty of
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people see wolves much closer than this and have
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gotten some amazing pictures. You may have had
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a closer encounter than that yourself. Both of
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those things can be true, but those close experiences
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are outliers and very rare. The most common wolf
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sightings will be around a mile, half mile, to
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a mile away, if not more. I often tell people
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I can see a wolf nearly every day when I visit
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the park. But I quickly say that more often than
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not, the wolves are a few miles away. Without
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a spotting scope or a good pair of binoculars,
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there's a good chance you'll be standing out
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with everyone, unable to see the wolves that
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they all see, even though they should be visible,
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right? You're like, there's a wolf out on that
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hillside, but it's going to be far enough that
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sometimes through binoculars, it's still a small
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speck. So what optics should you bring? For most
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visitors, a good pair of binoculars in the 8x42
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or 10x42 range is ideal. These models balance
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bright sharp views with ease of handheld use,
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especially in the winter's low light. An 8x42
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tends to be easier to hold steady and offers
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a wider field of view, while a 10x42 gives you
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more magnification to pick out detail on distant
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ridges. Many seasoned northern range watchers
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prefer a compact travel pair, 8x32 for quick
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scanning, and a larger pair for serious glassing
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later. If you want to look deeper, a spotting
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scope, usually 20 to 60 times, or 25 to 75 times,
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mounted on a lightweight tripod is a game changer.
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Tripod needed with a spotting scope. Scopes can
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give you high magnification and clarity that
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binoculars alone can't match. That's ideal for
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watching wolves and any other animal far off
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in the distance. Nearly every guide in the park
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will set up a scope at a classic vantage point
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so everyone in their tours gets a close look
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without disturbing wildlife. That's because they're
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in the park every day and know that scopes are
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routinely needed to give people a closer view
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of the little specks in the distance. Using optics
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also aligns with Yellowstone's ethic of safety,
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respectful viewing. So getting too close could
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force animals to flee or at the very least disturb
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their behavior. which cause them to potentially
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burn precious calories they otherwise need to
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survive, or they get used to people and then
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leave the park and get shot. So binoculars and
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scopes let you appreciate the moment without
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compromising animal safety or violating park
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rules. Access to the northern range amplifies
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the value of optics. Scanning with optics turns
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popular scenic pullouts into world -class wildlife
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watching locations. They bring the action to
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you despite being so far away that you can't
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see anything with your naked eye. The good news
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is that even if you don't own binoculars or a
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spotting scope, that's not a deal breaker. Rentals
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are pretty easy to find in gateway towns like
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Gardner. A quick search on your favorite search
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engine can give you the name and location of
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these stores. Or you can just reach out to me
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and I can tell you places that I know that rent
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gear like this. Either way, have binoculars and
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a spotting scope when you're in the park if you
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want to see wolves. You'll definitely not regret
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having them if you're going to park for wildlife
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watching But you will regret not having them
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when there's a wolf too far away. And again,
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I know this is like Basic to some people but
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you would be amazed at how many people will roll
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up to a spot where everybody's watching wolves
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without anything to see them Hoping to see them
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through their cell phone digital zoom, right
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and that's not really going to help One other
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thing if you do own binoculars or a spotting
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scope Especially if they hook up to a tripod
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the binoculars spotting scopes have to hook up
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to a tripod to be useful Consider buying an adapter
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to hook your phone up to the viewfinder so that
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way when you do see something out there You can
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take pictures and video of it. That's what most
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of the guides do and it's highly recommended
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to do as well My random Yellowstone fact of the
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week. Who is Yankee Jim of Yankee Jim Canyon
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fame? So if you've driven into the park in the
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winter or just into the north entrance from Livingston
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down to Gardner and then in that north entrance
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right there in Gardner You've driven through
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Yankee Gym Canyon Yankee Gym Canyon is a narrow
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rugged stretch of the Yellowstone River. That's
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about 10 miles north of Gardner It's named after
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James Yankee Gym George a legendary frontier
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character born in Vermont in 1841 The canyon
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was a natural barrier to travel in the 1870s
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and it played an important role in early access
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to the Yellowstone region. It's so important
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that even today Highway 89 that leads to Gardiner
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goes through Yankee Gym Canyon. There is no way
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around it. Yankee Gym arrived in Montana in the
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early 1860s and tried his hand at hunting and
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trapping and prospecting before turning his attention
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to transportation through the wild Yellowstone
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Valley. Around 1871, he took over an existing
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wagon road through the canyon that had been built
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a couple of years earlier by Bart Henderson and
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Adam Horn Miller, and that was supposed to link
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the gold fields and early settlements in the
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area with Mammoth Hot Springs. Jim improved the
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route and in 1873 declared it the National Park
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toll road, establishing a cabin and a toll booth
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where travelers heading south to the newly created
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Yellowstone National Park had to pay a pass.
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He famously charged different rates for stock
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that were coming through Reportedly charging
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just a nickel per cow and a dime per sheep because
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quote he hated sheep There has to be a story
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there. I couldn't really find much and I wasn't
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gonna dig too much But like why did he hate sheep
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if anybody knows why Yankee Jim hated sheep?
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Let me know Yankee Jim's personality became as
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legendary as his toll road Known as a gifted
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storyteller, he entertained early tours with
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tales of bear hunts, confrontations with wolves,
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and frontier exploits. His reputation grew to
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national notice. It's said that when President
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Theodore Roosevelt was visiting the Yellowstone
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area in 1902 and 1903 and heard about Yankee
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Jim, he said that he wanted to meet him. An officer
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was sent to deliver an invitation to Yankee Jim,
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but Jim coolly replied that, President Roosevelt
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knows where I live. and would need to come find
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him. According to local lore, Roosevelt took
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him up on that challenge, rode out to Yankee
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Jim's cabin and spent the afternoon trading stories
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and then just like, you know, being frontiersmen,
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which is kind of funny. Whether literally true
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or embellished with time, this story kind of
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captures the spirit of both men and the era.
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So Jim's toll road business thrived until 1883
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when the Northern Pacific Railroad extended a
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branch line through the canyon to reach Corwin
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Springs. Jim reportedly resisted, but the railroad
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eventually was built by negotiating and tricking
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Jim, supposedly, into relinquishing control of
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the canyon road. So Park County formally bought
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the route in 1893 for a thousand dollars, ending
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Jim's control. Jim lived out his later years
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mostly on his ranch and died in 1924 at about
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94 years old. So today Yankee Jim Canyon is best
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known not for toll roads, but for its dramatic
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scenery and recreation opportunities. The canyon
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is short, less than five miles long, but it's
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carved through steep boulder -strewn walls where
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the Yellowstone River cuts a twisting course.
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These rapids are among the largest of Yellowstone
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outside of the National Park, making the canyon
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a favorite destination for whitewater rafters
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and kayakers in late spring and early summer.
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If you get a chance later in the summer, late
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spring, early summer, raft it. Go with one of
15:56
the companies, it's awesome. The outfitters run
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trips all the time, and the river's wild character
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makes an exciting stretch for experienced paddlers
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who want to do it on their own. Today, access
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to Yankee Jim Canyon is easy from US Highway
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89, which follows the Ellison River north from
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Gardner. Several pull -outs and roadside viewing
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points along the highway offer good views of
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the canyon's rock walls and river flows. Anglers
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often frequent the calmer stretches upstream
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and downstream for trout fishing, and nearby
16:23
local roads, once used as rail beds and stage
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routes, offer access for hikers and history buffs.
16:35
just easy hikes to have a cool history lesson
16:38
and walk along the river. So because of its combination
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of geologic drama, transportation history, and
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frontier lore, Yankee Gym remains a compelling
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stop for travelers exploring the Yellowstone
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Gateway. It's a place where human stories and
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wild river energy converge along the region's
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most iconic waterway. Now I do want to mention
16:58
that near where this cabin was located that Yankee
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Gym had It is also one of the oldest constantly
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visited sites for indigenous populations dating
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back over 10 ,000 years of passing through the
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canyon. There's not a lot there that says it.
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Again, I talk about this trail in my book and
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I talk about some of the signs that are out there
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and how to go look at the area where people have
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been living for 10 ,000 years and traveling through,
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which is phenomenal. So if you want to know more
17:29
about that, pick up my book. Otherwise, you know,
17:31
just drive through Yankee Gym and enjoy it. The
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weather for the coming week as always gonna start
17:36
with Lamar Valley Lamar Valley this week I hope
17:39
you like warm weather so Thursday high of 47
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low of 18 Friday high of 49 low of 24 Saturday
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high of 45 low of 27 Sunday high of 44 low of
17:51
30 with some snow developing in the evening Maybe
17:53
an inch on Monday high of 36 low of 16 with a
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72 % chance of three inches of snow or more on
18:01
Tuesday 33 and 15 no real snow in the forecast
18:04
Wednesday 32 and 13 no real snow in the forecast
18:08
the weather for Gardner, Montana a little warmer
18:11
than that Thursday 52 and 25 Friday 53 and 29
18:17
Saturday 49 and 32 Sunday 48 and 35 with rain
18:22
developing late in the evening Monday high of
18:25
40 low of 21 Could be snow could be rain. They're
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calling currently for half an inch of snow 64
18:32
% chance of that Tuesday high of 38 low of 19
18:36
Wednesday high of 37 low of 18 The weather for
18:40
Cook City also crazy to start the weekend and
18:43
then it gets a little better So Thursday high
18:46
of 47 low of 23 Friday high of 47 low of 26 Saturday
18:51
high of 43 low of 27 Sunday high of 41 low of
18:56
32 inches of snow that evening probably Monday
18:59
Super snowy high of 33 low at 16 maybe 4 inches
19:03
of snow that day Tuesday mostly cloudy 29 and
19:06
15 and Wednesday 29 and 13 the snowpack update
19:12
as That February 3rd the snowpack is around 92
19:15
percent of normal this time of year in the Yellowstone
19:18
region That number I posted on some social media
19:22
this morning and people are calling me a liar
19:25
I Am just pulling the same numbers. I pull every
19:29
year That's what it is So the eastern and northern
19:34
range of the park are about a hundred and thirteen
19:36
percent of normal While the west and the south
19:38
side of the park are about eighty seven percent
19:40
of normal So what's happening is we're getting
19:42
some snow in the higher elevations. We're getting
19:45
nothing down low Absolutely, nothing it rained
19:49
a little last night here in Livingston not really
19:53
anything more than just to like wet the ground,
19:56
but there was some snowfall in the mountains
19:58
again, right? Everything below about 7 ,000,
20:01
7 ,500 feet, not really getting snow. Things
20:05
above it are getting a decent amount of snow
20:07
that's not really melting. Those warmer temperatures
20:10
we're experiencing aren't really doing much.
20:13
There's a nice layer of ice on everything up
20:15
there in the mountains, and so nothing's melting
20:17
too fast. However, these numbers are going to
20:21
drop because We don't have a lot of snow in the
20:25
forecast. Well four inches in Cooke City is a
20:28
lot We need a lot more than that right now. I
20:32
Don't see it that we're gonna really end this
20:35
month Anywhere near normal if things continue.
20:40
However Next week's forecast could be the start
20:43
of just a snowy February. We don't really know
20:46
For those curious last year on this date we were
20:49
averaging around 93 percent of our normal level
20:51
in the park Like I said before right now. We're
20:54
about 92 percent again. I can't say that this
20:57
is going to last Because I don't control the
21:01
weather I wish I could and then it would snow
21:03
the right amount all the time, right? But it's
21:06
not a dire situation in the mountains right now
21:09
everything lower than about 6 ,000 feet is really
21:14
not doing well, so It'll be good if we can get
21:17
some low level snow, but doesn't look like it's
21:20
going to happen this week. Road conditions in
21:23
the park. So got a lot of snow leading through
21:26
the weekend. Roads are going to be fine. Sunday
21:29
afternoon, Sunday evening, roads might start
21:31
to deteriorate a little bit, especially if it's
21:33
going to be the temperature that it says it's
21:35
going to be. That's going to be some wet snow,
21:36
and that might be a little slick. So be aware
21:39
of that. Monday, probably not the best day to
21:41
be driving in the park if you're not used to
21:44
driving in snow. Should be fine. It looks like
21:48
once you get past Lamar, it's gonna really pick
21:50
up so Drive slow, you know be smart do what you
21:55
need to do and know that roads can close at any
21:58
time due to inclement weather So for up -to -date
22:00
information call 307 -344 -2117 for recorded
22:05
information Or you can sign up to receive Yellowstone
22:07
road alerts on your mobile phone by texting the
22:10
number 82190 to the number 888 777 camping information
22:18
Just like last week and the week before and everything
22:21
There's only one campground open in the park
22:23
right now, and that's the mammoth campground,
22:26
which is open year -round Other campgrounds aren't
22:29
gonna be opening for a while. So this is this
22:32
gonna be what it's gonna be That leads us to
22:35
the wildlife watching update. So wildlife watching
22:39
right now is decent It's just hit -and -miss,
22:42
you know, so You just never know what you're
22:45
going to see. As of earlier this week, the wolves
22:49
were not being spotted around Lamar very well
22:52
or Slough Creek. There were a couple like people
22:55
who said they saw them out at hell roaring super
22:57
early in one morning, but that hasn't been consistent.
23:00
They have there has been a pack hanging out near
23:03
Blacktail, which is pretty cool. Supposedly they're
23:07
pretty close to the bathrooms down at Blacktail.
23:10
So that's really great. You know, hopefully that
23:14
people got some good pictures and that they're
23:15
not frequenting near the road. That wouldn't
23:17
be great. But that's that's a digression. So
23:21
if you want to see wolves, the best the best
23:23
thing to do is just drive into the park and and
23:28
you're going to see cars congregated if the wolves
23:30
are out. As you continue to drive toward Lamar,
23:34
wildlife watching picks up. There have been some
23:36
deer and some elk hanging around by Phantom Lake.
23:40
Then there's also been a fox that I've been seeing
23:44
in like Lamar Canyon. I've heard from a friend
23:47
that a pygmy owl is also hanging around the Slough
23:50
Creek Lamar Canyon area and that the otters have
23:54
been kind of popping out near the confluence
23:56
area. Bighorn sheep have also been hanging out
23:59
in that same area so keep an eye out for them
24:02
and as you get Further out past Soda Butte Cone
24:05
and out towards like Silvergate and Cook City
24:06
that I talked about. Moose have been spotted
24:09
there. I haven't heard of anybody seeing a moose
24:11
with paddles anymore. I think they all lost them
24:13
for the year or for the season. They'll grow
24:16
back. And then. As you get back towards Mammoth,
24:20
you're going to have a lot of bison kind of congregating
24:23
around some pronghorn are still hanging out of
24:25
Mammoth, a lot of elk. And generally, you know,
24:28
if you want to see coyotes, they're going to
24:30
be everywhere in the valley. The Paradise Valley.
24:34
I saw seven eagles the other day. And as I was
24:37
hiking in the trail that I'm going to recommend
24:39
a little bit, I had five eagles swooping around
24:42
over me near Jardine, near the Gardner area.
24:46
So there's a lot of eagles out. There's a lot
24:48
of good wildlife sightings. If you're lucky in
24:50
the timing as well. If you do want a good wildlife
24:54
day, I would go in on Sunday. I think Sunday
24:58
is going to pack. Lot of wildlife sightings early
25:02
because of the changing weather It's gonna be
25:05
warm going into Saturday and then everything
25:07
starts changing on Sunday, right? Like I talked
25:09
about the weather forecast those changes are
25:12
gonna help you kind of see some animals Everything's
25:14
gonna pick up on the changes of the weather coming
25:16
and they're gonna be a little more active and
25:18
maybe a little more visible They might not then
25:21
I'd also go on Tuesday since it's going to snow
25:24
all Monday, you know, you can go out and look,
25:27
but visibility might not be great. But on Tuesday,
25:28
visibility should be good. And then there'll
25:30
be fresh snow as you get further east. And that's
25:33
a really nice way to track some animals and kind
25:35
of see where everything's moving in. And you
25:38
might have some bison covered in snow. You might
25:40
have some wolves closer because that snow is
25:42
going to push some of the other animals down.
25:44
So it could be good. So. Hang in there. You're
25:48
going to see something if you put in the distance,
25:49
if you drive back and forth and otherwise, you
25:52
know, look up, look down, you're going to see
25:54
some animals. Also, if you want all of my, well,
25:58
not all, if you want a lot of my information
26:00
about how to spot wildlife in the park, including
26:02
like where they generally hang out, when and
26:04
where you should see them, how I've seen them,
26:08
what you need to see all of those things. Basically,
26:11
if you just want to like pop my brain open and
26:13
kind of get some wildlife watching tips and tricks.
26:16
For Yellowstone, I do have a guidebook available.
26:19
It is based on all of my knowledge. I think you'll
26:22
enjoy it. If you like this podcast, you can pick
26:24
that up at my website, outdoor -society .com.
26:28
I also have a hiking guidebook there that has
26:31
all of my favorite hikes in the region. If you
26:33
want to hit the trails in the park, get that
26:36
book. You'll love it. Speaking of trails, trail
26:39
alerts and updates. Again, there's no official
26:42
trail alerts this week. The snow, the further
26:45
east you get, the more you're going to need snowshoes
26:47
and cross -country skis. You can cross -country
26:50
ski at like Blacktail Plateau up to Tower and
26:54
then kind of Slough Creek. It's just not it's
26:57
just not good snow right now. Tuesday should
26:59
be better. Monday should be better. But right
27:01
now, it's just not good snow. So I wish I could
27:05
tell you like go on all these grand adventures,
27:07
but really. there's not much there. Even that
27:11
upper loop at Mammoth isn't really good skiing
27:14
or snowshoeing. Definitely do it if you're in
27:16
the area, but like don't expect it to be world
27:20
-class and like super snowy and amazing. Wait
27:24
till Tuesday. All right, my Trek of the Week.
27:28
Because of the lack of snow, I am recommending
27:31
that you hike Bear Creek and to the Yellowstone
27:34
River via the Yellowstone River Trail. Now I'm
27:37
shocked I haven't recommended this trail before
27:40
I'm like actually like I had to go back through
27:43
all my notes and I yeah haven't recommended this
27:46
and it's awesome and I love it so This trail
27:49
is usually best recommended for the late spring
27:52
months and then later in the summer But the lack
27:55
of a real winter in the lower elevations around
27:58
the park makes this perfect right now It's it
28:01
also helps that I just hiked it so I know exactly
28:03
how great it is at the moment Now, before I get
28:06
started describing this trail, please note that
28:08
this trail is technically outside of the park,
28:11
but as you reach the Yellowstone River, the park
28:13
boundary is just on the other side of the rushing
28:16
water, so it's basically a park hike. To start
28:20
this hike, you'll begin a pullout near Eagle
28:22
Creek Campground above Gardiner on the way to
28:24
Jardine. It will be the pullout on the right,
28:27
with the animal spine on the rock, just beyond
28:29
the Eagle Creek Campground. The trail is simple
28:32
enough to follow, but it isn't the best signed.
28:34
So make sure you're paying attention and know
28:38
that that spine that I mentioned may not be there
28:40
anymore. For the first quarter mile or so, this
28:43
trail stays pretty level passing through a slightly
28:46
muddy section as it works its way through the
28:48
power lines. Once you get under the power lines,
28:51
you'll join up with a main trail which heads
28:53
down toward the river. If you parked where I
28:56
said to park, the main trail is to the left on
28:58
a single track trail, not the double track trail.
29:02
Once you're on this trail, the single track that
29:05
heads down, which is marked, you're going to
29:07
follow it as it descends down the Yellowstone
29:09
River over the next 1 .7 miles. The trail switches
29:13
back and forth, constantly showing off greater
29:16
and greater views of the region as you descend.
29:19
At 1 .2 miles from the trailhead, you'll start
29:22
getting close to the creek. Be aware that there
29:25
is a short, icy section here that can be a little
29:28
tricky to maneuver. Be smart, be slow, and go
29:31
around it wide if you need to. Once you pass
29:35
this icy section, you'll hit a short uphill section
29:37
that rewards you with a truly stunning panorama.
29:41
From here, the trail descends again, leading
29:43
you down to the Yellowstone River. Your end goal
29:46
for the day should be just beyond the bridge
29:48
over Bear Creek. Scramble down to the river on
29:51
the volcanic rocks for a really cool experience
29:54
looking each direction. I tend to spend about
29:57
30 to 45 minutes along the river here once I'm
30:00
down there, and I just walk back and forth and
30:03
look for animal tracks in the sand and look at
30:05
cool rocks and then enjoy the views. Upriver,
30:09
there's an osprey nest on the top of a pillar.
30:11
If you know nests, you should be able to easily
30:14
spot this one. If you don't know osprey nests,
30:16
look for the pillar that's kind of coming to
30:18
a point looking upriver. Also, this is my second
30:22
favorite osprey nest in the Park's backcountry.
30:25
If you want to know my first favorite, book a
30:28
hiking tour with me and I'll take you there in
30:30
the spring and summer, especially when the Osprey
30:32
are back. The Osprey won't be returning until
30:35
April or May, but it's still fun to look at right
30:37
now. If the trail is clear and the weather is
30:41
good and you have plenty of time and energy,
30:43
you can continue another mile and a half or so
30:45
on the Yellowstone River Trail to reach the park
30:49
boundary. However, I'd personally save this for
30:52
another day and just enjoy this section of the
30:54
river by the bridge. You still have to hike out
30:56
of the canyon, so, you know, don't overdo it.
30:59
On the way down, you lost a lot of elevation,
31:03
all of which you have to gain back to reach the
31:04
car again. In total, the hike to the bridge and
31:07
back is about four and a quarter miles, but you
31:11
have about 1 ,200 feet of gain. It's not the
31:14
easiest hike, but honestly, it's perfect right
31:16
now. The reason why it's so good is that nearly
31:19
all of the trail is south facing, receiving direct
31:22
sunlight all day long. This is why it's always
31:26
an early season favorite. But with this warm
31:28
weather, it's snow free and open now. Since the
31:32
snowpack is minimal at lower elevations, it honestly
31:34
feels like April on this trail. Even if it does
31:37
snow a little this week, which it looks like
31:39
it might, you can still hike here. Just bring
31:41
some traction devices and trekking poles and
31:43
enjoy. Now one quick caveat with that is if it
31:48
rains pretty heavy on Sunday and Monday I would
31:51
not do this on Tuesday or Wednesday I would wait
31:53
for it to dry out the mud here is not fun It
31:57
sticks to your shoes and just keep sticking until
32:00
you have more mud than shoe And so wait for it
32:03
to dry out if you get there and super muddy Beyond
32:06
that first section, that first section is going
32:08
to be a little muddy anyway, and you can kind
32:09
of like hop around and avoid it. But if you start
32:12
going down on the switchbacks and it's also super
32:14
muddy, just bail. Wait for a different day. Now,
32:18
wildlife wise, this week, the trail could have
32:20
some elk, bison, deer, coyotes, foxes, eagles
32:24
and some ducks, some dippers, some other birds
32:26
out there. It's really fun. I do want to say
32:30
that while you're here, always have your bear
32:32
spray. carry it, have it readily accessible,
32:35
know how to use it. Bears are active right now,
32:38
both in and out of the park. You probably won't
32:41
see one, but this is a very bare area, so I would
32:45
be safe and always have it with you. Plus, it's
32:48
just good practice. Now, for more information
32:50
on this trail, consider picking up my Beyond
32:53
the Boardwalks Hiking Guidebook to the Region.
32:55
There's this hike and over 50 other trails in
32:58
the region that I love and I want you to hike
33:01
and love as well. Now that brings me to the end
33:04
of this episode, so in the next episode I'll
33:06
return with all the information you need to have
33:08
a good week in the park, including the wildlife,
33:11
weather, and trail updates. Until then, book
33:14
a tour with me, pick up a guidebook, and happy
33:17
trails! This week in Yellowstone is brought to
33:29
you by the Outdoor Society because that's my
33:31
company and that's where this is hosted There
33:34
are no sponsors. This is a labor of love. So
33:37
thank you all for listening Copyright 2025, baby