Latest / This Week in Yellowstone National Park / This Week in Yellowstone: May 15th to May 21st, 2025

Transcript

This Week in Yellowstone: May 15th to May 21st, 2025 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

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From Yellowstone National Park, where black bears
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and baby bison seem to be around every corner
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in the park's northern range, this is that Scott
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guy you know and love with another episode of
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This Week in Yellowstone. What's up everybody?
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Welcome to This Week in Yellowstone, the podcast
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where I talk about this coming week in Yellowstone.
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Clever title I know. So this week in Yellowstone
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National Park from May 15th to May 21st, I'll
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talk about a lake on the Continental Divide,
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share some news about openings in the park, let
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you know of a newly opened waterfall trail, tell
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you about the drive to the East Inchance Road,
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and inform you about the wild weather you should
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expect during the springtime in Yellowstone.
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I'll also give you the weather forecast, wildlife
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report, and everything else you need to know
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to have an incredible time this week in Yellowstone.
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As always, my quick disclaimer, I'm probably
1:00
going to miss a few details, so feel free to
1:02
reach out with any questions you have. I also
1:04
mention park locations very casually, so if you're
1:08
unfamiliar, a quick search can help. covers the
1:12
drivable areas of the park. Also, this podcast
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is a passion project. I'm not paid or sponsored
1:17
for it. If you enjoy it, let me know. Reach out,
1:20
rate it on whatever podcast app you listen to.
1:23
Or if you want to support me more, maybe book
1:26
a tour with me when you come visit the park and
1:28
come on a hike with me. Or if you want to do
1:30
things on your own, I have a hiking guidebook
1:32
and a wildlife watching guidebook that I've written.
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So you can pick those up or book a tour at outdoor
1:38
society dot com or just reach out to me directly.
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So this week's Yellowstone news. This week, news
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is pretty slow to Yellowstone. Good thing. The
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biggest news is that the amenities at the Canyon
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Lodge and Cabins are opening on the 16th of May.
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The Fishing Bridge General Store is also opening
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on the 16th, as is the Grant Mini Store. Most
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everything at Mammoth and Old Faithful is also
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open at this time. Other than that, the usual
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shenanigans have been occurring in the park.
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People are getting too close to bears, stopping
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their cars on the road, and exiting their vehicles,
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and generally just getting caught up in the excitement
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of being in Yellowstone. There have been no major
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incidents, and 99 .99 % of all the park visitors
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are on their best behavior. I suppose I should
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use this time to mention... that um or remind
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everyone that dogs are not allowed on trails
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in Yellowstone National Park. I was hiking over
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the weekend and saw a couple with their two large
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dogs down at the hell roaring suspension bridge.
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I talked to them and they pretended to not know
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the rules but you know you can tell when people
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are lying. The last bit of news I have that really
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isn't news, it's just a reminder that the entrance
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at West Yellowstone is backing up on a pretty
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regular basis in the mornings. It's usually just
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on the weekends right now, but as we get deeper
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into the month, those lines are going to be present
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every morning, weekday and weekend. I'll talk
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more about how to avoid the lines at West in
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the coming weeks. This week's experience of the
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week. So this week I'm going to talk about driving
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out towards East Entrance Road. Driving from
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Fishing Bridge to Yellowstone's East Entrance
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is one of those underrated journeys that always
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ends up sticking with you long after you've left
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the park. It's not just a way out of the park,
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it's a whole experience packed with lake views,
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mountain passes, peaceful forests, and maybe
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even a surprise wildlife encounter or two. You
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start at Fishing Bridge, which feels like a gentle
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threshold between the bustling heart of Yellowstone
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and the quieter eastern wilderness. The bridge
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itself spans the Yellowstone River right where
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it pours out of Yellowstone Lake. And while you
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can't fish here anymore, it's a protected spawning
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area for cutthroat trout, it's still a great
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place to watch for the fish in the water and
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sometimes even see wildlife in the distance,
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especially some birds. I have seen a lot of sandhill
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cranes in this area and some pelicans and cool
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ducks. So there's also bison that roam around
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but one thing to check out when you're in that
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area is the visitor center Which is near the
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fishing bridge Store and all of that. It's worth
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a quick look. It's one of the old stone buildings
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That's full of character and the exhibits on
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native fish and the lakes ecology are fascinating
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There's also a general store and a little museum
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tucked next door. And those are great. Well,
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not next door close enough. Those are great for
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grabbing a snack or browsing for the classic
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souvenirs. Honestly, the souvenir shop here is
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one of my favorites. They have some really cool
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things that they don't have else anywhere else
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in the park. So or anywhere else that I haven't.
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Let me rephrase that. They have souvenirs. No
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one cares. They have souvenirs that I haven't
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seen anywhere else in the park that I really
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enjoy. So you may want to stop by there. As you
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leave Fishing Bridge and head east, the road
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hugs the northern edge of Yellowstone Lake for
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quite a while. There's a couple of beaches you
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can stop at, and it's a gorgeous drive especially
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in the morning when the lake is still and the
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mountains are mirrored in the glassy surface.
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The Absaroka range of Wyoming begins to peak
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up on the horizon, and if you keep your eyes
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on the sky and the treetops, you might see bald
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eagles or ospreys circling above or sitting on
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branches. You'll also see bison and numerous
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other birds, and even a few scenic thermal areas.
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If you're up for a little side adventure, and
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the weather's good, take the short turn off to
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Lake Butte Overlook. It's a quick detour, but
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gives you an incredible panoramic view of the
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lake, the surrounding forest, and even the Grand
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Tetons way off in the distance on a clear day.
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It's peaceful up there, well, aside from the
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wind. You're mostly gonna have this to yourself,
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it's getting more popular, but not too popular,
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so you'll be there by yourself for the most part,
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but the wind will more than likely be absolutely
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whipping. But it doesn't take away from the view.
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As the road curves away from the lake once you
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leave the overlook, you start to enter a thicker
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forest of lodgepole pines. This is where the
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drive starts to feel more remote, like you're
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slipping into a quieter part of the park. The
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climb towards Sylvan Pass begins gradually, and
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the scenic becomes more dramatic with each mile.
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The forest here is known for wildlife, especially
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in the spring and early summer. It's not unusual
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to spot a black bear or even a grizzly foraging
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near the road. So it's worth slowing down a bit
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more. You should be going slow anyway, and then
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watching the tree lines. Elk and moose are more
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elusive, but not impossible to spot here. But
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the other thing you might see, especially near
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the pass, will be bighorn sheep. But just before
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you get to the pass, there's a pullout at Sylvan
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Lake, which is a small alpine lake tucked into
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the trees. It's one of those quiet gems that
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people often drive past without noticing or stopping
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at, but it's worth stopping for. The water is
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usually calm, and the reflections of the surrounding
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slopes give the whole place a storybook feel,
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especially if there's still a bit of snow lingering
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nearby. So after you leave the lake, then you'll
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reach Sylvan Pass itself, the high point of the
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drive, both in elevation and in drama. At about
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8 ,500 feet, The views open up to the jagged
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volcanic ridges and avalanche carved slopes.
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The road snakes through rock walls and steep
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drop -offs, so it's best to take it slow and
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enjoy the scenery. You're truly an alpine country
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up here. This is one of the most avalanche prone
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areas in the park, which is why it's carefully
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managed in the winter and one of the last sections
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to open in the spring. As you begin your descent
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the Absaroka mountains start to dominate the
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view. There's sharp rugged peaks loom on the
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horizon and the road winds down through thick
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woods and past old avalanche paths. There are
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a few signs and small pullouts where you can
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stop and take in the views and maybe even catch
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a glimpse of some of the snow on the higher ridges.
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Eventually you're going to reach the east entrance
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sign and it's perfect for a photo if you're entering
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the park or a farewell snapshot if you're on
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your way out. Don't put away your camera and
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just zone out if you're continuing to drive to
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Cody. Just outside the park, the scenery continues
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to impress. You'll head into the Shoshone National
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Forest and start driving along the Buffalo Bill
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Scenic Byway toward Cody, which is one of the
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most beautiful stretches of road in this area.
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The North Fork of the Shoshone River winds beside
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you, and the cliffs and red rock formations here
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are absolutely stunning. So while this route
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doesn't have the major geysers or crowds, it
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offers something just as special. A quiet beauty,
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mountain drama, and a real sense of wilderness.
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It's perfect for slowing down, rolling the windows
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down, and just soaking in the raw scenic soul
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of Yellowstone. My tip of the week. Expect wild
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and wacky weather in May and early June. One
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of the most common questions I'm asked when people
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book a tour with me is what to expect with the
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weather. Because of the unpredictable nature
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of the weather in Yellowstone in late spring,
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I tell them to be prepared for anything, and
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I clarify that by anything I mean anything. While
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most of the country seems to be in the throes
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of good weather, now that spring is here and
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we are approaching summer, things are a little
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different here in Yellowstone. The month of May
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and early June will see rain, snow, wind, sun,
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thunderstorms, and pretty much everything else
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possible in the region. What makes it fun is
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that the weather I just mentioned could all happen
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in 24 hours Highs may be in the 70s and lows
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could be in the teens It will snow again in May.
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I can pretty much guarantee that looking at the
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forecast that maybe this coming week It might
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snow two or three more times. It could also snow
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in June It snowed in July and August in the park
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before and it will snow in September So just
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know that the usual weather for spring and summer
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is more dramatic in the Rocky Mountains. The
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one thing to know about the late season snow
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is that it rarely sticks around for long. While
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it may impact travel for an afternoon, evening,
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and morning, it rarely lasts for more than a
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day before it's melted away. The park also does
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a fantastic job of clearing the roads and closing
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roads when they're unsafe. So when you're packing
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for your trip to the park, know that you'll need
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little something for everything. Bring a rain
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jacket and rain pants, bring a warm thermal layer
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in case it's cold and snowy, and bring clothes
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for when it's sunny and warm. One thing I also
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tell people when they're visiting is that while
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the high says it may be like 70 degrees, right?
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70 degrees here feels much hotter because you're
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at elevation. Even people who live in humid climates
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and think they'll be fine with the heat because
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they live in a warm and humid place are shocked
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at how hot it can get. Just be ready for anything,
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stay hydrated, and know you should be just fine.
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Alright, my random Yellowstone fact of the week.
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It's a lake. Okay, I wanted to say this, it's
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a lake! So that's how I'm gonna start this. It's
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a lake! No, that isn't Mario saying, it's a lake.
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Instead, it's a cool location in the park right
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at the Continental Divide. Issa Lake is a quirky
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little gem tucked away in Yellowstone National
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Park right at Craig Pass, which marks the Continental
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Divide, one of the few many places in the park
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where you can cross the Continental Divide by
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the road. What makes this lake extra special
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is its unique drainage pattern. Historically,
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Issa Lake was one of the only known lakes in
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the world where water drained in two different
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directions toward both the Pacific and the Atlantic
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Oceans. Even more mind -bending, it did this
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backwards. So the east side of the lake flowed
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to the Pacific, and the west side of the lake
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flowed to the Atlantic. That oddball drainage
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likely only happens now during peak snowmelt,
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especially after snowy winters, but it's still
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a cool natural phenomenon. That's a fun word
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to say, by the way, phenomenon. You'll find Issa
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Lake right by the road between Old Faithful and
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West Thumb, making it an easy roadside stop for
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travelers exploring the southern loop of the
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park. The spot has long been recognized for its
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uniqueness, and in the 1930s when park engineers
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were building out the Grand Loop Road, they had
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to find a way to cross this fragile area without
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messing up the lake's natural flow. The solution?
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The Issa Lake Bridge, completed in 1942. It allowed
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cars to pass over while keeping the environment
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below relatively undisturbed. By the early 2010s
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though, the old bridge has seen better days.
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The National Park Service put together a reconstruction
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plan in 2013 to update the bridge with modern
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materials while still preserving its historic
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appearance and scenic value. The idea was to
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make it safe for today's traffic while still
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respecting the lake's natural and cultural significance.
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Beyond its quirky drainage and historic bridge,
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Issa Lake is also a peaceful scenic spot. During
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the summer, yellow pond lilies dot its surface,
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adding a splash of color to the calm waters.
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While it's not the park's headline attraction,
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Issa Lake offers a quiet moment of wonder that
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ties together Yellowstone's natural history and
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human efforts to preserve it. The lake was first
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documented by Hiram M. Chittenden, an Army engineer
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instrumental in developing Yellowstone's road
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system. In 1891, while surveying routes between
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Old Faithful and the West Thumb Geyser Basin,
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Chittenden encountered this small, high elevation
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lake. He named it after Miss Isabel Jelke of
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Cincinnati, though the specific reason for this
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dedication remains unclear. Chittenden's choice
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reflects the Heiress tradition of naming natural
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features after acquaintances or notable individuals.
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If anybody knows the real reason why he named
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it after Miss Isabel Jelke of Cincinnati, let
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me know. She was the daughter of some very well
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-off people in Cincinnati, and she had visited
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the park before and sang a song there that I
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think he was there to hear. So maybe that was
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the reason, but no one for sure knows. But anyway,
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if you're cruising along the Grand Loop and spot
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a pullout near Craig Pass, take a minute to stop.
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Issa Lake might be small, but it holds a fascinating
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story about nature, geography, and the care taken
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to protect even the quieter corners of Yellowstone.
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Plus, it gives you a chance to say, Issa Lake!
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Alright, that's so dumb and I can't believe I
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did that on this podcast. Anyway, the weather
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for this coming week. If you enjoy wet weather
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and cooler temperatures, this week is for you.
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I just gave a thumbs up. Lamar Valley. Thursday
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will see a high in the mid 40s and a low slightly
14:35
below freezing, with a slight chance of rain
14:36
showers throughout the day. Friday will be similar,
14:39
just a few degrees warmer and heavier rain in
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the evening hours. Saturday is currently said
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to be drier, with only a 24 % chance of rain,
14:47
with a high of 55 and a low of 35. Sunday will
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be about the same, with rain developing in the
14:52
late morning, early afternoon, tolling up to
14:55
just under a half an inch. Monday will be partly
14:57
sunny with highs in the low 50s and lows around
15:00
freezing. Then Tuesday we'll see temperatures
15:02
drop into the 40s and lows in the upper 20s with
15:05
a chance of rain before drying up and warming
15:08
up on Wednesday. That brings us to Gardner. Thursday
15:12
will be decent in Gardiner and Mammoth with partly
15:15
sunny skies and a high around 50 and a low in
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the 30s. Friday will be about the same with more
15:20
clouds and late rain developing. Then Saturday
15:22
will start out cloudy and rainy, then clear up
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a bit potentially cracking 60 degrees and possibly
15:27
seeing some rain showers. Sunday will be wet
15:30
with almost half an inch of rain in the forecast
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and a high in the 50s and a low in the 40s. Monday
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and Tuesday will also be wet with highs in the
15:37
50s and lows in the 30s. Wednesday sees the return
15:40
of sun and warmth. West Yellowstone. Thursday
15:44
will see a high in the mid 40s and a low slightly
15:47
below freezing with a slight chance of rain showers
15:49
throughout the day. Friday will be similar with
15:51
just a few degrees warmer and heavier rain in
15:54
the evening hours. Saturday is currently said
15:56
to be drier with a 50 % chance of rain and a
15:59
high around 55 and a low around freezing. Sunday
16:02
is going to be about the same with rain developing
16:04
in the late morning early afternoon totaling
16:06
about a third of an inch. Then Monday will be
16:09
partly sunny with highs in the low 50s and lows
16:11
around freezing. Tuesday will see temperatures
16:13
drop into the 40s and lows in the 20s. And then
16:17
Wednesday will warm up and dry up. So old faithful.
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High temperatures on Thursday through Sunday
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will be in the mid 40s to low 50s and lows will
16:27
hover around freezing. Expect snow flurries and
16:29
maybe some accumulation at the higher elevations
16:32
with rain showers throughout those days. Currently,
16:35
Sunday looks to be the wettest day, seeing about
16:37
a third of an inch, mostly coming in the afternoon
16:39
hours. Monday looks to be partly sunny with a
16:42
high near 50 and a low near 30. Then showers
16:45
return on Tuesday with a high of 47 and a low
16:48
of 26 before things clear up and dry out starting
16:50
on Wednesday. Brings us to the snowpack. So the
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snowpack as of May 14th is decent but not great.
16:59
The interior of the park is around 68 % of normal,
17:02
and while the wet weather in the forecast will
17:04
fall as snow in the higher elevations, I don't
17:06
expect this number to rise that much. The mountains
17:09
surrounding the park are faring better with an
17:11
average snowpack of around 80 % of normal. Alright,
17:15
the road conditions. With no snow or serious
17:17
precipitation in the forecast, roads should be
17:20
great. However, keep alert for any construction
17:22
vehicles on the road and potential lays starting
17:24
near the old and new bridge site by Tower Junction.
17:28
This construction work probably won't be happening
17:30
this week, but it's better to expect it early
17:32
and be happy when nothing is going on. I mentioned
17:35
it last week, but there's also going to be some
17:37
construction work going on near the Buffalo Ranch
17:39
in Lamar Valley, and that could be impacting
17:41
pullouts in the area. So I said right off the
17:44
bat of this that There's no snow or serious precipitation
17:47
in the forecast. I mean, it's going to rain,
17:50
but nothing that I think is going to really do
17:54
a lot of delays or be hazardous. Now, that could
17:58
be wrong. So if that is wrong and snow actually
18:02
sticks and they close roads, you're going to
18:04
want to know. So for up -to -date information
18:06
on the roads, you can call 307. 344 -2117 for
18:12
recorded information, or you can sign up to receive
18:15
Yellowstone road alerts on your mobile phone
18:17
by texting 82190 to the number 888 -777. This
18:24
week's camping information. So this week more
18:27
camping options are starting to open up. As always,
18:30
Mammoth Hot Springs Campground is open, Madison
18:33
Campground near the West Yellowstone entrance
18:35
is open, Fishing Bridge RV, Park is also open,
18:39
and Bridge Bay opens on the 16th of May. Other
18:46
than that, more campgrounds are going to start
18:51
opening up in the next few weeks, but right now
18:54
that's all the campgrounds that are open. Alright,
18:57
let's get to the wildlife watching update. So
19:00
there's still a lot of snow and kind of a lack
19:04
of wildlife in a lot of the interior right now
19:07
So like last week if you really want to see the
19:09
best wildlife in the park You're gonna need to
19:12
go to the northern range specifically drive between
19:14
mammoth and Pebble Creek Campground past Lamar
19:18
Valley. If you drive there back and forth you
19:21
will more than likely see bears, you're going
19:23
to see a ton of bison, you're going to see pronghorn,
19:26
you're going to probably see elk, and if you
19:28
swing out to Slough Creek or Lamar there's a
19:31
chance you're going to see wolves. This again
19:33
is one of the best times to see wildlife and
19:37
specifically the place to see it is the Northern
19:39
Range in Little America and Lamar Valley. Those
19:44
are the two spots I highly recommend. Between
19:47
Mammoth and Tower there are a bunch of black
19:50
bears. I was in the park on Sunday and I saw
19:53
six different black bears within about 15 miles
19:57
of each other and then I also saw a grizzly.
20:00
I saw numerous osprey red -tailed hawks, tons
20:02
of birds, a lot going on in that northern range.
20:05
I talked to some people that were down in the
20:07
interior and they didn't see that much and it
20:09
was kind of slow. that doesn't mean that if you're
20:12
in the interior you're not going to see grizzlies
20:14
or wolves or something like that it's just the
20:17
likelihood is if you want to see something go
20:20
to the northern range that is the best advice
20:23
i can give you i know that's not always convenient
20:26
for people but if your trip is for wildlife Please
20:32
listen to my words. I don't know what more I
20:34
can do to tell you but if you just hang out around
20:36
Old Faithful and expect to see everything You're
20:38
not going to if you drive from west to Old Faithful
20:41
and back you might get lucky and see some bears
20:43
But if you really want to see bears You if you
20:47
really want to see wolves go to Slough Creek
20:49
drive the northern range You will see something
20:52
there more than likely if you don't that's just
20:55
bad luck and I if I see you I'll give you a hug
20:58
and say I'm sorry like That's how confident I
21:00
am that if you drive back and forth, one of the
21:03
places to really see bears, um, historically
21:08
will be by the cal site Springs overlook parking
21:11
lot. There's a black bear that always has a cub
21:13
there. She currently has a cub from last year
21:16
hanging out with her, hanging out in that general
21:18
area. Now, very quickly, if there's animals near
21:23
the road, do not just stop your car near the
21:26
road and get out. go to a pullout, and then if
21:29
it is safe to do so with appropriate wildlife
21:32
watching distances, get out of your car and watch.
21:36
Appropriate wildlife watching distances are 25
21:39
yards from bison, elk, deer, anything like that.
21:44
It's 100 yards, an entire football field, from
21:47
a bear or a wolf. When I was in the park over
21:51
the weekend, people were 25 to 50 yards from
21:53
bears. That is not okay. Ever. I get that there's
21:58
other people there, but as I talked about last
22:00
week, just because other people are doing it
22:02
doesn't make it okay. Please try and be as smart
22:06
and safe as possible. I know it's easy to get
22:08
caught up in the moment, and when there's other
22:10
people out, you just stand by them. The only
22:13
way it's okay to get closer than those appropriate
22:17
viewing distances is if there's a ranger or an
22:19
official volunteer there managing the wildlife
22:23
viewing site. If they're there and they tell
22:26
you where you can stand and it seems closer,
22:29
listen to them. That's fine. If there's no one
22:31
there, err on the side of caution. All right,
22:35
I could I hate lecturing like that. I'm sorry
22:37
everybody But it's this is the worst time in
22:40
the park for people getting too close to wildlife
22:43
Especially with bears people don't understand
22:46
how quickly a calm bear encounter can turn and
22:51
I say this often But I'm less concerned about
22:54
you getting attacked by the bear than I am about
22:57
what's gonna happen to the bear after it attacks
22:59
you If a bear attacks you that bear is killed
23:03
Full stop if it has cubs too bad does not matter
23:07
So keep your distance keep the animals safe and
23:11
keep yourself safe Alright on that bummer of
23:15
a note. Let's talk about hiking news and updates
23:18
So like the last few weeks We're in this weird
23:21
flux of some trails being open some trails being
23:24
snowy some trails being muddy and some trails
23:26
being closed for wildlife Since this episode
23:29
is going to be a little long already, I don't
23:31
feel like listing every trail and its conditions,
23:33
but I'm going to let you know that if you want
23:36
to contact me and ask about a specific trail,
23:38
I will happily tell you the conditions of it.
23:40
I also will refer you to the Yellowstone National
23:43
Park Backcountry Situation Report, which I mentioned
23:46
last week, which is an invaluable resource. That's
23:49
the Yellowstone National Park Backcountry Situation
23:52
Report. Search that. You'll have everything you
23:55
need trail condition wise. They update it very
23:57
often. But if you don't want to do that, reach
23:59
out to me. Happy to talk about it. I'll probably
24:01
also recommend a book that I wrote. So, all right.
24:04
My Trek of the Week. My Trail of the Week this
24:08
week is the Osprey Falls Trail. Osprey Falls
24:11
is back open. While Osprey Falls opened last
24:14
year, nobody really mentioned it or brought it
24:17
to anybody's attention. It silently sat waiting
24:20
to be discovered as open for those who knew to
24:22
check the Backcountry Situation Report website.
24:25
For everyone else, it remained a secret and everyone
24:28
assumed it was closed. In 2022, the flooding
24:31
that impacted travel in Yellowstone also washed
24:34
out a few trails. The Osprey Falls trailhead
24:36
was one of those paths. Now it's back open and
24:39
ready to be enjoyed. The reason I'm suggesting
24:41
Osprey Falls this week is for two reasons. The
24:44
first is that the Bunsen Peak Trail is still
24:47
a bit snowy, but I really wanted to recommend
24:49
something near Mammoth. So the other reason I
24:52
recommend Osprey Falls this week, and really
24:55
any waterfall trail you can get to, is that any
24:58
waterfall is worth seeing right now as the snow
25:02
is starting to melt and water levels are rising.
25:04
Rivers and creeks are running high and waterfalls
25:07
are starting to rage. While we still have a month
25:09
or so of melt off to go, there isn't really a
25:15
better time than right now to go and look at
25:17
things, especially when it's raining and a little
25:19
warm right now. Those waterfalls are going to
25:21
be absolutely cruising. So go check that out
25:24
and enjoy the power of the waterways of Yellowstone.
25:27
So there's a few ways to reach Osprey Falls,
25:29
but for simplicity and brevity, I'll give the
25:31
most common route. If you want the back way,
25:34
send me a message. So to reach Osprey Falls,
25:36
park at the Bunsen Peak Trailhead at the start
25:38
of Swan Lake Flats after leaving Mammoth. Instead
25:41
of turning left on the Bunsen Peak Trail and
25:43
heading uphill, follow the old Bunsen Peak Road
25:46
through Grassland and Burn Forest for about three
25:48
miles to the Osprey Falls Trail. Once at the
25:51
trailhead to Osprey Falls, descend 700 feet into
25:54
Sheep Eater Canyon, which is one of the deepest
25:57
canyons in Yellowstone National Park. That line
25:59
is from Yellowstone National Park's website and
26:01
it made me laugh and I wanted to include it because
26:03
one of the deepest canyons in Yellowstone National
26:06
Park is so non -descriptive. Yes, it is. It's
26:10
one of the deepest, but out of how many? Is it
26:12
top 10? Is it top 20? Is it top 5? They don't
26:14
say it's just one of, and so that's just a fun
26:17
way to make it seem really cool. But it is really
26:20
cool and it is really steep. So Osprey Falls
26:23
on the Gardiner River plunges 150 feet over the
26:26
edge of a lava flow. Be aware that the trail
26:29
down to the falls from the road is incredibly
26:32
steep and has some loose dirt and rock. This
26:35
is not a family friendly trail and should not
26:38
be attempted by those new to hiking. The good
26:40
news is that you can see the waterfall from the
26:43
top of the Osprey Falls trailhead if you don't
26:45
want to hike down to the falls. Another awesome
26:48
feature of this trail is that the Bunsen Peak
26:51
Road is bikeable. So you can hop on your gravel
26:55
or mountain bike and ride it to the Osprey Falls
26:57
trailhead, leave your bike at the trailhead,
27:00
hike down and then hike back up and that gives
27:02
you a much easier day. The total distance for
27:05
this hike is a little over nine miles and you'll
27:07
gain roughly a thousand feet in elevation. Most
27:10
of that is the hike back up from the falls. When
27:15
the snow melts enough to summit Bunsen Peak with
27:17
ease you can consider doing the summit of Bunsen
27:20
Peak and then the waterfall and Then around the
27:23
loop road for an 11 mile day with nearly 3 ,000
27:26
feet again It's a super rad hike highly recommend
27:29
that when it melts out, but even so go to us
27:32
Osprey Falls right now Alright, that's it for
27:35
this week. In next week's episode, I'll return
27:38
with all the information you need to have a good
27:40
week in the park, including wildlife, weather,
27:42
and trail updates. Until then, happy trails!
28:02
There are no sponsors, this is a labor of love,
28:05
so thank you all for listening. Copyright 2025,
28:09
baby!