Latest / This Week in Yellowstone National Park / This Week in Yellowstone: January 15th to January 21st, 2026

Transcript

This Week in Yellowstone: January 15th to January 21st, 2026 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

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From Yellowstone National Park where wolves otters
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and moose have been putting on a show This is
0:06
that Scott guy, you know in love with a brand
0:08
new episode of this week in Yellowstone What's
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up everybody this week in Yellowstone National
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Park from January 15th to January 21st 2026,
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I update you on the Norris Geyser basin, suggest
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you trek along a canyon rim, tell you about the
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first documented winter expedition in Yellowstone,
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and give some tips on how not to plan your upcoming
0:41
trip. I'll also give you the complete weather
0:43
forecast, the snowpack update, the wildlife report,
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and everything else you need to have an incredible
0:48
time this week in Yellowstone. Standard disclaimer.
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I may miss a few details here and there. You
0:55
know, I write this and do it and sometimes I
0:57
just forget to say things or I forget to write
0:59
it down. So if there's something that doesn't
1:01
make sense, but you want more, reach out to me
1:04
with any questions you may have. I also mentioned
1:06
park locations very casually. So if you're unfamiliar,
1:09
a quick search can help. And this report only
1:12
covers the drivable areas of the park. Also,
1:16
this podcast is a passion project. If you enjoy
1:18
it, I'd love a review or a quick email. If you
1:21
want to support my work further, you can check
1:23
out my hiking and wildlife watching guidebooks,
1:26
or you can join me for a guided hiking tour in
1:28
Yellowstone's backcountry. For more information,
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visit outdoor -society .com or contact me directly.
1:35
Seriously though, come book a trail tour with
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me. You'll love it. So there are about two news
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stories I want to cover right now. The first
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is the Norris uplift anomaly So this is via the
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USGS caldera Chronicles and The summary of the
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article if you go to USGS caldera Chronicles,
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you'll be able to read all about this in more
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detail But the summary is scientists have noticed
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that the ground near Norris geyser basin in Yellowstone
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has started to rise again slowly This began around
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July 2025 and is a repeat of similar events that
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happened between 1996 and 2004. Using GPS instruments
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and satellite radar, researchers measured about
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2 centimeters, less than an inch, of uplift over
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the past year. Overall, earthquake activity in
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Yellowstone has still been low, but there's a
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small increase near this area later in the year,
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including a group of small earthquakes, the largest
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being around a 2 .7 in magnitude. Scientists
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think that this ground movement is caused by
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normal underground activity, such as magma or
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hot fluids moving deep below the surface. This
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is important. The USGS stresses that this does
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not mean a volcanic eruption is coming. This
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kind of movement is very common in Yellowstone
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and it's carefully monitored. It's fine. It's
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just a normal thing and it's cool to share. The
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second article I want to share real quick is
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that the National Park Service released a video
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of the proposed plan for the new road. that will
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go from Gardner to Mammoth. Like I said in a
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couple of couple of weeks ago, last week, don't
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know that this is kind of a combination hybrid
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of the old road and the new road. What's cool
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about the video, which I have shared in the show
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notes, the link to it is that. You can do a virtual
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ride along of what the routes going to be like.
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And also it tells you some new features that
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are going to be added, like some pretty cool
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little trails, some good pullout, some great
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scenic areas and new bridge, things like that.
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So definitely go in the show notes, watch that
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video. It's really cool. My experience of the
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week. Five minutes in silence on the Soda Butte
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Creek Bridge. It's another week, and I'm once
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again recommending you get out of your car and
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take a short jaunt outside. I know, how dare
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I do that, right? Like a person who does hiking
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tours in the park telling you to go outside.
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This week, the adventure is even shorter than
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last week's Pebble Creek Canyon adventure. While
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short in distance, the Soda Creek Butte Cree
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- The Soda Butte Creek Bridge, I knew I'd mess
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that up and I was going to delete it, but I'm
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leaving it. The Soda Butte Creek Bridge is yet
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another iconic spot for many of us that use it
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as a quick stop, and it's one that I obviously
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want to share, so I am. The bridge is the starting
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point of the Lamar River Trail. And while I will
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be talking about that trail in later weeks, for
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now, I'm just asking you to get out of your car
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and take the first quarter mile or less of the
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trail. You'll find the trailhead at the big parking
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lot with signs, not the one with the pit toilets,
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but the one between the pit toilets and the Soda
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Butte Cone. If that doesn't make sense, then
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drive in the park and it will make perfect sense.
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Even the view from this parking lot is very good.
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Last week I watched moose and bison roaming the
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prairie from here, all while an eagle swooped
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and soared above me. Out in the distance I scanned
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the cliffs on the western flank of Mount Norris
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for other wildlife, but I didn't see any. Previously,
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I have seen bighorn sheep in the spring and summer.
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I've seen grizzly bears up there, sometimes elk.
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It's a really cool place. If nothing else, just
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stop and scan. Last week, I wasn't alone here.
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Dozens of people were out with their cameras
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and spotting scopes watching the moose and bison.
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A few were looking at the dippers and mallards
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on the slow flowing creek. A few people walked
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along the road for a different angle of the moose.
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that were out in the distance, but nobody walked
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down the small hill to the bridge. Well, except
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for me. I took the short jaunt down in the snow
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to the creek and stood on the bridge for a few
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minutes. I watched a few dippers along the icy
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creek, I saw some mallards swim below me, and
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I looked out and saw the moose in the distance.
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I also saw snow -covered peaks toward the northeast
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entrance, towering above the landscape in the
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late daylight. I know that this is a fast roadside
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experience, and I'm just like, hey, get out and
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stand on the bridge. But this is legitimately
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a handful of people I know's favorite spot in
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the park. This is a place that very easy to get
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to, but it's not that popular right now. And
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it's a place to stand in silence away from everyone.
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And you just listen to the sounds of the park
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and you listen for what the park wants to give
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you that day. You can continue down the trail
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But sometimes it's just these little stops that
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help to remind us that a beautiful spot in nature
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Full of bliss and serenity can be found just
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out of sight from a bustling area. This is one
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of those sites I know it's just a short little
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stop But honestly like I do this every time I
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go into the park and I think you'll enjoy it,
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too All right, my tip of the week is or was a
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whole thing I wrote out that said do not use
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chat GPT or AI overviews to plan your Yellowstone
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trip. And I'm going to talk about this briefly
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because I feel it's an important thing to mention
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because it's really easy to fall into this trap
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of searching on your favorite search engine.
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Usually Google is what people use and they always
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have this AI overview, right? Or a lot of people
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use chat GPT or some other tool to plan their
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trip for them. while technology is a great thing
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there are some problems with using these sources
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and this is something that if you're planning
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on doing this we need to talk so I will keep
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this short it won't be too much of a rant So
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the reason I'm mentioning this is that on Facebook
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posts and reddit threads I've been seeing an
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uptake an uptick in people planning their Yellowstone
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vacations with chat GPT especially I get the
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ease and trust of doing this but chat GPT is
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severely lacking in information and accuracy
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and Just a heads up. I will not be discussing
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the moral issues or environmental issues tied
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to AI use in the section I'm also just The same
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chat GPT instead of AI from here on out because
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it's easier and that's what I wrote. So main
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thing is chat GPT doesn't experience seasons.
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It's never been to the park, nor does it use
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up to date information well. It doesn't wake
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up and scan the latest news or road conditions
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and say to itself, oh, well, that changes everything.
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It just keeps confidently suggesting things that
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are technically possible to do inside the park
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and will sometimes recommend completely inaccessible
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areas. Has all the confidence in the world to
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find something online to answer your questions
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with none of the media literacy to choose from
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what is actually right or wrong? It will tell
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you to hike trails that are closed. It will recommend
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areas that don't actually exist, and it can even
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try to guide you on experience that is much more
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difficult than it suggests it is. This brings
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me to another point, which is conditions in Yellowstone
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often change quickly, sometimes hourly. Usually,
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you know, we know a couple days ahead of time
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what's going to happen, but ChatGPT doesn't take
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that into any sort of account when it tells you
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what to do. I, for fun, asked ChatGPT what conditions
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could change that would impact a trip in Yellowstone.
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This is what it said. Conditions in Yellowstone
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can also change day by day. A trail that is safe
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one week may be inaccessible the next due to
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drifting snow, ice, wildlife closures, or geothermal
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activity. AI works on patterns and summaries,
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not real -time ground truth. It doesn't know
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if bison have decided to camp directly on the
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road for three days straight. Something that
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happens more often than people realize. I purposely
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left this long pause in there just so you could
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listen, so you could re -hear what I said. Yeah,
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did you know according to ChatGPT, bison camp
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on the road and block the road and close roads
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for multiple days? It happens all the time. No.
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Like nearly everything chat GPT currently does,
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it starts decently and then arrives at an absolutely
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bonkers conclusion. Bison never camp on the road
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for three days straight in closed roads. It might
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be a temporary closure, but it's not that. And
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speaking of wildlife advice, chat GPT is excellent
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at saying things like Lamar Valley is a good
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place to see wolves, which is true in the same
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way that saying the ocean is a good place to
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see fish. Wildlife watching in Yellowstone was
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about timing, weather, patience, and luck. It's
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not about pinning animals to a map like their
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attractions. ChatGPT gives you the right answer
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for the wrong moment, more often than not. Also,
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suggesting Lamar or Hayden Valley is the gross
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oversimplification of where you may see wolves.
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While this advice is better than nothing, Those
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hoping for real wildlife updates will need more
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than base knowledge. This is where this podcast,
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my books, other tour guides, other books, other
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online resources that chat GPT doesn't have access
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to are absolutely key. It's a great start, but
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it's not enough. Everyone knows if you go to
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Hayden or Lamar Valley, that's where you might
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see wildlife. But where should you be looking?
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What are the specifics you need to have? And
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that's something that you need to be talking
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to people who are there. Chat GPT also oversimplifies
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how to stay safe in the winter elements in the
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park for fun I did this again and chat GPT overused
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the phrase dress warmly and be prepared which
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was completely adorable I mean Yes, you do need
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to dress warmly and be prepared, but what does
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that look like? There's a big difference between
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being warm and understanding how sweat management
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works at 7 ,000 feet in January when it's below
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zero and the wind is blowing, right? There's
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a big difference between getting advice like
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bring food and water and knowing how much to
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bring with you or what is a good idea to have
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with you. As a hiking guide and someone who loves
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winter in the park, I will happily answer your
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questions. Every tour guide in the park will
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also happily answer these questions. We love,
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most of us, love to get emails about from people
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saying, hey, I'm going to visit the park. What
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should I be doing? Now, if you just said that.
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That's not specific enough for a lot of us, like
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what should you be doing? There's a lot to do.
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But if you have specifics, like I'm going to
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be visiting Yellowstone in the first week of
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July, what should I expect weather -wise? We
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can answer that and really give you some good
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ideas about how to deal with heat exhaustion,
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the elevation issues, things like that. Now,
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one of the things that I am going to end this
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with is that The main issue I have with a lot
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of the planning and a lot of what ChatGPT AI
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overviews and things like that have done to Yellowstone
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planning is that it turns the park into a checklist.
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You want to go to Old Faithful? Check. Grand
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Prismatic? Check. Canyon? Check. Here's how you
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do it. Here's driving times. AI overviews create
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checklists very well, but Yellowstone is not
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a checklist spot. It sure seems like it when
13:06
most are planning for their trips, but to experience
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anywhere with a been -there -done -that mentality
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is selling both yourself and the region short.
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AI tends to flatten these experiences into neat
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schedules that don't reflect how the park actually
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works. You don't do Yellowstone in two to three
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days the way an itinerary suggests. You adapt
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to it and you work with the park. Despite the
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popular opinion of having a detailed time frame
13:31
for the park, Yellowstone doesn't work like that.
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Daylight matters, crowds matter, weather matters,
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animal movements matter. Sometimes the best day
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you'll have in the park is one where you stay
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in one spot for a few hours and nothing's happening
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and then something amazing happens. Rigid plans
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don't thrive in Yellowstone, flexibility does.
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And AI overviews in ChatGPT are not flexible.
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They're confident and structured. They do not
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allow for nuance. Now, to be fair, ChatGPT is
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not completely useless. It can be a good tool
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for background learning. It's great for understanding
14:07
what something is and for inspiration. However,
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using it as your primary Yellowstone planner
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is like relying on Wikipedia to be a back country
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map. You'll feel informed until you're actually
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there, and then you realize that you're kind
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of lost. Yellowstone rewards people who pay attention
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to conditions, to guides, to locals, to rangers,
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to recent reports. It doesn't reward people who
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assume the park will behave the way the internet
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told them it would. And this is beyond chat GPT.
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This is beyond everything. This is kind of the
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watering down of all content about the park.
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To wrap this up, that was probably too long.
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If you're planning a trip to Yellowstone, Definitely
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use the tools that are available. If it's ChatGPT,
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if it's a Google AI summary, do it. Just know
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that they scrub older websites and they just
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regurgitate data, rarely checking for accuracy.
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It sees the keywords from your questions and
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puts together an answer. It's the same as reading
15:02
numerous websites, but it does it on a faster
15:04
scale. And as I've said before, it doesn't have
15:08
the media literacy to differentiate between outdated
15:11
and inaccurate information from good actual advice.
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So if you're planning a trip, use that. a very
15:19
base outline and then flush it out by you know
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emailing me emailing a guide emailing any expert
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it doesn't have to be me this is not me trying
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to say buy my books I would love it if you did
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but there are a lot of people that can help make
15:32
sure that you have an amazing time in the park
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that spend time there all the time and have boots
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on the ground so please do that a random Yellowstone
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fact of the week the first winter expedition
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of Yellowstone so the Swatka Haynes' winter expedition
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of 1887 stands as one of the most ambitious and
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least comfortable journeys ever undertaken in
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Yellowstone National Park that has been documented.
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At a time when Yellowstone was largely considered
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inaccessible in the winter, this expedition set
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out to prove otherwise, not for tourism, but
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for exploration, documentation, and sheer curiosity.
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What they encountered instead was a brutal test
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of endurance that would permanently shape the
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winter's legacy in the park. On January 5th,
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1887, a group of 13 men departed from Mammoth
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Hot Springs, then the only reliable winter outpost
16:25
in the park. The expedition was led by Lieutenant
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Frederick Schwatka, a U .S. Army officer and
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Arctic explorer best known for his long sled
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journeys in northern Canada and Alaska. Alongside
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him was Frank Jay Haynes, already a well -established
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photographer, whose work with the park and the
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Northern Pacific Railroad had earned him the
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title of official park photographer. Haynes was
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not simply along for the ride. This journey was,
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in many ways, about his mission to document Yellowstone
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in the winter for the first time. The men traveled
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using Norwegian skis, Canadian webbed snowshoes,
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and heavy toboggans loaded with supplies, food,
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and tents, as well as Haynes' fragile photographic
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equipment. Every mile required breaking trail
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through deep untouched snow, temperatures routinely
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dropped well below zero, and historical accounts
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suggest lows as extreme as negative 50 during
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the expedition. That's negative 50 Fahrenheit,
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by the way. Even for the men accustomed to hardship,
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the conditions were relentless. Within the first
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two days, the party reached Norris Geyser Basin,
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an impressive accomplishment giving the terrain
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and snowpack. But the cold and altitude quickly
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took a toll on Schwatka. Suffering from illness
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and exhaustion, he made the difficult decision
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to turn back toward Mammoth with part of the
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group. His withdrawal could have ended the entire
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expedition. Instead, it marked a dramatic shift
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in leadership and purpose. Hanes continued on,
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driven by the singular goal of capturing Yellowstone's
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winter landscapes, and he pressed forward with
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three companions. From Norris, they continued
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south and west. toward the lower and upper geyser
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basins, hauling sleds through deep snow while
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navigating by memory and instinct. Hayes carefully
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staged and exposed glass photograph plates in
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extreme cold, documenting geysers erupting through
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snowfields and steam rising into frozen air,
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scenes no one had ever photographed before. By
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January 20th, the group reached the Grand Canyon
18:25
of the Yellowstone, where Haynes photographed
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the frozen lower falls and canyon walls. These
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images would become some of the most historically
18:32
significant photographs ever taken in the park.
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But the most dangerous stretch of the expedition
18:37
still lay ahead. As the men attempted to travel
18:40
toward Yancey's Pleasant Valley Hotel near present
18:43
-day Roosevelt, they were caught near Mount Washburn
18:46
in a violent winter storm. For three days they
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were trapped in whiteout conditions with limited
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food and shelter. They dug a pit in the snow
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and huddled among the small trees. riding out
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the storm in what was arguably the expedition's
18:58
most life -threatening moment. When the storm
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finally broke, the men skied roughly 12 miles
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to Yancey's, exhausted but alive. After a brief
19:07
rest, they made their way back north, finally
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returning to Mammoth by late January. In total,
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their journey lasted 29 days and covered nearly
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200 miles of winter wilderness. Haynes returned
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with 42 winter photographs, the first known photographic
19:23
record of Yellowstone in midwinter. These images
19:26
not only documented the park's frozen beauty,
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but fundamentally changed how people understood
19:32
Yellowstone. It became a year -round landscape
19:35
rather than a seasonal curiosity. The legacy
19:39
of the expedition extended far beyond those photographs.
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Haynes went on to build a photographic empire
19:44
in Yellowstone with Haynes Incorporated operating
19:47
park photo shops for more than eight decades.
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His winter images helped spark early curiosity
19:53
about winter travel in Yellowstone, laying the
19:55
groundwork for today's snowshoeing, skiing, and
19:57
snow -coach traditions. The Schwalke Haines winter
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expedition was not comfortable, efficient, or
20:03
safe by modern standards, but it remains one
20:06
of the most important chapters in Yellowstone
20:08
history as a story of grit, obsession, and determination
20:11
to see the park as it truly is, even at its coldest
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and most unforgiving. The weather for the coming
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week. Weather for Lamar Valley, so I'm in Livingston
20:22
right now recording this and it's like 50 degrees
20:25
outside But what I'm gonna tell you is good news
20:28
So the weather on Thursday in Lamar Valley 36
20:32
and 11 Friday 26 and 9 Saturday 34 and 8 Sunday
20:38
31 and 6 Monday 29 and 8 Tuesday 30 and 13 and
20:44
Wednesday 33 and 17 and it looks like there is
20:48
snow coming The weather in Gardiner for the week
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on Thursday 41 and 14 Friday 28 and 13 Saturday
20:58
38 and 13 Sunday 34 and 9 Monday 32 and 11 Tuesday
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33 and 16 and Wednesday 36 and 20 with some precipitation
21:11
in the evening that looks to maybe stick around
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And as always, if you want cold, head out to
21:18
Cook City on Thursday. High of 34, low of 9.
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Friday, 22 and 12. Saturday, 32 and 9. Sunday,
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29 and 6. Monday, 26 and 9. Tuesday, 28 and 14.
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And Wednesday, 31 and 17 with snow in the evening.
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Speaking of the snow, the snowpack right now
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in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem is kind
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of all over the place. Mostly it's high. It's
21:47
pretty good in the upper mountains still. The
21:49
Yellowstone Basin, the one that feeds the Yellowstone
21:52
River, is around 119 % of normal right now. It's
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not gonna change. It's probably gonna get a little
21:59
bit lower this coming week, but... You know,
22:03
it could be worse. So hang in there. It looks
22:05
like snow is coming at the end of the end of
22:08
the week at the end of the 10 day forecast, but
22:11
we'll see if they change that. Fingers crossed.
22:14
As I mentioned in the weather section, it is
22:17
50 degrees in Livingston on January 14th. So
22:21
that's neat. Road conditions. The only road open
22:26
is between Gardner, Montana and Cook City, Montana
22:28
to drive your own personal vehicle. Please be
22:31
aware that this road can close at any time due
22:33
to inclement weather. I drove it the other day.
22:36
There were patches of ice. It wasn't that bad.
22:41
Lamar Valley was actually like bare and wet.
22:44
So that was nice. But, you know, with no snow
22:47
in the forecast, I assume that for the next few
22:50
days, especially this weekend, the roads are
22:52
going to be pretty good. As always, though, it's
22:54
going to be icy in some spots. So drive slowly.
22:57
You know, be smart, be safe. If you want updated
23:00
road conditions, you can call 307 -344 -2117
23:04
for recorded information, or you can sign up
23:06
to receive Yellowstone Road Alerts on your mobile
23:09
phone by texting 82190 to the number 888 -777.
23:16
Camping information! Say this every week, and
23:18
I love doing this, but there's only one campground
23:21
open in the park right now, and that's the Mammoth
23:23
Campground, which is open year round. So if you're
23:26
going to camp, have fun! The wildlife watching
23:29
update. So as I mentioned off the top Wildlife
23:32
has been pretty good in Lamar Valley, especially
23:34
especially on the eastern side You're gonna see
23:38
some moose probably even along Soda Butte Creek.
23:43
That's where the moose were there otters hanging
23:45
out on Soda Butte Creek and on the Lamar River
23:48
the other day, so Definitely check that out.
23:51
They don't hang out in the same spot too long
23:53
otters are just hit and miss. If I could tell
23:56
you when and where you could see otters all the
23:59
time, then I definitely would. Otters are awesome,
24:02
but they're hard to see. I can see wolves easier
24:05
than I can see otters, if that tells you anything.
24:09
So otters, like I said, otters have been hanging
24:11
out. Give those a look. There were some bighorn
24:13
sheep hanging out along the confluence section
24:17
by the Hitching post and pit toilet Lamar River
24:22
access area So check for those lots of lots of
24:26
bald eagles out that way to saw a couple golden
24:28
eagles Then wolf wise there were some wolves
24:33
just near the Lamar River Canyon area. And there
24:38
have been a couple bison carcasses out and they've
24:40
been feasting on those pretty well. There was
24:42
a video that got shared from a couple days ago
24:44
of a wolf chasing a coyote out there right across
24:48
the road in front of a tour guide. So that was
24:50
awesome. Search for that also with coyotes are
24:54
all out right now There are four of them just
24:56
all walking together along the side of the road
24:59
Bison are kind of on the move. They are dropping
25:02
more toward Mammoth area, but they're still taking
25:07
their time. There's a bigger herd hanging out
25:09
by Not Swan Lake Flats. Hold on. It will come
25:13
to me. Blacktail Ponds. There we go. Blacktail
25:15
Ponds. As you're headed past Undine Falls and
25:19
all of that, there's been a herd hanging out
25:22
there. They might be dropping down any day now
25:24
to get more toward Mammoth. If they do, they
25:26
might take the trail or they might take the road.
25:28
So you might get caught in a bison jam. Elsewhere,
25:30
bison are really hanging out all over the place.
25:33
I saw a lot of elk on a hillside. by the petrified
25:37
tree the other day it's just a good time also
25:41
bighorn sheep have been hanging out outside the
25:43
park more there was a huge herd of bighorn sheep
25:45
in paradise valley the southern end at the point
25:48
of rocks fishing area the other day so might
25:51
want to leave the park and check on them or head
25:54
up to tom minor they like to hang out along the
25:56
first mile of the road there well mile or four
25:59
um and then yeah Wolves like I said, we're on
26:04
that eastern western side of Lamar toward the
26:07
canyon, but they could be anywhere I would definitely
26:11
Think that they might swing back to hell roaring
26:14
pretty soon. So check that out. Otherwise, that's
26:17
what I know right now if you want updated Wildlife
26:20
information as always reach out to me if you
26:23
want to know kind of how they roam and where
26:25
they're typically seen I do have a wildlife watching
26:28
guidebook. You should definitely pick up It's
26:30
based on my entire lifetime of knowledge on the
26:32
park And it's available in both paperback in
26:35
ebook format and you can find that on my website
26:37
outdoor -society .com Trail alerts and updates.
26:42
So again, no official trail alerts this week.
26:46
No bears have really been spotted recently. So
26:48
that's kind of a bummer but if you want to know
26:51
something really fun we are only two months away
26:54
from grizzlies re -emerging in the park so you
26:58
know will we have a winter before the grizzlies
27:00
re -emerge we'll find out soon um trail alerts
27:05
snowshoeing is worse the further west in the
27:09
park you get in the northern range the further
27:11
east you get the more snow there is and the better
27:13
snowshoeing and skiing My trail of the week that
27:16
I'm going to be recommending I did the other
27:19
day without snowshoes because I did not need
27:21
them. There were only a few inches of snow on
27:24
the ground. So, you know, it is what it is right
27:28
now. We maybe will have a different weather forecast
27:31
coming up, but who knows? All right, my Trek
27:35
of the Week. This week I'm recommending the Yellowstone
27:38
River Overlook Trail. And normally I wouldn't
27:41
be recommending this trail in January. But with
27:44
the low snowpack in there, it's kind of a perfect
27:46
trail for this week. I do want to quickly mention
27:49
that this is not a trek for everyone and requires
27:52
some snowshoe experience if you need snowshoes
27:55
out there. And you also need a little bit of
27:59
route finding experience. I should also mention
28:01
that I do offer this as a snowshoe tour and a
28:04
hike, and I highly recommend booking it with
28:06
me. And yes, you could do it on your own, but
28:08
there are some cool things I point out that very
28:11
few people know about along this route. Finally,
28:14
before I dive into this trek, if you'd rather
28:16
do the easier version of something that's very
28:19
similar to this, check out the road walk up to
28:21
Calcite Springs and Tower Falls. It's in the
28:24
same general area, similar views, but it's not
28:27
quite the same. Alright, here we go. For those
28:31
hoping for the more wild and rugged trek, you
28:34
are in luck with this one. There are two starting
28:36
points for this, but for simplicity I'm going
28:39
to tell you to start at the pullouts near the
28:41
currently closed off Yellowstone River picnic
28:43
area. The picnic area is currently closed because
28:46
of a construction project, but they're not working
28:49
on it right now and you're allowed to park in
28:52
the pullouts right nearby right now, so do it.
28:55
If this changes, I'll let you know. Once you've
28:59
parked, there is an obvious trail and a not so
29:02
obvious trail. Because you're listening to this
29:04
podcast, you know which one I'm gonna tell you
29:06
to take. Skip the sign trail and instead head
29:10
through the parking area and head up the gradual
29:13
slope leading uphill. There should be a boot
29:16
path leading the way and as you steadily climb
29:18
you'll start approaching the edge of the cliff
29:20
overlooking the Yellowstone River. From here
29:23
you can either just call it a day and enjoy the
29:25
view and then go back to your car or you can
29:27
actually do the hike. The goal for the hike is
29:30
to follow the cliff edge upstream The trail will
29:33
be on your left. The river will be on the right.
29:35
That's how it's going to be that whole way until
29:37
you turn around. So once you're on the path,
29:41
that's kind of a boot path, you're just going
29:44
to want to follow it and keep climbing. It's
29:47
a little steep at first, but it's short lived
29:49
and levels out pretty quickly. Once it levels
29:52
out, you'll find a more used boot path still
29:55
working its way up river. The river views start
29:57
increasing and by the time you meet the junction
29:59
with the real trail that starred at the trailhead
30:02
I told you to skip, you're walking on a gorgeous
30:04
section of path with views all over. To the northeast
30:08
you're going to see snow covered peaks, to the
30:10
east you're going to see the canyon and the river
30:13
below you, and if you're lucky you may even see
30:15
bighorn sheep as they hang out along this trail
30:17
very often. At less than a mile from where you
30:21
parked, you're going to reach one of my favorite
30:23
views, Bumpus Butte. and the bend of the river
30:26
at calcite springs. Take in the view, smell the
30:29
sulfur, and consider whether you want to keep
30:31
going or turn around. If you keep going, you'll
30:34
have about another mile, passing amazing geological
30:37
features, and eventually getting to the junction
30:39
with the specimen ridge trail. Here, if you walk
30:42
the canning room again, you're going to see the
30:45
Yellowstone River near Tower Fall, and I cannot
30:47
recommend this view enough. It is One of my favorite
30:50
views, if I close my eyes, I can picture it.
30:52
I just did and I saw it. So it's great. Once
30:55
you've had your fill of the view, which, you
30:57
know, take your time here. It's glorious. You
31:00
just turn around and go back the way you came.
31:02
There will be some snow there that you probably
31:04
had to walk in. So just follow your tracks back
31:06
and you'll be fine. In total, the trek is about
31:09
3 .4 miles round trip with about 500 feet of
31:13
elevation gain. Along it, you're going to have
31:15
amazing views and some good wildlife potential
31:17
from bison and elk to bighorn sheep, foxes, coyotes,
31:20
and birds. While I could literally talk about
31:23
this trail the entire episode, I just want to
31:26
give you a brief summary for you and hopefully
31:28
inspire you to either do it on your own or book
31:30
a tour with me. If you want more information
31:33
on this trail to do it on your own and More hikes
31:36
in the park that I think you'll love buy a copy
31:38
of my hiking guidebook to the region I give tons
31:41
of detail on there I also have all the trail
31:44
heads marked on a map for you so you can know
31:46
where they are and It like everything I do is
31:49
a labor of love and if you enjoy this podcast,
31:51
you're gonna love my books Alright, that is it
31:55
for this week In the next episode, I'm going
31:57
to return with all the information you need to
31:59
have a good week in the park, including the wildlife,
32:01
weather, and trail updates. Till next week, book
32:05
a tour with me, pick up a guidebook, and happy
32:08
trails! Oh yeah, pray for snow everybody! This
32:24
week in Yellowstone is brought to you by the
32:25
Outdoor Society, that's my company. It's just
32:28
me, I do this, it's a labor of love. If you like
32:31
it, tell your friends, rate and review it. Shoot
32:33
me a message. Otherwise, keep listening and I
32:36
hope to see you in Yellowstone. Copyright 2026,
32:40
baby!