Latest / This Week in Yellowstone National Park / This Week in Yellowstone: July 30th to August 5th, 2026

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This Week in Yellowstone: July 30th to August 5th, 2026 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

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From Yellowstone National Park, where smoke is
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in the air, but there isn't a fire anywhere close
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to the park, this is that Scott guy you know
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and love with a brand new episode of This Week
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in Yellowstone. What's up, everybody? This week
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in Yellowstone National Park, from July 30th
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to August 5th, 2026, I hope to inspire you to
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go stargazing, talk about one of the oldest buildings
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in Yellowstone, and share some useful resources
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to help you see all the geysers when they erupt.
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Well, all the geysers that are predictable and
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when they erupt. I'll explain that later. I'm
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also going to give you the complete weather forecast,
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a cool trail to hike, 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. TheOutdoorSociety
1:15
at gmail .com. Also, this podcast is a passion
1:19
project of mine. If you enjoy it, I'd love a
1:21
review or a quick email. Those of you that have
1:23
emailed me, Thank you so much. I love getting
1:26
those emails every day. It is fantastic. If you
1:29
want to support my work more, you can check out
1:30
my hiking and wildlife watching guidebooks or
1:33
join me for a guided hiking tour in Yellowstone's
1:35
backcountry. For more information on all that,
1:38
visit outdoor -society .com or contact me directly
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406 -589 -1873 or email at theoutdoorsocietyatgmail
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.com. This week's Yellowstone news. So there's
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actually not a ton of news right now. Which is
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a good thing. Sometimes slow news weeks are good,
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so hopefully that continues. There are a few
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things I do want to talk about briefly. One is
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that last week I mentioned that there are some
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closures to the Osprey Falls Trail. Those will
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be occurring on the last few days of this month,
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so check those out before you head out. I'll
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talk about that on trail conditions as well.
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But the other thing that I mentioned off the
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top was that there is some smoke in the air right
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now. Those are from fires largely in Washington
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and Oregon, maybe Idaho and a little bit of Western
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Montana, but there's no major fire right now
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near or in the park. However around the park
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like up here in Livingston even down through
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Paradise Valley I've heard out in West and even
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out towards Cody There is some smoke in the air
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not as much smoke in the air in the park itself
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as outside of the park Largely because that's
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a higher elevation So the smoke isn't quite going
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that way and it's getting blown around but there
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is some smoke in the air If you are sensitive
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to smoke, you will probably pick up on it. Otherwise,
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it's not that bad at the time of recording. I
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am recording this on Tuesday, July 28th, so all
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of that can change and it could get very smoky.
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The main thing is visibility is a lot less. than
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it should be especially in far away distances
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so if you notice that just know that's from the
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smoke in the air otherwise you can still be out
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and be active it's really not that bad unless
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you're sensitive to smoke and then you may want
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to think twice about doing anything too active
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if you need more information about the air quality
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things like that reach out to me i will try and
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find some links i don't really feel like reading
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websites right now and i don't have them pulled
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up at the moment but just know that they there
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might be some smoke in the air But as of the
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time recording, it's really not that bad. So
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it should be fine. However, like I said, anything
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can change. I do want to mention very quickly
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about the people that walked on Grand Prismatic
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Spring. They have supposedly not been located.
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I talked about this a little bit on my standalone
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bison episode. I know it's not related bison,
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but it's about trespassing. It's about people
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breaking the rules. One thing to do if you see
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people breaking rules in the park and you don't
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want to confront them, take a picture of the
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person. take a picture of their vehicle with
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a make in the model and the license plate and
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report them. That is the best thing you can do.
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The fact that nobody reported these two women
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that walked out onto Grand Prismatic, no one
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took their picture up close or followed them
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to their car is really not great. If you see
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something like that, try and document it because
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the park will go after these people. There were
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people that walked on the spring before previous
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years and they got long bans from the park, heavy
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fines and federal jail time. So the better you
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document and help out the Rangers, the better
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it's going to be when you see people breaking
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the rules. Finally, the only other bit of news
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is that we are in the middle of the rut. It is
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definitely active and picking up. I mentioned
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this on the standalone podcast, but I'll mention
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it here. There was an incident the other day.
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Don't worry, it's not it's not a bad incident,
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but there is an incident with a bison. and a
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car, and the bison popped a car's tires with
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its horns. So know that the bison are aggressive.
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Obviously we know this. So be smart, be safe,
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keep your distance. And if you don't feel comfortable
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driving through a herd of bison, then park way
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behind them and wait for them to cross the road
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or avoid places like Hayden and Lamar Valley
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during the middle of the day when there's a lot
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of traffic and a lot of bison on the road. My
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experience of the week. Stay for stargazing after
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sunset. If you spend time outside, you know there's
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something magical about watching the sun disappear
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behind Yellowstone's mountains. The day's crowds
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begin to thin, the air finally cools down, and
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the park settles into a quiet that feels completely
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different from the busy afternoons. Then, as
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the daylight slips away, another show starts
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to begin. one by one the first stars to appear,
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followed by hundreds more until the entire sky
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seems to come alive. If you're visiting Yellowstone
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in late July or early August, do yourself a favor
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and stay out after sunset. Some of the park's
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greatest scenery doesn't reveal itself until
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darkness falls. Most Americans rarely experience
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a truly dark night anymore. Insert a Batman joke
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here. According to Dark Sky International, more
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than 80 % of the world's population lives beneath
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skies polluted by artificial light, and in the
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United States, that figure supposedly exceeds
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99%. Even more astonishing, roughly one -third
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of humanity can no longer see the Milky Way from
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where they live. Sometimes I do research and
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it excites me, sometimes I do research and it
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depresses me, and this was one of those depressing
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times. Generations ago, the night sky was a familiar
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companion that helped people navigate, mark the
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seasons, and inspired countless stories and scientific
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discoveries. Today, for most people, only a handful
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of the brightest stars remain visible from home.
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Yellowstone offers a chance to reconnect with
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that forgotten sky. With pretty much no artificial
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light across its two million -ish acres, much
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of the park enjoys exceptionally dark conditions.
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Once astronomical twilight ends, the Milky Way
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stretches overhead like a glowing river of light.
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Thousands, millions of stars become visible,
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and so many that you just can't even recognize
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them anymore. On a clear night, you might see
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some satellites drifting overhead, or maybe the
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International Space Station, maybe even some
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meteors, because we're coming up into another
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meteor shower. You're also going to see some
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constellations. You're going to see that hazy
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band of the Milky Way. And the longer you stay
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outside, the more your eyes adapt to the darkness,
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you're going to see things that you may never
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see again. The timing right now works pretty
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decently. Yellowstone for stargazing. Sunset
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doesn't arrive until 8 45 or 9 ish leaving plenty
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of time for an evening adventure a short walk
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you know just in a pullout or simply just finding
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a quiet place to sit in your car lights all the
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way off and just staring at the sky. Obviously
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catching sunset Really cool. You're gonna get
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some good colors right now. There's a little
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smoke in the air So the Sun might be like bright
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red as it sets might get some good storms in
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the distance flashing lightning and then darkness
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arrives By the time that full darkness arrives
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Yellowstone feels amazing The best part about
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stargazing in Yellowstone is that you really
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don't have to venture too far Once you leave
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your gateway town or hotel camping complex. You
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only need to travel a few minutes to get into
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true darkness Sure, an occasional car might drive
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by, but generally, you'll be alone at a pullout
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and able to see the stars very well. Just make
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sure to stay really close to your car. Animals
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are out roaming. There's places you may fall.
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Just don't take any risks at night. Stay right
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next to your car. Also know how to turn off the
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interior lights of your car when you open and
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close doors. That's an important lesson to learn.
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So maybe spend the day trying to figure out how
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to do that. So that way when you're out at night,
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you can get in and out of the car without having
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a light kind of ruin your night vision. If you're
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hoping for the darkest skies possible, it helps
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to know when the moon rises. A bright moon can
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wash out fainter stars, while moonless evenings
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reveal the richest views of the Milky Way. Obviously,
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if you don't have a giant orb reflecting sunlight
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in your face, you're going to see more stars.
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On August 1st, the moon rises about 10 -11 PM.
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So that's not great because it's not going to
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be fully dark until 930 945 so that window is
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very short But you get to see a nearly full moonrise
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and that's a really cool thing too So make sure
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you do that on August 2nd. The moon rises about
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1030 on August 3rd. It's about 1050 on August
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4th It's 1113 and on August 5th. The moon rises
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about 1142 Those progressively later moon rises
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are what you need to pay attention to because
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they provide excellent opportunities to experience
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the night sky before that moon appears above
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the horizon. There's also a full moon like I
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said on the 29th, so You've just missed it, but
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if you go out, you can see a mostly full moon
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rising. And if you go somewhere cool, it's really,
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it's really neat. I do it all the time. It's
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one of my favorite things to do. I used to offer,
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I still do, but they weren't that popular, but
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I used to offer moonrise tours that would get
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booked up, and we'd go hike in the evening, watch
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the moon rise, and hike back out. They're still
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offered. I think I have one left for the year
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in September, so if you're interested in that,
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reach out to me. But otherwise, that will be
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a next year thing. So one of my favorite things
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about stargazing in Yellowstone is just how quickly
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it reminds you how small we are and really helps
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put things in perspective. During the day your
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focus is on kind of these smaller things, these
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geysers, a waterfall, a bear, an elk, some bison,
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mountains, rivers. At night your attention shifts
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upward to the universe that has been there all
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along. That same landscape those same experiences
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you spent all day enjoying become part of something
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much larger It allows you to have like a meditative
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moment out there where you can really enjoy the
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infiniteness of the universe Whenever I travel
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to a national park doesn't matter where it is
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if it is clear. I'm gonna go try and see the
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night sky Last year, I went down to Utah and
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enjoyed arches and canyon lands under the Milky
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Way. That was truly magical seeing those rock
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formations just black out where the Milky Way
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was and then you have it overhead. Fantastic.
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It's also really fun to go out in the park when
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there's a little bit of moonlight and then you
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like, you know, you go to Old Faithful and you
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just watch the geyser erupt under the moonlight
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with a little bit some stars overhead. Yes, there's
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some artificial light there, but it's still really
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cool. If you've never experienced a truly dark
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sky, this is one of those places that you really
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should do it. You don't necessarily need to stay
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out too late, but go out after sunset, let your
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eyes adjust, put your phone away for a while,
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be in the moment, and chances are you're going
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to leave with memories of the stars that are
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every bit as powerful as the memories you made
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during the day. And again, if you're thinking
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I need somewhere really special to see it, yeah,
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it would be nice, but you don't need to go somewhere
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truly special just to look up. Just drive away
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from where the lights are, park your car, turn
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off interior lights, and look up and let your
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eyes adjust. Wait 15 minutes, and you should
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see something really cool. My tip of the week,
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geyser eruption predictions. Few things are more
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frustrating when visiting the park than just
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missing a geyser erupt or waiting around and
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saying I'm gonna leave and then you hear you
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just missed the geyser erupt. It happens all
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the time. You wait for a while, decide it's probably
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not going to happen, and continue down a trail,
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only to hear people maybe cheering behind you,
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or have people that are fast hikers catch up
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and say, oh, you just missed it. It's really
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hard to deal with. I've done it a few times,
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but I've kind of learned a way to not have that
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happen. The good news here is that you don't
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have to rely on luck for geyser eruptions, at
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least not for all of them. Yellowstone offers
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eruption predictions for several of its most
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famous geysers making it much easier to plan
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your day and spend more time watching geysers
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erupt instead of waiting around hoping you'll
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be in the right place at the right time. Most
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people know that Old Faithful is one of those
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very predictable geysers and it has eruption
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times listed all over the Old Faithful complex
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and you can kind of look at signs say oh this
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is when it's gonna erupt and time your day around
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it. National Park Service also provides predictions
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for several other popular geysers, including
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Grand, Castle, Daisy, Riverside, and Great Fountain.
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These forecasts are created using observations
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collected by park rangers and trained naturalists
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who monitor eruption intervals and compare them
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with a geyser's well -documented behavior. Because
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geysers are natural hydrothermal features, the
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predictions are estimates rather than guarantees.
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But there are... some decently reliable places.
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Old Faithful's next eruption, for example, can
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usually be predicted within 10 to 15 minutes
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by measuring the duration of the previous eruption.
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While the other geysers are typically given a
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broader prediction window because these eruptions
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happen in a much different pattern that varies.
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National Park Service continually updates these
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predictions throughout the day as new observations
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are made. One of the ways you can do this is
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by going to the current geyser activity page
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on the Yellowstone National Park website. It's
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a great jumping off point when you're planning
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your trip for a deeper dive on some of the other
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geysers in the park, as well as which ones are
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predictable. While it appears that this page
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hasn't been updated since 2020, the information
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is still awesome and it's worth a look, especially
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because it helps you kind of understand the timeframes.
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If you're already in the park, One of the easiest
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places to find the latest predictions for anywhere
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that is predictable is in the Old Faithful Visitor
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Center. Current eruption times are posted inside,
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and the knowledgeable rangers can often answer
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questions about what the geysers have been up
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to during that day. As you walk through the upper
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geyser basin, you'll also notice prediction boards
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near several of the major geysers. These signs
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are updated regularly, making it easy to decide
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whether to wait for an eruption or continue wandering
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the boardwalks until it's closer to that time.
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You don't really have to even wait until you
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arrive at Old Faithful to start planning. You
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can go to that website, like I said, it's a good
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jumping off point, but also know that the National
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Park Service posts current geyser predictions
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on the official Yellowstone website as well as
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the free National Park Service app. If you plan
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to use the app, I recommend downloading the Yellowstone
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content before entering the park. Obviously it's
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not going to refresh, but again, gives you a
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time frame. And if you can find Wi -Fi or you
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happen to have service here and there, then it
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will update. Just know that cell service is limited
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across the park, so you're not going to have
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a lot of things on your phone that are going
16:35
to help you. That's where that Old Faithful Visitor
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Education Center really comes in handy. By taking
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a minute to look at the eruption schedule, you
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can completely change your Yellowstone experience.
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Instead of... not knowing if you should wait
16:49
around, not knowing when things are going to
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happen, you can get a time frame and try to time
16:55
your day around them. Obviously you may miss
16:57
things here or there, but this is a way to kind
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of do a next level experience with the geyser
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base, and especially if you go to Old Faithful
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and you're like, okay, I've seen Old Faithful,
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now what? There's a lot of cool back country
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geysers that... are predictable and by backcountry
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they're not that far in the backcountry it's
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usually a paved path to get there but they're
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predictable and you can see some really cool
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eruptions of other things and then maybe get
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a favorite geyser that is an old faithful and
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then you can share that with other people because
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you know if you've listened to this long enough
17:27
you know i love daisy geyser it's not everybody's
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favorite but i love daisy geyser because it shoots
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off kind of sideways and it's it's lesser loved
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and sometimes i just have that whole thing to
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myself That's one of the predictable ones and
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so check that out I wanted to talk about this
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briefly because I've seen a lot of people that
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say I've seen old faithful I'm not a fan of geysers
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and that's like having one version of like a
17:54
soda and then saying like I don't like any sodas
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you might not like any sodas but you've only
17:59
also had one so try a few others out see how
18:03
you like it and maybe you'll become fan of some
18:07
random geyser and create your own podcast and
18:09
talk about it incessantly and know that very
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few people love it the way that you do. Speaking
18:15
of things that are just you know sometimes only
18:18
interesting to me here is my random Yellowstone
18:21
fact of the week. The little cabin in Mammoth.
18:25
Tucked away at the edge of the historic Fort
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Yellowstone also known as Mammoth Hot Springs
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you're gonna find one of the most overlooked
18:32
buildings in this region. It's the mail carrier's
18:35
cabin, and it's small, but it tells the story
18:38
of a time when simply delivering the mail into
18:40
Yellowstone was a rugged, multi -day journey
18:43
through the wilderness. Built around 1895, the
18:46
cabin is believed to be the oldest surviving
18:49
log structure in Mammoth Hot Springs and the
18:52
only log building from the 1800s still standing
18:54
in the area. While historians are not entirely
18:57
certain who first built the cabin, Yellowstone
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says that it was likely built in the mid 1890s
19:05
and later became associated with the Yellowstone
19:07
Parks Association, one of the park's early concessionaires.
19:12
Its rustic log construction contrasts with the
19:14
more formal military buildings erected by the
19:16
U .S. Army throughout nearby Fort Yellowstone,
19:19
making it a unique piece of the area's architectural
19:21
history. Now, if you have been in Mammoth, you're
19:25
like, oh, I've been to the post office. This
19:27
isn't the post office. If you're looking at the
19:29
post office, you then will have a building on
19:32
the left. The building on the left is the medical
19:36
clinic. Then, if you go further left, there's
19:39
a little road. And on the other side of that
19:41
road, you'll see a small wooden cabin with some
19:45
elk antlers up top, and it just kind of looks
19:47
like it's tucked away and thrown in a corner
19:49
so no one would see it. This cabin played a huge
19:53
role in the entire area and the park. During
19:57
the late 19th century, before rural mail delivery
20:00
existed, contracted mail carriers transported
20:03
letters and packages from the railroad depot
20:05
in Livingston down to Mammoth and then out toward
20:08
Cook City before making the return trip. The
20:11
journey took several days over rough roads and
20:13
mountain passes, making the cabin a welcome place
20:16
to rest or restock on supplies during an era
20:19
when Yellowstone was far more isolated than it
20:21
is today. Over the years the building also housed
20:25
concession employees and later some national
20:27
park staff. Now this came up on my research and
20:30
that cabin is small. I'm not too sure the accuracy
20:33
of it, but I wanted to share that and then I
20:35
also wanted to share my skepticism that this
20:37
was really used as a place where people truly
20:40
stayed. I could be wrong here, but it looks like
20:43
it's just a very small cabin that was used as
20:46
a building and maybe one person stayed there.
20:49
Over the years, the building has gotten new little
20:51
additions. Things have changed. One interesting
20:54
little fact here is that during the early 2000s,
20:57
during the restoration period for this building,
21:01
workers made a cool discovery beneath the insulation
21:04
installed decades earlier. There are newspapers
21:07
that report reported the Wright Brothers historic
21:09
1903 flight at Kitty Hawk that had been used
21:13
inside the walls. What's fun also about this
21:16
building is that there were talks around the
21:19
1970s to just destroy this building because,
21:22
you know, it didn't look like it was going to
21:25
be worth restoring, but it was ultimately preserved
21:29
as part of the nationally significant Mammoth
21:31
Hot Springs Historic District. The mail carrier's
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cabin also makes an excellent starting point
21:36
for a walking tour exploring the rich history
21:40
of Mammoth Hot Springs. Mammoth used to be Fort
21:42
Yellowstone and was under the operation of the
21:46
US Army. And if you walk around you're gonna
21:48
see old officers quarters, guard houses, a chapel,
21:52
bachelor officers quarters, and the parade ground.
21:55
And those all remain remarkably intact from how
21:57
they were built. And it's actually one of the
22:00
best collections of historic National Park Service
22:03
and military architecture anywhere in the country.
22:05
Very niche, but it's still one of the best examples
22:08
of it. Altogether these buildings and this little
22:12
cabin tell the story of how Mammoth changed and
22:15
grew and how what was once this little outpost
22:19
has now become a major hub and entry place for
22:22
visitors to Yellowstone National Park. I could
22:25
talk more about the Fort Yellowstone area, and
22:28
I might do that over the winter when there's
22:29
not as much to talk about, but definitely stop
22:32
by there. It's just really interesting to wander
22:35
around what used to be part of a military base
22:38
in some ways. enjoy that definitely stop by that
22:42
little cabin it's an underrated stop there's
22:44
that not a lot of pictures of it online which
22:46
is weird because it's right in mammoth but it's
22:49
just not one of those sites and i just wanted
22:50
to bring it up so now you know that there's a
22:52
cabin there and you can go and look at it all
22:56
right the weather for the coming week as always
22:59
this is the best forecast for the week at the
23:01
time we're recording i'm recording this early
23:03
on tuesday july 28th at about 3 p .m I have a
23:08
tour tomorrow and so I'm not gonna be able to
23:10
record so You're hearing this after all of this.
23:14
So I'm talking about nothing. So I'm recording
23:17
this a few days early This is the best forecast
23:18
that I can give you on Thursday in Lamar Valley
23:22
Thursday 82 and 48 Friday 86 and 50, Saturday
23:28
90 and 52, Sunday 85 and 45, Monday 79 and 42,
23:35
Tuesday 83 and 45, and Wednesday 86 and 49. The
23:40
forecast right now doesn't really call for thunderstorms.
23:42
I would expect an afternoon thunderstorm every
23:45
day. That's for everywhere here in the park because
23:48
this is kind of that season where thunderstorms
23:51
happen. If you've been in the park this last
23:53
week, you know we've just had some pretty strong
23:56
thunderstorms. Let's talk about the weather for
23:58
Gardner, Montana this week. On Thursday, high
24:01
of 88, low of 52, 24 % chance of rain in the
24:05
afternoon. Friday, 91 and 54, 13 % chance of
24:10
rain largely in the morning. Saturday, 95 and
24:13
55. Sunday, 89 and 48, Monday 82 and 45, Tuesday
24:20
87 and 49, and Wednesday 90 and 52. The weather
24:25
for West Yellowstone. On Thursday, high of 84,
24:28
low of 46, 9 % chance of rain, largely in the
24:31
afternoon. Friday 87 and 48 with a 4 % chance
24:36
of rain mostly in the morning, Saturday 91 and
24:39
49, Sunday 84 and 43, Monday 80 and 40, Tuesday
24:44
84 and 43, and Wednesday 87 and 47. If you're
24:50
staying in Cody, Wyoming on Thursday, a high
24:52
of 90, a low of 60, 20 % chance of thunderstorms.
24:56
Friday, 93 and 63, 8 % chance of thunderstorms.
25:00
Saturday, 101 and 68. Sunday, 95 and 59. Monday,
25:08
79 and 53. Tuesday, 86 and 58. And Wednesday,
25:13
91 and 62. And finally, if you're headed up to
25:17
the mountains out in Cook City going to the Beartooth
25:19
Highway, this is the weather for Cook City. Thursday
25:22
78 and 50. Friday 81 and 53 with some rain in
25:27
the morning and maybe afternoon. Saturday 86
25:30
and 54. Sunday 81 and 45. Monday 74 and 43. Tuesday
25:37
78 and 47. Wednesday 81 and 51. Again, I'm recording
25:42
this on Tuesday instead of my Wednesday afternoon,
25:45
so the weather could shift, but this is a general
25:47
kind of outline of what to expect. Also again,
25:51
expect thunderstorms every day. If they don't
25:53
happen, great. If they do happen, you'll be prepared.
25:56
Road conditions. No major park roads are closed
25:59
right now, no minor park roads are closed right
26:01
now, and all of the side roads are open. If there's
26:05
heavy rain during a thunderstorm, they might
26:07
close the side road until it dries out. Those
26:10
are those gravel roads. Main roads should not
26:12
be affected at all. There will be some spots
26:15
of construction, but that's also minimal and
26:18
shouldn't impact you more than 10 or 15 minutes
26:20
here and there. However, things can happen in
26:23
the park, so for up -to -date information, you
26:26
can call 307 -344 -2117 for recorded information
26:30
about the roads, or you can sign up to receive
26:32
Yellowstone Road Alerts on your cell phone by
26:35
texting the number 82190 to the number 888777.
26:43
Camping Information Every campground that's going
26:45
to be open this year is open there are some openings
26:48
right now people aren't camping as much But if
26:50
you are camping know that there might be wildlife
26:52
in your campground that is Yellowstone be used
26:56
to that I I talked about that a little on my
27:00
standalone bison episode I just released a couple
27:02
days ago, but if you're camping in the park don't
27:06
expect it to be animal free. There will be bison,
27:09
there might be elk that walk through, there might
27:10
be a bear that walks through. So whenever you're
27:13
headed out to go use the bathroom in the middle
27:15
of the night or anything, be very alert for wildlife.
27:19
Speaking of wildlife, here's the wildlife watching
27:21
update. So despite it being summer, wildlife
27:24
watching is good. I know a lot of people have
27:27
been striking out on seeing bears and wolves
27:29
and so I'm going to try and help. Get you at
27:33
least a wolf sighting is probably gonna be way
27:35
in the distance This is kind of what you will
27:37
see a couple of days ago. There were wolves located
27:41
near The Pebble Creek area, which was pretty
27:44
cool, but they were moving back toward the Lamar
27:46
Valley Slough Creek region So I wouldn't expect
27:49
to see them there unless they happen to kill
27:51
something and go back so your best bet for wildlife
27:56
as always is the route between Mammoth Hot Springs
28:01
in Cook City and then between Fishing Bridge
28:05
and Canyon that is basically Little America Lamar
28:11
Valley and the Hell Roaring area as well as Blacktail
28:15
Ponds and then Hayden Valley you're gonna have
28:19
a lot of bison action down in Hayden and a lot
28:22
out in Lamar and Then you're gonna have some
28:25
elk spread out here and there There are a couple
28:27
cool wildlife sightings that I do want to make
28:30
you aware of if you're interested in seeing these.
28:33
If you want to see mountain goats, head up to
28:36
the Beartooth Highway. The mountain goats are
28:38
putting on a great show on the Beartooth Highway.
28:41
There's also some moose outside of Cook City.
28:43
There's some grizzlies between Pebble Creek and
28:48
some of the areas around the Beartooth Highway.
28:50
If you go out toward the east entrance, there's
28:52
also a couple grizzlies that are still being
28:55
spotted out there. Generally, it's a good time.
28:58
You're going to see a lot of pronghorn. They're
29:00
still having some babies. You're going to see
29:01
some elk calves walking around. You're going
29:04
to see the bison during the rut. I've talked
29:06
about the rut a lot, so I'm not going to go into
29:09
detail here. But if you don't know about the
29:11
rut, go back and listen to previous episodes,
29:14
please. Where you probably aren't going to see
29:18
a ton of wildlife will be around the geyser basins
29:20
This is just kind of how summer is there might
29:23
be some lone bull bison walking around that are
29:25
too old to mate or There might be a couple elk
29:29
or deer here and there but generally this is
29:31
going to be a slower area Around the geyser thermal
29:34
areas that doesn't mean you're not going to see
29:36
anything Just keep those expectations pretty
29:39
low and be surprised if you see much if you do
29:43
want really good wildlife watching As I read
29:45
the weather forecast you probably heard that
29:47
the highs are pretty warm in the park. That means
29:50
animals aren't going to be as active during the
29:52
day. That doesn't mean they're not going to be
29:55
active during the day, it means that they're
29:56
not going to be as active during the day. Your
29:59
best bet is to get up before sunrise and hit
30:02
up one of those regions start driving through
30:04
those heavy animal populated regions at Sunrise
30:08
maybe an hour or two after sunrise until 10 30
30:11
11 Then it's gonna start dropping down a lot
30:15
until 3 4 5 6 o 'clock Depending if the storm
30:19
rolls through or not if a storm rolls through
30:21
You know stay dry. Don't be outside during that
30:24
especially if it's heavy rain and hail and lightning
30:27
But once it passes by Head back out to those
30:31
wildlife areas and see if things start coming
30:33
out after the storm once that humidity drops
30:36
again and temperature drops This is a great time
30:39
to see things and then stay out until sunset
30:42
And then like I said it for my experience go
30:44
stargazing during the day rest Go walk around
30:49
buildings, go on short hikes, do what you want,
30:51
but know that wildlife watching is going to be
30:53
the very best this coming week and for the next
30:56
couple of weeks during the mornings and the evenings.
31:00
Again, you might see something else during the
31:02
middle of the day, but generally, I'm having
31:05
my best luck early mornings. And then I'm usually
31:08
not in the park in the evenings because I like
31:10
going home. But early mornings for me, I still
31:12
see bears out there and I've seen the wolves
31:15
out there. So check that out. If you can only
31:19
go to one place, go to Lamar. I mean, it's drive
31:24
from Mammoth out to Lamar in the morning, take
31:28
that blacktail plateau drive, look for bears,
31:31
drop down, head up to Tower, fall, and then turn
31:35
around, come back, drive out toward Little America,
31:39
all the way to Pebble Creek, and then turn around
31:40
and come back. You should see things in the morning
31:43
there that are great. again you might not it's
31:47
just the nature of nature but give it your best
31:50
chance if you need any other tips for wildlife
31:52
watching you can pick up one of my wildlife watching
31:55
guidebooks ebooks are available through my store
31:57
as well as paperback books that is outdoor -society
32:02
.com and then you can click on the store link
32:04
or if you don't want to do that send me a message
32:07
on my phone 406 -589 -1873 or an email theoutdoorsociety
32:12
at gmail .com and I can send you that link a
32:15
few of you have done that and I greatly appreciate
32:17
you reaching out trail alerts and updates so
32:21
the backcountryconditions page is somewhat updated
32:24
they've kind of updated it and then forgotten
32:27
about a few things You shouldn't be hitting snow
32:30
in any of these backcountry places. If there's
32:33
been a heavy storm, some of those creek crossings
32:35
may be a little dicey. I know some of the creeks
32:38
are running a little more muddy because we've
32:40
gotten some heavy rains. If that's the case,
32:43
don't try and ford them unless it's just dirty
32:46
and shin deep and then you're still fine. But
32:48
if it's waist deep, don't ford anything right
32:50
now. Please. It's not worth it. Just. Go to a
32:53
backcountry place and ask how the conditions
32:56
are in person. Usually the ranger there can help
32:59
you or you can just talk to a front country ranger
33:01
at any of the visitor centers and they can also
33:04
help you out. Backcountry conditions page link
33:06
will be in the show notes as always. One other
33:09
thing, carry bear spray, have it readily accessible,
33:11
not in your backpack, and know how to use it.
33:13
And also do not go hiking anywhere where the
33:16
bison rut is taking is going on right now. That
33:20
means the Lamar Valley Trail. That means hiking
33:23
through Hayden Valley. Don't do those things
33:25
right now unless the bison are very, very, very
33:29
far away. They will move, and then you could
33:32
get stuck on those trails because it's really
33:34
hard to avoid a giant herd of bison, especially
33:36
when the bulls are angry. So use your judgment.
33:40
Don't hike anything that's going to put you,
33:42
your family, your friends in peril. And again,
33:46
if you need good hikes, reach out to me. Happy
33:48
to help. Speaking of good hikes, My trail of
33:52
the week. For many visitors, the Yellowstone
33:55
adventure ends the moment they cross the park
33:57
boundary. That's really a shame, because some
34:00
of the most spectacular hiking in the Greater
34:02
Yellowstone ecosystem starts just outside of
34:05
the national park boundary. Stretching nearly
34:07
one million acres in Montana and Wyoming, Absaroka
34:10
Bear Tooth Wilderness, or Bzorka Bear Tooth Wilderness,
34:13
I'm gonna call it the AB Wilderness, it's home
34:16
to soaring granite peaks, hundreds of alpine
34:19
lakes, rushing waterfalls, and some of the finest
34:21
trails in wilderness in the country. While the
34:25
most beautiful trails in Yellowstone are usually
34:27
some of the more popular ones, this area, the
34:30
AB Wilderness, sees only a small percentage of
34:33
visitors that the park sees. So if you're looking
34:36
to trade crowded boardwalks for just this alpine
34:38
solitude comparatively, I have a trail for you.
34:42
That is Pine Creek Lake, and it should be at
34:44
the top of your list. Now Pine Creek Lake is
34:47
not going to be empty. It's not going to be you're
34:50
the only person there. It's a popular backpacking
34:52
destination and it's a popular hiking destination.
34:55
I did it a little over a week ago and on the
34:58
way up I saw two people and I passed them as
35:00
they were coming down and then I had the entire
35:03
lake to myself for about an hour and a couple
35:06
groups of people started coming up and as I hiked
35:09
down the trail I hiked down the trail from the
35:12
lake to the popular waterfall and I passed 16
35:15
people. From the waterfall back to my car, I
35:20
passed 40 people. Pine Creek Falls is one of
35:24
the most popular hikes in Paradise Valley, the
35:27
region between Livingston and Gardner, Montana.
35:31
Very short, about two miles round trip, five,
35:34
six hundred feet of elevation gain to a little
35:36
waterfall that's really pretty. However, Those
35:41
of you that are hikers, that are looking for
35:42
something amazing, need to continue beyond that
35:47
waterfall and keep going. The hike begins at
35:51
the Pine Creek trailhead in Paradise Valley,
35:53
which is about 20 miles south of Livingston in
35:55
the Gallatin National Forest. Almost immediately,
35:59
you're gonna understand why this is one of the
36:00
park's most loved trails. The path follows Pine
36:03
Creek through a shady forest filled with Douglas
36:05
fir and lodgepole pine, while the sound of rushing
36:08
water echoes through the canyon. Before long,
36:12
you arrive at Pine Creek Falls. Like I said,
36:13
it's about 1 .2 miles. It's a beautiful Cascade
36:16
Falls that drops more than 100 feet into narrow
36:19
gorge. You can get out into the water. It's a
36:22
cool, shady place. It's great on a hot day. This
36:25
first section, like I said, is one of the busiest
36:27
hikes in the region, and for good reason. It's
36:30
short, family -friendly, and rewards hikers with
36:33
a very impressive waterfall. Most people will
36:36
turn around at this falls, like I said, and there's
36:38
nothing wrong with that. You want a waterfall
36:40
trail? Sure, do this one. However, those willing
36:44
to continue will discover why Pine Creek Lake
36:46
has become one of the premier alpine destinations
36:49
in the AV wilderness. Beyond the falls, the trail
36:52
becomes noticeably steeper as it climbs through
36:54
thick forest alongside Pine Creek. Several smaller
36:58
waterfalls tumble through the canyon, and frequent
37:01
openings in the trees reveal increasingly dramatic
37:03
views and surrounding cliffs. As the miles pass,
37:07
the crowds begin to thin, replaced by a quiet
37:10
that makes designated wilderness so special.
37:12
The round -trip hike to the lake is approximately
37:15
10 miles with about 3 ,400 feet of elevation
37:18
gain, making it a strenuous day hike that rewards
37:21
persistence and knowing that you're going to
37:24
see something unforgettable. After the final
37:27
climb, the forest suddenly opens up and Pine
37:29
Creek Lake comes into view. Resting at just over
37:32
9 ,000 feet in elevation, the lake occupies roughly
37:36
31 acres and reaches an impressive depth of about
37:39
170 feet. It's remarkably clear and it reflects
37:43
the granite walls surrounding the basin so perfectly.
37:47
It creates one of the most photogenic alpine
37:49
settings in southwestern Montana. Montana Fish
37:52
Wildlife and Parks manages the lake as a high
37:54
elevation trout fishery stocking Yellowstone
37:57
Cutthroat Trout about every three years. If you
38:00
packed a fishing rod, Pine Creek Lake offers
38:02
an excellent opportunity to cast for those Cutthroat
38:05
Trout. Anyone age 12 or older needs a valid Montana
38:09
fishing license as well as reviewing the current
38:12
fishing regulations before heading out. There
38:14
might be other things you need to pick up, but
38:16
you need to review that before you go there.
38:18
For hikers who still have plenty of energy, the
38:20
adventure doesn't have to end at the shoreline.
38:23
Experienced off -trail travelers and those up
38:25
for a serious adventure can go up to the top
38:28
of Black Mountain, which rises way high above
38:31
the cirque and you look down at everything. It's
38:33
super cool, but you're going to be climbing another
38:35
3 ,000 feet or so, and there's no maintained
38:38
trail, there's no real route, so you need to
38:42
actually know what you're doing. I only want
38:44
to mention that because some people love to do
38:46
mountains. like to do that and it's great I can
38:50
probably give you some information on that if
38:52
you're interested in getting up Black Mountain
38:53
but again it is not a easy hike this is for experienced
38:59
people only to get to the top of Black Mountain
39:01
even Pine Creek Lake is not an easy hike this
39:04
is not something you can just do just because
39:07
you feel like it and you're just happen to be
39:09
in an area it is 10 miles 3 ,500 feet of elevation
39:13
gain it's steep it doesn't let up It's exposed
39:17
in the sun in some places. It gets hot. It's
39:20
not the most fun hike for part of the way, unless
39:23
you're just a very optimistic person who is used
39:26
to kind of these struggle bus hikes that go straight
39:29
off a mountainside. But it is extremely beautiful
39:32
and is one of the best hikes in the region. It's
39:35
also one that I feel comfortable sharing because
39:38
everybody knows about it. All the outdoor stair,
39:40
all the outdoor stores share it and. It's not
39:43
a secret. There are some secret hikes out here
39:46
that I have a few maybe in my guidebook. Don't
39:49
tell too many people, but there's some cooler
39:52
places, but this is one of those just to give
39:55
you a taste of what can be found in the AB wilderness.
39:59
Whether you stop at the lake, whether you stop
40:01
at the falls, you're going to love this. One
40:05
of the things I do want to tell you is why I'm
40:07
recommending it right now. Right now, the wildflowers
40:11
up to Pine Creek Lake are amazing. It is the
40:16
best bloom in a couple of years we've had. It's
40:19
so good. The fireweed is starting. You're going
40:21
to have your paintbrush. You're going to have
40:22
all of these other wildflowers that are just
40:25
dotting the landscape and making the area incredibly
40:27
beautiful. I also want to say that there is an
40:30
abundance of wildlife here. There's elk occasionally.
40:34
There's deer. There's occasional mountain goats.
40:36
I saw a black bear the other day. There's marmots.
40:38
There's picas. this is still wilderness expect
40:42
to see wildlife you may not also expect to see
40:45
a lot of people with off -leash dogs this is
40:47
something else that happens but carry bear spray
40:50
know how to use it also know that this is wilderness
40:53
please practice leave no trace principles to
40:56
keep this amazing that means pack in and out
41:00
waste toilet paper things like that if you drop
41:02
something pick it up any garbage do not leave
41:05
banana peels apple cores Orange or anything like
41:08
that. Do not leave behind keep it better Also
41:12
know that along this route about two and a quarter
41:15
miles on the trail. There's a creek crossing
41:18
Great, right? You will be going across this creek
41:22
on fallen timber that has been Organized that
41:27
is a loosely used term into a bridge. It can
41:30
be slick. It's not going to be comfortable for
41:32
everybody. It's not going to be the most fun
41:36
if you have a fear of falling, things like that.
41:38
But again, this is a serious hike. This is not
41:41
an easy hike, but I want to recommend it because
41:43
I have been recommending a lot of really easy
41:46
hikes, a lot of family -friendly hikes, but sometimes,
41:49
especially when I'm traveling places, I want
41:50
to know where those next level adventures are.
41:52
This is one of those next level adventures. One
41:55
of the best things about Pine Creek Lake is that
41:57
it reminds you that the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
42:00
doesn't end at the national park boundary. The
42:04
same mountains, wildlife, forests, and wild character
42:07
continue well beyond the entrance stations. If
42:10
you've already experienced Yellowstone's famous
42:12
geysers and waterfalls and you've spent days
42:15
hiking in the park or previous visits hiking
42:18
in the park and you want more, this is one of
42:21
those trails. Half of my hiking guidebook are
42:25
trails like this outside of the park. This is
42:28
where I hike for fun for me and that's why I
42:31
want to recommend it to you. This is something
42:33
that I think you're going to enjoy if you're
42:36
a serious hiker and you love wilderness hiking.
42:39
So check it out and you might fall in love with
42:42
the AB wilderness as much as I have. That is
42:46
it for this week. In the next episode, I'm going
42:48
to return with all the information you need to
42:50
have a good week in the park, including the wildlife,
42:52
weather and trail updates. Until then, pick up
42:55
a guidebook of mine, send me a message. Thank
42:58
you so much for listening. I truly appreciate
43:00
all of you and happy trails. Oh, please recommend
43:03
this podcast to anybody that is interested in
43:06
Yellowstone. Thanks. Abrupt ending. This week
43:19
in Yellowstone is brought to you by the Outdoor
43:21
Society. That's my company. It's just me. I do
43:24
this to labor of love. If you like it, tell your
43:27
friends, rate and review it. Shoot me a message.
43:29
Otherwise, keep listening and I hope to see you
43:32
in Yellowstone. Copyright 2026, baby!