Latest / This Week in Yellowstone National Park / This Week in Yellowstone: April 9th to April 15th, 2026

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This Week in Yellowstone: April 9th to April 15th, 2026 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

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From Yellowstone National Park where baby bison
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are popping up in the prairie This is that Scott
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guy you know and love with a brand new episode
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of this week in Yellowstone What's up everybody
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this week in Yellowstone National Park from April
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9th to April 15th 2026 I will share with you
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why this is the last calm week in the park, tell
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you not to leave a pullout when the animals go
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away, discuss bear management areas, and hope
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to inspire you to go for a hike. I'll also give
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you the complete weather forecast, the snowpack
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update, the wildlife report, and everything else
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you need to have an incredible time this week
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in Yellowstone. Standard disclaimer. I may miss
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a few details here and there. I also mention
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park locations very casually, so if you're unfamiliar
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with anything I say, a quick search can help,
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or you can just reach out to me with any questions
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you may have. Please note that this report only
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covers the drivable areas of the park. Finally,
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This podcast is a passion project. I'm not paid
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or sponsored for it. If you enjoy it, I'd love
1:18
a review or a quick email. If you want to support
1:20
my work, check out my hiking and wildlife watching
1:22
guidebooks or join me for a guided hiking tour
1:25
in Yellowstone's backcountry. For more information
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on all of this, visit Outdoor -Society .com or
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just contact me directly. That is TheOutdoorSociety
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at gmail .com or area code 406 -589. 1873 for
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text messages. Seriously though, pick up guidebooks,
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review this podcast, and book a trail tour with
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me. You won't regret it. This week's Yellowstone
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news. It's really only two major stories that
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I'll cover this week, so here we go. The first
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is that traffic delays are expected over the
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Gardiner River Bridge. Construction on the Gardiner
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River High Bridge located east of Mammoth is
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set to begin on April 13th. and it's going to
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continue through October. Visitors traveling
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between Mammoth and Tower should expect delays
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of up to 15 minutes at any time of the day as
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traffic will be reduced to a single lane and
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controlled by a signal. In addition to these
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delays, there will be five planned overnight
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closures between late May and July 1st, with
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road access shut down from 9 p .m. to 4 a .m.
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Once I get those dates, I'll let you guys know,
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so hang in there. Also know that there are also
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important restrictions to be aware of during
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this construction. Vehicles exceeding 8 feet
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6 inches in width, 75 feet in length, or 80 ,000
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pounds gross vehicle weight will not be allowed
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to pass through this section of road. The other
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main story right now doesn't really impact this
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week, it impacts next week, but I just want to
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give a heads up about it. Interior roads are
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going to start opening up on the 17th of this
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month. Select roads in Yellowstone National Park
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are scheduled to open to public vehicles at 8
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a .m. on friday april 17th marking a major step
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of transitioning from winter to summer tourism
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the first roads to open right now are going to
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be the west entrance and that will be open to
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old faithful and all the way up to mammoth so
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mammoth hot springs down to norris all the way
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down to old faithful will be open and also norris
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to canyon is going to be open on the 17th at
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8 a .m Additional roads begin opening phases
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through May with the east entrance over Sylvan
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Pass as well as Hayden Valley usually opening
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around May 1st, that's the scheduled date, then
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that's followed by the south entrance on May
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8th and then by May 22nd all the park roads should
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be open if the weather cooperates. But right
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now on the 17th of this month of April the road
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From Mammoth all the way down to Old Faithful
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and out to Canyon will be open and the west entrance
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to Old Faithful Canyon and Mammoth will be open
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8 a .m. April 17th. I'll talk about it again
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next week My experience of the week Enjoying
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the last calm week So there's a very short window
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each spring in Yellowstone that feels completely
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different from the rest of the year It's happening
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right now and this is the last week that it's
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going to happen because once the roads open,
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as I just talked about, traffic starts to steadily
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climb for the summer tourism season. After this
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week, visitation is going to start ramping up
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quickly. National Park Service stats say that
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Yellowstone receives the vast majority of its
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more than four million annual visitors between
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late May and September, and those numbers begin
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to rise sharply as the interior roads open on
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the 17th. This shift is literally just around
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the corner, just talked about it, and that's
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why this week is kind of that last little bit
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of seclusion or calmness. For now, things are
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just chill and it's great. It doesn't mean that
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the park's completely empty, so don't assume
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it will be, but know that it's not that crowded.
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You're gonna see lots of people at pullouts if
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there's wolves or grizzlies or baby bison or
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something like that. That part is never going
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to change in Yellowstone. But outside of those
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moments, the roads are quiet in a way that's
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hard to find later in the year. Traffic is very
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light. You can drive for miles without seeing
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another car. The camper vans and long lines of
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summer haven't arrived yet. Tour groups are still
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around but even those feel spaced out especially
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away from those animal sightings. Most of the
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time it's just you, the road, and a landscape
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that's starting to green up. The truth is that
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right now there's no shortage of things to see.
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Wildlife is one of the biggest reasons to be
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here this week. The northern range is especially
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active. Grizzly bears are emerging from torpor
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and are being spotted regularly. Even black bears
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are out. The grizzlies are feeding on winter
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-killed animals or moving across open hillsides
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and digging for roots. Wolves have been visible
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almost every day in recent weeks, sometimes close
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enough to watch without spotting scopes or binoculars.
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This level of consistency doesn't usually last
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into the busier months. Bison are also entering
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one of the most iconic seasons. Calving has begun,
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and those small, reddish -orange newborns, often
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called red dogs, are starting to appear across
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the valleys. Bison calves are typically born
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from April through June, with a peak activity
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in the early part of that window. And guess what?
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That's April. April and May, there's baby bison
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everywhere. Seeing them take their first steps
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is one of those moments that just sticks with
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you and is so cool. And then when they get like
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the zoomies and run around, it's awesome. And
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you're going to be able to see that right now
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without a lot of other people around. Beyond
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wildlife, the landscape itself is starting to
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shift. Lower elevation trails on the northern
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range are mostly snow -free, opening up hiking
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opportunities that feel surprisingly remote for
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this time of year. You can walk a short distance
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from the road and find yourself completely alone.
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It's a rare chance to experience Yellowstone's
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backcountry without feeling like you have to
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really work to be by yourself. And honestly,
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like I say this, it's true, but even in the height
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of summer, solitude and seclusion are very easily
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found. If you are traveling in the summer and
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that's something you're craving, reach out to
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me. I will hook you up. Better yet, book a tour.
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I will take you to places that no one else goes
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to that are truly stunning. So remember that
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during your visit during the summer. Spring is
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just here right now and right now is a good time
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to see it. Migratory birds are returning, there's
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sounds everywhere, ospreys are beginning to reclaim
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their nesting sites, songbirds are more active
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in the mornings, across the grasslands the first
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hint of green are starting to show through, and
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Even the wildflowers are starting to appear.
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I was out on a hike the other day and I saw the
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early wildflowers and it was awesome. So it's
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a subtle reminder at first and it's easy to miss
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if you're not looking closely, but spring is
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here and this is the time to see it. What makes
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this week special is balance. You still have
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the feeling of early spring, with wildlife concentrated
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and landscape in transition, but without the
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full arrival of all of the people that want to
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see the park. It's a version of Yellowstone that
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feels open, quiet, and most importantly, it's
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unhurried. That's going to change quickly, as
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roads open toward Old Faithful, Norris, and Grand
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Canyon of Yellowstone, the park expands overnight.
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More people arrive, People have a checklist that
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they have to go see everything, traffic increases,
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people's patience starts wearing thin, and the
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energy shifts from a quiet observation to full
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summer activity. Now there's absolutely nothing
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wrong with summer activity. Summer in Yellowstone
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is amazing and magical in its own right. But
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this week offers something different. It's one
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last chance to see the park before it transitions
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to true tourism season. This is the time to experience
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wildlife without as much pressure, to stand in
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a pullout and hear nothing but wind, distant
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water, or to hike a trail and not see another
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person. If you've ever thought about visiting
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Yellowstone in the shoulder season, this is that
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moment. Just know that it's not going to last
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long. My tip of the week. Spend time at pullouts
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after everyone leaves. Spending time watching
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wildlife in Yellowstone teaches you something
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pretty quickly. Animals aren't on your schedule.
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I mean, obviously, right? They don't show up
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just because you pulled into a turnout and they
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don't wait around for you to get a good picture
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of them. Instead, everything out here works in
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waves. There are moments when the landscape feels
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full of life, and then long stretches where nothing
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seems to be happening. And then, just when it
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feels like it's over and everyone gives up, it
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starts up again. Most people have heard the basics.
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Early morning and evening are usually the best
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time to see wildlife. National Park Service on
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their website points out that many of Yellowstone's
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large mammals are most active during these cooler
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parts of the day, especially in the warmer months.
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Midday tends to slow things down, animals are
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going to bed down, they're going to move into
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timber, or it just becomes harder to spot them.
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But that's an oversimplification of things. There's
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another layer to all of this that you only start
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to notice if you stick around a little longer.
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Animals in Yellowstone don't just move with the
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time of day, they move in cycles. Wolves, elk,
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bison, and bears all have periods when they're
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active, followed by periods when they rest or
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disappear from view. I think we all kind of want
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to do that, right? Or maybe that's just us introverts.
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So research on Yellowstone wolves, for example,
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shows that they alternate between traveling,
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feeding, and resting throughout the day rather
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than staying constantly active or constantly
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napping during the daylight hours. You'll often
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see a pack of wolves or a bear out in the open,
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maybe feeding or just standing there. Someone
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spots them, word spreads, and pretty soon there's
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a line of cars and a cluster of people with binoculars
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and spotting scopes. Tour groups show up and
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pretty soon People are just standing around watching
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the animal. Then, almost like clockwork, the
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animals drift out of sight. From the road, it
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feels like they're gone. People will wait around
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for a bit, but eventually, everyone starts to
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leave. The pullout empties. The assumption is
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that the show is over. Then, not long after that,
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most of the time, the animals come back out.
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This happens all the time. I'm in the park all
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the time, and I see it all the time. It happened
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last week when I was in the park. Wolves were
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out and visible in Slough Creek, and it seemed
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like everyone in the park was there watching
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them. Which, again, there's not a lot of people
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in the park, so it was fine. The weather wasn't
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ideal though, and the wolves were visible, but
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from very far away. The wind picked up, the snow
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started to fall again, and everyone started to
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pack up and leave. I was leading a hiking tour
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that day, and we watched everyone leave. and
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then we started hiking down the closed Slough
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Creek Road heading to the trailhead. As we hiked
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on, we stopped and scanned just in case there
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was anything out, and then off to our left, on
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a ridge a few hundred yards away, was a lone
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black wolf on the move, and it was only visible
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to us. We watched it for a few minutes, and then
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it was gone. We hiked on, had a great day, and
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returned to the area. It was only 3 p .m. when
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we got back to the spot where we had a good wolf
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sighting earlier, and then we looked around and
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didn't really see anything from our vantage point,
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but we did see one person up on the hill scanning
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and kind of pointing at something. So we went
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up there and the wolves were once again visible.
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We scanned and saw two wolves in the junction
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of the Junction Butte Pack perfectly visible
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to the naked eye wandering around. As we got
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within sight of the main road, we watched as
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tour groups and carloads of visitors rushed by,
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not knowing that the wolves they struggled to
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see earlier in the day were perfectly visible
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in the warm sun. We were out there looking at
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them, but because not everyone is crowded, they
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didn't get to see them. Later I found out that
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once that snow cleared up, they were visible
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very quickly again, but everyone was gone. So...
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This is not unique or random. It's part of that
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natural rhythm of feeding resting and moving
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through the landscape It's also why I push back
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when other tour guides in the park Say that wildlife
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like bears and wolves are not visible in the
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middle of the day. There are people who are adamant
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about that And yes sightings are not as common
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But they're also not that rare. I had a conversation
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with the tour guide Who was posting about how
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not even to bother looking for wildlife in the
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middle of the day And I pushed back because,
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you know, some people, that's certainly time
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that they can go look for wildlife. And they
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said, well, I've never seen anything. The next
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day, I was driving through the park and I had
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a wolf walk out in the middle of the road, middle
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of the day, 70 degree day in the middle of the
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summer. And I got to see this lone wolf just
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having a day, a couple of a sought and then drift
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away. It's a matter of luck and timing. And that's
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what makes Yellowstone awesome. So I'm definitely
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not saying like always only go looking for wildlife
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in the middle of the day or if something leaves
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stay there all the time. But kind of trust your
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gut or if you don't have anything else to do
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hang out. There's also a case to be said about
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just getting back in the car and seeing what
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else you can see. There is no wrong way to see
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Yellowstone's wildlife. Just know that every
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choice you make impacts what you may or may not
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see and it's all out of your control so never
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stress it. If the Yellowstone powers that be
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want you to have a good day and see things, then
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you're going to. If it's not in the cards that
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day, you're not going to see anything, and it's
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okay. Now note there's also a human factor in
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animal movement and visibility. Yellowstone wildlife
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is not fully habituated to people, nor should
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it be. Large crowds influence behavior. National
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Park Service website notes that animals may change
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how they use an area in response to disturbances,
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even if it's subtle. Is there a barking dog in
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the pullout? You might have the animals leave.
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Are there kids screaming? Are there adults screaming?
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Is it just loud from people honking horns or
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car alarms going off or doors slamming? Those
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things are going to impact animals. You're going
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to notice this more in the shoulder season when
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there's fewer people around. The ebb and the
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flow become easier to see. In the summer, there's
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just always noise. So it doesn't really seem
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to impact them as much, it does, but it's not
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as visible because they kind of get used to it
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a little bit. But right now it's really easy
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to see. You're going to see animals kind of stressed
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about noise and leave and go out of view. That's
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why when everyone leaves, they might come back
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because there's less noise, there's less pressure.
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For visitors, this is one of the most valuable
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lessons you can take away. If you leave the second
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things get quiet, you're probably going to miss
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something. Some of my best moments happen after
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that lull when people have already left. Knowing
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this changes how you approach wildlife watching.
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Instead of chasing sightings, start to slow down.
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You stay put a little longer. You watch more
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carefully. You watch more casually. You realize
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that what looks like nothing happened is actually
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just a pause before the next movement. Yellowstone
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really rewards patience. The animals are still
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there, moving through their own rhythms, whether
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anyone is watching or not. If you give it time,
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chances are good that they're going to come back
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into view. And if they don't, you're still hanging
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out in the beautiful landscapes of Yellowstone,
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so it's hard to complain. My random Yellowstone
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fact of the week. Bear management areas. This
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was a request via email, so... Thank you for
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submitting this and hopefully I explain it well.
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So bear management areas or BMAs are one of those
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things you might hear about when planning a spring
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trip to Yellowstone National Park. I also impact
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some summer movement but not a ton. They sound
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like a really big deal and in some ways they
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are but for the overwhelming majority of visitors
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they end up having very little impact on what
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you can actually do in the park. Each year, the
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National Park Service puts these seasonal restrictions
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in place in areas where bears are more likely
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to be feeding or moving through. Most BMAs go
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into effect around March 10th, right as grizzly
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bears begin to emerge from denning. Adult males,
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often called boars, are usually the first out,
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followed by the females with cubs later in the
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spring. After months without eating, bears are
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trying to regain weight as quickly as possible,
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often by feeding on winter -killed elk and bison.
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Giving them space during this time is critical.
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There are a few well -known areas where BMAs
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impact visitation. Pelican Valley is probably
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the one that most people know. There used to
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be a bear management area located near the Grand
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Prismatic overlooking out to Fairy Falls in the
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spring, but because of bear shifting locations
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that no longer is in effect. Pelican Valley is
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one of the strictest places in the park and it's
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usually closed to all travel until early July
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because it's such an important grizzly habitat.
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Other areas like Washburn and Firehole have a
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mix of closures and limited access depending
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on the situation. Most of these restrictions
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stay in place until late June or July 1st though
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the exact dates can shift a bit each year. The
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main one in the interior right now is out by
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Mary Mountain as well. That's where the Grand
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Prismatic Overlook was part of that closure,
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but Mary Mountain, you definitely don't want
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to be going out there and shouldn't be until
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it's open. Since bear management areas don't
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really impact very many people, you can go to
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places like Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring,
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the Grand Canyon, the Yellowstone, Lamar Valley,
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all of those. Those are still fully accessible.
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Roads are open, pullouts are open, and the main
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attractions operate as usual. Even when it comes
20:16
to hiking, there's still plenty of options. A
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few trails, like we're talking a handful at most,
20:23
might have time restrictions, but unless you're
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specifically planning a backcountry route into
20:28
one of these areas, you won't run into closures
20:31
at all. And this is by design. The National Park
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Service sets up these VMAs to protect the areas
20:36
that matter most to bears while keeping the park
20:39
open and accessible for visitors. It's a way
20:42
of balancing conservation with access, and it
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works pretty well. There's also a safety angle.
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Early spring is one of the most sensitive times
20:51
of the year, especially with bears feeding on
20:53
carcasses or moving with cubs. Keeping people
20:57
out of certain areas lowers the chances of close
20:59
encounters, which is better for everyone involved.
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people, and bears. So if you're visiting this
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time of year, it might be worth pulling up the
21:09
map of the bear management areas. You know, it's
21:12
interesting, but it's probably not going to impact
21:14
you that much. Check current conditions, take
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a look at that map if you're heading out on a
21:19
hike, and pay attention to any posted signs.
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That's the most important thing you can do. If
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there's a bear frequenting an area, you're going
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to see a sign that says bear frequenting area,
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sometimes with a date and time and location.
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If it's bad enough, they will close the trail.
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This is what the park will do to keep everybody
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and the bears safe and still allow you to have
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an amazing time in the backcountry of Yellowstone.
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The weather for the coming week. As always, this
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is the best forecast I can give you for the whole
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seven days. The sooner the days are to when I'm
21:54
recording this, the more accurate it's going
21:56
to be as we get to five, six, seven days out.
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This is just going to work as a ballpark. Also,
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I'm a little sad because this is the like last
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time I get to do a weather report with only three
22:07
locations. I now have to add other places. So
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weather reports getting just a little bit longer.
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I mean, it's already longer because I'm doing
22:15
this rant. So anyway, here's the weather for
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Lamar Valley this week on Thursday, high of 56.
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Low of 28, 3 % chance of rain. Friday, high of
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60, low of 35, 24 % chance of rain mostly in
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the evening. Saturday, 57 and 35, with a 50 %
22:35
chance of rain, mostly in the afternoon. Sunday,
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51, 31, 50 % chance of snow, less than an inch.
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Monday, 45 and 29, 30 % chance of a quarter inch
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of rain or snow. Tuesday 46 and 30 with a 23
22:54
% chance of precipitation and Wednesday 48 and
22:58
34 with a 46 % chance of some rain Gardener,
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Montana on Thursday high of 59 low at 31 3 %
23:08
chance of rain Friday 63 and 38 with a 24 % chance
23:13
of rain in the afternoon evening Saturday 59
23:17
and 38 24 % chance of rain throughout the day
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Sunday 52 and 32 with a 33 percent chance of
23:26
two hundredths of an inch of rain Monday 49 and
23:29
31 with a 39 percent chance about a quarter inch
23:33
of snow Tuesday 49 and 32 with a 24 percent chance
23:38
of precipitation Wednesday 51 and 35 with a 46
23:43
percent chance of four hundredths of an inch
23:46
of rain and finally Cook City, Montana On Thursday,
23:51
high of 50, low of 29, 5 % chance of rain. Friday,
23:56
54 and 36, 24 % chance of rain. Afternoon and
24:00
evening, just like everywhere else. Saturday,
24:03
52 and 34, with a 50 % chance of rain, about
24:06
a tenth of an inch. Sunday, wettest day, 46 and
24:11
28, 44 % chance of maybe a half inch of snow
24:14
or some heavy rain. Monday, High of 40, low of
24:18
25. 41 % chance about a quarter inch of snow
24:21
or rain. Tuesday, 43 and 27, with a 24 % chance
24:27
of some sort of precipitation. Wednesday, 44
24:30
and 31, with a 50 % chance about a half inch
24:33
of snow. So that's the weather forecast for the
24:36
week. Looks like a decent start to the weekend,
24:38
and then it's going to be cloudy and wet, but
24:40
still gorgeous. Go to the park. The snowpack
24:44
update. As of April 8th, the snowpack is around
24:47
78 % of normal for this time of year. The eastern
24:51
and northern ranges of the park are at 93 % of
24:54
normal, while the western and southern sides
24:56
are about 67 % of normal. Last year on this date,
25:00
we were averaging around 98 % of our normal level.
25:05
Road conditions. The only road open is the road
25:09
between Gardiner and Cook City this week. It's
25:11
going to change next week. Looks like the weather
25:14
is going to be pretty good. I don't expect any
25:15
closures to happen, so be aware of that construction
25:19
though. If you want up -to -date information
25:21
on the road conditions, call 307 -344 -2117 for
25:26
a recorded message, or you can sign up to receive
25:29
Yellowstone Road Alerts on your mobile phone
25:31
by texting 82190 to the number 888... 777 camping
25:38
information there's only one campground open
25:40
in the park right now and that's the mammoth
25:43
campground which is open year round there's also
25:45
campgrounds opening outside of the park if you're
25:48
looking at those or want to know about those
25:50
reach out to me happy to share the wildlife watching
25:54
update So wildlife watching right now, as you've
25:58
heard, is pretty good. It's been a slow couple
26:01
of days, but before that it was a very active
26:03
couple of days. So that's just kind of the nature
26:06
of how the park is. So right now you're gonna
26:11
see some bison hanging around, mammoth and gardener.
26:14
You're gonna see some elk and pronghorn out there
26:16
as well. And then as you get towards like Blacktail
26:20
Plateau, there's gonna be some... or blacktail
26:22
ponds there's going to be some bison and stuff
26:25
you're also then going to start seeing some black
26:27
bears potentially around that blacktail plateau
26:32
road it's closed right now but it's a good time
26:35
of the year to see some early ones there that
26:37
are by phantom lake there's some moose out by
26:41
cook city still uh wolves have just kind of been
26:44
hit and miss all over the place they might be
26:46
at hell roaring they might be visible out in
26:49
lamar or at slew creek or in little america so
26:52
you're just gonna have to drive and put in some
26:54
work to see those there's been some grizzlies
26:56
hanging out by lamar valley like the footbridge
27:00
area if you go out that way they're off in the
27:03
distance also there has been a grizzly that's
27:05
by junction butte and it's been really just hanging
27:08
out Pretty near the road, people got some really
27:10
good pictures just with their phones the other
27:12
day. You're going to have some Sanhok cranes
27:14
in the park. You're going to have some bluebirds,
27:16
western meadowlarks. You're going to be getting
27:18
a bunch of different other birds moving in migratory.
27:23
I did hear a little bit about otters being spotted
27:27
near the confluence, but those are so hit and
27:30
miss to see that they're there one day and then
27:33
they're not there for another two weeks. But
27:34
it's always worth a stop to kind of sit and scan
27:37
real quick. other than that bison babies are
27:40
being born little america and lamar is where
27:42
you're probably going to see those it's only
27:44
a couple right now but every day every week that
27:47
passes there's going to be more until we have
27:50
just that explosion of baby bison all around
27:52
um not really an explosion that would be awful
27:55
but you know it's it's a good time it's just
27:58
hit and miss and every day that passes is another
28:02
day that more bears are going to be out which
28:04
means that there's a potential for more carcasses
28:07
if the wolves are taking things down and then
28:10
the bears are going to go to the carcasses and
28:11
then you're going to have all this activity uh
28:14
bald eagles are all out it's great to see osprey
28:17
are coming back it's really cool it's a great
28:20
time of the year i absolutely love it if you
28:23
need to go into the park even for the day recommend
28:26
saturday probably or even sunday wouldn't be
28:28
bad But again, wildlife is just gonna be hit
28:33
-and -miss for a little bit just with the weather
28:36
systems moving in so put in some work at least
28:39
go from the hell -roaring area out to Round Prairie
28:45
and Pebble Creek and back a couple of times and
28:47
you should be able to see some good things Oh
28:49
big horn sheep have also been hanging out near
28:51
the hot springs north of the park Yellowstone
28:55
Hot Springs and also around the Tower Junction
28:59
area, especially Junction Butte. Trail alerts
29:04
and updates. There's no official trail alerts.
29:06
We're going to be getting those pretty soon as
29:08
more staffing comes in. They start hiking more.
29:11
Just know that Carry your bear spray be very
29:15
bear aware. They are out there This is not the
29:18
time you want to get too close to one You never
29:20
want to get too close to one. This is definitely
29:23
like a bad time to sneak up on a bear So be loud
29:27
carry your bear spray have it readily accessible
29:29
quickly accessible and know how to use it other
29:33
than that Enjoy it. It's great I'm gonna tell
29:37
you where to hike in just a second but if you're
29:40
looking for a hike that i'm not mentioning right
29:42
now this week swing down to hell roaring or do
29:45
lost lake those are my those are my tips all
29:48
right my truck of the week slew creek road and
29:52
trail As Yellowstone National Park starts to
29:55
transition into spring's opening phase, some
29:58
of the best experiences are actually happening
30:00
just before everything opens. Side roads that
30:02
are going to be open and soon busy with vehicle
30:05
traffic are still closed, and for a short window,
30:08
they turn into a quiet, walkable route into some
30:11
of the park's best wildlife habitat. One of these
30:14
best places right now, Slough Creek. Walking
30:18
the Slough Creek Road and continuing on the Slough
30:20
Creek Trail to First Meadow this time of the
30:23
year is something special. Once the road opens
30:26
to vehicles, the experience changes completely.
30:29
For now though, it's quiet, open, and incredibly
30:33
productive for wildlife. Lamar and Slough are
30:36
kind of those hand -in -hand best wildlife corridors,
30:39
especially for wolves, bears, and grazing animals.
30:42
I was out here last week leading a tour, as I
30:44
said before, and it delivered in a big way. We
30:47
saw wolves hiking along with a wide range of
30:50
other wildlife along the route. We also came
30:52
across a bison skull, moose antlers, and an elk
30:55
antler. It's the kind of place where you're constantly
30:58
reminded that this landscape is actively being
31:01
used by animals every day. It's also the trail
31:03
that I usually see my first bear sighting of
31:06
the year. Didn't see one this year or this last
31:10
trip. but guarantee that when I go out there
31:12
one of these times I'm going to see a grizzly
31:14
or some black bears. The route itself very simple
31:19
and makes for a great day. You park at the start
31:22
of Slough Creek Road and you walk down the road.
31:25
It's a gradual descent with a couple rolling
31:27
hills and there's plenty of opportunities to
31:30
scan hillsides and open terrain. After a few
31:32
miles you reach the trailhead where the Slough
31:36
Creek Trail continues into the backcountry. This
31:38
is where you want to go. You could walk down
31:40
to the campground. There will be some bear tracks
31:42
and stuff down there, but you want to go into
31:44
First Meadow. So hop on the trail and hike the
31:48
path that leads up and over a hill before dropping
31:51
into First Meadow. This meadow is the main destination
31:55
for most people this time of year. It's wide,
31:58
it's open, and it offers excellent visibility,
32:00
making it the perfect place to sit, have a snack,
32:03
and spend time watching the landscape. We did
32:06
just that. last week and saw some elk, saw tons
32:09
of bison, saw some cool birds, and then like
32:12
I said we saw bison skull, we found moose antlers,
32:16
it was awesome. There is a rocky outcropping
32:20
in the first meadow. If you're hiking on the
32:22
trail it's going to be on your left once you
32:23
get there. There's a patrol cabin on the right,
32:26
you'll want to go to the top of the rocks on
32:27
the left and sit and scan. No round trip that
32:31
this is about nine miles with 900 feet of elevation.
32:35
But it's manageable and it feels like you've
32:38
gone somewhere. I've written about this route
32:40
in so much detail in my hiking guidebook to the
32:42
Greater Yellowstone ecosystem that if you're
32:44
interested in finding more hikes like this or
32:46
more about this trail, reach out to me, pick
32:49
up a copy of this book. It's a great resource
32:52
to have along. Slough Creek itself is also well
32:56
known for its clear water and native Yellowstone
32:58
cutthroat trout. uh this drainage is one of the
33:01
park's premier backcountry fisheries which speaks
33:04
to the overall health and importance of the ecosystem
33:06
here well it's not as good as it used to be if
33:09
you talk to anybody who fishes this area it's
33:12
still pretty cool once you're in this meadow
33:15
it's just a cool place to hang out this isn't
33:19
a place to rush through You know, wolves move
33:21
through this area regularly, bears use the same
33:24
corridors, elk, bison, and pronghorn are common.
33:27
You're not just hiking to a viewpoint, you're
33:29
stepping into one of the most active wildlife
33:32
areas in the park. Now this also means that you
33:35
need to stay alert. Spring and early summer bring
33:38
a lot of animal activity here, especially for
33:41
bears emerging from their dens. Bison also use
33:44
this road and trail a lot. So know that you need
33:48
to stay 100 yards at all times from bears and
33:51
wolves, even if they're walking towards you,
33:53
walk away. Keep that same 100 yard distance at
33:56
all times. Same goes for other wildlife with
33:59
a 25 yard viewing distance. If a bison walks
34:03
towards you, keep a 25 yard or more viewing distance.
34:07
If any animal does, if any animal approaches
34:09
you, that doesn't mean that it's going to be
34:11
friendly and you can just stand there. keep moving
34:13
away from it i say this because i see this happen
34:16
all the time and then people are like i didn't
34:18
know i thought it was coming up to say hi and
34:20
i'm like are you serious it was a bull elk in
34:23
the middle of the rut like don't do this it's
34:25
not safe um you know just be smart if animals
34:29
are on the trail you're gonna have to walk around
34:31
them off trail and if they're blocking the trail
34:33
on the way out maybe you just have to turn around
34:35
to do something else but that's just what it's
34:39
like hiking in yellowstone Now, what makes the
34:41
experience of Slough Creek standout right now
34:43
is the timing. In a matter of weeks, the road's
34:46
going to open, vehicles return, and the feel
34:48
of the area is going to shift. There's a wolf
34:50
den that has been used multiple years out here,
34:53
and that road that you'll walk down that has
34:55
no one else on it will have hundreds of cars
34:56
soon. This is a quiet, peaceful, awesome area
35:00
that I absolutely love, and I think you will
35:03
too. All right, that's it for this week's episode.
35:07
Next week... You know what I'm gonna say. I'm
35:09
gonna return with all the information you need
35:11
to have a good week in the park, including wildlife,
35:14
weather, and trail updates, and the opening of
35:16
the roads. Until then, really consider booking
35:20
a tour with me. I enjoy this podcast a lot, and
35:23
I know a lot of you do, and if you're headed
35:24
to the park, it'd mean a lot if you join me for
35:26
a hike. If you can't do that, consider picking
35:30
up a guidebook of mine. Nearly everybody that
35:32
buys a book thanks me for... Having those books
35:35
make their trip so well Really happy to help
35:38
you out reach out to me. And if you're coming
35:41
to the park again, reach out to me Let me know
35:43
maybe we'll meet up. I'll say hi. I will sign
35:46
your phone No, I'm not gonna do any of that,
35:49
but I will say hi. So until next week happy trails
36:04
Abrupt ending! This week in Yellowstone is brought
36:07
to you by The Outdoor Society. That's my company.
36:10
It's just me, I do this, it's a labor of love.
36:13
If you like it, tell your friends, rate and review
36:15
it. Shoot me a message. Otherwise, keep listening
36:18
and I hope to see you in Yellowstone. Copyright
36:21
2026, baby!