Latest / This Week in Yellowstone National Park / This Week in Yellowstone: July 16th to July 22nd, 2026

Transcript

This Week in Yellowstone: July 16th to July 22nd, 2026 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

0:00
From Yellowstone National Park where the bison
0:02
are indeed super aggressive as I'm sure you've
0:05
seen This is that Scott guy you know in love
0:07
with a brand new episode of this week in Yellowstone
0:11
What's up everybody this week in Yellowstone
0:22
National Park from July 16th to July 22nd, 2026.
0:27
I'll talk to you about the bison incident, tell
0:29
you about one of the best scenic drives in the
0:31
country, share an awesome and free resource full
0:34
of park information, and talk about that green
0:37
streak in the Yellowstone River at the falls.
0:39
I'll also give you the complete weather forecast,
0:41
a cool trail to hike, the wildlife report, and
0:44
everything else you need to have an incredible
0:46
time this week in Yellowstone. Standard disclaimer,
0:50
I may miss a few details here and there, and
0:53
also I talk about places very casually, so if
0:56
you're unfamiliar with a place I'm talking about,
0:58
a quick search can help, or you can contact me
1:01
directly and ask, what were you talking about
1:03
when you said blank? You can contact me via text
1:06
at 406 -589 -1873. Also, please know that this
1:12
podcast is a passion project of mine. I'm not
1:15
paid. I'm not sponsored for it. So if you enjoy
1:17
it, I'd love a review or a quick email. If you
1:20
want to support my work more, you can check out
1:21
my hiking and wildlife watching guidebooks, or
1:24
join me for a guided hiking tour in Yellowstone's
1:26
backcountry. For more information on all of that,
1:29
visit outdoor -society .com or contact me via
1:33
text 406 -589 -1873. This week's Yellowstone
1:38
news. So a few things before we get to the bison
1:42
incident. The first is we just had some record
1:44
heat out in the park If you're in the park and
1:46
you thought wow, it's hot out it was it was some
1:48
record heat all around the region But we made
1:51
it it's still gonna be pretty warm this coming
1:53
week as I'll talk about the weather But it's
1:56
not gonna be anything like it was or at least
1:58
it's gonna be about 10 degrees cooler So that'll
2:00
be good with this heat dried things out a bit
2:04
so the bugs are out mosquitoes are hit and miss
2:06
in places but the thing i've been encountering
2:08
in the backcountry are flies lots of different
2:11
types of biting flies and off doesn't appear
2:15
to work for them so good luck it's short -lived
2:19
it'll be a couple weeks and then they'll die
2:20
down but right now the bugs are out so do what
2:24
you can One other thing of news is there is a
2:27
kitchen fire at the Cowboys Lodge and Grill in
2:30
Gardner That is the place right next to kind
2:33
of the river. It's on the right side. They put
2:35
in a lot of work The kitchen is burnt. Everything
2:38
like that is gone. The restaurant will not be
2:40
open for the rest of this year and From what
2:43
I'm reading it may be a while for Cowboys to
2:47
be open at all if it opens under the current
2:51
management. We are still waiting to see how bad
2:55
the damage is to the inside of that building,
2:57
and so I will keep you updated, but there is
3:00
now one less place to eat in Gardener, so if
3:03
you are there, know that it's gonna be harder
3:06
to find a meal. All right, the bison incident
3:09
I've been debating what to do what to say I almost
3:12
did a standalone episode on this I still might
3:15
but I think the dust has settled no pun intended
3:18
there about what happened and Who is at fault
3:22
blah blah blah So I'm not gonna weigh in on that
3:25
too much if you haven't heard about the bison
3:26
incident that happened There was a man who got
3:30
tossed by a bison. That is the long and short
3:32
of it. It was filmed it was There were pictures
3:37
being passed around now and it was at a campground,
3:40
which is a unique thing. The man did not get
3:43
too close to the bison. The bison ran at him
3:46
from estimates of 40 to 75 yards away. Park regulations
3:52
say to stay 25 yards from bison at all times.
3:55
Those who have watched the video will blame the
3:57
guy for stopping and taking a picture. No one's
4:01
blaming the person that was filming the entire
4:03
thing who is about the same distance away as
4:06
the guy who got tossed I just want to throw that
4:08
out there. I'm not saying anybody's at fault
4:10
here, but People are gonna take pictures of wildlife
4:14
in the campgrounds out of the campgrounds any
4:16
place in the park to Go after somebody online
4:20
for stopping to take a picture and saying that
4:22
they deserve to have that happen is very insensitive.
4:25
It is a kind of plague that's going through the
4:29
internet and society of blaming people and celebrating
4:33
victory over people getting injured. It's not
4:37
a good look for anybody. So if you're somebody
4:39
listening to podcasts and you laugh about someone's
4:42
injuries, especially this guy, this podcast may
4:45
not be for you. I don't like to say that. I think
4:48
everybody deserves to have a good time in the
4:50
park. But at the end of the day, accidents happen.
4:53
And that's what this was. This was Maybe an avoidable
4:57
accident, but also it wasn't. No one did anything
5:00
wrong. The bison did what the bison is supposed
5:02
to do, right? The bison's all amped up on, you
5:05
know, testosterone and it's like ready to go
5:08
mate and it's just angry and everything is a
5:11
threat and sure enough, somebody was a threat
5:15
so it ran after him. The person was far enough
5:18
away and as we saw in the video, bison are fast.
5:22
The main takeaway from this video, for me, that
5:25
I hope everyone sees, is that bison can indeed
5:28
run 30 to 35 miles an hour. That is a closing
5:32
speed that you cannot keep up with. If you watch
5:34
that video, the man ran away, he did what he
5:37
thought he needed to do, was kind of stay in
5:39
the trees, and that bison found him. If a bison
5:43
wants to get you, if an animal wants to get you,
5:44
that's what's going to happen. You have to be
5:47
alert, you have to be aware, and you have to
5:49
have an exit strategy. Also, you have to know
5:51
that things happen. Some things are beyond anyone's
5:55
control. Now maybe this man would have been able
5:59
to get away if he wasn't concerned about his
6:01
grandson. Maybe there's, you know, maybe the
6:03
truck that drove by set the bison off a little
6:06
more. Maybe this, maybe that. At the end of the
6:08
day, it doesn't matter. What happened is a guy
6:12
was at a campground and a bison charged from
6:15
very far away and he got tossed and got very
6:19
injured. What we need to remember here is that
6:24
wildlife in Yellowstone is wild. Every time you
6:27
do anything, you take a risk. When you get into
6:29
your car, there's a risk that you could get into
6:32
a fatal accident. If you fly a plane, there could
6:35
be something wrong with the plane. If you go
6:36
outside and there's a thunderstorm nearby, you
6:38
can get struck by lightning, right? You could
6:40
eat lettuce and you could get explosive diarrhea
6:44
right now, right? These are things that are happening
6:46
that aren't necessarily any of your faults if
6:49
it happens to you. Same thing with the park.
6:52
If you're smart, if you follow rules, 99 .99999
6:57
% of the time, you're going to be perfectly fine.
7:01
Hopefully, if you aren't perfectly fine, it's
7:03
not filmed and then put everywhere so everyone
7:05
can laugh at your plight like that's really not
7:08
cool. But I just want everybody to know with
7:11
this bison incident, this Don't think was avoidable.
7:16
I don't think there was anything if the park
7:18
would have moved that bison somewhere else great
7:21
they would have had to close down the entire
7:23
campground and They would have had to move everybody.
7:26
They would have had to do a bunch of things because
7:28
of one bison and Previously, I think I talked
7:31
about this on earlier a week things like this
7:34
don't happen that much That's why this is news
7:37
if every bison that was a little irate ran after
7:40
somebody there would be a lot more injuries in
7:43
the park There's between four and six and a half
7:47
thousand bison in the park and we have five million
7:49
visitors. Let's say that a third of those bison,
7:53
let's say 1200 of those bison are male bison
7:56
in their rut breeding era and are angry. If even
8:02
ten of those were charging people consistently,
8:06
this would be a serious problem and we would
8:08
have to change how the park operates. Incidents
8:11
like this are extremely rare, especially when
8:14
people are following the rules to a T and just
8:18
happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong
8:20
time. I hope when we see things like this we
8:22
can use it as a discussion about what it's like
8:26
to be around wild animals and what it's like
8:29
to be around animals during their mating season
8:31
when they're unpredictable. Most of the time
8:34
bison don't act like that when they do act like
8:36
that We need to be even more vigilant about really
8:39
maintaining distance keeping things between us
8:42
and doing the best we can but at the end of the
8:44
day Mistakes are gonna happen accidents are gonna
8:48
happen aggressive bison are gonna happen things
8:51
happen, right so Know this is a weird rant. I
8:54
wanted to talk about it I didn't write anything
8:56
out because I've been talking about this non
8:58
-stop If you really want to talk to me about
9:00
it Shoot me a text set up a call happy to talk
9:03
but at the end of the day with all of this I
9:06
said this a few times No one did anything wrong
9:09
the bison acted like a bison the person acted
9:12
like a person following park rules this was just
9:15
a freak accident nothing's going to happen to
9:18
the bison and hopefully this guy recovers well
9:21
from his injuries and everyone can move on until
9:24
then if you're visiting the park the rut is going
9:27
on I will say that the same day that this happened
9:29
I ran into a tour group that allowed their tours
9:34
or the people in their tours to walk within 15
9:37
feet of a bull bison that minutes earlier had
9:39
been grunting and charging around and When I
9:43
told the other tour guide that hey the bison
9:46
rut's going on He corrected me and said no the
9:48
bison rut doesn't start until August Please when
9:52
you're booking a tour guide Just ask them some
9:54
simple questions of things that you've heard
9:56
here and see what they say There's a lot of people
9:59
that are tour guides that do know do not know
10:02
what's going on in the park correctly and will
10:04
tell you inaccurate information and do things
10:07
that are not following park rules i'm not going
10:09
to call this tour group out on here but i reported
10:13
them to the park and the park said we will talk
10:15
to them so if you see a tour group doing something
10:19
that they shouldn't be doing report them all
10:21
right sorry i didn't write anything out there
10:23
i really should have but as i think you can tell
10:26
how i feel about this whole bison incident so
10:29
I'm gonna move on, I hope everyone else can too,
10:31
and we can let this guy heal and let the bison
10:33
be a bison. My experience of the week. Go drive
10:38
the Beartooth Highway. I say this a lot. I love
10:41
the Beartooth Highway, it is an incredibly scenic
10:43
road, and I'm gonna say it again before this
10:47
year's over, but go drive the Beartooth Highway.
10:50
Especially this week. This week, this legendary
10:55
mountain road starts to hit what I consider one
10:58
of the most spectacular moments of the year.
11:01
The towering snow banks that made headlines when
11:03
the road first opened are mostly gone, and replaced
11:07
with them are the alpine wildflowers that are
11:09
just bursting into bloom. Wildlife is taking
11:12
full advantage of the short mountain summer,
11:15
there's baby mountain goats running around, people
11:17
are seeing bears, there's marmots, there's pikas,
11:20
there's everything. end up from almost every
11:23
overlook and pull out, the view is just open
11:26
and inviting. This time of the year is one of
11:28
those rare times of the year where nearly everything
11:30
comes together. Structuring roughly 68 miles
11:33
between Red Lodge and Cook City, the Beartooth
11:36
Highway climbs to an astonishing 10 ,947 feet
11:40
at Beartooth Pass. If you stop at Beartooth Pass
11:43
at the parking area, you can scramble up a rock
11:45
and hit 11 ,000 feet, so that's kind of a cool
11:48
thing to do. If you're driving this road, know
11:50
that it takes about two hours just to drive it,
11:54
but it's going to take longer than that because
11:56
you should stop. This is a road that deserves
11:59
to be experienced, not simply driven. Plan to
12:02
spend at least four to six hours here, and don't
12:05
be surprised if you end up staying longer, because
12:07
nearly every mile offers another reason to pull
12:10
over. There's hiking trails, there's beautiful
12:12
vistas, there's all sorts of things. The climb
12:15
is unforgettable, so I'm going to talk about
12:18
driving it from Red Lodge to Cook City. Last
12:20
time I talked about Cook City Red Lodge, just
12:22
trying to mix things up. So if you're listening
12:24
to this, just flip it if you're driving from
12:26
Cook City up. So leaving Red Lodge, You'll wind
12:30
through this forest before climbing up a series
12:32
of dramatic switchbacks that really just lift
12:35
you straight into the sky. With every sharp turn,
12:38
the view becomes more expansive. Soon you're
12:40
looking across rugged mountain ranges, deep valleys
12:43
carved by glaciers, and rocky peaks that still
12:45
are holding snow despite how hot it was recently.
12:49
One of the first places you'll want to stop as
12:52
you're climbing up is Rock Creek Vista Point.
12:54
This overlook provides sweeping views down Rock
12:57
Creek Canyon. It gives you your first real appreciation
13:00
for just how much elevation you've gained. When
13:02
you're driving this it seems to be like, man,
13:04
we've climbed. But when you get up there, you
13:06
really know how much you've climbed. Once you're
13:09
past that Vista Point, you then just kind of
13:12
meander on the top of these ridges. And it's
13:15
absolutely beautiful and gets more beautiful
13:17
as you get close to the ski area. Around the
13:19
ski area. You're gonna have great views like
13:22
right before the ski area You're gonna have some
13:24
great views looking back at these lakes and we
13:26
get to the ski area There's gonna be mountain
13:28
goats there and you're just gonna get even more
13:31
impressed by what you can take in It is truly
13:34
stunning. Well, if you've driven the million
13:36
dollar highway, you may think like oh, this is
13:39
a really pretty road These are not comparable,
13:42
they're completely different. I like the million
13:44
dollar highway and I like this. I like the Beartooth
13:46
Plateau because you don't even get cities on
13:49
this road. You are just climbing and then you're
13:51
in this uninterrupted above 10 ,000 foot terrain
13:54
that's truly incredible. As you keep going along
13:58
and you go past the ski area and then you start
14:01
dropping or then you get to the actual pass and
14:04
then you drop down. There's going to be some
14:05
lakes you can stop at. There's some waterfalls.
14:08
It is just perfect. But my favorite stretch is
14:12
that top of the Beartooth Plateau and it's fully
14:15
awakened after spending much of the year buried
14:17
beneath snow. The alpine growing season here
14:20
lasts only a few weeks so the wildflowers waste
14:23
no time. Entire hillsides just erupt in wildflowers.
14:27
Marmots are running around. Every color is out
14:31
there. You have whites and pinks and purples
14:33
and reds and yellows, and it's just fantastic.
14:37
Everything that lives here is a flower that thrives
14:40
in these harsh conditions at the highest of elevations.
14:45
And some of the best displays are found, like
14:47
I said, around that Beartooth Pass, Island Lake,
14:50
and that broad Alpine Tundra. It's... honestly
14:54
last year I drove it and I was like okay I think
14:58
you know I've done this enough I'll just drive
15:00
it quickly and I spent so many hours just taking
15:03
pictures of marmots running through wildflowers
15:06
you know holding little flowers up to their faces
15:08
and eating them and then you round another corner
15:10
and there's a couple other animals right you
15:14
get a little pika darting in and out of rocks
15:16
and then you see baby mountain goats frolicking
15:19
about and it's just Perfect. The balance between
15:24
just natural beauty and wildlife is so rewarding
15:27
here. The mountain goats are just all around
15:30
the Beartooth Pass area, the yellow -bellied
15:32
marmots are whistling, the pikas are darting,
15:35
like I said, and then when you get to lower elevations...
15:38
This is where you're going to start seeing elk,
15:41
mule deer, moose, black bears, and grizzly bears.
15:44
There's also birds all over the place. There's
15:46
even a little lookout tower you can get to down
15:49
a side road near Beartooth Lake. Beartooth Lake
15:52
is absolutely gorgeous. I stop there all the
15:54
time. This is a road that if you take the time
15:58
and just stop and say, well, what's here? Go
16:01
to all these little parking areas, drive to the
16:04
lakes you can get to. and you're going to find
16:06
a place that you want to come back to year after
16:08
year after year. Along the same thing that I'm
16:11
talking about, one of the greatest joys of the
16:13
Beartooth Highway is that some of its best moments
16:15
are completely unplanned. You can have this checklist
16:19
of what you want to see, and I talk about this
16:20
in the park and it's the same here, but you might
16:23
round a corner and you're going to find that
16:26
a mountain lake is glowing just a little differently
16:28
than the other lake was just because the sun's
16:31
hitting it different. You might stop and take
16:33
pictures of wildflowers and see those marmots
16:35
playing. You may watch a storm drift off in the
16:39
distance and watch lightning strike far away
16:41
mountains, right? There's so much to see here
16:44
and so many different experiences that every
16:47
stop could become the stop of a lifetime. I always
16:52
encourage visitors to slow down and embrace these
16:54
unexpected moments. Rather than treating the
16:57
Beartooth Highway as simply the road to Yellowstone
16:59
or the road from Yellowstone, it's not just a
17:02
quick detour. This is a destination in its own
17:05
right. Pull over whenever it's safe, wander a
17:08
short distance from the pavement, breathe the
17:10
cool mountain air, and take time to appreciate
17:12
one of the largest high elevation plateaus in
17:15
the United States. There are few places where
17:17
you can so easily experience an alpine landscape
17:20
that feels more like the Rockies of Canada than
17:22
the Lower 48. And even if you're in the Rockies
17:25
of Canada, it doesn't feel like the Beartooth
17:26
Highway. I do have one final piece of advice
17:29
that's really simple. Start early if you're going
17:32
to do the Beartooth Highway. Morning light. really
17:35
helps just paint the mountains with warm color.
17:38
The temperature is also going to be lower. Wildlife
17:40
is going to be more active and the overlooks
17:42
are often more quiet than they will be later
17:45
in the day. Right now you're going to have a
17:47
lot of motorcycles going through so there's going
17:50
to be a lot of road noise as well. The earlier
17:51
you go in the morning the less you're going to
17:54
have that. Also, afternoon thunderstorms are
17:56
very common out here, so an early start increases
17:59
your chances of a clear day instead of only seeing
18:02
a third of it before you get run off with a thunderstorm.
18:07
Please know that even on warm summer days, temperatures
18:10
on the Beartooth Pass can be 20 to 30 degrees
18:12
cooler than in Cook City or Red Lodge, and so
18:16
make sure you bring a jacket and expect some
18:18
wind. Early season on the Beartooth Highway has
18:22
something special to offer for everyone, but
18:24
this time of the year is really perfect. I think
18:28
if you drive it right now, and then you drive
18:31
it the next week, too, or you just drive it as
18:33
soon as you can, you're going to love it. This
18:35
is my favorite time to drive the Beartooth Highway.
18:37
That's why I'm recommending it this week. My
18:40
tip of the week. Get an ebook copy of the Yellowstone
18:44
Resources and Issues Handbook. Doesn't that sound
18:47
exciting? So if you're the kind of person who
18:51
likes to know the story behind the places you
18:53
visit, there's a Yellowstone resource that you
18:56
need to download before your trip. That is the
18:58
Yellowstone Resources and Issues Handbook. The
19:02
title sounds dry, like it's going to be a really
19:05
boring government manual, and it's easy to think
19:08
that, but don't let that fool you. This is one
19:10
of the most informative and surprisingly engaging
19:13
guides to Yellowstone ever produced. Even better,
19:17
It's available as a free ebook from Yellowstone
19:20
National Park, making it easy to keep on your
19:23
phone, tablet, or e -reader while you're traveling
19:25
through the park. The Yellowstone Resources and
19:28
Issues Handbook explains why Yellowstone is unlike
19:31
anywhere else in the world. It answers the questions
19:33
that naturally come to mind as you drive through
19:35
the park. Why do geysers erupt? Why are the hot
19:38
springs so colorful? How do the Grand Canyon
19:40
and Yellowstone form? Why are the wolves, bears,
19:43
and bison managed the way they are? What makes
19:45
Yellowstone one of the most important ecosystems
19:47
on the planet? What was Mission 66? By answering
19:51
these questions, the handbook transforms a sightseeing
19:54
trip into an opportunity to better understand
19:56
the remarkable landscape around you. Published
19:59
and regularly updated by Yellowstone National
20:01
Park, the handbook reflects the latest science,
20:03
wildlife research, historical information, and
20:06
park management practices. While it was originally
20:09
developed as a reference for park employees,
20:12
educators, researchers, and anyone seeking reliable
20:14
information about Yellowstone, it has become
20:16
a favorite among photographers, hikers, wildlife
20:19
watchers, tour guides, and repeat visitors who
20:22
want to go beyond the basics. The information
20:25
in this is written in a way that's easy to understand,
20:28
even when explaining topics like volcanology,
20:30
geothermal activity, ecology, and wildlife management.
20:35
One of the handbook's greatest strengths is the
20:37
incredible variety of subjects that it covers.
20:40
The geology chapters explain how Yellowstone's
20:43
volcanic past created the world's largest concentration
20:45
of geysers, hot springs, mudpots, and fumaroles,
20:48
and it helps you understand why every thermal
20:51
basin has its own unique personality. The wildlife
20:54
sections introduce not only the park's iconic
20:56
animals such as wolves, grizzly bears, black
20:59
bears, bison, elk, cutthroat, trout, but also
21:02
explain how they interact with one of the world's
21:05
last largely intact temperate ecosystems. It
21:08
also tells you like how many animals there are.
21:11
How many bighorn sheep are there? This will tell
21:14
you. It's great. Readers gain an insight into
21:16
predator -prey relationships, seasonal migrations,
21:19
ongoing wildlife research, fisheries management,
21:22
and the many conservation challenges the park
21:25
biologists continue to study today. History receives
21:28
just as much attention. The handbook traces Yellowstone's
21:31
story from thousands of years of indigenous connections
21:33
to the land through the famous Washburn expedition,
21:37
the establishment of the world's first national
21:39
park in 1872, the years when the U .S. Army protected
21:42
Yellowstone, and then eventually the creation
21:44
of National Park Service. Reading these chapters
21:47
before visiting places like Mammoth, Fort Yellowstone,
21:51
Old Faithful, and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
21:53
gives these landmarks an entirely new level of
21:56
meaning. Instead of simply admiring the beautiful
21:58
scenery, you begin to understand the people,
22:01
events, and discoveries that shaped the park
22:03
into what it is today. I strongly recommend that
22:06
anyone planning the Yellowstone trip download
22:08
this handbook before arriving. It completely
22:11
changes the way you experience the park. A hillside
22:14
of lodgepole pines becomes a living reminder
22:16
of the 1988 fires. A herd of bison grazing in
22:19
Hayden Valley becomes part of a much larger ecological
22:22
story. The colorful walls of the Grand Canyon
22:25
of the Yellowstone suddenly make sense once you
22:27
understand how volcanic rock, hydrothermal alteration,
22:31
and thousands of years of erosion work together
22:33
to create one of the park's most iconic landscapes.
22:36
Even waiting for Old Faithful becomes more interesting
22:39
when you understand the underground plumbing
22:41
system that powers its eruptions. One of the
22:44
best features of the Yellowstone Resources and
22:46
Issues Handbook is that you don't have to read
22:48
it cover to cover. Although it contains hundreds
22:50
of pages of information, it's organized so readers
22:53
can jump directly to the topics that interest
22:56
them most. You can spend a few minutes reading
22:58
about wolves before heading to Lamar Valley,
23:00
brush up on geothermal features before exploring
23:03
the Upper Geyser Basin, or learn about Yellowstone's
23:05
history while relaxing at your campsite after
23:08
a day of hiking. It works equally well as a trip
23:12
planning resource, an evening read after a day
23:14
in the park, or a reference whenever curiosity
23:16
strikes. Yellowstone is one of those places that
23:20
becomes more fascinating the more you learn about
23:22
it, and the Yellowstone Resources and Issues
23:24
Handbook helps reveal some of those deeper stories,
23:27
turning every overlook, trail, wildlife sighting,
23:29
and thermal basin into part of a much larger
23:32
picture. Since the ebook is free and regularly
23:35
updated, you can get one every year and carry
23:38
it with you. and know that your Yellowstone adventure
23:42
is going to be even more rewarding with all of
23:44
this information. I'll be sharing a link to download
23:48
the ebook in the show notes. You can also pick
23:50
up printed copies from Yellowstone Forever Stores
23:53
in visitor centers outside or inside the park.
23:56
Just, you know, find one of these Yellowstone
23:58
Forever Stores and ask about the resources and
24:02
issues handbook and they should be able to hook
24:03
you up. But for now, download the ebook, flip
24:06
through it online, and enjoy way too much information.
24:10
My random Yellowstone fact of the week. That
24:13
green part in the river at the lower falls of
24:15
the Yellowstone. Millions of people visit Yellowstone
24:18
National Park's lower falls every year, admiring
24:21
the 308 -foot waterfall as it crashes into the
24:25
colorful Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Most
24:27
visitors are focused on the sheer power of the
24:29
falls or the canyon's vibrant walls, but those
24:32
who look closely often notice something unusual.
24:35
Near the center of the waterfall, a narrow ribbon
24:37
of emerald green water flows over the brink before
24:40
disappearing in the churning white water below.
24:43
At first glance, it seems almost out of place.
24:46
Many people assume the green streak must be caused
24:49
by algae, minerals, or even Yellowstone's famous
24:52
geothermal features. The real explanation is
24:55
much simpler, and it's a great example of how
24:57
water behaves as it moves over the edge of the
25:00
falls. The green streak is actually the Yellowstone
25:04
River's natural color. A notch in the lip of
25:06
the lower falls creates a deeper channel where
25:08
the water remains relatively smooth as it flows
25:11
over the brink. Because the water in the channel
25:14
contains far fewer air bubbles than the surrounding
25:17
rapids, it stays clear enough for this deep green
25:20
color to remain visible. That green color is
25:24
a result of the way water interacts with sunlight.
25:27
Pure water absorbs the longer red wavelengths
25:29
of visible light much more readily than blue
25:32
and green wavelengths. As sunlight penetrates
25:35
deeper water, more of that red light is absorbed.
25:38
while blue and green light continues to be scattered
25:41
back toward our eyes. In rivers like the Yellowstone,
25:44
the combination of water depth, reflected light,
25:47
and small amounts of naturally occurring suspended
25:50
particles often shifts to color from blue toward
25:53
a rich emerald green. The rest of the waterfall
25:56
tells a different story. As the river rushes
25:58
over the uneven rock, it becomes filled with
26:00
millions of tiny air bubbles. Those bubbles scatter
26:03
light in every direction giving the falls their
26:05
brilliant white appearance. The deeper notch
26:08
avoids much of that turbulence, allowing visitors
26:10
to see the river's true color for just a brief
26:12
moment before it too becomes a frothy torrent.
26:16
The colorful canyon surrounding the falls makes
26:18
the streak stand out even more. The Grand Canyon
26:21
of the Yellowstone was carved over thousands
26:22
of years as the river cut through volcanic rhyolite
26:25
that has been weakened by hot water and acidic
26:28
gases circulating underground. Iron compounds
26:31
within the altered rock oxidized over time creating
26:34
the striking shades of yellow, orange, pink,
26:36
and red that have made the canyon one of Yellowstone's
26:39
most photographed landscapes. Against these warm
26:42
colors and the bright white waterfall, the emerald
26:45
green ribbon becomes surprisingly easy to spot
26:47
when you know where to look. Several overlooks
26:50
provide excellent Views of this, artist point
26:53
obviously, lookout point on the north rim, red
26:57
rock point, the brink of the lower falls even
27:00
brings visitors to the edge where you can see
27:02
that smooth green water flowing right before
27:05
it just takes over and falls straight down. This
27:08
green streak is a reminder that Yellowstone's
27:10
most interesting features are not always the
27:13
biggest or loudest. It's simply a small section
27:16
of river that behaves differently because of
27:18
the shape of the bedrock beneath it. Yet, This
27:21
subtle difference has created one of the park's
27:23
more intriguing natural curiosities, one that
27:25
continues to spark questions from observant visitors
27:28
every day. The next time you find yourself looking
27:31
out over the lower falls, take an extra moment
27:33
before moving on to the next overlook. Watch
27:36
the center of the river as it slides over the
27:38
brink. For an instant, before the water explodes
27:41
into white spray, Yellowstone River reveals its
27:44
true emerald color, creating one of the park's
27:47
most understated but memorable sights. The weather
27:51
for the coming week. As always the following
27:54
forecast is the best forecast I can give you
27:56
at the week at the time of recording. I'm recording
27:58
on Wednesday July 15th at 4 p .m. This forecast
28:03
can change numerous times in a week, but this
28:05
should be within the ballpark of what you'll
28:06
experience when visiting Yellowstone. So let's
28:09
start with Lamar Valley. In Lamar on Thursday
28:12
the high will be 82, the low will be 51, there's
28:15
a 60 % chance of thunderstorms and about a tenth
28:18
of an inch of rain. on friday a high of 80 a
28:21
low of 51 about a 70 chance of thunderstorms
28:25
and a quarter inch of rain on saturday 82 and
28:28
50 53 chance of rain maybe a tenth of an inch
28:32
on sunday 85 and 49 19 chance of rain monday
28:37
83 and 51 21 chance of rain Tuesday 75 and 50
28:43
a 71 percent chance of thunderstorms and a quarter
28:46
inch of rain and then Wednesday 77 and 51 quarter
28:50
inch or 24 percent chance of precipitation Gardner,
28:55
Montana on Thursday high of 87 low of 55 42 percent
29:00
chance of thunderstorms with about two tenths
29:03
of an inch of rain on Friday 86 and 55 51 percent
29:07
chance of a tenth an inch of rain and thunderstorms
29:10
on Saturday 87 and 53 55 percent chance of rain
29:15
about a tenth of an inch of rain there on Sunday
29:18
89 and 53 15 percent chance of rain Monday 87
29:22
and 55 16 percent chance of rain Tuesday 81 and
29:27
54, 53 % chance of about 0 .15 inches of rain,
29:31
and Wednesday 83 and 54 with a 24 % chance of
29:36
precipitation. West Yellowstone. Thursday, 85
29:40
and 49, 41 % chance of some rain, maybe a tenth
29:44
of an inch. Thunderstorms overnight into Friday.
29:47
Friday high 83, low 48, 60 % chance about a tenth
29:51
of an inch of rain and thunderstorms. Saturday
29:54
84 and 47, 38 % chance of rain, two hundredths
29:59
of an inch currently, so light rain. Sunday 86
30:03
and 47 15 percent chance of precipitation Monday
30:06
85 and 51 11 percent chance Tuesday 78 49 a 60
30:12
percent chance of a quarter -inch of rain with
30:14
thunderstorms and Wednesday 79 and 49 with a
30:18
24 percent chance of rain Cody Wyoming Thursday
30:22
84 and 64 44 percent chance of thunderstorms
30:27
Friday 86 and 65 31 % chance of thunderstorms
30:32
and rain Saturday 87 and 64 40 % chance of rain
30:38
Sunday 92 and 65 21 % chance of rain Monday 86
30:43
and 64 18 % chance of rain Tuesday 79 and 63
30:48
50 % chance about a fifth of an inch of rain
30:51
and thunderstorms and then Wednesday is going
30:54
to be 83 and 63 with a 24 % chance of rain and
31:00
finally for the weather cook city montana thursday
31:03
highest 78 low of 53 80 chance of thunderstorms
31:08
with nearly a third of an inch of rain friday
31:12
thunderstorms 76 53 70 chance of those thunderstorms
31:16
a third of an inch of rain saturday is also going
31:19
to be thunderstorms 64 chance with about a tenth
31:23
of an inch of rain 78 and 51 Sunday, 81 and 51,
31:28
15 % chance of rain. Monday, 78 and 52, 20 %
31:33
chance of rain. Tuesday, 72 and 51, 75 % chance
31:37
of thunderstorms and a quarter inch of rain.
31:40
Wednesday, 74 and 51, 37 % chance of a tenth
31:44
of an inch of rain with thunderstorms. The road
31:47
conditions of the park. So there's no main park
31:50
roads that are closed right now. All the side
31:52
roads should be open. If it rains heavily, I'd
31:54
expect Blacktail Plateau Drive to close. That's
31:57
with heavy rain. But other than that, you should
32:00
be good to go wherever you want. Thunderstorms
32:02
will limit where you will want to drive maybe,
32:05
but roads should be open. Please know that there
32:08
are a few spots of construction, but only with
32:10
minimal delays here and there. And while unlikely,
32:13
I do want to say that Roads can close at any
32:16
time due to inclement weather. If you want to
32:18
stay up to date, call 307 -344 -2117 for recorded
32:23
information, or you can sign up to receive Yellowstone
32:26
Road Alerts on your mobile phone by texting the
32:28
number 82190 to the number 888777. Camping information.
32:36
Every campground that's going to open this year
32:38
is open right now, so enjoy that if you're camping
32:42
also. Just know there's wildlife in the campgrounds.
32:45
There always has been, there always will be.
32:48
The Wildlife Report. So wildlife watching is
32:52
really good for it being summer. You know, I
32:56
know last week I talked about how sometimes summer
32:59
drops off a bit because it's just harder to see
33:01
things during the day. That is still true. Thunderstorms
33:04
are going to really limit the visibility during
33:07
the days when you're in the park. So be aware
33:09
of that. But right now the mornings are great.
33:12
Lots of grizzly bears are being spotted out in
33:15
Lamar. Bison are just making their way between
33:18
Little America and Round Prairie and back and
33:20
forth. Sometimes snarling traffic, sometimes
33:22
they're pretty far from the road in Lamar Valley.
33:25
Baby pronghorn are out, adult pronghorn are also
33:28
out and about. A lot more in Little America than
33:30
Lamar, at least my luck. Wolves in that northern
33:34
range area are a little harder to see in the
33:36
Slough Creek Lamar Valley area right now as of
33:39
last week, but That can change in a heartbeat.
33:42
I could wake up tomorrow and then hear that the
33:45
wolves are very easily seen in Little America,
33:48
Slough Creek, or Lamar. Right now, the most dependable
33:51
wolf sightings are happening just beyond the
33:55
Blacktail Ponds area, right at the Forces of
33:58
Nature trail and then looking south. There's
34:01
a pack out there that everybody likes to watch
34:03
that has some pups. They're multiple miles away.
34:05
You're not going to get like the most amazing
34:07
sighting, but you're going to be able to see
34:10
wolves. So that's really cool. Also, if you head
34:13
down toward Hayden Valley, that's where you're
34:16
going to see another large bison herd for the
34:18
rut. You're also going to see some bears off
34:20
in the distance. There's a wolf pack out there
34:22
that has been spotted off and on, but not consistently.
34:26
Elk are pretty common around Gardner right now,
34:30
not so much around Mammoth. There are a few that
34:32
are hanging outside Mammoth, but most of them
34:34
are outside the park at the moment. bighorn sheep
34:37
are also out by devil slide near gardener or
34:42
if you want to see them a little closer in the
34:45
park you can go out the east entrance up by washburn
34:48
or through that kind of um yellowstone river
34:53
picnic area as you get to little america from
34:56
the new bridge across the yellowstone There's
34:59
some baby osprey that have hatched and are young
35:01
in the nests all around the park. The birds are
35:04
really good. Wildlife watching is good in the
35:06
mornings. I've seen some coyotes. I've seen some
35:09
badgers. I've heard of some foxes. People have
35:12
seen moose still out, especially the northeast
35:14
entrance road. So animals are out there. You
35:17
just have to wake up early. Not much is being
35:19
seen in the heat of the day. Now some of these
35:22
colder temperatures are gonna make the afternoon
35:24
evening better during the heat of the day You
35:27
know when we were in the 90s in the park that
35:29
wasn't the best wildlife watching but the bison
35:31
were still active and This is the time where
35:33
you really go for the bison rut everything else
35:36
kind of becomes a bonus and benefit Now if you
35:39
are going for the bison rut few things to know
35:42
obviously stay away stay in your cars at all
35:45
times when you can, if you're driving through
35:47
it, especially at pullouts, things like that.
35:49
Know that they can run fast, but also know that
35:52
right now they're going to get spooked by a lot
35:54
of loud noises and with lots of motorcycles going
35:56
through and revving their engines, sometimes
35:59
on purpose, the Bison are going to be a lot more
36:02
skittish and potentially running. So just be
36:04
aware of that. Always be very close to your car
36:07
if you get out of your car and by very close,
36:09
I mean right next to the door so you can hop
36:11
in. otherwise be smart be safe follow rules and
36:14
if you need more wildlife tips just reach out
36:16
to me happy to help you out trail alerts and
36:21
updates there's not really a lot closed right
36:23
now so go to the backcountry conditions page
36:26
link is in the show notes and you can kind of
36:28
see what's open and what's not as always carry
36:30
bear spray have it readily accessible and not
36:32
in a backpack and know how to use it but also
36:35
Really reconsider doing a hike in a heavy bison
36:38
area. If you are wanting to hike in Lamar Valley
36:41
right now, don't. Go find a different trail where
36:44
bison are not at. Unless you are extremely skilled
36:48
in reading bison behavior and you know the terrain
36:51
well and you know some escape routes and things
36:53
like that, this is not the time to mess around
36:56
and hike in an area where there's lots of bison.
36:58
Do not hike in an area with lots of bison right
37:01
now. Find a different trail. If you need a different
37:04
trail, reach out to me. Happy to help. I mentioned
37:07
this because I took a tour out last week and
37:10
there's a whole herd of bison that ran by and
37:12
luckily I knew the area and I knew where we could
37:14
stand. But this is not a time or a place to mess
37:18
around with aggressive bison. There are hundreds
37:21
of them, if not thousands in certain areas, and
37:23
you don't want to be there because you will get
37:25
surrounded by them if you're not paying attention.
37:28
Hike where there's no bison, carry bear spray,
37:31
enjoy the upper mountains, go walk by some rivers
37:34
away from the things, and maybe if you're looking
37:37
for a good hike, you can check out the one I'm
37:39
talking about for my Trek of the Week. My Trek
37:42
of the Week. If you're looking for a great summit
37:45
hike over the next couple weeks, Observation
37:47
Peak is one I definitely recommend. That's why
37:50
I'm talking about it. One of the reasons I like
37:52
hiking at this time of the year is because there
37:54
are typically fewer bison along the trail than
37:56
many of Yellowstone's other hikes. That's especially
37:59
nice right now because the bison rut is underway
38:02
and as I've talked about this whole episode bulls
38:05
can become much more aggressive as they compete
38:07
for the cows and they're just kind of jerks right
38:10
now and why put yourself in a dangerous situation?
38:13
Hiking in areas with a ton of bison right now
38:15
is definitely not recommended and you should
38:18
not do it. I don't do it. You shouldn't do it
38:20
either. Instead look elsewhere for adventures.
38:24
Observation Peak is one of those adventures that
38:26
rewards you with peaceful meadows, colorful wildflowers,
38:30
and an amazing summit view that very few people
38:32
know about in Yellowstone National Park. Everybody
38:35
knows that there's a lookout tower on Mount Washburn,
38:38
or they know like Mount Washburn and then they
38:39
get there and there's a lookout tower. This is
38:41
also a lookout tower mountain. It's not an open
38:43
lookout tower, but it's still a mountain you
38:45
can climb to that has a lookout tower at the
38:47
top, and it's really cool. The hike begins at
38:50
Cascade Lake Trailhead along the Norris Canyon
38:52
Road just a few miles west of Canyon. The first
38:55
two and a half miles follow the Cascade Lake
38:57
Trail through a broad mountain meadow. This is
39:02
one of those trails where there's no reason to
39:04
rush. Slow down, enjoy the scenery, and keep
39:07
an eye out for wildlife. big elk that you know
39:14
are growing their antlers and it's really cool
39:16
to see them because they're still a little velvety
39:18
but mostly clean now so check that out. The meadows
39:21
will have lots of wildflowers splashed out with
39:24
colors all over the place and you know you might
39:28
see a few bison here and there but I doubt it
39:32
you know most of the bison are really congregating
39:34
in the other areas if there is a bison out here
39:36
it's probably an old male that has been quote
39:39
-unquote put out to pasture, and he's kind of
39:42
beyond the years of anger and mating. So just
39:45
know that you might see some bison here, but
39:47
you'll probably see some other wildlife. Elk
39:50
are common, and I've also seen black bears and
39:53
grizzly bears along this trail. So obviously
39:56
carry bear spray, make plenty of noise, just
39:59
like you do with any other hike in Yellowstone.
40:02
As you get to Cascade Lake, consider stopping
40:04
here if the mosquitoes aren't bad. On calm mornings,
40:08
the lake reflects the landscape perfectly and
40:10
it's hard not to just sit down for a few minutes
40:13
and simply enjoy the quiet. Even during Yellowstone's
40:16
busiest season, which we're in right now, this
40:18
spot often feels surprisingly peaceful and this
40:21
lake is way more popular than going up to the
40:25
top of the observation peak. So once you leave
40:28
the lake behind, The hike starts to earn its
40:31
reputation. The trail begins to climb steadily
40:33
through a forest of lodgepole pine before gradually
40:36
opening up into higher country. As you gain elevation
40:39
the views become bigger with every switchback
40:41
and it's hard not to stop every so often just
40:43
to look back where you've come from and you know
40:45
catch your breath. During July and August the
40:48
mountainside continues to put on this absolutely
40:51
beautiful show of wildflowers and there's marmots
40:54
running around and picas are racing around and
40:57
it's just great. You'll keep hiking, you'll keep
41:00
climbing, and then the final climb helps build
41:02
your anticipation as you gain elevation and weave
41:04
through the trees. And then you kind of peek
41:07
out and you see the observation peak fire lookout.
41:11
While the lookout itself is no longer open to
41:13
visitors, it's a fun reminder of the days when
41:16
fire spotters spent entire summers watching Yellowstone's
41:19
forest from this incredible perch. When you reach
41:22
the summit, you... all of a sudden understand
41:26
that you're standing 9 ,406 feet above sea level
41:30
and a couple thousand feet above where you just
41:32
hiked from. Observation Peak delivers one of
41:35
the most impressive panoramic views in this region
41:37
of the park. You get mountains in the distance,
41:40
you have little lakes way off in the distance
41:42
below you too, and it is fantastic. On exceptionally
41:46
clear days, you can probably even see the Tetons,
41:50
and so keep an eye out for those. You're also
41:52
going to see where the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
41:54
cuts through the forest, and on cool mornings
41:57
you can see some steam rising from distant geyser
41:59
basins. Don't be surprised if the winds up here
42:03
are just brutal though. Observation Peak has
42:06
a reputation for being ridiculously breezy, even
42:09
on a nice summer afternoon. So throwing a jacket
42:13
or something into your pack is well worth it.
42:14
While the wind will be blasting you, try to stay
42:17
up here a little longer. It's a really nice view.
42:20
It's not super dynamic. It's not like Avalanche
42:23
Peak or Bunsen or Washburn, but you're on the
42:27
top of a mountain and you just get to sit there
42:28
and really look out and take in the landscape.
42:31
If there's one thing I've learned about all the
42:33
hikes I've done in the park, it's that every
42:34
time I get a chance to get to the summit of a
42:36
mountain and look around, I gain a deeper understanding
42:39
for how the landscape works together. Climbing
42:42
mountains taking in these bigger views helps
42:45
you see the size and scale of the park in a way
42:47
that you never get. Observation Peak is about
42:51
11 miles round trip with only 1 ,400 feet of
42:54
elevation gain. So while it's not the easiest
42:57
hike in Yellowstone, it's a pretty easy mountain
42:59
summit. It's one that I find myself returning
43:02
to almost every year because the combination
43:05
of quiet meadows, decent wildlife sightings,
43:08
a peaceful little lake, colorful wildflowers,
43:10
and a summit that puts me up high in Yellowstone
43:14
is really cool to do as often as you possibly
43:17
can. If you're looking for a trail that offers
43:20
pretty good solitude while helping you avoid
43:22
some of the larger concentrations of rutting
43:24
bison, go to Observation Peak right now. I truly
43:28
love this hike, I think you will too, It's not,
43:32
like I said, the most dynamic place, but it's
43:35
also very remote and for being so close to Canyon,
43:39
it's not a popular hike. Last time I did it,
43:42
over the 11 miles, I saw three people. One of
43:46
them was a ranger. So know that, go out there,
43:49
enjoy the hike, and if you need more hikes, I
43:52
do have a hiking guidebook for the region that
43:54
covers both the park and outside of the park
43:57
where there's even more amazing trails, so consider
43:59
picking that up. Otherwise, that's it for this
44:02
week. In next week's episode, I'll return with
44:04
all the information you need to have a good week
44:06
in the park. That includes the wildlife, weather,
44:09
and trail updates. Until then, pick up a guidebook
44:12
of mine, share this podcast with a friend, family
44:15
member, enemy, it doesn't matter, share this
44:17
podcast with whoever you can, and have an amazing
44:20
time visiting Yellowstone. Happy Trails! Abrupt
44:34
ending! This week in Yellowstone is brought to
44:37
you by The Outdoor Society. That's my company.
44:39
It's just me, I do this, it's a labor of love.
44:42
If you like it, tell your friends, rate and review
44:44
it. Shoot me a message. Otherwise, keep listening
44:47
and I hope to see you in Yellowstone. Copyright
44:50
2026, baby! I know, a hidden thing, if you've...
44:56
If you remember CDs, not everybody does, but
44:58
if you remember CDs, sometimes there are hidden
45:00
tracks at the very end. That's kind of what this
45:02
is. If anybody is still listening and you'd like
45:05
to hear more in -depth thoughts about the bison
45:07
attack and bison incidents in general, I will
45:10
happily do a standalone episode for that. I just
45:14
didn't want to muddle this one because I want
45:17
to do regular episodes. So if people aren't interested
45:19
in that, then... I don't want to waste too much
45:22
time, but I will do a standalone episode about
45:25
this bison attack and historical bison attacks
45:27
in the park if anyone is interested. If I get
45:30
enough people being like, yes, do it, I will
45:32
record that in the next week or two. If I don't
45:35
get anybody interested in that, that's fine too.
45:37
I just want you to know that that is an option,
45:39
but I didn't want to make this episode just mainly
45:43
about that bison incident. Also, there's there
45:45
is some grizzly bear news about hunting grizzlies
45:48
in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. I will talk about
45:51
that next week as well. But until then, enjoy
45:54
this bonus track. I'm not going to play any music.
45:57
I'm just going to slowly fade out.