Latest / This Week in Yellowstone National Park / This Week in Yellowstone: October 16th to October 22nd, 2025

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This Week in Yellowstone: October 16th to October 22nd, 2025 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

0:00
From Yellowstone National Park, where roads are
0:02
closing soon and snow is falling more often,
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this is that Scott guy you know and love with
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a brand new episode of This Week in Yellowstone.
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What's up everybody, this week in Yellowstone
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National Park from October 16th through October
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22nd, 2025. I'll try and tell you why visiting
0:29
the park right now is awesome, give an update
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on the new bridge, do my best to help you find
0:34
animals now that the crowds are gone, and bring
0:37
back the snowpack report. I'll also give you
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the complete weather forecast, a cool trail to
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hike, the wildlife report, the news, and everything
0:45
else you need to have an incredible time this
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week in Yellowstone. Standard disclaimer, might
0:51
miss a few details here and there, so please
0:54
feel free to reach out with any questions you
0:56
may have. I also mention park locations very
0:59
casually, so if you're unfamiliar with a place
1:02
that I'm mentioning, either do a quick search
1:04
online or you can message me. Also, this podcast
1:08
is a passion project. I'm not paid or sponsored,
1:10
so if you enjoy it, I'd love a review or a quick
1:13
email. If you'd like to support my work further,
1:16
you can check out my guidebooks on hiking and
1:18
wildlife watching. Or you can join me for a guided
1:20
Yellowstone hiking tour. I offer those all year,
1:23
including snowshoe tours. And for details on
1:26
those, just visit outdoor -society .com. Or,
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like I said before, reach out to me directly.
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This week's Yellowstone news. The continued government
1:36
shutdown. Government shutdown continues, but
1:39
Yellowstone remains open. The park's still open.
1:42
There's staff at the gates right now handing
1:44
out literature, but not collecting fees. Some
1:47
visitor centers are open from time to time, but
1:51
I would not expect them to always be open. They're
1:53
currently run by volunteers and people from Yellowstone
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forever. It's awesome, but just know that they
1:59
could close at any time. Now, you may have seen
2:02
reports elsewhere. There's a Bay Area newspaper
2:06
that said that People are getting too close to
2:09
bears all over the place. There's not enough
2:10
Rangers. Everything is terrible in the park.
2:13
And that may be happening a little bit. But from
2:17
my experience in the park, visitors have been
2:19
very well behaved. Incidents are minimal and
2:22
people seem friendly and calm for the most part.
2:25
Yes, there are less. like volunteer Rangers to
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help control the bear jams. But that's how it
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is all the time this time of year. This is nothing
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new. I haven't seen anything this year that is
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out of the ordinary. So that's again, just my
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experience. Also know that with the interior
2:44
of the park set to close at the end of the month,
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the park's going to remain open until then unless
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there's something truly cataclysmic that happens.
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So that gives everyone a few more days, a couple
2:54
weeks, of enjoying the whole park. Next news
2:58
is the Norris Geyser Basin is now closed for
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the year. On October 15, the Norris Geyser Basin
3:04
was closed for the season. The closure is to
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allow critical maintenance in the parking area
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and on the pavement section of the trail to the
3:11
Geyser Basin Museum. The Norris Geyser Basin,
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including all boardwalks, trails, restrooms,
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and parking lots, will be closed for the duration
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of the project. No estimated completion date
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has been posted for this project, but I expect
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the area to reopen in the spring of 2026 with
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no real problems. Next up, only two more weeks
3:31
of open interior roads. If you don't already
3:34
know, the park's interior roads are set to close
3:36
for the season once the month ends. The only
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road that we open to the public after October
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31st will be the road between Gardner, Montana
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and Cook City, Montana, or more specifically,
3:47
the road between the north entrance and the northeast
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entrance. While many of you already know this,
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I feel it's important to mention as each year
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I have people contacting me asking why they can't
3:57
get in the park from West Yellowstone, Cody,
3:59
or the Tetons in November. It's because the gates
4:02
are closed, they always are. Those people have
4:06
booked rooms in those areas because prices were
4:09
much lower and they're unaware that if you want
4:11
to go into the park during that time you have
4:13
to drive to Gardner or Cook City to enter the
4:15
park. So don't let this happen to you. Yes, there's
4:18
going to be great deals in November in West Yellowstone,
4:21
but that doesn't necessarily mean that you're
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going to be able to visit the park at all unless
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you're going to drive to Gardner and then enter
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through the north entrance. Final bit of news,
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the Beartooth Highway is closed for the season.
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As of last week, the Beartooth Highway is closed.
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The road will not be open to the general public
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again until around Memorial Day 2026. Now hopefully
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you listened to my advice a couple weeks ago
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and went out there while you could because gates
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are closed My experience of the week Being in
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the park. I know this seems like a cop -out,
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but I'm really serious about being in the park
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is this week's experience right now Any trip
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to Yellowstone is kind of an added bonus. You
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know, with winter weather slowly slipping into
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the region week after week, being able to drive,
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hike and enjoy Yellowstone right now in mid to
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late October is a true gem. Right now, everything
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feels special and unique. The fall colors are
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nearly gone. The warm weather is a memory. Snow
5:25
dust the peaks and the hustle and bustle of well
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-known regions has vanished. Everything in Yellowstone
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is slowed down, seemingly paused until the true
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snow starts to fall. Now I nearly said this,
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I nearly said that this time of the year is the
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best time of the year in the park. And I could
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honestly say that every year, so that's not quite
5:47
true. But I can confidently say that this time
5:50
of the year in Yellowstone is fantastic. Some
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of my favorite memories come from this time of
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the year. There's a Last year I was driving around
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the park and I went into Swan Lake flats. There
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was no one else around and there were four swans
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in the pond. There's fresh snow on the mountains
6:06
and then off in the distance there is a grizzly
6:08
bear walking a ridge. I've been driving by the
6:12
lake and heard an elk bugle just along the lake
6:16
at sunset. I've seen wolves just walking with
6:20
no one else watching them. I've seen bears that
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I've had the entire bear sighting to myself.
6:26
I've seen moose with huge racks just walking
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through wherever they want to go because they're
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moose and they're huge. And those are just some
6:34
of the things that I've seen in October. You
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know that snow in the mountains it just makes
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everything prettier. That uncertainty of the
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weather makes every experience that much more
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special right? When you have to bundle up to
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get out of the car you have to make sure you
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have gloves and a hat and warm socks and a change
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of clothes. you know that like you're on this
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borrowed time. And that's so cool to me. Not
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everybody will love this time of the year. And
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I'll admit that. But those of you looking for
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kind of that true Yellowstone bit of seclusion
7:06
experience, this is when you're going to get
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it. This is when you can go to Sheep Eater Cliff
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and sit on the rocks above the Gardner River
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on that box canyon with no one else around. This
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is when you can hike a trail and have it all
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to yourself. This is kind of the time when you
7:25
can get back in touch with people like, well,
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when I visited the park as a kid, it was so much
7:29
better. This is kind of the feeling they're talking
7:32
about. So if you want that right now and you're
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in the park, you can have it. If you need some
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tips, reach out to me, of course. But other than
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that, you know, enjoy the fact that you're in
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the park just a couple of weeks before everything
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closes, except for that North Road. My tip of
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the week. spotting wildlife without the crowds.
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Since the park is much emptier, the likelihood
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of coming around a corner and seeing a bunch
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of people looking at wildlife is much lower.
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Yes, it'll still happen, especially with wolves
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or grizzly, but the days of having multiple cars
8:05
stop for bison or people scanning out and seeing
8:08
something out way off in the distance, those
8:11
are pretty much gone. But late October, Yellowstone
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settles into this peaceful rhythm. Summer crowds
8:16
are gone, the air is crisp, and the patches of
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snow start to dust the mountains and valleys.
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It's one of the best times of the year to spot
8:23
wildlife, at least I think so. That is, if you
8:26
know where and how to look. With fewer cars and
8:29
less noise, the animals seem to look like they're
8:33
starting to reclaim the landscape, and the park
8:36
feels like it belongs entirely to them again
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and that you're interfering. Now the first thing
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to do obviously right now start early stay late
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If you really want to see animals active set
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your alarm get somewhere at sunrise Dawn and
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dusk are always those prime wildlife hours You
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know those golden times when everything's a little
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more active However, you know with the cooler
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temperatures things are a little more active
9:00
during the day Early in the morning, you might
9:03
catch the last bugles of a bull elk echoing across
9:07
Lamar, or you can see steam rising from the bison
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herds and the frosty meadows. Now, one thing
9:14
to do, bring a good pair of binoculars or a spotting
9:17
scope and scan the distant hillsides. Wolves
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especially love to move around at first light,
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and that tends to be how and when most people
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see them active. That isn't a hard set rule,
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obviously, but... Get there early and that gives
9:31
you the best chance. Also, staying late. You
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know, I know driving in the park at night is
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not the most calming thing, especially because
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animals are hard to see. And, you know, you really
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don't want to hit an animal in the park for a
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multitude of reasons. But staying late. watching
9:50
a sunset, listening to the coyotes howl, listening
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to wolves howl, you know, you never know what
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you might hear out there. So I highly recommend
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also staying late. Last week when I was in the
10:01
park, I was in Lamar for sunset and there are
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only like three cars there, you know, and there's
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a grizzly roaming around and it was just so great
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and there was no one there. But in the morning,
10:13
same grizzly was out there, 100 cars. So, you
10:16
know, stay late too. Things will be active. One
10:20
easy -ish thing to do to try and find where animals
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are sit well sounds easy But may not be is go
10:27
where the food is this time of year animals are
10:30
focused on one thing getting those calories Bears
10:33
are entering are still in hyperphasia and they're
10:37
eating constantly to bulk up for torpor They
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can, you know, be spotted near berry patches,
10:43
riverbanks or carcasses, or out just in the fields
10:45
if there's a good food source. This is where
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going to Tom Miner outside the park is a good
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thing. Wolves right now are really just dropping
10:54
things, especially out in Slough. I'll talk about
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that later. And out in Lamar. One thing to look
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for when you're there by yourself is pull off
11:04
to, you know, take a pull off. Sit there, roll
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down the window, start scanning, and look for
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ravens, magpies, eagles circling or calling loudly
11:14
or just flying around. If you see a lot of birds
11:17
somewhere, especially those scavengers, that
11:20
means that there's probably something there.
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That is the best tip I can give you when you're
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out here by yourself without those crowds and
11:27
you're looking for things. If you see a bunch
11:28
of birds and it looks like they're kind of honed
11:31
in on one area, stay and look at that area. Chances
11:34
are something big is going to be there too. Obviously
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go to the known hot spots. Lamar Valley, Slough
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Creek, Hayden Valley. Go to Swan Lake Flats,
11:46
though. Go out toward the east entrance. I cannot
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stress this enough. I'll talk about it again
11:50
in the wildlife report, but like giving you a
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bit more information here off the top driving
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that east entrance road up to Sylvan Pass. There
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are a lot of animals out there that people just
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don't make the effort to go to because it's not
12:04
on that main loop this time of the year. You
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might just round a corner and then you're going
12:09
to see a grizzly just sitting there eating. It's
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really cool. You know, Also, sometimes you just
12:16
need to stop, turn your car off, turn all the
12:19
music off, have the windows down and listen.
12:23
I'll do this often and sometimes it takes about
12:25
20 minutes to really like get all your senses
12:29
heightened. Your eyes are starting to adjust
12:31
to the movement. Your ears are a bit more alert
12:34
and you're going to start noticing subtle things
12:37
in the wild. You might see something move through
12:41
high grass. You might see a bird quickly dart
12:44
through some trees. You might see an owl fly
12:46
by. Or you might hear something break a log or
12:50
break some branches somewhere. That's what you
12:52
want and that's how you're going to get a very
12:55
unique and good sighting. Obviously patience
12:58
is everything. Wildlife watching the Yellowstone
13:01
isn't about chasing the animals. It's waiting
13:03
for them. So find a spot with a good vantage
13:06
point. Bring a blanket or camp chair and give
13:08
yourself time Parks quiet in late October and
13:12
sound really carries if you stay still you might
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hear clues before you see anything again Like
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I was talking about with those sounds right might
13:20
hear the howl of wolves You might hear a thought
13:22
of hooves somewhere or the splash of something
13:24
in the river you also When I mentioned patience
13:30
this and I said like, you know, it's not about
13:33
chasing animals You can drive around the whole
13:36
time. That's how you're gonna see the most wildlife
13:38
driving around, really putting in those miles.
13:41
But if you do see an animal, one thing I really
13:44
want to stress here is don't drive pull -out
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to pull -out to pull -out following an animal,
13:49
especially wolves and bears and things like that.
13:52
You're gonna see a lot of those behaviors from
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other groups. Allow the animals to have their
13:58
own roam. If they walk away from where you're
14:00
at, let them go. You got to see them close, let
14:03
them go. Let the park be wild. Also, when you're
14:08
out, you know, watching wildlife, be ready for
14:10
the weather and the unexpected fall storms rolling
14:14
fast out here. Pack layers, gloves, bring a thermos
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of something warm. You know, you might have a
14:19
snow squall chase you out of one valley only
14:22
to round a corner and then you get to see fresh
14:25
animal tracks at where it was just snowing. Some
14:28
of the best sightings, like wolves on a ridge
14:30
or grizzly turning over logs, happen right after
14:33
a snowfall, at least in my experience, when the
14:35
animals are standing out against that white that
14:37
just fell. Now in late October, Yellowstone belongs
14:41
to the wildlife again. The silence, the cold,
14:43
the steaming rivers, it all feels raw and alive.
14:46
If you take your time and look closely and let
14:49
the park reveal itself to you, you'll find the
14:52
animals. Maybe not right away, but when you do,
14:56
it's going to be unforgettable. My random Yellowstone
14:59
fact of the week the new bridge over the Yellowstone
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River If you've driven through the Tower Roosevelt
15:05
area in the last few years You've probably noticed
15:08
that major construction project underway Looming
15:12
high above the current bridge over the Yellowstone
15:14
River You've seen the Yellowstone River bridge
15:17
bridge replacement project one of the park's
15:20
biggest infrastructure upgrades in decades that
15:23
current bridge you drove on, was built in 1963,
15:28
stretches about 604 feet across the Ellison River,
15:32
and it served millions of travelers over the
15:34
years. But after six decades of snow, some floods,
15:38
constant use, it's really showing its age. According
15:42
to the US Department of Interior, the bridge
15:44
has been deemed structurally deficient, meaning
15:47
it's time for a serious upgrade. That new bridge
15:50
you've seen being built will be an impressive
15:52
steel girder structure about 1 ,285 feet long
15:57
and roughly 175 feet high. It's located slightly
16:02
upstream from the current bridge and it's designed
16:04
to last a century or more and will have wider
16:07
lanes, improved safety features, and even pedestrian
16:10
access, which is a first for this crossing. Because
16:14
this bridge sits along the northeast entrance
16:16
road, It's the only corridor in the park that
16:19
remains open year -round, and so keeping it safe
16:22
and functional is absolutely essential for access
16:24
to and from Cook City and Silvergate. The project
16:28
is more than just replacing an old bridge. The
16:32
road leading to it is also being realigned. About
16:35
a mile will be rerouted to better line up with
16:37
the new bridge and reduce the environmental impact.
16:40
The tower junction intersection will shift roughly
16:43
700 feet southeast to improve traffic flow and
16:47
sightlines. This redesign also helps fix a long
16:52
-standing issue with curves, drainage, and the
16:55
wetland areas around Lost Creek. Building a bridge
16:59
Where it is now is not simple. The Yellowstone
17:02
River Canyon is geothermally active, meaning
17:05
engineers have had to contend with heat, shifting
17:08
ground, and even natural gas vents along the
17:10
river. To handle that, the design team is using
17:13
sulfate -resistant cement in all below -ground
17:17
concrete work while performing thermal monitoring
17:20
during the curing process. The bridge's footings
17:24
are deep -drilled shafts anywhere from 40 to
17:26
60 feet down and up to 10 feet wide. and because
17:29
the unpredictable thermal activity safety crews
17:32
are following the trigger action response plans
17:36
tarps to monitor gas acidity and temperature
17:39
levels during the drilling so they did all that
17:42
it's awesome beyond the bridge itself the project
17:45
includes a number of improvements to the surrounding
17:47
area about a half mile the grand loop road near
17:51
tower junction is going to be reconstructed and
17:53
the yellowstone river picnic area is redesigned
17:56
it's going to have new parking scenic pullouts
17:58
and a pedestrian walkway across that new bridge
18:01
once the new road alignment is complete the old
18:05
bridge and its approach is going to be removed
18:07
and vacated and that area is going to be restored
18:10
with wetlands fish barriers all sorts of natural
18:15
elements that will make it really good again
18:18
um right now that old road if you've driven it
18:21
in the past month it was it's been a dirt road
18:24
for a month The paving is, when I drove it last
18:30
week, I was like, oh, the new bridge is going
18:34
to be open any day now, which is why I'm talking
18:36
about it now. Construction started in 2023 and
18:39
was expected to wrap by fall of 2026. However,
18:43
like I was just saying, the bridge is literally
18:45
days or weeks away from opening. And according
18:49
to my sources on the project, that is true. The
18:52
current old bridge is going to remain open the
18:54
entire time, though visitors should continue
18:56
to expect occasional short delays and temporary
18:59
closures of nearby parking areas and trails,
19:01
mentioned those before. And when this new bridge
19:04
is finished, it's not only going to be a safer
19:07
and more resilient bridge, but it's going to
19:09
offer better access and incredible new views
19:11
of the canyon below. For travelers heading toward
19:14
Lamar Valley or the northeast entrance, this
19:17
project represents the next century of safe scenic
19:19
travel through one of the park's most iconic
19:22
corridors. I am excited for this because that
19:26
Yellowstone River picnic area, the trail there,
19:29
all of that is going to get a lot of attention
19:32
for being as awesome as it really is. If you're
19:35
in the park and you're looking for a cool picture,
19:40
Let me know of the bridge when it's almost done
19:43
or if it is done. Let me know. I'll tell you
19:45
where to walk and you can see it from a little
19:47
bit of a distance and it will be amazing. The
19:52
weather forecast for the coming week starting
19:54
with Lamar Valley on Thursday. Expect a high
19:58
of 41, a low of 30, with a 54 % chance of precipitation.
20:03
On Friday, it's going to be pretty nice during
20:05
the day with a high of 46. It's going to drop
20:07
down to 27, and then overnight it might snow
20:11
about an inch. Saturday, after that snow stops,
20:15
looks to be about 41, low of 24, only a 6 % chance
20:18
of precipitation. On Sunday, things are starting
20:21
to get wet again. High of 52, low of 27, most
20:25
of that precipitation's coming in the evening,
20:27
90 % chance of at least an inch of snow. Heading
20:31
into Monday, that snow and precipitation continues,
20:34
high of 37, low of 21, 43 % chance of some snow
20:39
showers. Then Tuesday, high of 42, low of 21,
20:43
12 % chance of rain or snow. Wednesday, high
20:46
of 44, low of 23. For Gardner, Montana, Thursday
20:50
will be a have a high of 46 a low of 31 35 chance
20:55
of rain friday very similar to lamar high of
20:58
51 low of 29 afternoon evening expect some rain
21:02
to come in 53 chance of some rain saturday looks
21:05
pretty good 47 and 29 12 chance of rain Sunday,
21:11
55 and 30 with an 83 % chance of rain. Monday,
21:15
42 and 25, 33 % chance of rain or snow. Tuesday,
21:19
47 and 25, just an 8 % chance of precipitation.
21:23
And Wednesday, 49 and 28, we have a 13 % chance
21:26
of precipitation. West Yellowstone's forecast.
21:29
Thursday, high of 44, low of 28, 18 % chance
21:33
of rain. Friday, 45 and 23 with a 32 % chance
21:38
of rain. Saturday, high of 45, low of 24, 6 %
21:42
chance of rain. Sunday, high of 53, low of 25,
21:47
88 % chance of about an inch of snow. Monday,
21:50
high of 39, low of 19, 44 % chance about a quarter
21:54
inch of snow. Tuesday, 42 and 20, 11 % chance
21:59
of rain or snow. Wednesday, 45 and 23 with a
22:02
14 % chance of rain or snow. As is usual for
22:06
this time of the year, I have removed Cody from
22:08
the weather forecast. Not because I don't love
22:11
you Cody, Wyoming. It's just because the amount
22:13
of people coming from Cody right now are primarily
22:16
locals. You guys know the forecast. If you do
22:19
need to know it, reach out to me. Instead, I'm
22:22
replacing Cody with Cook City because Cook City
22:24
is going to start seeing more people. So on Thursday,
22:27
high of 39, low of 29. 41 % chance of snow on
22:32
Friday a high of 42 a low of 25 76 % chance of
22:37
2 inches of snow or more Saturday high of 37
22:40
low of 25 19 % chance precipitation Sunday high
22:45
of 49 low of 26 90 % chance of 1 inch of snow
22:49
Monday high of 34 low of 21 46 % chance of about
22:54
a quarter inch of rain or snow Tuesday 37 and
22:58
22 14 % chance of something and Wednesday 41
23:03
and 24 with a 10 % chance of something which
23:06
when I say something is rain or snow Announced
23:09
this at the top of the episode, but the snowpack
23:12
update is back. Hooray. Yay. It's honestly one
23:15
of my favorite things It's more data that I get
23:17
to pour over I don't know if anybody else cares
23:20
But you know here we go these snowpack update
23:23
as of October 14th at the end of the day the
23:27
interior of Yellowstone Yellowstone headwaters
23:29
section is 79 % of normal the Madison River area
23:34
of Montana and Yellowstone is 148 % of normal,
23:41
the Gallatin Mountains are 196 % of normal for
23:45
this time of the year, and the Upper Yellowstone
23:47
region that includes the mountains outside of
23:50
Livingston and Paradise Valley is currently at
23:53
94%. This will probably go up a little bit, but
23:57
we get snow this time of the year, so I wouldn't
24:00
expect anything to jump too much higher. Speaking
24:03
of snow, here's the road conditions. Most major
24:06
roads and a few side roads are open right now
24:09
in and around Yellowstone. Dunraven Pass and
24:12
the Beartooth Highway are closed. Snowfall is
24:14
coming week, and weekend could cause more road
24:17
closures, and with limited staff to potentially
24:20
clear roads if that's needed, they may remain
24:22
closed for a few days. Alright, I just had to
24:25
double check. Dunraven Pass as of 2 30 p .m.
24:29
On Wednesday, October 15th is still closed. I
24:32
don't know if it's closed for the year haven't
24:35
gotten that For sure, but we're very close to
24:40
that closing for the year So if it opens enjoy
24:43
driving it don't expect it to open though, you
24:45
never know now for up -to -date information on
24:48
that opening or any other road conditions, you
24:51
can call 307 -344 -2117 for recorded information,
24:56
but the best thing to do is sign up to receive
24:59
Yellowstone Road Alerts on your cell phone by
25:01
texting the number 82190 to the number 888 -777.
25:09
Camping Information There are only two campgrounds
25:12
open in the park right now, Madison and Mammoth.
25:15
Madison is set to close for the year on the 19th
25:18
of October and the mammoth campground is open
25:20
year -round if you want to camp I think you'll
25:22
find a spot especially with this weather the
25:26
wildlife watching update alright so things are
25:28
getting interesting that whole if you just want
25:33
to see wolves go to Lamar slew advice I've been
25:36
giving for the last I don't know six months It
25:40
we have had a few days now without any wolf sightings
25:42
out there Which means that the wolves are probably
25:45
on the move with their now grown pups so I've
25:49
heard from a friend that Few were spotted out
25:52
by hell roaring and people heard some howling
25:56
around black toe plateau black tail plateau Just
26:00
between mammoth and kind of where that black
26:03
tail road goes now Obviously it's going to be
26:07
hit -and -miss I would still stick to that north
26:10
side for wolves if you see the wolf watchers
26:13
out stop Ask politely what they're looking at
26:17
when you can and then look through your own binoculars
26:20
or something like that, right? As I've mentioned
26:22
numerous times don't assume that you can look
26:25
through their stuff, but definitely Drive that
26:29
north side. That's gonna be where I think it's
26:31
going to be much better Grizzlies are still being
26:34
spotted out there. I've like I said seen a few
26:36
out that way also out that east entrance telling
26:39
you Good good bear sightings as well as some
26:44
bighorn sheep bighorn sheep are also now kind
26:47
of by the Out the north side of the park by Yellowstone
26:52
hot springs if you head out that way I'll be
26:55
talking about that more in a week or two they're
26:57
getting ready to start their mating season and
27:00
there's gonna be good opportunities in the future
27:02
to see the Rams like head buddy in each other
27:05
and that's gonna be awesome With Bison, Bison
27:09
are all over that northern range, and there's
27:11
a few Bison I saw out in Hayden, but that big
27:14
herd in Hayden haven't really seen it for a while.
27:17
Grizzlies are still out in Hayden a bit. Black
27:20
bears are spread out sporadically. Tom Miner
27:24
Basin, still good for Grizzlies. This new snow,
27:29
though, is going to start impacting it. So if
27:31
you're wanting to head to Tom Miner, I would
27:33
do it sooner rather than later as time is running
27:36
out for really good grizzly sightings out there.
27:38
Other than that, you're going to really have
27:40
to put in some miles or do some great work of
27:44
just sitting and waiting, as I mentioned off
27:45
the top. Wildlife watching right now is pretty
27:48
hard. I did see a couple of foxes out driving
27:51
toward Cook City. Recently, not at the normal
27:55
place in Cook City that I'll talk about this
27:56
winter, but actually closer to the park in Silvergate.
28:00
So keep an eye out for them out there. I've heard
28:02
some stories of moose out there, and the moose
28:05
being spotted once again by Floating Island Lake.
28:08
Can't substantiate that, but I've heard that.
28:12
Also, I've heard that the Great Grey Owl is still
28:15
around Indian Creek, so good luck with that.
28:19
Otherwise... You know, this is the time of year
28:21
where the wildlife report is really hard. We
28:23
don't have the numbers there. The kind of network
28:26
that I have is kind of on a break right now.
28:29
So everything that I see is either from a couple
28:31
of friends that enter or I put in the legwork
28:34
and you know. Little bit behind the veil here.
28:36
I have a puppy and my puppy is very demanding
28:39
right now And I don't get to go to the park as
28:41
much so that's me complaining because I have
28:43
an adorable puppy But um no if you put in the
28:46
work and drive, especially the northern range
28:48
drive down into Hayden Put in some work that
28:52
way. You're probably gonna have your best bet
28:54
drive out that east side also number 24 big bull
28:58
elk out by mammoth still putting on a show and
29:01
there's more elk if you leave the park and drive
29:04
old yellowstone road up to like yellowstone hot
29:07
springs there's more elk that way a couple big
29:10
bulls as well we are getting into hunting season
29:12
so be aware of that otherwise good luck this
29:15
week if you need anything specific don't hesitate
29:18
to text me or reach out to me via email happy
29:21
to help out also If you want more advice based
29:25
on my, you know, almost 40 years of visiting
29:27
the park, you can pick up a copy of my wildlife
29:30
watching guidebook to the region. I wrote it
29:33
specifically for people coming to the park to
29:35
see wildlife. It's everything I know. Basically,
29:39
it's available in both ebook and paperback back
29:41
formats. Ebooks are just 10 bucks. And if you
29:45
do that, it's going to help you spot wildlife
29:47
like a season local. It has way more tips about
29:49
how to see wildlife too. Otherwise it would take
29:51
me, you know, an hour to record this podcast
29:54
every week. Um, you can buy them on Amazon. Don't
29:58
billionaires don't need more money. Um, you can
30:01
get your copy directly from me at outdoor -society
30:04
.com. I also have a hiking guide book there,
30:06
so enjoy that as well. All right. Trail alerts
30:10
and updates. The Turbid Lake Trail is still closed,
30:15
that's where that bear attack happened earlier.
30:17
And for those of you hoping to do the Yellowstone
30:18
River Overlook, you're still going to have to
30:20
park about a quarter mile east of the Specimen
30:23
Ridge Trail to do that. Still worthwhile, still
30:25
recommend doing that. It's awesome, especially
30:27
this time of the year. Now, normally I say all
30:31
the information on trail conditions can be found
30:33
on the Backcountry Conditions page of Yellowstone
30:34
National Park. That has not been updated since
30:38
the government shutdown. There's nothing else
30:41
that I have heard of, so expect snow in the upper
30:44
elevations, especially if you're doing a mountain.
30:46
It's going to be snowy up there. I just looked
30:48
at the webcam for Mount Washburn and there's
30:52
a lot of snow. Also, you can't drive up there,
30:54
so you'd have to really hike a long ways. Avalanche
30:57
Peak, same sort of thing. Any of the peaks, you're
30:59
going to probably get some snow. So, good luck.
31:02
I will continue to update you as best I can.
31:06
but you know right now it's kind of again a tough
31:09
season once roads close i can tell you the trail
31:11
conditions of every single road in the northern
31:13
range so only a few more weeks and i can do that
31:16
for you all all right my truck of the week the
31:21
canyon rim trail have i recommended the canyon
31:24
area earlier this year i think i did um yes totally
31:28
and is this the last time i'm going to mention
31:30
it this year That's also a yes. This is the last
31:32
time. This is your last gasp to really hike the
31:35
canyon area. So if you're looking for one of
31:38
those breathtaking hikes in Yellowstone, it's
31:40
hard to beat wandering the North and South Rim
31:42
trails, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone Massive
31:46
Canyon carved by the Yellowstone River over thousands
31:48
of years stretches about 20 miles. You're not
31:51
going to have to walk that whole thing. And it
31:54
plunges about a thousand feet deep in places.
31:57
The rock walls are streaked with vivid shades
31:59
of gold, kind of a pink, kind of a rust. This
32:02
is gorgeous, right? And that roar of the waterfall
32:05
just echoes through the canyon as you're hiking.
32:09
It's fantastic. Now, if you're going to do this,
32:12
I have a way to do this. If you want to hike
32:15
all of the canyon. And I wrote something out
32:18
and I am immediately ignoring like a 700 word
32:21
thing that I wrote about hiking this. So just
32:24
say it this way. If you want to hike the Grand
32:27
Canyon of the Yellowstone both that north and
32:30
south rim what I recommend doing is parking at
32:33
the brink of the Upper falls not the lower falls,
32:38
but the brink of the upper falls What you do
32:40
from there is you hike and then you get to that
32:44
south rim trail So you'll hike back across an
32:46
old bridge. You'll cross the new bridge Then
32:50
you'll just hike along that south rim trail to
32:53
artist point the trail kind of undulates but
32:56
the entire time you're just getting like these
32:58
really cool views it's truly fantastic absolutely
33:02
love it i recommend doing that it's it's not
33:05
the uh shortest thing right but it's worth it
33:09
you could just do that right it's going to be
33:11
about you know six -ish five and a half six -ish
33:15
miles and about 300 feet of elevation change
33:18
total which isn't bad it's it's truly great so
33:22
again start at that north rim trail or which
33:25
is the Upper Falls viewpoint, then hike to the
33:28
South Rim Trail, then hike back. So then when
33:31
you hike back, you can stop by your car, you
33:33
can have a snack, you can use the pit toilet
33:35
at that Upper Falls viewpoint. You can even just
33:39
decide to bail if you're tired, but you've still
33:40
had a great day. If you feel good, then I strongly
33:44
suggest staying and doing that North Rim Trail.
33:49
The North Rim Trail from that same area is gonna
33:53
be about another six miles I know it's not not
34:00
the easiest thing but you know it's another six
34:03
miles right and you get to do something cool
34:04
that goes all the way down to inspiration point
34:06
by the way you can bail earlier but what I recommend
34:10
doing is if you do the North Rim Trail as well
34:13
start and go to the side view of Of crystal falls
34:21
overlook. Sorry I had to make sure I had the
34:24
name and then go down to the brink of the lower
34:27
falls From there climb back out go to lookout
34:30
point and then drop down to red rock point finally
34:33
go to grand view and Then a grand view you can
34:37
just go there and turn around and come back You
34:40
don't need to go all the way to inspiration point
34:42
if you want to go to inspiration point hike back
34:45
To your car and then drive to inspiration point
34:47
and walk down. That's that's what I do The view
34:50
is pretty but you're not missing a ton and you're
34:53
just adding a couple of extra miles that You
34:56
don't need to do right? You're adding from grand
35:00
view To inspiration point adds 1 .2 miles each
35:08
way, so that's 2 .4 miles. So you can really
35:11
cut down the mileage. I thoroughly enjoy hiking
35:14
both rims, starting with the south rim, coming
35:17
back to the car, having a snack, refilling up
35:20
water, getting more food, using the bathroom,
35:22
you know, doing whatever you need to do, then
35:24
getting on the north rim trail and hiking that
35:28
to Grandview. Do the side trails that are open
35:31
and just have a day of it because you don't get
35:34
another day like this for until 2026. This the
35:39
last gasp of times to do this and I know I'm
35:42
stressing this, but you're also going to be mostly
35:46
alone. It's going to be wonderful. It is legitimately
35:50
the Canyon area this time of the year, especially
35:52
with Norris being closed. Go to Canyon. Take
35:55
the time. Have a magical day there mostly alone
36:00
enjoying the colors enjoying the falls and just
36:04
enjoying the park for Being the park in late
36:07
October. I stress this from the beginning. I'm
36:10
gonna stress this at the end This is a fantastic
36:12
time to visit. So if you're visiting enjoy yourself
36:16
It's gonna be slower not as much as gonna be
36:18
open But that does not take away from the park
36:22
because the park is truly stunning and you get
36:25
to see it With some solitude that makes it even
36:29
more serene Alright with that heartfelt plea
36:33
to visit the park and do something cool. That
36:35
is it for this week in next week's episode I'm
36:38
gonna return with all the information you need
36:39
to have a good week in the park That includes
36:41
the wildlife update the weather forecast trail
36:44
updates news and everything else you need One
36:48
more thing before I say my sign off if you want
36:51
to text me with any questions Give me a text
36:54
at four zero six 589 -1873. That's 406 -589 -1873.
37:04
Until I hear from you or see you in the park,
37:07
happy trails. This week in Yellowstone is brought
37:20
to you by the Outdoor Society because that's
37:22
my company and that's where this is hosted. There
37:25
are no sponsors. This is a labor of love, so
37:28
thank you all for listening. Copyright 2025,
37:31
baby!