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This Week in Yellowstone: May 21st to May 27th, 2026 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

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From Yellowstone National Park, where if the
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weather cooperates, all interior roads and the
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Beartooth Highway will open on Friday. This is
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that Scott guy you know and love with a brand
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new episode of This Week in Yellowstone. What's
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up everybody? This week in Yellowstone National
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Park from May 21st to May 27th, 2026, I'll talk
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about driving Dunraven Pass, get a bit pendantic
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about Lamar Valley, and discuss how bear jams
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impact bear behavior. I'll also give you the
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complete weather forecast, a cool trail to hike,
0:44
the snowpack update, the wildlife report, and
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everything else you need to have an incredible
0:48
time this week in Yellowstone. Standard disclaimer
0:52
here. I may miss a few details, so I'm sorry
0:56
I do the best I can. I also mention park locations
1:07
on this podcast very casually, so if you're unfamiliar
1:10
with some place I'm saying, a quick search can
1:12
help, or just contact me directly. Also, this
1:17
podcast is a passion project of mine. I am not
1:19
paid. I'm not sponsored. I do this because I
1:22
love it. And so if you enjoy this podcast, I'd
1:25
love a review or a quick email. Also, one thing
1:28
that you could really do that would help grow
1:29
this podcast is if you're on any social media
1:32
that has Yellowstone discussions, drop a link
1:36
to this or tell people to listen to this. Tell
1:39
them listen to this week in Yellowstone. More
1:41
people I think will benefit from visiting the
1:43
park, especially because I'm always talking about
1:46
behavior and things like that. So if you like
1:48
this. You know, review, quick email, tell your
1:52
friends, tell the people online. If you want
1:54
to support my work further, check out my wildlife
1:57
watching and hiking guidebooks to the region
1:59
or join me for a guided hiking tour in Yellowstone's
2:02
backcountry. For more information on all that,
2:05
visit outdoor -society .com or just contact me
2:08
directly, 406 -589 -1873. So a few very quick
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news stories of first news story. impacts wildlife
2:17
watching in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem.
2:19
It appears that the wolf hunt in Wyoming is going
2:22
to be a lot less this coming year than it was
2:24
the previous year to help with the wolf population
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in and around Yellowstone National Park. State
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of Wyoming is cutting down the amount of wolves
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that can be killed in their state, especially
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in the Yellowstone region. So that's great news.
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Obviously, you know, hunting is a hot button
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issue, so I'm not going to dive into that right
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now. That's a whole other episode when things
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are a little slower. Other news right now is
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that Dunraven Pass is opening on Friday. That
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is a road that connects Tower to Canyon. I'll
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be talking about that in just a minute as my
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experience of the week. Also, the Beartooth Highway
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is expected to open this Friday as well, assuming
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the weather works out. That's for both those
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roads. Weather works out, those roads are opening.
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So that's the main news in the park right now.
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Other than that, I'm gonna dive right into the
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experience of the week, which is driving Dunraven
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Pass. Dunraven Pass is the Yellowstone Drive
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that doesn't have the like awesome attention
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given to it that a lot of places in the park
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do. It doesn't get the fanfare of Old Faithful
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or the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone or Lamar
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Valley or Hayden Valley or even, you know, the
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Madison River as you're driving between West
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and Madison. which is why I kind of love Dunraven
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Pass. Most people just view this section of road
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as a crossing rather than a destination. It's
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a quick way to connect Canyon to Tower Roosevelt
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and then head to Lamar. The afterthought that
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is the scenic drive is part of what makes it
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special. Driving this road you leave one Yellowstone
3:59
and arrive in another. Not really, but you'll
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realize what I mean. The road threads between
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Tower Fall and Canyon Village, climbing to 8
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,859 feet through the Washburn area, and then,
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as you're up above, it offers sweeping views
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in all directions, showcasing the mountains everywhere.
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You can see the Tetons, you can see the Absaroka
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-Beartooth Mountains of both Wyoming and Montana.
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You can see way out to the west side of the park.
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It's just awesome. And that's from the road,
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not even to mention you can go up higher. I'm
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obviously excited about this because I love it.
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The southbound approach from tower is the most
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I think scenic way I mean they're both really
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scenic but I love going south from tower to canyon.
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So from tower the road kind of just darts in
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and out of trees and then it starts to switch
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back up which is really fun because you really
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start climbing and with every bit you climb there's
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more open landscapes that emerge there's more
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pullouts Everything is kind of designed on this
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section from tower up to the top of the pass
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to give you maximum viewpoints Stop at every
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single pullout picnic area wherever you want.
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Enjoy it. There is one quick side thing I didn't
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write this down, but it always pops in my head
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when I talk about Dunraven pass is that there
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is this like Bison pullout beyond tower as you're
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working your way up There used to be a Finston
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area where visitors to the park could see some
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of the bison in the park before There were that
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many wild bison at one time There were just 20
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something bison in the entire park when that
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was happening There were areas where they could
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breed and be safe as well And so this is one
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of those areas of bison paddock, which was pretty
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cool. Stop there beyond that That's where it
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really starts to open up. That's where you're
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gonna get these gorgeous views and honestly like
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early morning when the fog starts to clear or
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there's like dew everywhere, the smells, the
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sights, awesome. So the pass is named for Wyndham
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Thomas Wyndham Quinn, which you know double the
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Wyndham I guess I talked about this last year
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if you want go back and find that episode I talked
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about this guy quite a bit He was the fourth
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Earl of Dunraven an Irish nobleman who traveled
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to the park in 1874 just two years after Yellowstone
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became the world's first national park He wrote
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The Great Divide, a book that introduced many
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European readers to this idea that the United
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States has set aside a giant landscape simply
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to preserve it. Yellowstone superintendent Norris
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later named the pass after him. That means when
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you drive it, you're on a route named for one
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of the first outsiders European outsiders who
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try to explain Yellowstone to the world. The
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paved road we know now followed decades later,
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and then it was expanded during the automobile
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era and paved in the mid -1900s, though much
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of its alignment still follows those earliest
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mountain crossings. What makes the drive geologically
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interesting is that it doesn't look like the
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Yellowstone most people picture. You know, we
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think of Yellowstone, we think of geysers, and
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we think of wide open prairies. This isn't this.
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The central plateau around the geyser basin is
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dominated by younger rhyolite from the caldera
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eruptions. Dunraven crosses older volcanic terrain
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remnants of the Absaroka volcanic field. These
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rocks are darker richer in nutrients and weathered
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into these really cool features especially when
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you're driving at the top of the pass. The soils
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there support thicker forests and wildflower
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meadows once that happens in July. In July these
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entire slopes that you're driving by can become
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crowded with lupine, paintbrush, and fireweed,
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some of the best vileflower views in the park.
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Not happening right now, but it's going to be.
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The mountain looks almost pastoral in places,
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which is odd for a place sitting on the edge
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of the largest volcanic system on earth, well,
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one of them. of Yellowstone, and it just looks
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very calm. If you were in the Alps and you saw
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this, you would expect a little, you know, chalet
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there and some cows roaming around. You don't
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get that here. You get grizzly bears, you get
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bison, you get elk, bighorn, sheep, and no real
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infrastructure. So there are several pull -outs
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that deserve more than a quick break tap as you're
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driving up. Most of them are unnamed, but stopping
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here is one of the best ways to understand how
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Yellowstone unfolds. You can see ridges dropping
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toward the Lamar Valley, you can see where the
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Yellowstone River goes around the mountain, and
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you really just get a better feel for how big
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this park really is. So I don't know if this
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is going to be open, but I'm mentioning it right
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now, but there's a stop that you really need
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to take, and that is the Chittenden Pass Road
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at the top of Dunraven Pass. Chittenden is something
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I'll talk about later, it's a fun word to say,
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but this is a dirt road that leads up to the
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parking area if you wanted to go hike up to Mount
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Washburn. Now even if you don't want to hike
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up Mount Washburn and this drive is open, drive
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up here, get out of the car, and look around.
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You're going to notice a few things. One is that
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you can see all sorts of places. Two, you're
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going to be at elevation and the air is going
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to be colder, thinner, and it's just going to
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be a little more windy, right? And that's great,
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especially if it's a hot day. If you do want
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to hike Mount Washburn, know that Mount Washburn
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is 10 ,200 feet and it leads to a historic fire
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lookout on the summit. I'm going to talk about
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that in a couple of weeks because right now there's
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still some snow there. Don't recommend hiking
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it unless you're really looking for some type
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two fun. The trail is Gentle, but in the snow
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it's again not worth it, so stay tuned for that
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later. Wildlife is another part of why the drive
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across Dunraven Pass is awesome. This is a great
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place to spot bighorn sheep close to the road,
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especially around the top of the pass. They often
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graze in the open slopes above the road and then
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sometimes just walk in the middle of the road,
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so drive carefully when you are here. You also
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have a very good chance of black bears and grizzly
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bears in this area and these will cause numerous
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bear jams from the opening of the road all the
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way through the closing of the road in October.
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You're going to see ravens circling thermals,
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marmots whistling, you're going to hear some
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pika or pika depending how you want to say it,
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and also you're just going to see what you see
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up there. I love this area. Some of my best bear
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sightings have been up here so check this out
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especially early morning. late afternoon. I almost
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always see a bear when I drive this at those
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times. So once you begin descending toward Canyon,
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the mood changes entirely. The trees become more
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common. At a few pullouts, the landscape opens
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up and you can see way out towards Hayden Valley.
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You can see Washburn Hot Springs out in the distance.
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I lead a tour out to Washburn Hot Springs. It's
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the smelliest hot springs in the park that you
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can hike to and I love it and you should book
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that tour. It's so fun. From the same pullout,
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you can also see all the way down to the Tetons.
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So how cool is that, right? It's another place
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in the park you can see the Tetons. The best
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time to drive this, I feel, is early morning
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late in the day for that wildlife feature. Also
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just the daylight and the sun. If you leave Tower
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just after sunrise and drive toward the top and
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right before you get to where Chittenden Road
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starts, there's a really beautiful pullout with
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plenty of parking spots. Sit there and watch
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the sunrise over the Absaroka Mountains. I can't
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describe this experience well enough. Just do
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it. It's it's wonderful If you're lucky enough
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lucky as in quotation marks to be up here as
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there's a thunderstorm Thunderstorms should pass
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pretty quickly and when they do These big pullouts
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are great place to see rainbows over the entire
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horizon. I had a friend that visited who moved
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to vegas after living up here for a while and
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when she came back she uh wanted to do this drive
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we did it and we watched multiple rainbows just
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drift over toward lamar valley throughout the
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afternoon and it was truly magical and wonderful
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so do this drive it's great this is what you
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should do this week it also connects canyon to
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roosevelt and then from roosevelt you get in
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that bear muted triangle where you can see lots
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of bears this is a drive that you will love.
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You are going to probably love this more than
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you think because it's not mentioned that much
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as a scenic drive, it's mentioned as a point
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A to point B. And by taking the time, stopping
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to the pullouts, really letting Yellowstone soak
12:38
into you from these overlooked spots, you're
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going to understand the park much deeper and
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you're going to fall in love with it even more.
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Over the last few weeks, I've seen an increasing
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trend on social media of people asking how to
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experience Lamar Valley. Generally, this is a
13:00
fine question, but the questions continue, pointing
13:03
to a desire to find the one experience in the
13:05
area that they can do so they can say they did
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it. I'm here to say that Lamar Valley and most
13:11
of Yellowstone do not work that way. Yes, you
13:15
can go to Old Faithful and watch it erupt. or
13:17
walk to Artist Point and see the lower falls,
13:20
and the stunning scene in the Grand Canyon of
13:22
the Yellowstone from there. You can wander the
13:24
thermal areas and see the sights, but those are
13:27
specific things. Lamar Valley is a huge area.
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Lamar Valley has a mystique to it. After all,
13:34
as everyone says, it's America's Serengeti. I
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like to say that Lamar Valley is America's Lamar
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Valley. That's not a phrase based in like patriotism
13:43
and like all of that. It's just because It's
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not like the Serengeti, it's like Lamar Valley.
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It is without rival, and it is the best wildlife
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watching place in the park, and always worth
13:55
a trip. That being said, I think it's long overdue
13:59
for an explanation of what Lamar Valley is, and
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what you can do there. Lamar Valley is an 8 mile
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long, 4 mile wide open valley carved by glaciers
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during the last ice age. It's a landscape of
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broad meadows, rolling hills, stage rush flats,
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and it feels really expansive. The Lamar River
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winds through the center of the valley, well,
14:21
edge of the valley, for nearly 44 miles from
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its headwaters before joining the Yellowstone
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River. Together, the landscape and surrounding
14:29
grasslands create one of the park's most distinctive
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landscapes, where wide views, moving water, and
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abundant wildlife all come together in one place.
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I also feel it's important to note that Lamar
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Valley is only the valley. What do I mean by
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this? Well, Lamar Valley commonly gets lumped
14:46
in with Slough Creek, Little America, Round Prairie,
14:49
and Pebble Creek, as well as most of the Northeast
14:52
Inchins Road, making the idea of Lamar much different
14:56
than what it actually is. Now some are going
14:59
to consider this to be pedantic, but location
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accuracy matters. This is really important for
15:05
a lot of reasons, one of which I was reminded
15:07
about recently. The other day I was asked what
15:10
trails are found in Lamar Valley. The answer
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is only one, the Lamar River Trail. This out
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and back trail starts near Soda Butte Creek and
15:19
works its way into Lamar Valley. The person said
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I was wrong, telling me a bunch of other trails
15:25
that are near Lamar Valley but aren't in the
15:27
valley itself. I felt this was important to distinguish
15:31
because again, they were specifically asking
15:34
for a hike in Lamar. And I know that's me being
15:37
picky with words, but I want people to know what
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Lamar Valley is. So now that you know that there's
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only a single official trail in Lamar, you may
15:47
still be asking, what else is there to do? In
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all honesty, not much if you're looking for dependable
15:53
attractions and experiences. Keyword there, dependable.
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What most do in Lamar Valley is drive through
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it, stopping at pullouts, and scanning for wildlife.
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Lamar Valley is nature, pure and wild. It's not
16:06
predictable. Sometimes the valley is filled with
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bison, sometimes you'll see bears and foxes,
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sometimes you'll see coyotes and wolves, sometimes
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you'll see all of those things, and other times
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you may see nothing. The truth about Lamar is
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that uncertainty is exactly what makes it special.
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You do not come here to complete an itinerary
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or guarantee a sighting. You come here because
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the valley is alive, and every hour can be different
16:33
from the last. One morning the hills may be empty,
16:37
and the next a wolf may appear on a ridge while
16:39
bison move through the river below. Lamar rewards
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patience more than planning. The best way to
16:45
experience it is not to ask how to do it, but
16:49
to go there, slow down, spend time, Let the valley
16:54
decide what it wants to show you It's up to you
16:56
to interpret that and to give the valley meaning
16:59
and to have an experience So if you're looking
17:02
to go to Lamar Valley, and you're thinking what
17:04
should I do? The thing that you should do get
17:07
there early in the mornings or late in the evening
17:10
Look for wildlife and just enjoy the valley for
17:13
the nature that it is Because places like this
17:16
are at a premium and they're getting more and
17:19
more rare every single year My random Yellowstone
17:22
fact of the week. One of the reasons Yellowstone
17:26
National Park does not officially name its bears
17:28
is that the names can intentionally change how
17:31
people behave toward them. It seems harmless
17:34
to call a bear by a nickname, especially when
17:36
people have watched the same sow raise cubs for
17:39
several seasons or recognize the large boar by
17:42
a scar or distinctive coat. Yet, From the park's
17:46
perspective, giving a wild bear a public identity
17:49
can create exactly the kind of attention managers
17:52
try to limit. A named bear becomes a destination.
17:56
People begin asking where they can see that bear
17:59
that day, whether it's still in a certain valley
18:01
or where they can find that bear again when they
18:04
visit the park again. In a park that already
18:07
receives millions of visitors each year, This
18:10
desire to see one specific animal can translate
18:14
into crowds gathering around that one animal
18:16
and increasing the pressure on it. That matters
18:20
because attention changes bear behavior. The
18:23
National Park Service has spent decades trying
18:25
to keep Yellowstone's bears as wild as possible,
18:28
meaning they continue using natural food sources
18:30
and avoid learning that humans are relevant to
18:33
their daily routines. In the park's own management
18:36
history, The period when bears became tourist
18:39
attractions was disastrous. Bears were fed in
18:42
campgrounds, congregated garbage dumps were fed
18:45
by rangers, and became accustomed to people not
18:48
as background but as a source of food and entertainment.
18:52
The result was dozens of injuries per year and
18:55
many bears removed or killed after conflicts.
18:58
Modern bear management was designed specifically
19:01
to reverse that. Naming can feed into a newer
19:05
version of that same problem. A famous bear draws
19:09
repeat visitation. People will wait up pullouts
19:12
for hours, stop in traffic lanes, or drive back
19:15
and forth all day to see one specific animal.
19:18
The park documents that roadside bear sightings
19:21
already create bear jams, which are traffic backups
19:23
caused by visitors stopping to watch bears near
19:25
roads. Those jams are manageable when they happen
19:29
naturally. They become more intense when one
19:32
bear develops a reputation and visitors actively
19:35
seek it out. In that situation, the animal is
19:38
no longer just moving through the habitat. It
19:41
becomes the center of a human event. This is
19:44
happening all over the park right now, but there
19:46
are two regions where it is most intense. North
19:49
of Norris, and out the east entrance. While I
19:52
will mention these locations in the wildlife
19:54
report, I do want you to know that seeking out
19:57
these individual bears does create a problem.
20:00
This extra attention can lead to habituation,
20:04
which is a specific biological process. In Yellowstone's
20:07
research, habituation means a bear gradually
20:10
reduces its flight response because repeated
20:13
encounters with people have no direct negative
20:16
consequences. A bear that sees hundreds of parked
20:19
cars and people with cameras may learn that humans
20:21
are predictable and not immediately dangerous.
20:24
That may sound benign, and the park notes habituation
20:27
is distinct from food conditioning. A habituated
20:31
bear does not necessarily seek food from people,
20:34
but the practical issue is that habituated roadside
20:37
bears stay visible longer, use road corridors
20:40
more often, and create larger crowds. Once that
20:44
cycle begins, human pressure on that individual
20:47
bear increases. A named bear accelerates that
20:50
cycle because names create narrative. People
20:54
are far more likely to drive to a turnout hoping
20:56
to see 399 or Scarface or any other animal they've
21:00
heard about more specifically than a grizzly.
21:04
The name transforms a wildlife sighting into
21:06
a personal objective. That can lead to repeated
21:09
close observations by crowds, which means that
21:12
the bear is learning that those crowds are a
21:14
routine feature of its environment. Again, over
21:18
time, the bear may spend more time near roads
21:20
because roads become predictable travel routes
21:23
through habitat that now contains both natural
21:25
forage and non -threatening human presence. Yellowstone
21:28
has documented exactly this trend with increasing
21:31
habituated bears in roadside habitats every single
21:34
year. The problem is that this bear is growing
21:37
comfortable and it also becomes vulnerable because
21:41
the public does not always behave predictably.
21:44
Visitors may get too close. They move in for
21:46
a better photo. They cluster where bears want
21:49
to cross. They stop their cars all across the
21:52
road, and the bears get stressed. They intentionally
21:54
cut off escape routes. A sow with cubs may tolerate
21:57
distant vehicles, but reacts strongly if people
22:00
approach on foot. Once a conflict happens, the
22:04
consequences usually fall on the bear. Yellowstone's
22:07
management policy emphasizes preventing human
22:09
causes of conflict because when a bear damages
22:11
property, accesses food, or injures someone,
22:15
Managers may need to haze, relocate, or in some
22:17
cases kill it. In the park's own wording, preventing
22:21
human -caused conflict is one of the park's most
22:23
important ways to protect bears. Now, I know
22:26
some of you are like, well, if we're just watching
22:27
from the road, there's not really a lot of conflict
22:30
there. The conflict comes not just from human
22:35
-bear conflict, but this increased stressed environment.
22:39
If you've been in the park enough, you've probably
22:41
had a bear sighting where you've seen a bear
22:44
trying to cross a road, there's hundreds of cars
22:46
all across, stopped in the road, there's people
22:49
out of the cars, and the bear starts panicking,
22:51
looking for a place just to cross the road and
22:54
get away from it. That is undue stress that is
22:57
interfering with nature and that's something
22:59
that the park really tries to stop. That's why
23:01
they may... haze bears you know you might see
23:04
that when you're in the park that's why if you
23:06
talk to a ranger and say where is this specific
23:08
bear they probably won't tell you because they
23:10
don't want to create these things this behavior
23:14
of being normal around people that you see on
23:16
these roadside bears is really not normal all
23:19
across the park when i'm in the backcountry on
23:22
hikes and come across a bear that tends to never
23:24
be near the road the bear is not comfortable
23:27
with my presence it may stand up and smell for
23:29
me it more often than not is going to immediately
23:32
run away from me. You don't see that with bears
23:35
near the road because they're used to people.
23:37
Some may argue that this is okay. I'm not in
23:40
that camp. In fact, if you ever chat with me
23:43
on a tour or you see me out in the park, you're
23:46
going to find out that I never call a bear by
23:48
the nickname. For me, a bear sighting is a bear
23:51
sighting and any bear I get to see is cool. Now
23:55
the park generally avoids official names even
23:57
when visitors create them anyway. These names
24:00
again encourage emotional attachment, which encourages
24:03
attention, which can create concentrated visitation
24:06
around individual animals. That increases the
24:09
chance of those bears becoming habituated. Habituation
24:12
itself is not always harmful, but the crowds
24:15
that follow the bear can cause the stress that
24:17
I was talking about, alter movement, and raise
24:20
the risk of an encounter that changes the bear's
24:22
future. If a bear hangs out by the road a lot
24:24
and gets used to it, the chances of that bear
24:27
getting hit by a car much higher. Yellowstone's
24:31
goal is not to erase individuality. Biologists
24:34
know individual bears very well and track many
24:37
by number for research. The goal is to prevent
24:40
a wild animal from becoming a celebrity because
24:43
celebrity in a national park often means people
24:46
stop seeing a bear's wildlife and start seeing
24:49
it as something to pursue. That shift is often
24:52
far more dangerous for the bear than for the
24:55
visitor. I know that was a serious topic, so
24:58
in order for a palate cleanser, let's talk about
25:00
the weather. Monday, 70 and 40, 24 % chance.
25:28
Tuesday, 70 and 38, with a chance of thunderstorms,
25:31
about a 32 % chance. And Wednesday, high of 65,
25:35
low of 34, 24 % chance of some rain. The weather
25:39
for Gardner, Montana. On Thursday, high of 50,
25:43
low of 27, some rain in the morning, should be
25:46
clearing up, or at least cloudy in the afternoon.
25:49
Friday, 61 and 33. Saturday 68 and 38 Sunday
25:55
73 and 41 with the chance of some rain or thunderstorms
25:58
in the middle of the day Monday 75 and 44 Tuesday
26:03
74 and 42 with rain developing in the late morning
26:06
early afternoon Wednesday 67 and 39 West Yellowstone,
26:12
Montana Thursday high of 48 low of 21 51 % chance
26:17
of some snow or rain in the morning Friday Thursday,
26:42
high of 47, low of 34, 88 % chance of some rain
26:45
in the morning. Saturday 73 and 48, Sunday 79
26:52
and 50, Monday 82 and 51, Tuesday 80 and 49 with
26:58
a 24 % chance of some rain in the afternoon,
27:01
and Wednesday 72 and 48 with an 18 % chance of
27:04
some rain. Finally, the weather for Cook City,
27:07
Montana. On Thursday, high of 41, low of 23,
27:11
37 % chance of about a quarter inch of snow.
27:14
On Friday, 51 and 30. Saturday 58 and 35 Sunday
27:19
61 and 38 Monday 64 and 41 Tuesday 63 and 39
27:26
with the chance and thunderstorms and Wednesday
27:29
60 and 36 Now please know that this is the best
27:33
forecast for the week at the time of recording.
27:36
I'm recording this on Wednesday May 20th at 2
27:38
p .m. The forecast can change numerous times
27:41
in a week, but this should be within the ballpark
27:43
of what you'll experience when visiting the park
27:45
this coming week. The snowpack update... As of
27:50
May 20th, the snowpack is around 63 % of normal
27:53
for this time of year. The eastern and northern
27:55
ranges of the park are about 76 % of normal,
27:58
while the western and southern sides are 48 %
28:01
of normal. Last year on this date, we were averaging
28:03
around 85 % of our normal levels for the whole
28:05
park. It's not great. The runoff currently is
28:09
super low for this time of year, and there's
28:11
not a lot of snow up there. So yeah, not great.
28:16
the rain that is coming in the form of snow tonight
28:19
this Wednesday night not going to be enough to
28:21
change any of this so um might be in for a very
28:25
long year or very long summer so fingers crossed
28:28
we get a lot more precipitation road conditions
28:32
the only road that's closed at the time of the
28:35
recording is the road over dunraven pass that
28:38
is expected to be open on Friday the 22nd same
28:42
with the bare -toothed highway outside of the
28:44
park Now the best way to have up -to -date information
28:47
for the roads is to call 307 -344 -2117 for recorded
28:53
information, or you can sign up to receive Yellowstone
28:56
Road Alerts on your mobile phone by texting the
28:59
number 82190 to 888 -777. Once again, text 82190
29:07
to the number 888 -777 for road alerts on your
29:12
cell phone. Camping information. Mammoth is open,
29:16
Madison is open, Fishing Bridge is open, Bridge
29:19
Bay is open, Tower opens on the 22nd, and Canyon
29:23
opens on the next week on the 29th. The wildlife
29:27
watching update. So wildlife watching right now,
29:30
still just absolutely great. Obviously, since
29:33
I talked about, you know, trying to find specific
29:35
bears. Please don't do that. Just drive around
29:38
and look for wildlife. Try not to put as much
29:40
pressure as you can on them. It's a busy time
29:43
of the year and it's not always the safest time.
29:47
Yellowstone National Park recently sent out a
29:48
thing that said elk are starting to have their
29:51
babies. Elk are like the number two animal for
29:54
animal attacks in Yellowstone because of this
29:57
time of the year. Elk mothers are very protective
30:01
of their newborns and will go after people. If
30:04
you see them, stay away from them. 25 yards at
30:07
least I recommend 35 to 50 yards Because they
30:10
will run faster than you and they will get up
30:13
on their back legs and punch you in the face
30:15
I know it doesn't seem like that's gonna happen,
30:17
but it's absolutely true Elsewhere in the park
30:20
wildlife is like I said good Slough Creek area
30:23
Lamar Valley area Little America good for wolves
30:26
right now Obviously with that den being out in
30:29
Slough Creek go check that out if you don't know
30:31
what I'm talking about Just head out there in
30:33
the morning and you'll see Dozens if not hundreds
30:36
of cars all lined up with spotting scopes and
30:38
binoculars looking at a certain place So go out
30:41
there bears bear mute a triangle extremely great
30:44
right now going over Dunraven Pass should be
30:47
good Bears are just all over the park as I talked
30:50
about So drive around between point a and point
30:54
B and look for some bears. They are most active
30:56
in the mornings and afternoons Evenings, but
30:59
middle of the day as well pronghorn are everywhere
31:03
Marmots are coming out Those are really fun to
31:06
see. Sheep Eater Cliffs is a good place to see
31:08
marmots. So go check those guys out. Baby Bison
31:11
all over the place. They're swimming across rivers.
31:14
They're moving about. It's great times. Bighorn
31:17
Sheep are also going to start having their kids.
31:20
So that's cool. Calcite Springs tower area. Really
31:24
good to see them, especially giving birth from
31:26
the Calcite Springs area. There are some places
31:29
that they can hide in caves or like. Not necessarily
31:33
caves, but just places where it's a lot more
31:35
safe from predators and they'll give birth out
31:37
there And you can watch them walk around. I haven't
31:39
seen one yet Pretty much know that if I go there
31:41
in a couple days, I'll see a newborn. So check
31:44
that out Otherwise, it's a very good time drive
31:48
around put in the work You're going to see animals
31:51
if you do need specific information just reach
31:54
out to me happy to help I am just being a little
31:56
more reserved on this week's episode because
31:59
of that crowding I'm seeing at the bear Areas
32:03
and at the wolf areas there are a lot of people
32:05
there There's somebody flying a drone at a grizzly
32:08
with two cubs the other day. There are people
32:11
getting too close There are cars just all flocking
32:14
to see one specific bear, which is why I talked
32:16
about that this week, so by all means go out
32:19
and find animals search for them enjoy the sighting
32:22
just know that you have an impact on them and
32:25
limit your time with them grab a couple pictures
32:28
and go about your day so we can try and keep
32:30
all the animals as wild and safe as possible
32:33
trail alerts and updates the backcountry conditions
32:36
page is updated i will have a link to that in
32:39
the show notes That's just going to be something
32:42
that I'll always have in the show notes from
32:43
here on out. That site's the easiest way to check
32:46
the status of a trail you want to hike. Please
32:48
know that the area around Fairy Falls, Imperial
32:50
Geyser, Queens Laundry, and all of that is closed
32:53
until further notice because of that bear attack
32:55
a while ago. Also, Storm Point on the north side
32:59
of the lake on the east entrance is currently
33:01
showing closed due to bear presence. A natural
33:05
bridge is also closed, but Elephant Back is open
33:09
in that area. So most trails are open. Those
33:12
are the only ones that I really see that have
33:15
alerts. So enjoy your hiking. Carry bear spray.
33:18
Have it readily accessible. Know how to use it.
33:21
Always make noise. My Trek of the Week. Osprey
33:25
Falls. In 2022 the flooding that impacted travel
33:29
in Yellowstone also washed out a few trails.
33:32
The Osprey Falls trail was one of those paths.
33:35
While it has been open for a little over a year
33:37
now, fewer people are going here than you think.
33:42
The reason I'm suggesting Osprey Falls right
33:44
now is that Osprey Falls and any waterfall in
33:47
the park right now is worth seeing because the
33:49
snow is melting and water levels are up. Rivers
33:52
and creeks are running high and waterfalls are
33:55
raging. We have maybe a month or so of melt off.
33:58
We'll see. So the power of the waterways of Yellowstone
34:01
should take priority right now. They will not
34:04
be raging like this later. If you're in the park,
34:07
do a waterfall trail now. There's a few ways
34:11
to reach Osprey Falls, but for simplicity and
34:14
brevity, I'm going to give the most common route.
34:16
If you want one of the back ways, send me a message.
34:19
Happy to help you. So to reach Osprey Falls,
34:21
Park at the Bunsen Peak Trailhead at the start
34:24
of Swan Lake Flats after leaving Mammoth. Instead
34:27
of turning left on the Bunsen Peak Trail, follow
34:30
the old Bunsen Peak Road through Grassland and
34:33
Burn Forest for about three miles to the Osprey
34:35
Falls Trail. Once at the trailhead, to Osprey
34:40
Falls proper, you're going to drop about 700
34:42
feet into Sheep Eater Canyon, and it's one of
34:45
the deepest canyons in Yellowstone National Park.
34:48
Osprey Falls on the Gardner River plunges 150
34:51
feet over the edge of a lava flow and I want
34:55
you to be aware that the trail down of the falls
34:57
is steep and has some loose dirt and rock. This
35:01
is not like an easy super family -friendly trail
35:04
and should not be attempted by those new to hiking.
35:07
You are gonna drop 700 feet very quickly. The
35:12
good news is that if you are able to hike down
35:14
and back up you get to see a waterfall that is
35:18
truly stunning. You get a hike right up close
35:21
to it, and it's truly fantastic. I love this
35:24
little trek down. It is steep, like I said. It
35:28
switchbacks down. It feels monotonous. Try and
35:31
avoid it during the heat of the day if possible,
35:33
but if you want a really good hike, check this
35:36
out. Now, if you can't hike down that but still
35:39
want to see Osprey Falls, you can. All you have
35:43
to do is go along that first route that I talked
35:46
about, along the old Bunsen Peak Road, and there
35:50
is a viewpoint from that that you can look right
35:53
into Osprey Falls without having to do a lot
35:55
of elevation. One of the cool features about
35:58
this is that this section, this old road, is
36:01
bikeable. So you can hop on a gravel or mountain
36:04
bike and ride it to the Osprey Falls trailhead,
36:07
giving you a much easier day. The total distance
36:10
for this hike is a little over nine miles and
36:13
you'll gain about a thousand feet in elevation.
36:16
Most of that is that very steep drop down. If
36:20
you want to make this more of a day, you can
36:23
summit Bunsen Peak. So you go up the Bunsen Peak
36:25
trailhead, drop down the backside, go down to
36:28
the waterfall, climb back out and walk the old
36:31
road back to your car. And that's going to be
36:33
an 11 mile day with about 3000 feet of elevation
36:37
gain. That's if you're Wanting to know how I
36:41
am, that is what I do. I love going up Bunsen
36:43
Peak, dropping down, doing the waterfall, coming
36:45
back. It is a great day. It's a super industrious
36:50
day, but if you're looking for just a fantastic
36:54
little journey, that's it. If you want an easier
36:57
day that's still some good distance, like I said,
37:00
walk the old road, walk down to the falls and
37:02
walk back. If you want an easier day, walk the
37:05
old road and back and you get to see the waterfall
37:07
from a distance. But you can't see this waterfall
37:09
from the road, so it's one that not a lot of
37:12
people get to see. So enjoy that. That is it
37:15
for this week's episode. In next week's episode
37:18
I'm going to return with all the information
37:19
you need to have a good week in the park. That
37:21
includes the wildlife update, the weather, and
37:24
you know, a trail that I like. Until then...
37:27
Consider booking a tour with me, pick up a guidebook
37:29
of mine, recommend this podcast to somebody online
37:32
if you know that they're going to Yellowstone.
37:35
I would greatly appreciate if I'm on like a Yellowstone
37:38
Facebook page to see other people recommend it.
37:40
I don't like recommending it myself because it
37:42
kind of feels slimy like, hey, look at what I'm
37:44
doing. But if you love what you hear, please
37:47
consider doing that. Until next week, happy trails.
38:02
Abrupt ending! This week in Yellowstone is brought
38:04
to you by The Outdoor Society. That's my company.
38:07
It's just me, I do this, it's a labor of love.
38:10
If you like it, tell your friends, rate and review
38:12
it. Shoot me a message. Otherwise, keep listening
38:15
and I hope to see you in Yellowstone. Copyright
38:18
2026, baby!