Latest / This Week in Yellowstone National Park / This Week in Yellowstone: November 20th to November 26th, 2025

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This Week in Yellowstone: November 20th to November 26th, 2025 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

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From Yellowstone National Park, where despite
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it being late November, there's still basically
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no snow anywhere that you can go or drive in
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the park, this is that Scott guy you know and
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love with a brand new episode of This Week in
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Yellowstone. What's up everybody this week in
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Yellowstone National Park from November 20th
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through November 26 2025 I'll tell you a way
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to warn other drivers about wildlife on the roads
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I'll try to get you to take a hike near Mammoth
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I'll let you know what those fences are in Lamar
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Valley and elsewhere in the park and I have an
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experience this week that I personally love and
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I'm curious if anyone else does too Of course,
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I'm also going to give you the complete weather
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forecast, the snowpack update, the wildlife report,
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the news, and everything else you need to have
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an incredible time this week in Yellowstone.
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Standard disclaimer, you're going to miss a few
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details here and there. If I do and you have
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more questions about something, reach out to
1:10
me. I also mention park locations very casually,
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so if you're unfamiliar, a quick search can help.
1:17
Also, this report only covers the drivable areas
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of the park. Finally, this podcast is a passion
1:23
project. I'm not paid or sponsored, so if you
1:26
enjoy it, I'd love a review or a quick email.
1:28
Those of you that have emailed me so far, absolutely
1:31
appreciate it. It always makes my day. So thank
1:33
you so much. If you want to further support my
1:36
work, you can check out my guidebooks on hiking
1:38
and wildlife watching, or you can join me on
1:41
a guided Yellowstone hiking tour. I also have
1:43
a 2026 calendar that's still for sale for another
1:46
couple weeks. So if you want those, reach out
1:48
to me directly or check out the website outdoor
1:51
-society .com. This week's Yellowstone news.
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The government shutdown's over. I mentioned it
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last week, but this week, as I'm recording, it's
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over. However, there still is some worry that
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the can has just been kicked further down So
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we might go through this all again in January.
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I just want to give a heads up with that Right
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now since the park is very limited in scope of
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what you can do It was honestly one of the best
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times for the government shutdown to happen had
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it been just the month of November That would
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have been better just based on visitation and
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what's open and stuff like that, but park made
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it through Mostly unscathed everything went really
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well. There are no major issues and I just wanted
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to share that with you However, we do potentially
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have another government shutdown to look forward
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to in January potentially could be a non -issue
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by then but Who knows? Anyway enough of that.
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No more politics The next news that I want to
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share is that new bridge that I talked about
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a few weeks ago that spans the Yellowstone River
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as you're driving out from the Roosevelt Junction
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area toward Lamar Valley. That bridge is done.
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You can drive across it. It's wonderful. I did
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it the other day and it is truly fantastic. They
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still have some work to do. There's some parking
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areas that need to be finished. They're going
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to work on it next year. They have to tear down
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the old bridge. So the construction project out
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in that area is not over, but the bridge right
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now looks awesome. There's a couple overlooks
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that they've built that I am very excited for
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them to complete and be able to park at and go
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wander. It is a huge upgrade. Even that Yellowstone
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River picnic area that they've doubled or almost
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tripled in size is gonna be so cool It is a fantastic
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use of park resources that money that was given
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to the park for this bridge It is going to transform
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this region that I love very much and make a
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lot more people love this northern range It is
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a bridge that You know a lot of people were like,
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oh we could just fix the old one that new bridge
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location The lookouts that they're building are
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going to amplify the nature Experience and it's
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gonna give that river section right there where
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the Yellowstone meets the Lamar River Even more
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of this wild feel the bridge is super high up.
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It's gonna be out there is great if you're in
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the park Go drive it. I mean, if you're in the
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park, you kind of have to drive it if you're
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going to go to Lamar and back. But you know you
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have that to look forward to if you're planning
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a trip for next year. Anyway, that is all the
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news. I was going to talk about the news that's
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been coming out about the guy with the wolf pack.
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If you haven't seen the video, look online. You'll
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find it. I think everyone knows my thoughts on
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that, and I don't need to give any more press
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to that. So that brings me to the experience
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of the week. My experience this week is something
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that you can do this month and kind of only this
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month. I mean you can do it through the winter
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too, but since visitation is so low with only
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a couple hundred people entering the park each
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day, there's a chance to just sit and watch a
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herd of bison. Now I know. There are more exciting
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things to do and some of you are like, well,
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I want to go see wolves I may want to go hike
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you can still do all that But there is going
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to be time in the day since there's only one
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road open to drive for you just to sit and watch
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One thing that always happens is a lot of people
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will watch bison for a little bit take a couple
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pictures drive on maybe they'll get caught in
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a bison jam and that's great to But one thing
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I absolutely adore, and I want you to do it too,
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is to sit at a pullout in Lamar Valley in Little
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America, wherever the bison are that where you
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can pull out at a pullout, safely not block anybody
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else, and just sit and watch. Watch the clouds
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roll over, watch the bison herds slowly move
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whichever direction they're going. It's an experience
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that seems pretty like, okay, yeah, it's just
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bison in a field. But when you get to the history
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of the park and you realize how few bison there
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were not that long ago by, you know, conservation
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numbers or conservation timeframes, right? In
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the late 1800s, there were basically no bison
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around. At one point, there were 20 -something
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bison in Lamar Valley in the park that were wild.
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That number now is in the thousands. roughly
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between three and a half and six and a half or
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seven thousand bison call Yellowstone home and
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We look at them and take them for granted but
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it's a very cool thing to know that This wasn't
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always going to be a guarantee and this wasn't
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always something that Was part of the park dynamic
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at one point I've talked about this earlier at
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one point if you wanted to see a bison in the
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park They were in little corrals most of the
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places and you would drive to where you needed
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to go to see the wild bison Granted this was
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the you know 1800s early 1900s, but now there
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are so many bison in the park that you can just
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see them roaming and To be able to see them in
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that open landscape in those areas like Little
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America or Lamar that's That's a special moment.
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And November is all about appreciating the small
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things. Whether you see some grouse running around
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and, you know, as you're driving toward Cook
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City, maybe you're going to see an ermine hopping,
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maybe you're going to see a rabbit or something
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or some deer. While you still may see wolves,
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while you still may see a bear, it's not a guarantee.
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It's not as common as Maybe it will be later
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or was earlier in the year So that's why on days
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like this, especially with the wolves kind of
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on the move how they are right now It's it's
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nice to sit back and just enjoy the quote -unquote
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simple things as simple as the recovery of a
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mega fauna species that you know is now Super
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healthy, you know, this is a common thing. We
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take it for granted but Sit and watch have your
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lunch at a pullout and just watch the bison roam
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by One thing to do that makes it more fun. If
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you're looking to capture this moment Do a time
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-lapse video on your phone That way you see all
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of their little meanderings and it's really funny.
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I love it If you want to put it to like the Benny
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Hill theme I don't know. Is there a modern -day
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equivalent of the Benny Hill theme any listeners?
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Let me know if there is it's probably an outdated
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reference But I like to just set up a time -lapse
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and take a time -lapse video of the bison roaming
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across I did that last week I did it the week
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before I do it almost every time I come to the
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park this time of the year Not just to have funny
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videos or something to capture But to make myself
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sit there and make myself appreciate it and that's
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why that's the experience this week is You know
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find something it doesn't have to be the bison
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You could just sit next to the river and watch
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the water flow really take the time to appreciate
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the smaller, gradually calming things of the
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park. It is a wonderful time to recenter and
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reset, and I hope you enjoy that this week. My
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tip of the week. Every so often, I forget to
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mention some pretty common things we locals do
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when driving into the park. This week, I'm gonna
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be talking about one of those. It's also important
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to note that while I'm talking about it this
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week, like in November, It applies year round
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and it's just a good practice when visiting the
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park. So what am I talking about? I'm talking
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about flashing your lights to warn oncoming drivers
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about wildlife around the corner. So many of
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the roads in the park are winding and visibility
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is often limited. So being alert is always a
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priority. However, sometimes a little heads up
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about what's coming around the corner can make
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all the difference. If you've driven through
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Yellowstone, you already know that wildlife doesn't
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follow any rules and can and will pop out of
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anywhere. Because of that, one of the most useful
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things you can do to help others is to flash
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your headlights to warn oncoming drivers that
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there's wildlife nearby. This quick flash lets
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people know that something's up ahead and can
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help people slow down early enough to not cause
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an issue. It's a thoughtful thing to do, but
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like most things in the park, it helps to know
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the right way to do it. So at its core, flashing
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your lights is really just a friendly heads up.
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I do this all the time. The other day when I
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was in the park, I was driving, there are a couple
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elk right next to the road, big bull elk, beautiful
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antlers, and then I drove around a corner and
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I saw another car coming and so I just flashed
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my lights. Looked in my mirror as they passed
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me and they immediately put on their brakes.
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Knowing that there was something up so when they
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rounded the corner then they could not only see
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the elk But also not hit the elk if the elk are
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in the road So in Yellowstone animals also blend
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in so you don't see them until you're practically
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on top of them especially at dawn dusk or during
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storms a quick flashier lights let someone know
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hey slow down there's wildlife stop traffic or
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some kind of hazard up ahead and since And since
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Yellowstone doesn't have a rule against flashing
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headlights for safety reasons, as far as I know,
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I kind of looked this up, but it's perfectly
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fine to do. I've had Rangers do it to me. Everyone
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does it. I don't know a single person getting
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a ticket for this, especially if they're doing
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it responsibly. If this does become an issue
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of people doing it irresponsibly, then like,
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yeah, just don't just don't be a jerk and do
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it well. Right. And then you shouldn't get in
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trouble, especially because it is a heads up.
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And I think part of the reason that it's accepted
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here is that it can generally help prevent accidents
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and save wildlife. The park constantly remind
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visitors to stay alert and drive slowly because
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of wildlife and that's one of the leading cause
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of crashes each year. The other is just, you
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know, distracted driving. So, you know, you might
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be driving and there's a bison standing the road
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at night and it's basically a shadow and you
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may not see it but if there is a bison in the
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road and someone passes it and then they're driving
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to you and they flash your lights you know something's
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headed your way so you can slow down and that
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can make a huge difference now there's a right
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way to flash your lights at somebody and a wrong
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way keep it simple just a quick flash or two
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there's no need for an aggressive strobe show
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that might confuse people or mimic an emergency
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vehicle just flash your lights and let people
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know, like, hey, click, click, click, click.
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Sometimes I do it three times, two, three, four
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times, no more than that, really, unless it's
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something very dangerous right there, and then
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try and get their attention. Now, even if someone
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warns you, you should always be prepared for
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animals, anywhere and anytime. Don't use, oh,
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no one flashed their light, so I must be safe.
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Yellowstone speed limits exist for a reason.
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Drive them or drive under if someone is... Right
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behind you and they want to pass you let them
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pass you take a pullout. Let them pass you their
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responsibility not yours So headlight flashing
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is especially useful during the quieter parts
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of the year Late fall through early spring when
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traffic thins out in November through March You
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might go miles without seeing another car. So
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any surprise on the road comes at full speed
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A friendly warning from someone who just passed
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an animal can really help. Now, this is especially
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great when it's a little icy and you're not necessarily
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going to stop on a dime. And if you know something's
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coming up, you can just start tapping your brakes
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much earlier than trying to put on your brakes
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and avoid something at the same time. I want
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to continue to remind people that everyone, locals,
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park staff do this all the time. People who drive
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these roads every day often flash a quick warning
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when conditions get dicey because everyone knows
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how unpredictable things can be. While flashing
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lights drop off in the summer, it's still very
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useful if there isn't an animal jam already occurring.
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I do it all the time, even to warn people that
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cars are stopped around the corner. It's just
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a nice thing to do to give people a heads up
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and I hope that you can do it too. Of course,
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you know, you should be doing this as long as
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it's done thoughtfully. A little signal can help
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protect both wildlife and other drivers. Just
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remember that even with a warning, nothing is
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going to replace staying alert, slowing down,
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and expecting animals at any moment. In Yellowstone,
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they always have the right of way, and we're
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just all helping each other stay safe out there,
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whether we're flashing lights or driving slowly
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when we can. My random Yellowstone fact of the
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week. The fences in Lamar Valley and elsewhere
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in the park. So you may have noticed those fenced
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in areas scattered around Lamar Valley and a
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few other spots in Yellowstone. The ones that
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look a little like square pins sitting out in
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the sagebrush. They can seem a bit mysterious
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if you don't know what they're for, but they've
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actually been part of one of Yellowstone's most
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fascinating long -term research projects. And
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believe it or not, these fences have helped scientists
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completely rethink how bison and elk shaped the
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park's grasslands. For 26 years, researchers
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have used two types of fences, barricade fences
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and enclosures, or exclosures, to study how much
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Yellowstone's big grazers affect the landscape.
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So the barricade fences were, you know, one of
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the two types that I just mentioned. They are
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movable ones, and scientists shifted them every
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28 days during the study, rotating them around
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plots like a monthly Do Not Eat Here sign for
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wildlife. Because they kept moving, Researchers
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could measure exactly how much grass was eaten
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in each spot before the barricades switched locations.
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It created a perfect timeline of grazing pressure.
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The enclosure fences, which most visitors are
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familiar with, are the permanent ones, the fence
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squares you see out in the valleys. They keep
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elk, bison, and pronghorn completely out, giving
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researchers long -term, untouched patterns to
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compare with the grazed landscape outside the
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fence. Over the decade, These enclosures become
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windows into what Yellowstone's grasslands look
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like without animals munching on them. And here's
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where the story gets interesting. The grasses
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outside the fences, the ones being grazed, often
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did better and were healthier. Some areas showed
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up to 20 % more plant growth compared to the
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ungrazed plots inside the enclosures. Those little
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fences revealed something big. Grazing wasn't
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harming the ecosystem, it was supercharging it.
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Thanks to the rotating barricade fences, researchers
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could see that every time a bison or elk grazed,
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the grasses responded with quick, vigorous regrowth.
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Grazing stirred up the soil, boosted microbial
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activity, and cycled nutrients like nitrogen
17:27
back into the system. Meanwhile, the protected
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enclosure plots didn't get these periodic resets
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and over time, they just weren't as productive.
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Another discovery is that the more intense the
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grazing, Something the movable fences help track,
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the stronger the bounce back in grass growth.
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And during drought years, the grazed areas actually
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fared better than ungrazed ones, showing that
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grazing increases ecological resilience. Even
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the National Park Service ran its own fence experience,
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dividing plots into grazed and ungrazed halves.
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The results matched perfectly. Moderately grazed
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areas produced 20 to 30 percent more grasses
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than the fenced off sections. So next time you're
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driving through Lamar Valley and see those little
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fences dotting the landscape, you'll know more
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about them than that they're more than just random
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structures. They've taught scientists that Yellowstone
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grazers, especially elk and bison, aren't damaging
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the land. They're shaping it, renewing it, and
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in many cases making it thrive. It's a pretty
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amazing reminder that what looks like simple
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fencing can reveal enormous stories about how
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Yellowstone works and just how important its
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wildlife really is. So the source for this was
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from the Mountain Journal with an article Yellowstone
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researchers elk and bison supercharged grass
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growth So you can check that out link will be
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in the show notes as well the weather for the
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coming week So just before I dive into this if
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you're in the park last week Yeah, weather prediction
18:58
is hard out here Last week's forecast when I
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read it ended up getting scrapped the day after
19:04
I recorded it and It's been not snowy at all
19:08
out here. Even though the forecast when I recorded
19:11
last week said lots of snow haven't seen any
19:15
snow guys, so Sorry about that. I'm doing the
19:18
best I can. I'm not a meteorologist I am just
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giving you the weather forecast that is given
19:23
to me. So that being said Here is the forecast
19:27
for Lamar Valley. Oh, before that, the weather
19:30
will weather forecast will get more dependable
19:33
later in the winter. It's just such an extreme
19:37
time of the year right now. It's really hard
19:38
to track how everything is going to impact. This
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will get better as we get deeper into winter.
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It's just we haven't had winter weather and we
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keep expecting that it's going to happen and
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then it doesn't. So Lamar Valley, Thursday high
19:52
of 44, low of 24. Friday high of 46 low of 27
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Saturday high of 42 low of 23 Sunday high of
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45 low of 24 Monday 35 % chance of snow high
20:07
of 37 low of 13 Tuesday high of 26 low of 7 and
20:12
Wednesday high of 27 low of 14 37 % chance of
20:17
snow the weather for Gardner Thursday high of
20:22
49 low of 26 Friday high of 50, low of 27. Saturday
20:27
high of 45, low of 25. Saturday high of 48, low
20:32
of 27. Monday high of 40, low of 14, 32 % chance
20:38
of some snow or rain. Tuesday high of 30, low
20:41
of 9. Wednesday high of 31, low of 17. Cook City.
20:49
Thursday, high of 41, low of 25. Friday, high
20:53
of 42, low of 26. Saturday, high of 39, low of
20:57
24. Sunday, high of 43, low of 24. Monday, high
21:03
of 35, low of 12, 39 % chance of snow. Tuesday,
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high of 22, low of 5. I'm very happy about that.
21:13
16 % chance of snow. Wednesday, high of 24, low
21:17
of 13. 40 % chance of rain or snow probably snow
21:21
if the high is gonna be 24 Colder temperatures
21:25
are on the way. I said it last week. I'm not
21:27
gonna jinx it by saying it this week So if you
21:30
don't know what I said last week go back and
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listen these snowpack update So this is as of
21:36
November 18th The snowpack in the Yellowstone
21:39
area is fluctuating between... Well, I won't
21:42
say between. Some places in the park have a snowpack
21:46
of 75%. That's gonna be your eastern side of
21:49
the park. North side of the park is about 53
21:52
% of normal. And then the west side of the park
21:55
is at 47 % of normal. Which, not great. Now,
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in case you're curious, last year at this time,
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the snowpack... was kind of flipped the eastern
22:07
side was at 60 percent of normal the north side
22:10
was 70 percent of normal and the west side was
22:13
at 93 percent of normal so we are behind across
22:17
the board from last year's snowpack which last
22:19
year's snowpack was a pretty bad snowpack to
22:22
start the year so fingers crossed that the snow
22:25
that i'm seeing in the 10 -day forecast at the
22:27
very end is real otherwise um gonna be hiking
22:32
everywhere we want in december Road conditions.
22:36
The only road open is the road between Gardner,
22:39
Montana and Cook City, Montana. Please be aware
22:41
that this road can and will close at any time
22:44
due to inclement weather. They will do an amazing
22:46
job of keeping it open because it's a lifeline
22:48
for Cook City. For up -to -date road information,
22:51
you can call 307 -344 -2117 for recorded information,
22:57
or you can sign up to receive Yellowstone Road
22:59
Alerts on your mobile phone by texting the number
23:02
82190 to the number 888777 camping information
23:10
there's only one campground open in the park
23:13
right now and that's the mammoth campground which
23:16
is open year round um drove by there there's
23:18
one person camping the other day and it was awesome
23:22
i was so proud of them but They weren't there,
23:25
so I didn't tell them. I was proud of them. But
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if that was you and you're listening, like well
23:29
done. I love people camping this time of the
23:30
year and through winter. It is so cool. The wildlife
23:34
report or wildlife watching update. So wildlife
23:38
watching as far as large animals has been pretty
23:41
hit and miss. Wolves haven't spotted, especially
23:44
around like the black toe black tail plateau
23:48
area out by Mount Everts. I had a friend that.
23:52
Heard that someone saw wolves up there There's
23:56
also some out from that forces of nature pullout
24:00
area so People have been seeing some way out
24:03
there Nothing really in Lamar, but that could
24:06
change nothing really in hell roaring, but that
24:08
could change as well Generally wolves are gonna
24:10
be hard to find bears are gonna be even harder
24:12
to find right now So good luck drive back and
24:16
forth if you see people set up with spotting
24:18
scopes definitely stop and politely ask what
24:21
they're looking at and set up your spotting scope
24:23
or look through your own binoculars and See what
24:25
you can see other than that. There's still a
24:28
lot of cool things to see bison are moving around
24:31
a ton like I mentioned earlier I Saw a couple
24:34
of big elk right around the turns by like floating
24:39
Island Lake Right before that so there's they're
24:42
hanging out there They're huge guys that are
24:45
just lounging about it's pretty fun then It's
24:50
been an interesting year for the deer rut. I
24:52
have seen more deer running around this year
24:54
than I have in previous years. There are some
24:57
good bucks running around with some glorious
24:59
antlers chasing the females around. Keep an eye
25:02
out for them because they are pretty much all
25:04
over the park right now. I didn't see any beyond
25:07
Little America, so nothing really in Lamar deer
25:11
wise, but from Mammoth, actually from Livingston,
25:15
all the way down to that area. I saw some deer.
25:19
So keep an eye out for them. Bighorn Sheep really
25:22
putting on a great show out by Yellowstone Hot
25:25
Springs north of the park. In the park again
25:28
there's been some coyotes, there's been some
25:31
pronghorn hanging out around the Gardner area
25:35
and up by Mammoth. Saw some of them. Generally,
25:38
it's just kind of a you see what you're gonna
25:40
see and maybe you'll have great luck Some of
25:42
the sightings that people have had with wolves
25:44
recently have been amazing, too They're just
25:47
dumb luck is wolves come close to the road cross
25:50
the road and disappear and there's three cars
25:52
there whole thing lasts four minutes and Then
25:55
it's over so Put in the work, drive around, I
25:59
will keep you updated. Next week it should start
26:02
picking up or the week after once we get some
26:04
snow pushing some things down. Right now with
26:07
no real snow in the upper mountains there's no
26:10
reason for things to come down which means that
26:13
the wolves are going to have to hunt by going
26:16
higher and by going higher they're more out of
26:19
sight. So it's going to be hit and miss this
26:22
week. It might pick up, but if it stays the same
26:25
as this last week, it's just going to be, like
26:27
I said, you're going to see what you're going
26:28
to see, but things are out there. And if you're
26:31
patient, put in the miles, scan, talk to people,
26:35
you'll see some really cool things. So if you
26:37
want more wildlife tips, especially like if you're
26:41
driving back and forth, what animals are going
26:43
to be typically where. Highly suggest you pick
26:46
up my wildlife watching guidebook. I wrote it
26:49
because I've spent my life here Watching animals
26:54
and I want people to see the animals that I struggled
26:57
to see in my first multiple years So I wrote
27:00
this book It's I think very useful a great introduction
27:04
and even people who live out here who go to the
27:07
park all the time Find something useful about
27:09
it if you want it You can get on an ebook Format
27:13
through me through my website for just ten bucks
27:16
paperbacks or a little more and you can get those
27:18
at outdoor -society .com Trail alerts and updates.
27:23
There's no official trail alerts this week bears
27:26
are still out Always throughout the year carry
27:29
bear spray have it readily accessible and know
27:31
how to use it I ran into somebody the other day
27:34
that had bear spray Or they said they had bear
27:37
spray, and I was like, oh, where is it? And they're
27:39
like, oh, it's in my bag. And they were hiking
27:41
to an area where there was fresh bear scab that
27:43
I'd seen. And I was like, well, you need to not
27:45
have it in your bag. So never have your bear
27:47
spray in your bag unless your bag is on the front
27:51
of you. And by in the bag, it's outside of the
27:54
bag where you can grab it in less than one second.
27:56
Otherwise, that's not a good use of bear spray.
28:01
My truck of the week. So I've recommended this
28:04
trail before but that was way back in March so
28:07
it's time to revisit it. This week I am talking
28:10
about Beaver Ponds. So if you're looking for
28:13
a hike in Yellowstone that feels peaceful but
28:15
can still be rich with wildlife and always great
28:18
with scenery, the Beaver Ponds trail near Mammoth
28:21
Hot Springs is a real gem. The National Park
28:23
Service says this is a five mile loop but every
28:26
time I hike it I get about six miles of activity
28:29
on my watch and about 900 feet of elevation gain.
28:32
Despite the mileage and elevation gain potential,
28:36
potentially taking people out of this, it's totally
28:40
doable. It might be a decent day, but if you're
28:44
in any sort of hiking shape and you're willing
28:46
to put in the work, you're gonna enjoy this.
28:49
On this hike, you're gonna wander through sagebrush
28:51
meadows, pockets of forest, and eventually come
28:53
across a series of beaver -built ponds tucked
28:56
into the terrain. So the trail starts just north
28:59
of Liberty Cap or behind Mammoth Hotel, depending
29:01
on which entrance you use. I always start at
29:04
Liberty Cap, as this gets most of the elevation
29:06
gain over with very quick. Then once you're hiking,
29:10
you just climb gently through the trees, then
29:12
out into the meadows, where the view sweeps across
29:14
to the mammoth terraces and surrounding peaks.
29:17
The ponds themselves are roughly halfway around
29:20
the loop, and here you'll likely see water birds,
29:24
and then some... Maybe beaver signs nod willows,
29:29
maybe a dam or two, you know If you know where
29:32
to look but I also always see coyote and sometimes
29:36
wolf tracks Especially if there's a little ice
29:38
on the lakes so or the ponds, I guess However,
29:43
despite the name hiking here is not just about
29:45
the beavers. You might see them I've never seen
29:48
a beaver here. I don't really know anybody that
29:51
has but They're supposedly there. So if you've
29:54
seen a beaver on beaver ponds, let me know. I
29:56
really want to know because I'm trying to figure
29:58
out how common it is. This trail is a solid pick
30:02
for wildlife watchers, even if you're not probably
30:04
going to see a beaver. You're more than likely
30:06
going to see elk. You're going to see those mule
30:08
deer, pronghorn, coyotes. You might even see
30:11
grizzly or black bears still or see some signs
30:14
of them as they use this area a lot. So stay
30:17
alert. Hiking groups when you can. Be loud. Carry
30:20
bear spray. I know it's November and December,
30:23
but bears can be seen any month of the year.
30:26
So why am I recommending mid -November as a time
30:30
for you to hit the Beaver Ponds Trail? For one,
30:33
the crowds are usually very thin. I have been
30:37
the only person on this trail. I didn't see a
30:40
single person, and I hiked it middle of the day
30:43
on a Saturday. That is because, you know, other
30:47
hikers are mostly gone. And if that's the case,
30:50
this trail takes on like a quiet, reflective
30:52
quality. It's very peaceful, very calm. If you're
30:56
by yourself and you're not used to hiking in
30:58
bear territory, it can be a little eerie, but
31:00
be loud, you know. Wildlife activity often goes
31:03
up in late fall on this if we talk about elk
31:07
and deer. Other than that, again, it's going
31:09
to be hit and miss. Just know that If you do
31:13
hike this, you could see any number of wildlife.
31:16
You might see bison out here. It's just a matter
31:19
of luck, so be ready for anything. Also know
31:23
that when hiking out here in November, temperature
31:25
is going to be chilly, and there might be frost
31:27
or, depending on the weather, light snow that
31:29
can make the trail a little slick in places.
31:32
So bring some good layers, good shoes, and maybe
31:35
some traction aids just to have in your bag,
31:37
just in case. While it might be a little chilly,
31:40
that also means, like, if it's a clear day, that
31:43
crisp air and the visibility is so perfect. It
31:46
is my favorite time to hike on a day that's only
31:48
like 35 degrees, a little bit of sun. Oh, it's
31:52
so great. Low of 20. That could just be me. If
31:56
you're coming from a colder place, that may sound
31:58
terrible, and I understand. But if you dress
32:00
warm, layer well, you'll be fine. Just bring
32:03
gloves, too. You're gonna pass through Aspen
32:05
stands that have now lost their leaves. There's
32:07
some sage meadows There's some giant sage near
32:11
the end if you start at Liberty cap and end by
32:13
the mammoth hotel So that's pretty cool the pot
32:16
the forests are good in pockets And then there's
32:19
little marshes and stuff with little birds that
32:22
are still there. It's great now if you're a photographer
32:25
The light right now this time of the year absolutely
32:30
perfect for getting the mountains around there
32:33
You know, if you're lucky enough to get there
32:36
and there are some birds, some ducks and stuff
32:39
on the water, that's great. And then you might,
32:42
like I said, you might see a beaver. You might
32:44
be lucky and you can tell me about it. Overall,
32:48
Beaver Pond's trail is a great choice if you
32:50
want a moderate workout, wildlife, sense of peace,
32:54
and just a cool hike in the Mammoth area. In
32:57
November, it's one of those places in Yellowstone
32:59
where you get to feel the real wilderness without
33:01
having to hike deep into the backcountry. Just
33:05
go slow, stay safe, and enjoy that quiet slice
33:08
of fall before winter really sets in. Now I go
33:12
into much more detail on trails like this in
33:15
my hiking guidebook that's available on my website.
33:19
Alright, that's it for this week. Next week,
33:21
I'll return with all the information you need
33:23
to have a good week in the park. That includes
33:25
the wildlife watching update, the weather, trail
33:28
updates, and everything else I want you to have
33:30
to have a good week in Yellowstone. Until then,
33:34
thank you for listening and happy trails! This
33:47
week in Yellowstone is brought to you by the
33:49
Outdoor Society because that's my company and
33:51
that's where this is hosted There are no sponsors.
33:54
This is a labor of love. So thank you all for
33:57
listening copyright 2025, baby