Latest / This Week in Yellowstone National Park / This Week in Yellowstone: June 26th to July 2nd, 2025

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This Week in Yellowstone: June 26th to July 2nd, 2025 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

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From Yellowstone National Park, where if you're
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in the park you may run into me at Calcite Springs
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looking for newborn bighorn sheep, this is that
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Scott guy you know and love with another episode
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of This Week in Yellowstone. What's up everybody?
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This week in Yellowstone National Park from June
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26th through July 2nd, I'll give you six spots
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to watch Old Faithful erupt, give some tips on
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how to deal with the inevitable bison jam, talk
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about wolves and bears, and share a hike to a
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hidden waterfall near a well -known area. I'll
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also give you the complete weather forecast,
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wildlife report, and everything else you need
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to have an incredible time this week in Yellowstone.
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The standard disclaimer I might miss a few details
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so feel free to reach out with any questions
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you may have I also mentioned park locations
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Casually, so if you're unfamiliar a quick search
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can help I have listened or actually gotten emails
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and everything from people and they take notes
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during this highly recommend that if you're looking
1:09
for things Also, go back and listen also know
1:14
that this report is something that I really enjoy
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doing. As everybody knows, this podcast is a
1:22
passion project. I'm not paid or sponsored. If
1:25
you enjoy it, I'd love a review or a quick email.
1:28
Those of you who've emailed me, thank you so
1:30
much. Shout out to the family that emailed me
1:33
about repeating back the passion project part
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of this podcast. Thank you so much. And if you'd
1:39
like to continue to support my work, check out
1:41
my guidebooks. Hiking and wildlife watching or
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you can join me for a guided hike guided Yellowstone
1:48
hiking tour I am pretty booked here and there
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but you never know I might be free if I am free
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and you reach out I will do my best to make it
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happen For details on everything I have go to
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outdoor -society .com or just reach out to me
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directly This week's Yellowstone news There's
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a dead bison at Grand Prismatic so this is probably
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the biggest news in the park right now and It's
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a little grizzly, but not like grizzly bear.
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You know it's a bison. It's just very It's a
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it's an experience that some people had so I'm
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gonna tell you about this so Biggest news in
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the park right now is that a bison died on the
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edge of grand prismatic hot springs over the
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weekend there were visitors at Yellowstone in
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the morning and they were just looking at the
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scene at grand prismatic and they saw a bison
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walking and they were shocked to witness that
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bison fall into the scalding hot water and struggle
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and then die the bull bison slipped on the edge
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of the 160 degree spring tried to get out but
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ultimately couldn't escape and died right there
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in front of shocked onlookers so i'm pretty sure
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that the park will have something to say about
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this soon as the bison carcass is going to be
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staying there until scavengers get brave enough
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to drag it away or it slowly decomposes slash
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melts away the park from what i know will not
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be attempting to move this bison it's going to
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be there it's going to be kind of disgusting
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and yeah um definitely go look at it so After
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it fell, its body floated in the shallow water,
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something that sparked a lot of curiosity and
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misconceptions. Many people assume that Yellowstone's
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hot springs dissolve anything that falls in,
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but that's not really how it works. The water
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at Grand Prismatic won't melt a body like some
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other hot springs. It will essentially cook it,
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but it will slowly break down and the bones will
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linger for a while. Now this isn't the first
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time something like this has happened Nor is
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it going to be the last animals frequently enter
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these pools by accident which leads to serious
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injury for them or death So go check that out.
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Like I said, it's gonna be disgustingly awesome
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There's an update on the Golden Gate construction
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project. So just south of Mammoth, you'll find
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Yellowstone's Golden Gate Well, I won't get into
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the history of the name and the region here.
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I will update you on a construction project The
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park was going to have work done on the section
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of the road in 2025, and it was going to seriously
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impact travel. But the project is now delayed
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until 2026. So all you really need to know is
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that there will not be construction delays for
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those driving from Mammoth toward Norris this
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year. Final bit of news, the north entrance road
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closure. So on June 28th to June 29th, between
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1130 p .m. and 330 a .m., the road between Gardner
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and Mammoth will be closed for road paint striping.
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During these hours, all traffic, excluding emergency
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response vehicles, will be stopped and not allowed
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through. Again, that's from 1130 p .m. on the
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28th to 330 a .m. on the 29th of June. The experience
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of the week. So today because we're in the middle
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of busy season I want to share a few great spots
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to catch old faithfuls famous eruption Depending
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on what kind of experience you're looking for
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with that eruption Now a lot of people that are
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visiting right now will show up to old faithful
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and be shocked at how many people are there This
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is perfectly normal people have been shocked
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at how many people are there every summer since
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I've been coming to the park in the 80s Yes,
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there's probably more people there, but It's
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old faithful. It's an amazing eruption people
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should be there for it, and it doesn't go off
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all the time So you have to be there at the certain
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times anyway that is a complete like Unimportant
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tangent that I just went on probably should edit
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it out not going to so Those who haven't seen
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old faithful erupt should memorize this section
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those who have seen it erupt But want a different
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place to see it. I probably have something in
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here. That's new for you First up, the benches
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right in front of the geyser are the most obvious
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and popular choice. It's the classic way to see
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the show. There's plenty of seating, and if you
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get there early enough, you can usually grab
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a good spot right in the front row. The view
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from here is as close as it gets. That said,
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you'll definitely be sharing the space with a
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lot of other visitors. It can feel a bit like
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a crowd at a concert, but it's exciting. You're
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all waiting for the same thing. Another thing
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to know about sitting in that area is that there
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is no shade there. So definitely bring a hat,
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some sunscreen, you know, a sun shirt, something
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like that to cool down because it's going to
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be hot. And if you want a place to sit down for
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the eruption, try to arrive about 30 minutes
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ahead of the time that the visitor center says
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it's going to erupt. So one place, that's another
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option, and a lot of people consider this a hidden
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gem, is to watch the eruption from inside the
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Old Faithful Lodge. So not the historic inn,
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but the Old Faithful Lodge. It's always a little
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surprising that this view isn't more crowded.
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You're gonna be inside, there's some seats, and
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the lodge sits just east of the geyser and offers
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a cool relaxing spot to hang out while you wait.
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Inside, there's a big lounge area with comfy
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chairs and large windows that give you a direct
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view. You can also eat your ice cream there and
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not have it melt too fast. And it's the great
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escape on a hot or crowded summer day or if it's
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raining. So when the eruption starts, you can
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either watch from inside or just pop out front
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where you'll still have a solid, slightly elevated
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view. The lodge also has some of the best restrooms
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in the park, so just remember that next time
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you're there. They're down a long hallway near
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the parking lot, so tuck that information away
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for future use. Now, if you're into a more charming
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and historic vibe, and one of my favorite, I
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want to watch it erupt, but I also want to feel
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a little different about this eruption and maybe
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be a little up. Go to the second floor balcony
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at the Old Faithful Inn. The Inn, you know, famous
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can't miss it. Iconic building. What's cool about
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it is that it has a covered observation deck
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with chairs that overlook the eruption area.
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So it is truly fantastic and one of the best
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ways to do it. If you are over 21 and you're
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wanting kind of just a fun way to sip a drink
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and hang out. or if you're not over 21 or you
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don't drink alcohol, you can also get some coffee,
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sit up on that overlook and watch it. It really
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is fun because you're kind of away from it all,
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but you're also watching it in a way that makes
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you feel like you're in some like old timey movie.
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So definitely check that out if you can. And
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then the next one is if you'd rather watch it
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from the geyser basin area. I recommend walking
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across the Firehole River to Geyser Hill and
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all the geysers over there. This is another fantastic
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way to experience Old Faithful. Instead of just
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waiting for the geyser to go off and sitting
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there, you're wandering around the features around
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Geyser Hill and you can look at some of the other
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fascinating thermal features in the area before
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Old Faithful erupts and then after as well. It
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keeps things interesting and when the geyser
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finally erupts, you still have a great view just
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from a slightly different angle. Highly recommend
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that Now if you're up for some exercise consider
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hiking up the up to observation point It's about
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a half mile each way with 150 to 200 foot climb
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So it's not intense, but at the elevation that
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you're at at old faithful. It's gonna get your
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heart rate up From the top you get this unique
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bird's -eye view of the geyser and the surrounding
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area It's absolutely worth the effort to get
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up there if you're able to Just make sure to
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check with a ranger about the next predicted
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eruption time and give yourself about 30 minutes
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to an hour to make the hike and get settled.
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The earlier you show up there, the more likely
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you will be to have a place to sit. This has
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been gaining in popularity just because it's
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a really cool spot, but you're not going to deal
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with the massive crowds that you're going to
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have around the boardwalk. So finally, if you've
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already experienced the eruption of Old Faithful
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from all of those spots I've mentioned, you can
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still see it from one truly unique way, and that's
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from the cliffs above Mystic Falls and Biscuit
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Basin. While Biscuit Basin may be closed, you
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can still hike to Mystic Falls from a nearby
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pullout. The park really isn't advertising this,
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but trust me, as a guide, I have been assured
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you can do it. So once you hike past Mystic Falls,
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continue up the trail and hang right toward the
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top of the cliffside. From there, you can look
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back toward Old Faithful, and with luck and timing,
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you can see it erupt from miles away. This is
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legitimately my favorite way to see Old Faithful
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erupt after all these years, because you're so
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far away, there's no sound, there's nothing.
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All of a sudden, off in the distance, you just
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see it erupt. You can see the lodge bring a pair
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of binoculars and it makes it even better So
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check those out if you need more information
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about any of these just message me for that All
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right my tip of the week Today I'm going to be
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talking about bison jams and how to navigate
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them If you've ever driven through Yellowstone
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National Park or plan to it's almost guaranteed
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at some point You're gonna get stuck in a bison
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jam These aren't your average slow down for wildlife
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moments. With bison jams, we're talking full
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on traffic stopping gridlock because a thousand
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pound bison, or maybe a whole herd, has decided
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that the road is theirs. While that is the beauty
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of Yellowstone, and it's true that it's their
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home and we're just passing through, there are
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things we can do to not only reduce the length
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of the jam, but also help the bison move from
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point A to point B. So what exactly is a bison
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jam? Plain and simple, it's when bison, sometimes
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just a couple, sometimes dozens, sometimes more,
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take over the road. They walk, they rest, they
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give that classic bison side eye that says, I'm
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not moving, you can't make me, and then they
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just linger around. And anyone who spends a lot
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of time in the park has endured jams of all lengths.
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The longest bison jam I've been in was two hours
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long, and in that time I moved three miles. Now,
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I was debating writing an entirely new post about
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how to best manage bison jams, but instead I
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want to bring attention to a post by Max Waugh.
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So Max Waugh is a wildlife photographer who has
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led tours in Yellowstone for 25 years and has
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created the article on bison jams that should
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get attention and credit. You can find the link
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to his article that I'm summarizing in the show
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notes. So to start, Max wants to remind readers
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that not everyone in Yellowstone is on vacation.
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While some drivers are sightseeing, others may
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be on the clock or dealing with emergencies.
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He shares a story about a sick tour client who
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needed to get to town, but they were stuck behind
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a bus that refused to pull over at a pullout.
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That delay could have been avoided with just
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a little bit of courtesy. There are countless
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examples of this, including first responders
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trying to get to emergencies and rangers trying
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to respond to a call. The bottom line is, if
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you're going to sit and enjoy the experience
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of being stuck in a bison jam, do it from a turnout.
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Let those who need to pass pass. So all that
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being said, here's how you deal with a bison
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jam. Patience is the key. but so is knowing when
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and how to move. Max explains that wildlife always
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has the right of way, but there are respectful
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ways to ease through a bison jam. Slowly edging
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forward, never honking or rushing, often encourages
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the bison to move off the road. This is a tactic
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used by rangers and season park goers alike.
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And believe it or not, bison usually do get the
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hint and respond very well. Stopping will cause
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the bison to stop. Continuing to help the herd
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and leading them to an area where they can safely
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leave the road is your best bet. If you feel
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overwhelmed by doing this, which I completely
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understand why you would, pull off at a pullout
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and wait. Let others who are more experienced
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and more confident take the lead. One surprising
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insight Mac shares is just how savvy bison are
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about roadways. They often stick to the edge
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or shoulder making room for cars and despite
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their size and power they very rarely bump vehicles
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in less provoked. In fact, Max notes that even
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grizzly bears will yield to bison and bison often
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yield to vehicles. So that tells you the hierarchy
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of things here. Still he warns against freezing
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up behind the wheel. Confidence and calm go a
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long way. Another big tip is to not break the
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flow. In areas where the road gets narrow, like
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near cliffs or thick forests, bison can't easily
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step aside. So if a car makes it through and
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you hesitate, that gap will close right up. The
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bison will pop right back in there. Suddenly
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the jam resets and you're all back to square
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one. Think of it like a herd. Vehicles need to
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move together. Get right behind the car ahead
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of you, stay alert if they need to stop, but
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never allow a long distance between their back
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and your front bumpers. One of Max's biggest
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frustrations, and one many of us who frequent
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the park do not condone, is drivers who stop
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to take photos right at the head of the bison
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jam. Not only does this block traffic, but it
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also traps the bison and the rest of the cars
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behind them. Max's advice? Get your pictures
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from a turnout. Once again, turnouts are your
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friends. There are bison everywhere in Yellowstone,
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so if you don't get that picture of that one,
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go to Hayden Valley, go to Lamar Valley, you're
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going to more than likely see plenty of bison.
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A lot of people will stop with that first bison
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they see in the park driving in from West Yellowstone
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to Madison, and that's where the longest bison
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jams usually are. And it can be frustrating because
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You'll then drive another 10 miles and there's
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70 bison right next to the road, but everyone's
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already taken their picture of their one. So
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the jam is always early instead of just wait
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till there's even more bison and then you get
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to see them. So with bison being everywhere,
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know that you'll see them. You're going to have
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plenty of chances to get a perfect picture of
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them, just not from the middle of the road. Even
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stopping for a few seconds can help create an
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hour long backup. I for fun did this so if there's
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a hundred and one cars behind a bison jam and
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each car pauses 15 seconds to take a picture
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Which is much shorter than people actually take
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That's gonna be a 25 minute wait for the hundred
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and first car just to get to the bison Now combine
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that with a rate of slow travel and travel and
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the backup itself And you're easily causing an
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hour delay if you're that first car that sets
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that precedent Again, seeing a bison is truly
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special and awesome, but mitigate your impact
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and use a pullout. That will allow you to not
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only be able to appreciate the moment without
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blocking traffic, but it will also allow those
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who see a bison often a chance to pass more quickly,
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giving you more time. And finally, if you do
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choose to slowly pass the herd, be ready for
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some glares. Max has had people throw shade and
18:29
maybe a few snarky comments, even when he's following
18:32
best practices. But know this, what I've shared
18:35
with you, he's confirmed with Rangers that this
18:39
respectful, slow approach aligns with the park's
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goals. Minimal disruption, maximum safety. So
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if you're doing it right, don't sweat the side
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-eyes, I have been called every name in the book.
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for driving around a stopped car in Lamar Valley
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when a single bison is standing in front of it
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on the road. I slowly pass, I don't zoom by,
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and I make sure that the bison's not going to
19:04
cross. Every time I do that, if my window is
19:08
down, the amount of insults that are tossed my
19:11
way are incredible for still driving safe and
19:14
not even doing anything to endanger anyone. So
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at the end of the day, Maxwell's advice isn't
19:21
just about cutting your drive time. It's about
19:24
finding that balance between human schedules
19:26
and the wild rhythms. Yellowstone belongs to
19:29
the bison and we're so lucky to have them around
19:32
and we get to share the road with them. And while
19:36
wildlife always have the right of way, we also
19:39
need to know how to coexist and not make things
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worse. Agree or disagree with this advice from
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Max all you want. Just know that the park Its
19:48
staff, and those of us who are in the park all
19:51
the time, have never corrected this post. Now
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you can find more about Max's insights, plus
19:58
his wildlife photography, at maxwah .com. My
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random Yellowstone fact of the week. How many
20:09
bears and wolves are in Yellowstone National
20:11
Park? We all know Yellowstone National Park is
20:15
one of the best places in North America to see
20:17
big predators in the wild. One of the most common
20:20
questions I get asked when leading hiking tours
20:23
is how many bears and wolves are in the park?
20:26
Since it's been such a topic of interest for
20:28
years, I figured I'd address it here since not
20:31
everyone is lucky enough to be able to hike with
20:33
me. So let's start with bears. Yellowstone is
20:37
home to around 150 to 200 grizzly bears, whose
20:41
home range fall at least partly within the park.
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That's according to the National Park Service
20:46
in 2024. But if you zoom out and look at the
20:49
entire Greater Yellowstone ecosystem, which includes
20:53
parts of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, so that's
20:55
the Tetons, that's north of the park, out to
20:59
the Beartooth Highway, that number jumps to about
21:03
1030 grizzlies as of 2024. Black bears also live
21:08
throughout the park and are considered common,
21:10
especially in forested areas. There's some park
21:13
stuff, some park information, not just stuff,
21:16
but there's some park documents that I have as
21:18
a guide that says that the number of black bears
21:22
is unknown, but high. So and so while there's
21:26
no exact count for them, Some regions like the
21:29
northern range have more than 20 black bears
21:32
per 62 square miles, so there's likely hundreds
21:36
in the park. That's according to National Park
21:38
Service black bear information. Now onto the
21:41
wolves. One of the biggest success stories of
21:44
Yellowstone are the wolves. At the end of 2023,
21:49
there are about 124 wolves living in the park,
21:52
split up into 11 packs, including six breeding
21:55
pairs. This population tends to stay pretty steady
22:00
between 120 and 130 wolves. This is from the
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National Park Service Wolf Report of 2024. Now,
22:07
the 120 to 130 wolves is lower than the peak
22:11
of around 170 wolves in the early 2000s. But
22:16
this is still considered stable and healthy.
22:19
Wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone in 1995
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and they have since become a key part of the
22:24
ecosystem helping to control elk populations
22:27
and even shaping the landscape by influencing
22:30
where animals feed. Now one thing important to
22:34
know is that one of the arguments against wolves
22:37
is that wolves have killed all the elk here.
22:40
If you look at the elk population before they
22:43
were reintroduced in 1995 there were so many
22:47
more Elk. 100 % true. There were a lot more elk
22:51
before wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone,
22:55
especially around Yellowstone, right, and even
22:56
in the park. However, elk had been mismanaged
23:00
through the 1980s by fish and wildlife outside
23:03
of the park, and we had too many elk, and it
23:06
was an unhealthy number. The wolves were reintroduced.
23:09
And that took care of some of the elk, but we
23:12
also had a higher hunting quota for years to
23:16
rebalance that elk population. So the argument
23:19
of wolves killed all of the elk. Now we have
23:21
no elk. No, we have a perfectly healthy elk population
23:25
in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. Just just
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wanted to throw that out. The weather for the
23:32
coming week. So here's the weather for Lamar
23:35
Valley on Thursday and Friday. Highs in the 70s,
23:39
lows in the low 40s. Saturday, high around 74,
23:43
low of 40, with a 25 % chance of rain, mostly
23:47
coming in thunderstorms. Sunday, 75 and 40, with
23:51
about a 15 % chance of rain. Monday, 81 and 44,
23:55
with a 15 % chance of rain. Tuesday, 80 and 46,
23:59
with a 34 % chance of rain and thunderstorms.
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I would expect it those days. for sure. And Wednesday
24:07
also about the same, high of 79, low of 45, almost
24:12
a 40 % chance of rain. Now this rain isn't going
24:14
to be heavy throughout the day, but if you get
24:17
caught in a thunderstorm, it will be not so fun.
24:21
Whether for garden or Montana Thursday high 77
24:25
low 44 Friday highest 78 low 44 Saturday highest
24:31
76 low 45 you kind of get the point Sunday 78
24:35
and 44 Monday 84 and 48 Tuesday 84 and 50 Wednesday
24:42
83 and 49. Expect thunderstorms each of those
24:46
days. Some days only have a 15 % chance, some
24:49
days have a 30 % chance, but I would expect a
24:53
thunderstorm typically late morning, afternoonish,
24:56
every single day. May not happen, but you'll
24:58
be prepared. Now the weather for West Yellowstone.
25:02
West Yellowstone is going to be basically the
25:04
same as Gardner. High on Thursday at 74, low
25:09
40, Friday 75, 41. Saturday 7540 Sunday 7740
25:16
Monday 8243 Tuesday 8245 Wednesday 8044 Now it
25:24
looks like Thursday and Friday and West have
25:26
a very low chance of rain currently 2 % and 3
25:29
% Saturdays at 15 % Sundays at 4 % Mondays at
25:34
15 Tuesdays at 13 and Wednesday is at 25 % again
25:40
expect thunderstorms if they don't happen you'll
25:42
be ready but they probably will happen because
25:47
that's just this time of the year Finally we
25:50
end with Cody Cody is just going to be warmer,
25:54
but very similar. On Thursday, Cody will have
25:57
a high of 83 and a low of 54. Friday, 85 and
26:01
54. Saturday, 80 and 54. Sunday, 79 and 54. And
26:09
then Monday, we finally get 85 and 58. So we
26:12
broke our streak of 54 degrees as a low. Tuesday,
26:16
85 and 58. And Wednesday, Really high chance
26:19
of thunderstorms 86 and 58. Looks like the storms
26:23
are going to be most prevalent in Cody on Saturday,
26:28
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. However, like
26:32
I've said about everywhere, expect thunderstorms
26:35
every day because they're probably going to happen.
26:38
And if they don't, you'll be very ready. And
26:41
also, if there is a thunderstorm, they're kind
26:43
of rad. So enjoy it. Snowpack update. Not in
26:48
this week's episode. We'll be back in October.
26:51
Road conditions. All major roads and most side
26:54
roads are open right now in and around Yellowstone
26:57
National Park. This includes Dunraven Pass and
27:00
the Beartooth Highway. Now the easiest way to
27:03
get all the road conditions, check the website
27:05
for Yellowstone National Park. And you can also
27:10
get up -to -date road information by calling
27:12
area code 307. 344 -2117 for recorded information,
27:18
or you can do what all of us who live out here
27:20
do, sign up to receive Yellowstone road alerts
27:23
on your cell phone by texting 82190 to the number
27:29
888777. Now camping information. Every campground
27:35
in the park that's going to open this year is
27:37
open. So there you go. And that brings us to
27:41
what everyone is waiting for, the wildlife watching
27:44
update. Longtime listeners are already going
27:48
to guess what I'm going to say for this, but
27:50
if you want to see the best wildlife displays
27:53
right now in the park, go to the Northern Range.
27:58
Black bears are extremely common right now between
28:02
Mammoth and Tower Roosevelt Junction. I have
28:06
consistently seen them there. Comically so, it's
28:10
gotten too predictable to see black bears out
28:12
there, especially early in the morning and later
28:15
in the evening. I also have seen them in the
28:17
middle of the day, though. As you get into Lamar,
28:22
wolf activity has been very good. There is also,
28:26
I haven't mentioned it before, but there's also
28:28
a coyote den near the Buffalo Ranch. You should
28:31
check those out. I stopped there yesterday, or
28:33
not yesterday, last week after a tour and saw
28:38
four pups and one of the adult coyotes came and
28:44
regurgitated a bunch of ground squirrels for
28:48
the pups to eat. The pups are pretty big, but
28:51
they're still cool to see and there's four of
28:52
them. Now there's grizzlies off in the distance
28:56
in Lamar. Also moose sightings have been decently
28:59
common in the last week and a half. in both sections
29:02
that I've mentioned. Now, obviously, if you drive
29:05
Mount Washburn, there's a good chance of bears
29:08
up there and bighorn sheep. So check that out.
29:11
Calcite Springs, as I mentioned off the top,
29:13
I've been seeing bighorn sheep nearly every time
29:15
I stop there, looking down into the canyon from
29:19
Calcite Springs. So walking along the little
29:21
boardwalk and looking in, there have been bighorn
29:24
sheep down there with newborns. And that's a
29:26
really cool thing to see. So check that out in.
29:30
Hayden Valley people have been seeing bears and
29:32
wolves in the distance, which also really cool
29:35
Grizzly sightings out the east entrance Consistently
29:39
between Sylvan Pass and fishing bridge. So check
29:42
that out and then otherwise Bison are gonna be
29:45
everywhere. There's pronghorns with babies all
29:47
over the place and Generally, it's a good time
29:50
for wildlife. However, as we get deeper into
29:53
summer Wildlife sightings are gonna become less
29:56
frequent More snow is melted, hotter temperatures.
30:00
So the combination of those two, animals are
30:02
going to be higher up and they're going to be
30:03
more in the shade during the day and not necessarily
30:06
as active. So this is the time where I really
30:09
say if you want to see wildlife very early in
30:12
the morning and late in the evening hours, as
30:15
soon as it starts to cool down, check it out.
30:17
If a thunderstorm rolls through, also head somewhere
30:20
because that will help make animals active. All
30:23
right. One other thing to mention. I mentioned
30:26
it earlier, but if you want to see a dead bison
30:28
by a hot springs, go to Grand Prismatic. Also,
30:33
remember to keep your distance from all wildlife.
30:35
25 yards from bison, elk, pronghorn, any of the
30:41
animals like that, with bears and wolves, 100
30:43
yards away. That is as close as you can get.
30:46
Please respect that. We don't want any more incidents
30:48
this year. Oh, and swans at Swan Lake Flat up
30:55
south of Mammoth. Definitely check them out.
31:00
And yeah, just enjoy everything. Wildlife is,
31:02
like I said, still active. If you put in the
31:04
miles and you go to the northern range through
31:06
Hayden Valley a couple times and over Mount Washburn
31:09
and all that, you should see something. If it's
31:12
not the middle of the day. Alright, if you've
31:15
loved what you heard on this podcast and you
31:17
want more information on wildlife watching or
31:19
hiking I've guidebooks on my website. I Would
31:23
like it if you would buy them directly from me
31:25
and not through Amazon because Amazon is a Billion
31:29
almost trillion dollar company and they don't
31:31
need any more money or help I'm a small business
31:34
owner and I'm local and if you enjoy what you
31:37
hear This is a great way to support it so you
31:38
can pick up your books through outdoor -society
31:41
.com Trail alerts and updates Currently as of
31:47
the time of this recording, which is Wednesday,
31:49
June 25th at 2 34 p .m Montana time that's mountain
31:55
standard All trails that are supposed to be open
31:58
in the park are open Trails in the bear management
32:01
areas are not included in the statement bear
32:03
management areas are starting to open up in July
32:06
All the information on trail conditions that
32:09
you need can be found on the Backcountry Conditions
32:11
page of Yellowstone National Park. My Trek of
32:15
the Week Lost Lake is definitely not a secret
32:20
trail in Yellowstone, but few know the unique
32:22
extra opportunities you can have when hiking
32:24
in this area. Most will hike the short trail
32:27
from the Petrified Tree parking area to the lake
32:29
and back, enjoying the short and simple trail.
32:33
Because those of you who listen to this podcast
32:35
enjoy it when I get into a little more detail,
32:38
I want to share with you a way to make Lost Lake
32:41
an even better hike, giving you not just a chance
32:44
to walk next to the lake, but also walk a canyon
32:47
rim, see a hidden waterfall, and enjoy sweeping
32:50
views of the region. The easiest route for this
32:54
hike is to start at the Petrified Tree area of
32:56
the park and walk downhill toward Lost Lake.
33:00
In about half a mile, you'll round a corner and
33:03
get to the start of the lake. Hiking along the
33:07
lake for a quarter mile, keep an eye out for
33:09
bison, bears, and birds of all sizes. I have
33:12
seen basically everything here. Once you're along
33:15
the lake and then you pass it, continue along
33:18
the trail as it crosses a small bridge before
33:20
meeting a spur trail about a mile from the trailhead.
33:24
Stay to the right and the trail will lead you
33:27
along the Lost Creek Canyon. The first side of
33:31
the canyon rim doesn't offer too great of views,
33:34
but be patient. As you drop an elevation to cross
33:37
another small bridge, this one over Lost Creek,
33:40
you'll start hiking up on the prettier side of
33:43
the canyon, which begins to open up quite well
33:46
about halfway. At 1 .6 to 1 .8 miles from the
33:50
trailhead, start looking for boot paths to the
33:53
canyon rim on your left. If you do this, you
33:56
should be rewarded with a fantastic view of Lost
33:59
Creek Falls tumbling down. If you don't see it,
34:02
keep looking and just go back and forth until
34:04
you can look back into the valley. Just don't
34:06
get too close to the edge. Since runoff is still
34:10
decent in the park, you are going to be rewarded
34:12
with a view of a waterfall that few who visit
34:14
the northern range of the park ever see. Once
34:18
you've taken in the views, you can either hike
34:21
back to that spur trail you saw at the end of
34:23
the lake and follow it down the hill to Roosevelt
34:26
Lodge. If you do that, you're going to be behind
34:29
the lodge and you can then take a short trail
34:32
to the base of Lost Creek Falls. Once you've
34:35
enjoyed the falls, you can either hike back the
34:37
way you came or make a loop of it by taking the
34:40
trail up to the Petrified Tree from the end of
34:43
the road behind the Tower Ranger Station. Now
34:46
obviously dropping down to the waterfall will
34:49
make the trail longer and will increase your
34:51
elevation gain too. So if you'd rather not work
34:53
that hard and also see the waterfall from down
34:56
below, hike the Lost Lake Trail back like once
35:00
you once you hike the Canyon Rim, turn around
35:02
and hike the exact same way you did to start
35:04
and walk back to your car. And then you can drive
35:07
to Roosevelt and then hike behind the lodge and
35:11
hike the short trail to the falls. If you stay
35:16
on the Canyon Rim and next to the lake without
35:18
dropping to the waterfall, the hike is roughly
35:21
4 miles round trip with a few hundred feet of
35:23
elevation gain. For mileage and elevation on
35:26
the extended route, just message me or you can
35:29
buy my guidebook because I include this and over
35:31
50 other trails I love in and around Yellowstone.
35:35
Honestly, like very least, go to the Petrified
35:38
Tree, walk past Lost Lake, Go along the canyon
35:42
and then take in a view of the falls and walk
35:44
back. It is a great hike. Just remember your
35:46
bear spray. Make lots of noise and be safe. All
35:52
right, next week in next week's episode, I'm
35:55
going to return with all the information you
35:57
need to have to have a good week in the park,
35:59
including talking about the bison rut, talking
36:02
about where to find wildlife, the weather and
36:05
trail updates, everything you know and love about
36:07
this. So until next week's episode, I sincerely
36:11
thank you all for listening and happy trails
36:14
This week in Yellowstone is brought to you by
36:26
the Outdoor Society because that's my company
36:28
and that's where this is hosted There are no
36:31
sponsors. This is a labor of love. So thank you
36:33
all for listening copyright 2025, baby