Latest / This Week in Yellowstone National Park / This Week in Yellowstone: March 12th to March 18th, 2026

Transcript

This Week in Yellowstone: March 12th to March 18th, 2026 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

0:00
From Yellowstone National Park where the bluebirds
0:03
are back and there's snow in the forecast This
0:06
is that Scott guy, you know in love with a brand
0:08
new episode of this week in Yellowstone What's
0:21
up everybody this week in Yellowstone National
0:23
Park from March 12th to March 18th, 2026, I'll
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tell you what you need to know to see bluebirds,
0:30
let you know the main causes of death in Yellowstone,
0:32
and share some tips on how to watch wildlife
0:35
without putting the animals at risk. I'll also
0:38
give you the complete weather forecast, the snowpack
0:40
update, a trail to hike, the wildlife report,
0:44
and everything else you need to have an incredible
0:46
time this week in Yellowstone. Standard disclaimer,
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I might miss a few details here and there, so
0:52
reach out with any questions you may have. I
0:54
also mention park locations casually, so if you're
0:57
unfamiliar with an area that I mention, a quick
0:59
search can help. If that doesn't turn up anything
1:02
useful, reach out to me. Also know that this
1:05
report only covers the drivable areas of the
1:08
park, which currently is the northern range.
1:11
Finally, in this intro, this podcast is a passion
1:14
project. If you enjoy it, I'd love a review or
1:16
a quick email. If you want to support my work
1:18
further, you can check out my hiking and wildlife
1:20
watching guidebooks or join me for a guided hiking
1:23
tour in Yellowstone's backcountry. For more information,
1:26
visit outdoor -society .com or just contact me
1:29
directly at theoutdoorsocietyatgmail .com or
1:32
text me at 406 -589 -1873. This week's Yellowstone
1:39
news. Yellowstone National Park's first grizzly
1:42
bear spring sighting of 2026. There was that
1:45
grizzly bear sighting in January. Doesn't really
1:48
count because it didn't signify that all the
1:50
bears are coming out. This bear sighting signifies
1:53
that all the bears are coming out. Here's the
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blurb from Yellowstone National Park. On March
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9th, Yellowstone National Park biologists working
2:01
in the northern part of the park reported seeing
2:03
the first grizzly bear of the spring season.
2:06
The bear was observed in the backcountry scavenging
2:08
on a bull bison carcass. The first reported grizzly
2:12
bear sighting of 2025 occurred on March 14th,
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in 2024 it was March 3rd, and in 2022 and 2023
2:20
it was March 7th. So bears are out, they're going
2:24
to stay out, they're going to be more out. Right
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now it's just the grizzly boars. Pretty soon
2:30
all the other bears are going to be out and about.
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So carry your bear spray, know how to use it,
2:35
be very alert, and if you get to see a bear right
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now, awesome! A secondary news story right now
2:41
is that all over snow travel ends on the 15th
2:44
of March. That means there's only a few more
2:47
days of people going into the interior. Right
2:49
now, the only people doing so are coming from
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west or the south or the east gate, but generally
2:55
just from west. I looked at the... webcam today
3:00
for West Yellowstone and you could see pavement.
3:03
So I'll talk about the weather in a little bit,
3:05
but right now the end of over snow travel into
3:08
the interior is on the 15th and then in about
3:11
a month from now we will start seeing the opening
3:14
of the interior roads. The final bit of news
3:18
is that Pallet Springs near Mammoth Hot Springs
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is currently closed. The boardwalk is. There's
3:25
a portion of the boardwalk leading to Pallet
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Springs. It's located on the lower terraces in
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Mammoth. It's going to be temporarily closed
3:31
for repair work. This may actually be completed
3:34
by the time you hear this, but if it's not, I
3:37
just wanted to give you a heads up. That's pretty
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much all the news, so we're going to jump right
3:41
in to the experience of the week. Well, I could
3:44
talk about trying to spot a bear this week. Chances
3:48
are those bear sightings are going to not be
3:50
too great in the coming seven to 14 days. So
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I'm going to talk about bear sightings a little
3:54
later. But right now, the experience of the week
3:57
is a return of the bluebirds in Yellowstone.
3:59
And I know birding isn't everyone's cup of tea,
4:02
but maybe I can convince you that this is a cool
4:04
thing. Each year around the Greater Yellowstone
4:07
region, one small sign of spring gets a lot of
4:10
locals excited. The return of the bluebirds.
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After months of winter, or in this case days
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of winter, it only takes one flash of bright
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blue over a snowy field or just kind of a dreary
4:22
gray background to make people feel like the
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seasons are starting to shift. In and around
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Yellowstone National Park, bluebirds are some
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of the earliest migrants to come back. Winter
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storms can still sweep through the area, yet
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these birds begin showing up as daylight slowly
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increases and insects start to reappear. The
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National Park Service and the Cornell Lab of
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Ornithology both note that bluebirds often arrive
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in the northern Rocky Mountains weeks before
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it truly feels like spring. The species most
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people see around here is the mountain bluebird.
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The males are hard to miss. Their color almost
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glows against the pale browns and whites of the
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late winter landscape. Interestingly, that brilliant
5:03
blue is not actually caused by pigment. Scientists
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explain that microscopic structures in the bird's
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feathers scatter light in a way that reflects
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blue wavelengths. The effect is called structural
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coloration, which is why birds appear so vividly
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blue to our eyes. Male mountain bluebirds are
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small and compact with round heads and thin bills.
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Their bodies are bright sky blue overall, usually
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darker along the back and wings and lighter underneath.
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The females, like most bird species, and the
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younger birds look quite different. They're almost
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gray -brown blue with touches of pale blue on
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the wings and tail, and many have a rusty gray
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wash across the belly. The duller coloring helps
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females stay less visible to predators while
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nesting, something that is common in many bird
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species. Inside Yellowstone National Park, bluebird
5:55
sightings often start slowly in the early spring.
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Yellowstone Forever just posted about it on Wednesday
6:01
the 11th that they saw their first bluebirds
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down there. Up in Livingston we saw them a few
6:06
days earlier. Snow is going to linger in some
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of the higher elevations which delays insect
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activity and makes early feeding more difficult
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so you're not going to see them where there's
6:16
still snow more than likely. Conditions usually
6:19
improve along the park's northern range later,
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and then like the lower elevations right now
6:24
that are starting to thaw, you might see them
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there, especially like Little America and then
6:29
like toward Blacktail and things like that. Typically,
6:32
I have the best luck right now when Slough Creek
6:35
melts out. Outside the park boundary, sightings
6:38
can appear even sooner. They're going on right
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now. Places like the Yellowstone River Valley,
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you know, Paradise Valley, even down Tom Minor.
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and all those areas just north of Gardiner. Those
6:50
are great early habitats. There's a field if
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you drive Old Yellowstone Trail south that's
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phenomenal. These open landscapes are exactly
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the type of environment that the mountain bluebirds
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prefer during breeding season. One thing that's
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interesting about bluebirds is that they rely
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on cavities for nesting not cavities like teeth
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but like natural holes and trees Abandoned woodpecker
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cavities and nest boxes all can become potential
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homes If you're in a migratory area with the
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bluebirds, you're gonna see bluebird boxes all
7:20
around I'm gonna talk about those in just a few
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seconds I also want to quickly talk about their
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diet as it changes throughout the year. In the
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early spring, like I said, they focus mainly
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on insects that begin emerging as temperatures
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rise. Beetles, caterpillars, and grasshoppers
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are also common food sources. During the colder
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stretches, when insects are hard to find, they
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may switch temporarily to berries and other small
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fruits, so you may see some around some juniper
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trees or things like that. Now if you want to
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try spotting early season bluebirds in the greater
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Yellowstone ecosystem, it often helps to look
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outside the park, especially right now. Some
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of my best luck has come along the old Yellowstone
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trail between Gardiner and Yellowstone hot springs
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and further north in Paradise Valley. Especially
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between like Tom Miner and Point of Rocks has
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been a good place. Trail Creek Road on the west
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side of Paradise Valley near Livingston is another
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great place to watch open fields and fence lines.
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The road to Daily Lake near the south end of
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Paradise Valley is also worth a drive, especially
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on sunny days when birds are actively feeding.
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Now those last two that I mentioned have lots
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of bluebird boxes. They are great places to go.
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So if you want to see bluebirds, check out those
8:28
places. My tip of the week. Try to avoid driving
8:33
pull out to pull out when watching wildlife like
8:36
bears and wolves. I know this sounds like a lecture,
8:39
but I promise you it's not. It's a very important
8:42
topic and as we get more visitation in the park,
8:44
it's especially important to think about how
8:46
our movements and everything really impact wildlife.
8:51
So I'm going to briefly talk about this and it's
8:53
a good conversation to have and just one to tuck
8:55
back in the back of your mind. I'm not saying
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don't go looking for animals, but just keep this
9:00
in mind. So here we go. Wildlife watching is
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one of the main reasons people visit Yellowstone.
9:05
Seeing a grizzly bear crossing a meadow or wolf
9:07
trotting along a ridgeline can be a once in a
9:09
lifetime experience. The excitement of those
9:11
moments is understandable. At the same time,
9:15
there is a growing habit in the park that deserves
9:17
some attention, and that's driving pull out to
9:19
pull out, trying to track or maybe even stalk
9:22
animals. It begins innocently enough. You're
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driving, you see some cars stopped, you pull
9:30
out, You know, you park, you then say, what are
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you looking at? You see what they see. And if
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it's wolves or bears, you get excited, you set
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everything up and then you're watching them.
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And then those animals move. And then when they
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move far enough away, everybody piles into their
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cars and then drive to the next pullout, then
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gets out, watches it, then drives to the next
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pullout, then drives to the next pullout, then
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drives to the next pullout, and it repeats itself.
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The pattern repeats itself over and over. Cars
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leapfrog from pull -out to pull -out, sometimes
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following the same animal as it moves across
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the landscape. In some cases, dozens of vehicles
10:03
begin doing the same thing, and it just keeps
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going. The problem is that this behavior can
10:08
turn wildlife watching into wildlife stalking.
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Yellowstone's bears and wolves are wild animals
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that need space to move naturally across the
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landscape. That also means crossing the roads.
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The National Park Service asks visitors to stay
10:21
at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves
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at all times. This disturbance rule is not just
10:27
about personal safety, it's also about minimizing
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distance to the animals. Now you may be 100 yards
10:33
away, but if that animal is moving, say let's
10:37
go through Lamar Valley, and it's moving from
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west to east in Lamar, and there's pullout after
10:42
pullout. That animal may want to cross, but if
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there's constantly people repositioning vehicles
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to stay near an animal, that's going to add pressure
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and that's going to add stress to things. Wolves
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traveling through a valley may encounter clusters
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of vehicles repeatedly along the road. That happened
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this last week. Bears moving between feeding
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areas sometimes find themselves followed by lines
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of cars as people try to predict where they will
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appear next. Even when people technically remain
11:09
outside of the minimum viewing distance, repeated
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attempts to stay close to an animal can influence
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its behavior. Animals may change direction, move
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farther from important feeding areas, or retreat
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into rough terrain simply to avoid people. It
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also, if they have babies, might stress those
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small animals and then increase the stress on
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those mothers trying to protect it, which could
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create a problem. There's also practical concerns
11:35
for visitors. When drivers rush between pull
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-outs, traffic becomes unpredictable. Sudden
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stops, U -turns, and crowded turnouts create
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safety issues along the narrow roads in the park.
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According to National Park Service safety guidance,
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traffic congestion around wildlife is one of
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the most common hazards in the park. Now going
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pull -out to pull -out is very tempting to do.
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I won't sit here and say, oh, I'm better than
11:58
this. I have done this. I'm working hard not
12:00
to do it because I'm trying to make a better
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experience. And so I'm trying to encourage other
12:06
people to do this as well. A better approach
12:09
to doing this is surprisingly simple. Instead
12:11
of chasing the animal from turnout to turnout,
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just pick a place, watch and stay there a while.
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Once the animal leaves that area, you don't need
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to go chase it. You had your experience and it's
12:23
great. Even if you see guides and members of
12:26
the wolf -watching community constantly moving
12:29
for this, know that this isn't the best practice
12:32
for reducing stress and human interactions with
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wildlife. Wildlife behavior can sometimes reward
12:38
patience. Wolves may disappear for an hour and
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everybody will rush to see if they can see them,
12:43
and then they'll suddenly appear on a ridgeline
12:45
just right near you again. Bears that vanish
12:47
into the brush sometimes just wander back into
12:49
view later. Also remaining in one place gives
12:53
you an opportunity to kind of connect with other
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people in the park. One of my favorite things
12:58
to do is once you see wildlife and it goes away,
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just sit and chat with people. You might have
13:05
conversations with guides, you might have conversations
13:07
with other wildlife watchers, and those can turn
13:10
into informal lessons about animal behavior,
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migration patterns, and the best recent sightings.
13:16
This is the best time to get knowledge about
13:18
the park is just to hang out and chat with people.
13:20
It also is just a good thing to do in the park
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because we're all in the park for the same reason.
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We want to be there, we want to have a good time,
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and we want to connect. Humans love connecting
13:29
with people who are like -minded. This is a place
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to do so that doesn't involve any politics or
13:35
anything like that, right? This is just enjoying
13:38
the park. Yellowstone offers one of the best
13:41
opportunities in the world to watch large predators
13:43
in their natural environment. That privilege
13:46
comes with responsibility. Wildlife watching
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should never turn into chasing wildlife. By slowing
13:52
down, staying patient, and resisting the urge
13:55
to leapfrog from pullout to pullout, visitors
13:58
can help keep Yellowstone's wild animals wild
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and still enjoy unforgettable moments watching
14:04
them in the park. So next time you're in the
14:06
park, try to resist that urge, enjoy the moment
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you have, and be thankful that that's the moment
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you got, and then move on. because you never
14:15
know what may be around the corner elsewhere
14:17
in the park. My random Yellowstone fact of the
14:20
week. The main causes of death in Yellowstone
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National Park. So one of the most frequent emails
14:26
I get, especially leading guided hiking tours
14:29
is, is it safe? Are animals going to attack us?
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I always struggle with how to answer this because
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there's part of me that's like, maybe? But realistically,
14:41
the answer is no. There's always a chance of
14:44
something, right? But realistically, the danger
14:48
in Yellowstone is not what people think it is.
14:50
And that always caused me to talk about the main
14:52
causes of death in Yellowstone, even on tours.
14:55
So I'm going to briefly talk about that. Every
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year, millions of people visit Yellowstone, right?
15:00
We know this. It's a very popular place. And
15:04
like anywhere that sees lots of people, there
15:06
are accidents. Since Yellowstone was established
15:10
in 1872, more than 250 people have died in the
15:13
park from various causes. More recently, 74 deaths
15:17
were recorded inside Yellowstone between 2007
15:20
and 2023. That's according to compiled park data.
15:25
These incidents stem from a combination of natural
15:28
hazards, health issues, and human activity. So
15:31
let's talk about vehicle accidents. Driving is
15:34
one of the most dangerous activities in Yellowstone.
15:37
When people say, aren't you afraid of animals?
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I say, no, I'm more afraid of driving. Of the
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74 deaths recorded between 2007 and 2023, 17
15:47
were caused by motor vehicle accidents, making
15:50
crash as one of the leading causes of fatalities
15:52
in the park. The park has more than 300 miles
15:55
of roads that wind through forests, mountains,
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and wildlife habitats. Heavy traffic during summer
16:00
months, distracted driving, and sudden wildlife
16:02
crossings all can lead to collisions. Speed limits
16:05
are low, but accidents still occur when drivers
16:08
underestimate sharp curves or stop suddenly for
16:11
animals along the roadside. Vehicle accidents
16:14
also affect wildlife. Large animals including
16:17
bison, elk, bears, those are struck by vehicles
16:21
every year and sometimes those cause serious
16:24
injuries to the people and kill the animal. Sometimes
16:27
they just kill the animal and not do anything
16:28
to the people. Sometimes people might die. There's
16:31
also medical emergencies. Natural or medical
16:33
emergencies are another major factor in Yellowstone
16:36
fatalities. Between 2007 and 2023, 18 deaths
16:40
in the park were linked to medical emergencies,
16:43
including heart attacks and other sudden health
16:45
conditions. Many visitors underestimate the physical
16:48
demands of the park. Yellowstone sits at high
16:51
elevations ranging from 5 ,000 to over 10 ,000
16:54
feet. Hiking, high altitude, and long travel
16:57
days can place additional stress on the body.
16:59
According to park safety data, medical issues
17:02
account for roughly one quarter of deaths in
17:04
Yellowstone. Older visitors and those with underlying
17:08
health conditions are at a greater risk, particularly
17:10
during strenuous activities such as hiking. This
17:13
is why any time anybody is going to visit the
17:15
park, I always say to take a day or two just
17:18
to get used to it before you're too active. Also,
17:21
drink a lot of water, do a good job taking care
17:24
of yourself, and don't do things that are going
17:25
to dehydrate you. Speaking of water... Drowning
17:29
and water accidents. Water -related incidents
17:32
are another leading cause in fatalities. Historically,
17:36
drowning has been the single most common cause
17:38
of death in Yellowstone, with about 125 drowning
17:41
deaths recorded since the park's founding. A
17:44
lot of the drownings occur while fishing or attempting
17:46
to cross rivers in the backcountry. Others involve
17:49
slipping on wet rocks near waterfalls or entering
17:52
fast moving water. That leads to falls and hiking
17:56
accidents. Yellowstone's rugged landscape includes
17:59
steep cliffs, canyon edges, and uneven trails.
18:02
Falls are another recurring cause of death. Between
18:05
2010 and 2020, park data recorded seven deaths
18:09
from falls, often occurring during hiking or
18:12
sightseeing. The park's dramatic viewpoints attract
18:15
millions each year, and areas such as canyon
18:18
overlooks and waterfalls feature steep drop -offs.
18:20
This is why it's important to stay on the designated
18:23
trails, follow the signs, and don't take any
18:26
unnecessary risks. Most of the time unnecessary
18:28
risks are for a picture or something like that.
18:31
You don't need to do that. If you're online much,
18:35
you know about the dangers of the geothermal
18:36
features of Yellowstone. This is one that a lot
18:39
of people assume a lot of people have died because
18:42
of the geothermal features. Since the late 1800s,
18:46
about 20 people have died after falling into
18:48
or entering hot springs and other geothermal
18:50
features in the park. Since the late 1800s, I'm
18:53
just going to say that again, 20 people. So it's
18:56
not that common. It just is very preventable.
18:59
So just stay on the boardwalks, follow signs
19:02
again. That leads us to wildlife encounters.
19:06
Yellowstone's famous for its wildlife. We have,
19:08
you know, the bison, the grizzly bears, black
19:10
bears, gray wolves, all sorts of things that
19:13
sound dangerous. Although encounters with animals
19:16
sometimes lead to injuries, fatalities are extremely
19:19
rare. Historical records show only eight deaths
19:22
from grizzly bear attacks in the park's history.
19:25
Now, bison injure more people than any other
19:28
animal in Yellowstone, but most incidents result
19:30
in non -fatality injuries and that's because
19:33
visitors approach animals too closely or don't
19:36
pay attention when the animals are coming toward
19:38
them and think, the animals coming toward me,
19:40
I don't need to move. Always keep the wildlife
19:44
viewing rules and regulations in the back of
19:47
your head and know how far 25 yards is and 100
19:50
yards. Other than that, I mean, that's those
19:54
are your dangers in the park, right and Yeah,
19:56
it's dangerous. There's risk. There's risk in
19:59
everything we do and To let fear maybe stop you
20:03
from something Especially when the percentage
20:07
and chance of anything happening is so low That
20:10
is something that I really try and talk about
20:13
during my tours. My whole goal is to get people
20:17
comfortable hiking in the backcountry know how
20:20
to be bear aware know what to do if they encounter
20:22
bears on the trail and to stay safe and be able
20:25
to hike more often so if you want to do that
20:27
book a tour with me happy to talk about this
20:29
via email or in person as well so if you're on
20:33
the fence about doing activity in the park because
20:35
you're afraid if you're not afraid to drive to
20:38
the park or drive in the park don't worry come
20:42
to the park have a great time The weather for
20:45
the coming week as always this is the best forecast
20:49
I have for the whole week It's going to be more
20:51
accurate in on the Thursday Friday Saturday Maybe
20:54
Sunday and then it's getting accuracy is going
20:57
to deteriorate as we get further into Monday
21:01
Tuesday Wednesday, but it's a good guide and
21:03
will tell you kind of what to expect So let's
21:06
start with Lamar Valley on Thursday high of 42
21:09
low of 33 42 percent chance of about a quarter
21:13
inch of snow On Friday, high of 42, low of 33,
21:19
66 % chance of one inch of snow. Saturday, 38
21:23
and 7, 90 % chance of one inch of snow. Sunday,
21:27
31 and 22, 77 % chance of two inches of snow,
21:32
mostly in the morning and the evening. Monday,
21:35
42 and 30 with a 78 % chance of an inch of snow.
21:39
Then Tuesday, 53 and 29 with maybe some showers
21:43
in the morning then it should get pretty sunny
21:45
and Wednesday 59 and 34 5 chance of precipitation
21:50
Gardner, Montana Thursday high of 46 low at 35
21:55
20 chance of some rain Friday 47 and 35 54 chance
22:00
about a tenth of an inch of rain Saturday 42
22:04
and 11 87 chance of about 3 quarters of an inch
22:08
of snow Sunday 35 and 25 66 percent chance about
22:14
an inch of snow Monday 46 and 32 67 percent chance
22:18
about three quarters of an inch of snow or rain
22:21
Tuesday 58 and 33 should be pretty good after
22:26
maybe a wet morning and then Wednesday 63 and
22:30
39 and Finally for the weather cook City. So
22:35
there is a winter storm warning and here's why
22:37
on Thursday High of 38, low of 31, 3 inches of
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snow. Friday, high of 38, low of 31, 4 inches
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of snow. Saturday, high of 34, low of 5, 6 inches
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of snow. Sunday, high of 26, low of 20, 2 inches
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of snow. Should be decent throughout the middle
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of the day and then that snow is going to pick
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up in the afternoon evening. Monday, high of
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40, low of 33, 2 inches of snow. then Tuesday
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high of 51 low of 32 and Wednesday high of 56
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low of 39 so very snowy to get through the weekend
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and Monday and then Tuesday Wednesday and looks
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into next week is going to start getting pretty
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warm and there should be a lot of runoff so if
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you're headed to the park this weekend I would
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suggest Sunday as being your best day currently
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but just know it's going to be kind of snowy
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and rainy depending where you go so plan ahead
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Speaking of the weather, here is the snowpack
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update. As of March 11th, the snowpack is around
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88 % of normal for this time of year. Eastern
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and northern ranges of the park are about 94
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% of normal, while the western and southern sides
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are around 84 % of normal. Last year on this
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date, park -wide, we were around 96 % of our
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normal level. Road conditions. The only road
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open is between Gardiner and Cook City, and please
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be aware that especially this week this road
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may close at any time due to this inclement weather,
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especially the further east you get, but you
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never know. For up -to -date information, call
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307 -344 -2117. That's going to give you weather
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information and road information for the park,
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or you can sign up to receive Yellowstone Road
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Alerts on your mobile phone by texting the number
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82190 to 888 -777. Camping information there's
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only one campground open in the park right now.
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That's the mammoth campground It's not being
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used too much so if you head to the park and
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are camping enjoy the wet weather and cold weather
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and You probably won't have many neighbors The
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wildlife watching update so this last week was
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great if you're in the park You probably saw
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some wolves as I mentioned in kind of my park
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etiquette about like how not to deal with Driving
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pull out to pull out and all of that There were
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some wolves that were very close to the road.
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Some people had amazing experiences. Some people
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were trying to drive back and forth. There were
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some people controlling traffic and that was
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good. But as things like this continue and more
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people are there, it's going to get harder and
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harder to kind of shut things down until Rangers
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are fully staffed. We're in this weird in -between.
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So just wanted to mention that. If you are headed
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to the park, I would still, if you want to see
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wolves, head to Little America and Lamar Valley,
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see if they're out there. They've been putting
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on quite the show the last few days that could
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continue, especially with the snow coming in.
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The snow is probably going to force some animals
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down in lower valleys, and that could be good
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for wildlife watching. Bison wise, you're going
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to see a bunch of them. Little America, Lamar
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Valley, a couple spread out throughout the park,
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but generally further east you get. past Tower
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Roosevelt Junction. That's where you're going
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to see the most bison, probably unless they go
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back to the hills, which I doubt they will with
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the snow. Moose have been spotted again near
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Soda Butte Cone and then out to Pebble Creek
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and out closer to Cook City. There's been some
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foxes that have been put in on a show out near
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Cook City as well. Bluebirds, like I said, are
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going to be out more towards that north entrance
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and up toward Livingston through Paradise Valley.
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Out the north entrance, pronghorn have been congregating
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again. They're just waiting for some snow to
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melt to go in. Out as you're driving in from
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the north entrance, if you look across the way
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on the lower slopes above the Gardiner River,
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there's been some bighorn sheep hanging out there.
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They've been pretty visible, but they're pretty
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far away. It's also been some bull elk in that
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general area as well. Honestly, wildlife watching
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this weekend is going to depend on the weather
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and visibility. It could be really good when
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the weather kind of shifts. There is a good chance
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you're going to have some really good wildlife
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sightings. This time of the year is always a
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little wild with the weather. So, you know, once
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you get a break in some snow and if the roads
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could just drive back and forth, you'll see some
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things. Coyotes have been great. Heard rumors
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of some otters being visible by the confluence.
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But, you know, I'm not too sure about that. But
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again. moose, wolves, bison, pronghorn, you're
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going to see some eagles, might see some bighorn
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sheep, drive out to Cook City for some foxes,
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see some pronghorn near the north entrance. It's
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kind of a great, it's kind of a great time. So
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best of luck. If you need tips, consider reaching
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out to me or if you want more concrete information
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that you can read, I do have a guidebook based
27:34
on my entire life of watching wildlife in Yellowstone
27:37
Outdoor -Society or reach out to me directly.
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I can send you the link. Trail alerts and updates
27:43
this week is gonna be kind of sloppy on the trails
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So be ready for that if you wait until later
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in the weekend like Sunday You might have some
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good snowshoeing cross -country skiing the further
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east you get I still don't think it's gonna be
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great to do anywhere else in the park. So Just
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know that it's kind of more spring slight postholing.
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Maybe some mud maybe some just wet feet. So plan
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ahead with that Bears are out carry bear spray
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have it readily accessible, not in your backpack,
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have it right on your person, and know how to
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use it. That last one, probably the most important
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because if you don't know how to use it, it doesn't
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matter where it is. So read the instructions,
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kind of practice it, but don't spray it because
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it's not very nice to get sprayed by bear spray
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and that's why it's so effective. So stay safe
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out there and more bears will be coming out in
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the next couple of weeks, so know that. That
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leads me to my truck of the week. So my truck
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this week is a quiet hike along Yellowstone's
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abandoned railroad bed. If you're looking for
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a quiet place to hike near Yellowstone this week,
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the abandoned railroad bed just outside the north
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entrance near Gardner is worth considering. This
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little -known route by the average park visitor,
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it's a local favorite, follows the grade of a
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historic rail line and offers a wide gentle path
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through the open landscape of the northern Yellowstone
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ecosystem. The trail starts near the Yellowstone
29:10
Heritage and Research Center in Gardner, just
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a short distance from the Roosevelt Arch entrance.
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If you drive through the arch, drop down the
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hill, past the high school, big building on the
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right, that is the Yellowstone Heritage and Research
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Center. Park in the little parking area by the
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trailhead, and then you're going to walk a short
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path that then reaches the old rail grade, and
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that is the beginning of the hike. Once you're
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on the railroad bed, the path stretches north
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across open sagebrush county toward Reese Creek.
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Now, as you're hiking this, know that the hill
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on your left is going to kind of obscure your
29:48
view of the mountains for a while. But the view
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on the right is going to be of the Yellowstone
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River and it's gorgeous. Now one reason I'm recommending
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this is that unlike many trails around Yellowstone,
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this route is almost completely flat and It should
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be good even in not great weather. It follows
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the path of a former rail line so the grade was
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engineered to keep trains from climbing steep
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slopes. As a result the trail rises only slightly
30:14
over the course of the hike and it's very easy
30:16
to follow. Now the full route runs about eight
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miles one way but just hike out as little or
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as long as you want and then turn around and
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come back the way you came. You're going to get
30:27
a different view because you're going to be looking
30:29
at something else so it'll be great. Along this
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trail, you're going to have really good views
30:34
of eventually Electric Peak once that view as
30:37
you're hiking out to your left opens up. You're
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going to have the Yellowstone River. You're going
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to be going through sagebrush flats and grasslands.
30:44
There's going to be pronghorn out there. Bluebirds.
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There's going to be maybe some deer, maybe some
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elk, maybe a couple coyotes. I saw one there
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the other day, and it's just a really nice thing.
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The open terrain, like I'm saying, is a good
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place to spot wildlife. Bison. could be there
31:01
probably not this year but some years they are
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elk pronghorn are there and you're going to see
31:07
them both near and far from where you're walking
31:11
later in the year this is a spot where you might
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be able to see some black and grizzly bears but
31:17
probably not but always carry bear spray and
31:20
stay alert another reason this trail stands out
31:23
is it's really quiet the trail skirts the park
31:26
boundary and sees very few people and it gives
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you a chance to experience the landscape in a
31:31
peaceful setting. It's a local favorite this
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time of the year and after walking above the
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Yellowstone River, watching for birds and other
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wildlife, it might just become one of your favorites
31:41
when you're in Gardiner. The railroad bed itself
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is a reminder of how visitors once traveled to
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Yellowstone. In the late 1800s and early 1900s,
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trains carried tourists to gateway communities
31:52
like Gardiner. From there, visitors continued
31:55
into the park by stagecoach and later by car.
31:58
As cars became the dominant form of travel, these
32:00
rail lines around Yellowstone were abandoned.
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The tracks were removed, but the raised gravel
32:06
grades remained, creating wide corridors that
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now work well as recreational trails. Today,
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hikers can follow the same route of the trains
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that once carried those early visitors to the
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park. The surface is going to be mostly compacted
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dirt and gravel, and it's wide enough to walk
32:21
easily. There are a couple washout places, but
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nothing to be concerned about at all. Sturdy
32:26
shoes are a very good idea. Don't do this in
32:29
like sandals or things like that, especially
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now. And if you are checking it out this week,
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be ready for mud. While it will be annoying,
32:38
it's not going to be bad enough to take away
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from the beauty and solitude of this hike. The
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northern Yellowstone ecosystem is drier than
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much of the park. And so that mud may not be
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terrible, but with the amount of rain and snow
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it could be annoying in places like I said. Just
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prepare for it, you'll be fine. The long views
32:56
of the river and then the mountains once you
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get around the hills, the quiet surroundings
33:00
and the gentle terrain make this abandoned railroad
33:03
bed trail a different kind of Yellowstone experience.
33:06
It's for anyone that's looking to stretch their
33:08
legs outside the park's busy corridors by just
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having a peaceful walk through both the landscape
33:13
and the region's history. And with that, that
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is the end of this episode. In the next episode,
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I'm going to return with all the information
33:22
you need to have a good week in the park, including
33:24
the wildlife, weather, and trail updates. And
33:26
until then, thank you so much for listening.
33:29
I appreciate you all. Consider picking up a guidebook
33:32
of mine. Book a tour if you really can. Otherwise,
33:37
happy trails! Abrupt ending! This week in Yellowstone
33:50
is brought to you by The Outdoor Society. That's
33:53
my company. It's just me. I do this. It's a labor
33:55
of love. If you like it, tell your friends. Rate
33:58
and review it. Shoot me a message. Otherwise,
34:01
keep listening, and I hope to see you in Yellowstone.
34:04
Copyright 2026, baby!