Latest / This Week in Yellowstone National Park / This Week in Yellowstone: June 18th to June 24th, 2026

Transcript

This Week in Yellowstone: June 18th to June 24th, 2026 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

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From Yellowstone National Park where summer is
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officially starting this week This is that Scott
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guy you know in love with a brand new episode
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of this week in Yellowstone What's up everybody
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this week in Yellowstone National Park from June
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18th to June 24th 2026 I'll tell you why now
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is the time to hit up a very specific lake in
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the northern range, give some tips on how to
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avoid the summer crowds, and share some history
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of an expedition before the park was the park.
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I'll also give you the complete weather forecast,
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a cool trail to hike, the snowpack update, the
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wildlife report, and everything else you need
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to have an incredible time this week in Yellowstone.
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My standard disclaimer, I may miss a few details
0:55
here and there, so please feel free to reach
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out if you have any questions. I also mention
0:59
park locations very casually, so if you're unfamiliar
1:02
with a place that I'm saying, again, reach out
1:04
to me or search online. If you have specific
1:07
questions that you need answered, reach out to
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me, area code 406 -589 -1873. Feel free to text
1:15
that. If you call, I will not answer. I usually
1:18
don't answer that phone just because it's always
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spam calls. You know, how we all get spam calls
1:22
for no reason now. Isn't that great? But yeah,
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if you send me a text, I'll get back to it as
1:27
soon as I can. Can't guarantee the same day,
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but as soon as I get to it, I will respond back.
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Also, if you sent me a message and I haven't
1:35
got back to you and it's been a over a week.
1:37
Remind me shoot me another message. I probably
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said I'm gonna respond to that and then promptly
1:42
forgot So reach out to me. I will do my best
1:45
to always answer that forgetting to respond also
1:48
applies to emails So if you've emailed me and
1:50
I haven't got back to you sincere apologies I
1:52
just get overwhelmed and then forget before I
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jump into the episode one last thing this podcast
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is a passion project of mine I'm not paid. I'm
2:00
not sponsored I do this week in and week out
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because I want people to have the best possible
2:04
trip and so I share all this information If you
2:07
enjoy what you hear, I'd love a review or a quick
2:10
email or a text or recommend this podcast to
2:14
others. You know, go on social media, tell people
2:16
you enjoy this podcast and why that really helps
2:18
grow listenership, which then helps more people
2:21
have an amazing time in the park. If you want
2:23
to support me more, you can check out my hiking
2:26
and wildlife watching guidebooks. Those can be
2:28
found at outdoor -society .com or shoot me a
2:32
text and I'll send you the link for those guidebooks.
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I'm pretty booked up tour wise through the summer
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until August, but if you're visiting in August,
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especially like after the second week, reach
2:42
out. Maybe I'll be able to help you out. Otherwise,
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reach out to me. I'll happily recommend some
2:47
hikes or places to go. Until then, let's jump
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directly into this week's episode. This week's
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Yellowstone news. So there's a few stories. Nothing
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really major is going on right now, but there
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are a couple things I'm going to talk about briefly.
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First is that the summer solstice is going to
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happen on the 21st, longest day of the year.
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So if you want to enjoy the entire day out, definitely
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recommend it. Usually I do that. I get up early,
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I get to the park at sunrise and then I leave
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at sunset, try and spend all of the daylight
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of the first day of summer in the park. It's
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a wonderful magical experience. Definitely recommend
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doing that. Next week I'm going to talk a little
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bit probably about sunset times because it's
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dark late here compared to a lot of places. So
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talk about that later but enjoy the first day
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of summer. Next thing to talk about mosquitoes
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are starting to come out. And while you may be
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from someplace that experiences mosquitoes and
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you say, I'll be fine, just know that depending
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on where you're at, mosquitoes are going to be
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very aggressive here. I know some people that
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have sprayed themselves with bug spray, put on
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a sun shirt to protect their arms, and still
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received dozens of mosquito bites through their
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sun shirts and stuff like that during this time
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of the year. Bug spray works a bit. Clothing
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works as well, so do your best. Try not to get
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bit too much. I don't have any good tips for
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that, so best of luck to you all. The next thing
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that I want to talk about briefly for the news
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is I've been seeing more videos of people feeding
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wildlife. Not bears, not anything like that,
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but people are feeding marmots, they're feeding
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birds, they're feeding squirrels, things like
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that. Do not feed any animal in the park that
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includes the begging ravens that includes the
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chipmunks and squirrels This is a wild place
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and the more you feed things The more likely
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it is that they're going to get habituated And
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start following people around and get really
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aggressive to get food i've told the story on
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the podcast before But people at the top of bunsen
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peak have fed the little chipmunks up there every
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time they're up there They get little snacks
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and stuff from the people right? so those chipmunks
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have jumped in my backpack when I've set it down
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for two seconds. I was eating lunch up there
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once and one jumped into the hood of my sweatshirt
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that I was wearing and got stuck in there and
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I had to rip off my shirt and like run around
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while my shirt was moving around on the ground
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when there's a chipmunk caught in a comical scene.
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But just don't feed the animals. And if you see
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other people doing it, tell them not to. It just
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makes the park more wild and better if we don't
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feed them human food. Finally, the last little
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bit of news isn't really news, but last week
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I asked a question of, what do you do when you
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encounter bison on the trail? This week I'm briefly
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answering that. For those of you who messaged
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me, sent me emails, sent me texts about this,
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greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much for
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participating and answering. Most of you were
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completely right in what to do. And the answer
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is, move around them as best you can. If they're
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blocking the trail early on, then turn around,
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don't take that trail. So here's what you do.
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If you pull up into a parking lot as a trailhead
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and you see there's a bunch of bison there, don't
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bother hiking that trail. They may be there all
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day and there may not be a way around them. If
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you're hiking and you encounter a bison herd,
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you have two options. The first is, are you on
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your way out? Can you turn around and just go
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back to the car? Great, do that. If that's not
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an option, then you have to make your way around
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them. Now, park rules dictate 25 yards from bison.
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When there is a herd or even lone bison out in
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the prairie near a trail, I like to make that
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like 50 yards. That is 25 yards on foot while
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hiking is definitely not a good feeling. We had
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just had a tour last week where there are bison
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very close and moving toward us. And the people
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I was hiking with can probably attest to the
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fact that it was not a calming experience to
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try and get around them. but you need to try
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and get around them as best you can. 50 yards
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is a great kind of gauge. That is half of a football
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field. One thing to do is always watch their
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tails. If their tails are down, you're fine.
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If their tails are up, that's not a good sign.
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This last week, the tail went up on one of them
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and it pawed at the ground. That is a sign of
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aggression and you need to move far, far away
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from that bison. When you're making your way
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around a bison herd, you need to make sure that
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there's not more hidden in the prairies or the
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trees around you. This is something where you're
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gonna constantly have to be looking around, and
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you're gonna need to make sure that you can get
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clear around them. In a lot of places you're
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gonna be hiking, there may be a swamp on one
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side or a cliff on the other side. If that's
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the case, you may have to backtrack, but the
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key to encountering a bison and having it go
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well while hiking... is to give it plenty of
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space and make your way clear around it. If there
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is a big herd you may walk miles. You also may
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be able to find a place far away from them and
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you know sit on the top of a rock and watch them
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slowly meander by. That's another thing but the
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key to it is no matter what you're doing if there's
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a bison herd or a lone bison moving toward you
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move far away from it or them and make sure that
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they have plenty of room to pass. Do not approach
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them and do not assume that because they're walking
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toward you it's going to be okay. Go clear off
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the trail if you need to, as long as you can,
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and just be smart and safe. Remember that these
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are dangerous creatures that can run 30 to 35
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miles an hour and supposedly have a vertical
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of six feet. I've seen them have a two or three
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foot vertical, not necessarily a six foot, but
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I keep hearing this so, you know, who knows?
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But, again. Easiest thing to do when you encounter
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bison on the trail give them a wide wide room
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50 yards instead of the 25 Make sure that you're
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watching their tail and Always always always
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have a route to move out of their way The last
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thing you want to do is have a few pass you on
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either side and then you get surrounded by a
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herd pay attention don't let that happen and
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I will probably go more into detail on this but
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I just want to give a quick answer real quick
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this week this in a couple of weeks I'll probably
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give you a much more detailed tip of the week
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for how to deal with these encounters but number
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one thing give them room my experience of the
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week watching cutthroat trout spawn at trout
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lake When most people think about wildlife watching
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in Yellowstone, they usually envision watching
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wolves and lamar, grizzly bears roaming the hillsides,
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or bison, you know, everywhere. Right now, one
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of the park's most fascinating wildlife events
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is happening, and it's happening underwater.
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And that's when the Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout
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gather at Trout Lake to spawn, creating one of
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the easiest and most rewarding wildlife viewing
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opportunities in the park. If you've never heard
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of a Cutthroat Trout, you're not alone. Yellowstone
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cutthroat trout are a native fish species found
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throughout much of the Yellowstone River drainage.
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They're named for their bright red, orange, or
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pink slash marks found beneath their lower jaws,
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which looks somewhat like a cut across the throat.
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During most of the year they have a silvery appearance
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with dark spots scattered across their bodies,
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but during spawning season they become much more
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colorful with vivid gold, orange, and red tones
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that make them stand out in the clear water.
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Now I could go on and on about how important
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cutthroat trout are for the Greater Yellowstone
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ecosystem and a bunch of cool facts about them,
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but right now this isn't the highlight fish.
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This is about telling you to go to something
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cool. And so right now one of the best places
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in the park to watch the cutthroat trout spawning
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is in Trout Lake along the Northeast Inchins
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Road just near Pebble Creek past Lamar Valley.
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While this trail is growing in popularity, not
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a lot of people know that this is a cool spot
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to see this, so that's why I'm telling it to
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you. This is a very short trail, but it is short
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and steep and climbs about 150 feet right away
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and three tenths of a mile before reaching the
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lake. This climb, like I said, is steep, but
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if you were to go up and hike all the way around
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the lake, too, and then come back, it's less
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than a mile and a half total in distance. So
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once you go up the steep hill, you're kind of
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good to go and can really enjoy something cool.
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Now the timing of the spawn varies slightly from
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year to year, depending on snowpack, runoff,
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water temperatures, all of that. but generally
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it's mid -June through early July is that best
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window. That's why I'm recommending it now. I
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always feel like it's around a Father's Day weekend,
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so that's why it's on the calendar this week.
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Once the spawning actually starts to happen,
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the action at Trout Lake becomes surprisingly
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easy to see. While you may see the fish swimming
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in every corner of the lake, your best bet is
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to get to the Outlets kind of on that north side
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if you walk around the lake There's a little
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bridge that goes across it not the bridge on
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the south side near the road but clear on the
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other side Here that little creek is where the
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fish will be going up. Do not follow the little
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boot path That's there. There's signs. I'll tell
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you not to listen to those signs. However If
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you watch from that area, you're gonna see tons
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of fish making their way up. You're gonna see
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otters probably swimming in the lake hunting
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them. You're gonna see osprey and eagles in the
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trees waiting to fish for them. It's a good scene
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and it's awesome to see. I generally like to
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get here a little after the early morning, so
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go through Lamar and Slough Creek, do that early
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morning wildlife watch, and then park and then
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head up. That's what I like to do and that way
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you're gonna see most of the fish most of the
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otters everything like that again timing of this
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is gonna be very dependent on Factors that we
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can't control I talked to somebody the other
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day and they said they saw some fish up there
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But not that many so it could be picking up pretty
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soon. That's what again why I'm recommending
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it now Hopefully you have good luck when you
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go and do this. Just remember hike up the trail
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walk around the lake and go to the far side and
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just sit and watch and enjoy the splendor of
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nature. Plus, that Trout Lake Trail, absolutely
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gorgeous, surrounded by towering mountains. If
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you bring a spotting scope or binoculars, you
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might be able to see some bighorn sheep in the
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distance as well, or mountain goats too. So it's
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a good place. Bring an early lunch, late breakfast,
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hang out there, pick up all your crumbs, don't
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leave any food, blah, blah, blah. You know the
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rules. But enjoy watching the trout. My tip of
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the week. Avoiding lines and wait times. So summer's
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starting and as you know summer in Yellowstone
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is one of the busiest times of the year. When
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you come you're going to see so much. There's
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wildlife all over the place. There's wildflowers
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that are starting to bloom. Waterfalls are thundering
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and nearly every corner of the park is alive
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right now. Yellowstone does receive the vast
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majority of its annual visitation between June
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and August, so June, July, and August, with millions
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of visitors arriving during those three months
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alone. That popularity means that some of the
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park's most famous destinations can be crowded
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especially in the middle of the day. Fortunately,
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visiting Yellowstone in the summer does not mean
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spending your entire vacation in traffic jams
13:57
or crowded boardwalks. With a little planning
13:59
and willingness to adjust your schedule, it's
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entirely possible to enjoy a quieter side of
14:04
the park while still experiencing its most famous
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attractions. I probably say this every week,
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but one of the easiest ways to avoid crowds in
14:12
the park is to embrace Yellowstone's early mornings
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and late evenings. While many visitors are still
14:18
eating breakfast or waiting for coffee shops
14:20
to open or their kids to get up or whatever,
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the park is pretty empty and it feels remarkably
14:26
peaceful. Wildlife is also most often active
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during these cooler hours around sunrise, making
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early mornings a great time for wildlife watching
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and just to go to the park in general, right?
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The National Park Service routinely recommends
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early morning and evening for wildlife viewing,
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and those same hours also happen to be some of
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the quietest times to visit popular destinations.
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One thing that I like to do is go wildlife watching
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in the morning, have a leisurely daytime, and
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then in the evening go to the popular spots like
14:55
Grand Prismatic, the Grand Canyon, the Yellowstone,
14:58
Old Faithful, any of those places where you know
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there's going to be a lot of people during the
15:02
summer days. One thing I love doing is knowing
15:06
that at five, or six o 'clock, most people are
15:09
gonna be leaving the park planning for dinner.
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If you bring your own food with you, then you
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can stay in the park easily at those times and
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go to all these places. The evening, legitimately,
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I love the evening. Plus, you get to catch a
15:22
cool sunset if you stay there late enough. Like,
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going to Grand Prismatic at sunset, one of my
15:27
favorite things. Going to the Grand Canyon at
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sunset, one of my favorite things, right? This
15:31
is the time to go. The middle of the day is when
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Yellowstone's busiest areas typically see their
15:36
largest crowds. Rather than fighting for parking
15:39
at a major attraction during peak hours, consider
15:42
using that time differently. Find a picnic area,
15:45
enjoy a leisurely lunch, take a short hike, or
15:48
visit one of the park's lesser -known destinations.
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Yellowstone contains about a thousand miles of
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trails, dozens of picnic areas, and all sorts
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of places that aren't on the must -see list that
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are still world -class and spectacular. Another
16:02
helpful strategy is simply slowing down. Many
16:05
visitors feel pressure to see everything in a
16:07
single trip, which often turns Yellowstone into
16:10
a checklist rather than experience. And if you
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listen to the podcast for a while, you know that
16:14
turning the park into just a series of checklists
16:17
is not something that is really feasible or as
16:20
enjoyable. It's a good kind of template, but
16:23
don't make it a checklist. Instead, know that
16:28
the reality is that Yellowstone is Nearly 3 ,500
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square miles in size. No one sees it all in a
16:35
few days. So slow down. If you don't see everything,
16:39
you're not gonna see everything. It's okay, but
16:41
you're gonna see things that you want to see,
16:44
and that's what's important. See things that
16:46
you enjoy. Some of the most memorable Yellowstone
16:49
experiences happen when you stop rushing. Instead
16:52
of spending 30 seconds at an overlook before
16:54
moving to the next attraction, Spend a little
16:57
time watching the changing colors in the Grand
16:59
Canyon Yellowstone, or go to all of the pullouts
17:01
in the region, not just the main ones. Or if
17:04
you're watching wildlife, stay there for a while
17:06
and just watch them really move, not just grab
17:09
a quick picture and move on. Watch a bison herd
17:12
for 10 -15 minutes and see how they interact.
17:14
It's a wonderful way to really get to know the
17:17
soul of the park and know that Yellowstone rewards
17:20
patience. The longer you stay in one place, the
17:22
more likely you are to notice details that others
17:25
are going to miss. Also know that if you're staying
17:28
in West Yellowstone, it's going to be crowded
17:30
there. There is not much you can do. The lines
17:33
in West Yellowstone have been building at 7 to
17:35
7 .30 a .m. in the last week. I've been checking
17:38
webcams every single day. Most things you'll
17:41
read will say, get there before 9 and you'll
17:43
be fine. The other day, 7 .05 a .m., the traffic
17:46
camera showed a backup all the way into West
17:48
Yellowstone from the gate. That's probably going
17:51
to continue this next week especially. So know
17:54
that that's just what it's going to be and you
17:56
might have to get up before sunrise. There are
17:59
sacrifices to be made. Waking up early and having
18:01
an amazing experience in the dawn is one of those
18:04
that isn't really a sacrifice once you're up.
18:08
One other way to avoid getting frustrated with
18:10
crowds is to bring your own food. I've talked
18:13
about it before but the food in the park everybody's
18:16
going to go to and You're going to be standing
18:18
in line You're gonna be crowded places during
18:21
popular times to get food If you bring your own
18:24
food You can go to any of the picnic areas in
18:26
the park and have an amazing time in nature Eating
18:29
food without having to fight for parking or stand
18:31
in line for 10 15 20 minutes for food That is
18:35
may or may not be good to you. So bring your
18:38
own food do that and it will be much better.
18:43
Finally, the thing to do to really avoid the
18:45
crowds is go beyond the places that everyone
18:47
else is visiting. Yellowstone's famous attractions
18:50
deserve the reputation, don't get me wrong on
18:52
that, but they represent only a small portion
18:54
of the park. Scenic pullout, short trails, historic
18:57
sites, waterfalls, wildlife viewing areas, and
19:00
lesser -known thermal features are scattered
19:02
throughout Yellowstone. Many receive only a fraction
19:05
of the visitors that have seen at the park's
19:07
marquee destinations even in the middle of the
19:10
day. Summer crowds are simply part of visiting
19:13
one of the world's most loved national parks.
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The good news is that Yellowstone is large enough
19:18
to accommodate both the famous attractions and
19:20
the quiet moments. By starting early, slowing
19:23
down, staying flexible with food, and occasionally
19:27
stepping away from the busiest boardwalks, you
19:29
can experience the Yellowstone that keeps people
19:31
returning year after year without the crowds
19:33
and potential for frustration. My random Yellowstone
19:37
fact of the week, the 1870 Washburn -Langford
19:41
-Done expedition. If you've stood at Old Faithful,
19:45
looked in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone,
19:46
or hiked Mount Washburn, you've experienced the
19:48
legacy of one of the most important journeys
19:50
in Yellowstone history. Two years before Yellowstone
19:54
became the world's first national park in 1872,
19:57
a small group of people set out to determine
19:59
whether the remarkable stories coming from the
20:01
Yellowstone region were actually true. Their
20:04
journey, known as the 1870 Washburn Langford
20:08
Doane Expedition, helped convince the nation
20:10
that Yellowstone was a place worthy of protection.
20:13
The expedition began in August 1870 when a group
20:16
of civilians from Montana territory joined a
20:18
military escort led by Gustavus Doane. The civilian
20:23
members included Surveyor General Henry D. Washburn,
20:26
businessman and future Yellowstone advocate Nathaniel
20:29
P. Langford, attorney Cornelius Hedges, and several
20:33
other prominent Montanans as well as some not
20:35
prominent Montanans who didn't have a lot of
20:38
outdoor experience, but I'll talk about that
20:39
in a second. Their mission was to explore, map,
20:42
and document the Yellowstone region. Earlier
20:45
expeditions had reported extraordinary geysers,
20:47
waterfalls, canyons, and hot springs, but many
20:49
people in the eastern United States dismissed
20:51
those accounts as exaggeration. This was officially
20:55
a trustable source, so this expedition sought
21:00
to provide actual proof. Starting near present
21:03
-day Bozeman, the party traveled south into what
21:05
is now Yellowstone National Park. During several
21:08
weeks in the field, they visited many places
21:10
familiar to visitors today, including Tower Fall,
21:13
the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Yellowstone
21:15
Lake, and the geyser basins along the Firehole
21:18
River. Their journals described a landscape unlike
21:21
anything most Americans had ever imagined. One
21:25
of the expedition's most significant moments
21:27
occurred on September 18th, 1870, when the group
21:30
observed a geyser erupting with remarkable regularity.
21:35
After watching it erupt repeatedly, they named
21:37
it Old Faithful. More than 150 years later, it
21:40
remains one of the world's most famous geysers
21:42
and Yellowstone's most iconic attraction. The
21:46
expedition also left a lasting mark on Yellowstone's
21:49
map. Place names like Mount Washburn, Mount Everts,
21:52
and many others were named after people on this,
21:55
allowing their legacy to continue. One of the
21:59
most dramatic episodes of this expedition involved
22:01
Truman Everts, who I talked about as not necessarily
22:04
not necessarily being the most qualified for
22:07
this adventure. He became separated from the
22:10
group and survived alone in the wilderness for
22:12
37 days before being rescued. He published his
22:15
account and that attracted national attention
22:18
and increased public fascination with Yellowstone's
22:20
remote and rugged landscape. I've talked about
22:22
that on previous episodes. I'll talk about it
22:24
again. Truman Everett's. Let's just look him
22:26
up. Perhaps the expedition's greatest contribution
22:29
came after it ended. Nathaniel Langford Cornelius
22:32
Hedges, and others returned home determined to
22:35
share what they had seen. Through articles, lectures,
22:38
and public advocacy, they introduced Yellowstone
22:40
to a wider audience and helped inspire the 1871
22:43
Hayden survey. The scientific findings, photographs,
22:47
and artwork produced by that survey played a
22:50
critical role in persuading Congress to establish
22:52
Yellowstone National Park in 1872. Now the expedition
22:56
did not discover Yellowstone. Indigenous people
22:59
had lived in it, traveled through, and known
23:01
this landscape for thousands of years. What the
23:04
expedition accomplished was introducing Yellowstone's
23:06
wonders to a broader American audience at a pivotal
23:09
moment in the nation's history. More than 150
23:12
years later, the expedition's influence remains
23:15
visible throughout Yellowstone. Every eruption
23:17
of Old Faithful, every hike up Mount Washburn,
23:19
and every visit to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
23:22
reflects the legacy of a journey that helped
23:24
ensure this extraordinary landscape would be
23:27
preserved for future generations. As always,
23:32
this is the best forecast for the week at the
23:34
time of recording. I'm recording this at 1 .03
23:37
p .m. on Wednesday, June 17th. The forecast can
23:41
always change numerous times in a week, but this
23:43
should be within the ballpark of what you'll
23:44
experience when visiting the park. Weather for
23:47
Lamar Valley. On Thursday, 72 and 38. Friday,
23:52
76 and 48. Saturday 64 and 41 with an 85 percent
23:57
chance about a third of an inch of rain thunderstorms
23:59
as well Sunday 67 and 40 with about a 50 percent
24:03
chance of a tenth of an inch of rain and some
24:05
thunderstorms Monday rain in the morning then
24:08
clearing up or getting better highest 69 low
24:12
38 Tuesday 75 and 42 Wednesday 73 and 41 24 percent
24:18
chance of rain Gardner, Montana Thursday high
24:21
74 low 41 Friday 78 and 49 Saturday 67 and 42
24:28
with an 83 % chance of a quarter inch of rain
24:31
with some thunderstorms Sunday 70 and 41 with
24:34
a 34 % chance of some light rain Monday 70 and
24:38
40 23 % chance of rain Tuesday 76 and 44 and
24:43
Wednesday 75 and 44 with a 24 % chance of rain
24:48
West Yellowstone Thursday 73 and 38 Friday 78
24:52
and 46 Saturday 65 and 39 with an 82 percent
24:57
about a quarter inch of rain and thunderstorms
24:59
Sunday 69 and 38 24 percent chance of rain Monday
25:04
72 and 37 Tuesday 76 and 41 and Wednesday 75
25:09
and 40 24 percent chance of rain Cody Wyoming
25:13
Thursday 76 and 48 Friday 78 and 54 Saturday
25:19
73 and 54 63 percent chance about 0 .15 inches
25:24
of rain Sunday 72 and 50 37 percent chance about
25:28
the same amount of rain thunderstorms both Saturday
25:31
and Sunday Monday 69 and 48 Tuesday 76 and 53
25:36
and Wednesday 76 and 52 And finally for the weather
25:40
Cook City, Montana Thursday 67 and 37 Friday
25:44
70 and 48 Saturday 60 and 40 with an 80 % chance
25:49
about a third of an inch of rain and thunderstorms
25:52
Sunday 62 and 39 with a 50 % chance of about
25:55
a quarter inch of rain Monday 62 and 36 with
25:59
a 50 % chance of light rain and then Tuesday
26:03
68 and 41 12 % chance of rain Wednesday, 67 and
26:08
41, 35 % chance of light rain. Road conditions.
26:12
There's no main park roads that are closed right
26:14
now, and it's unlikely that anything will be
26:17
closed unless temperatures really change with
26:20
this weather forecast. It's just gonna be wet.
26:22
Beartooth Highway could close, so keep an eye
26:24
on that. If you want up -to -date information
26:26
on road conditions, you can call 307 -344 -2117
26:31
for recorded information, or you can sign up
26:33
to receive Yellowstone Road Alerts on your cell
26:36
phone by texting the number 82190 to the number
26:41
888777. Camping information? Pretty much everything's
26:46
open. Reservations are probably going to be required,
26:49
especially this is the start of summer, so...
26:52
If you don't have reservations, you might be
26:53
able to show up. Go to recreation .gov to see
26:56
what's open. Otherwise, enjoy camping in the
26:58
park. The wildlife watching update. So right
27:02
now, wildlife watching is fantastic. There's
27:05
animals all over the place. I was out in Lamar
27:07
last weekend, saw bears, knew that the wolves
27:11
were around, saw badgers running around, bighorn
27:14
sheep with babies were spotted around Round Prairie.
27:17
People talked about seeing moose out by Cook
27:19
City. bighorn sheep babies are out by calcite
27:24
springs and the bermuda triangle is still popping
27:27
off that is floating island lake tower fall out
27:31
to Slough Creek and that whole area. Lots of
27:35
bears out there. Great times. Out the east entrance,
27:38
grizzlies are putting on a show. There's a grizzly
27:39
that's been eating some newborn elk. That's been
27:43
entertaining people for a while, and it's been
27:45
right along the lake shore. Beautiful pictures.
27:47
Again, just make sure you are following the rangers
27:50
that are there and listening to their advice.
27:52
That east entrance road right now, especially
27:54
Fishing Bridge to Sylvan Pass and back, very
27:57
good bear activity. Some bison, some bighorn
28:00
sheep as well. I would check that out if you're
28:02
looking for things. Hayden Valley, slowly picking
28:05
up. Heard some reports of people seeing wolves
28:08
out in Hayden the other day, but it's just not
28:10
that consistent. And then the bison herds in
28:14
Hayden, they move back and forth between Hayden
28:17
and the Geyser Basin. So there have been bison
28:20
moving back and forth between there, traveling
28:22
on the roads north and south, and then, you know,
28:26
just snarling traffic and... creating a fun time
28:28
because bison jams are pretty rad. Other than
28:31
that, one thing people have been asking me a
28:33
lot about are where to see elk. If you go online
28:36
and search elk in Yellowstone, where can I see
28:39
it? Most blogs you're gonna see are gonna say
28:41
if you go to Mammoth, they're always there. That
28:43
is not true. No animals are always in the same
28:46
area. Right now, most of the elk are moving to
28:49
higher elevations or moving into the woods, things
28:51
like that. There is a huge herd of elk north
28:54
of the park. If you leave the park and drive
28:57
Old Yellowstone Road south and then also go into
29:01
Paradise Valley, like Southern Paradise Valley,
29:03
up to Point of Rocks fishing access and back,
29:06
more than likely you're going to see a bunch
29:08
of elk. They may not be next to the road. They
29:10
may be next to the road. Who knows? I was driving
29:11
down the other day and a bunch of elk just crossed
29:14
in front of me on Highway 89, so I just had to
29:16
stop and let them pass. Back into the park. Like
29:19
I said, wildlife is really good right now. The
29:22
cooler weather is really going to help maintain
29:24
this great wildlife watching. But know that on
29:27
hotter days, it's going to be harder to see them,
29:29
especially middle of the day. Now is where that
29:31
advice early morning, late afternoon, early evening,
29:35
that's really going to pay off for you your best
29:36
bet. You may see things in the middle of the
29:38
day, but you may not. If you really want to give
29:41
your best chance, head out to Lamar, head out
29:43
to the East entrance early morning, late evening,
29:46
and you're going to have a great time. So trail
29:49
alerts and updates the backcountry conditions
29:51
page is updated yet again. They've been updating
29:53
it really well They are doing a good job telling
29:56
you what's closed. I can't keep up with how quickly
29:59
they're closing and opening things I recommend
30:01
going out to Imperial Geyser the other day to
30:03
somebody and then it was closed So go to that
30:06
backcountry conditions page. I have a link in
30:08
the show notes for you just click on right from
30:11
your podcast player and that way you can see
30:14
what's open. It's the easiest way to check the
30:16
status of any trail you want to hike. As I say
30:19
every week during this section, carry bear spray,
30:21
have it readily accessible and not in a backpack,
30:24
and know how to use it whether you're hiking
30:26
a serious trail or walking a boardwalk. Bears
30:29
are on boardwalks and you need to be safe. Bear
30:32
spray is a great way to keep people safe. Oh,
30:35
one quick thing about bear spray is if you're
30:38
driving around the park and you have bear spray
30:40
with you, one thing I strongly recommend doing,
30:43
getting a large gallon Ziploc bag and putting
30:46
your bear spray in that Ziploc bag. Chances are
30:49
nothing's going to happen to your bear spray,
30:51
but every so often they leak, every so often
30:53
they go off. If you have it in a ziplock bag
30:56
and it leaks or goes off, it's not going to cause
30:59
tons of damage to the inside of your car or your
31:01
nose. So always have your bear spray when you're
31:03
not using it or hiking. In a ziplock bag, it's
31:07
really the safest way to do it and that way you're
31:09
not going to have any accidents. Alright, my
31:12
truck of the week. Mount Washburn from the canyon
31:15
side. If there's one hike that perfectly combines
31:18
Yellowstone's mountain scenery, wildlife viewing
31:20
opportunities, and sweeping panoramic views,
31:23
it's Mount Washburn. At 10 ,219 feet, this peak
31:28
stands near the center of the park and offers
31:30
some of the most expansive vistas available from
31:33
any day hike in Yellowstone. On a clear day,
31:36
you can see mountains and park features in all
31:38
directions, making the summit one of the finest
31:40
viewpoints in the park. One thing I do want to
31:43
say, a lot of people say this is the tallest
31:44
mountain in the park, it's not, that's Eagle
31:46
Peak, but we'll talk about Eagle Peak later.
31:50
But now we're talking about Mount Washburn. Most
31:52
hikers reach the summit from the Dunraven Pass
31:54
trailhead right now that's located about four
31:57
and a half miles north of Canyon. This route
31:59
is approximately seven miles around trip and
32:01
is considered strenuous for many. However, the
32:03
grade remains fairly consistent throughout the
32:05
climb, so there's no super steep parts. The trail
32:09
follows an old road that works its way up the
32:11
ridge lines, allowing the scenery to unfold almost
32:14
immediately. One of the things that makes Mt.
32:17
Washburn so enjoyable is that the views begin
32:19
long before you reach the summit. After leaving
32:21
the trailhead, the path climbs gradually through
32:24
subalpine terrain before emerging into open slopes
32:28
covered with wildflowers during midsummer. The
32:31
wildflowers are starting to pop out right now,
32:33
but we're not quite there. Late June is really
32:35
good too. There's going to be snow lingering,
32:38
and like I said, there's the first of the wildflowers
32:40
with a colorful bloom that is just against the
32:43
grain. It's perfect. and looking back when you're
32:46
climbing you can often see the forests of the
32:48
Yellowstone Plateau stretching toward Canyon
32:50
with distant mountain ranges rising along the
32:52
horizon. Wildlife is another reason many visitors
32:56
consider this one of Yellowstone's classic hikes.
32:58
Bighorn sheep are frequently seen on the upper
33:00
slopes, sometimes really close to the trail,
33:03
don't get close to them. Spotting one isn't guaranteed,
33:06
of course, but Mount Washburn is one of those
33:07
reliable places to see them. There's marmots,
33:10
there's ground squirrels, there's raptors, and
33:12
other common animals that frequent the area.
33:14
There's also bears there, which I'm going to
33:16
talk about in a minute. So after you're hiking
33:18
and you gain elevation, the trail then spends
33:21
most of its time above treeline, which creates
33:23
the feeling of walking through Yellowstone's
33:25
alpine world. The open terrain provides remarkable
33:28
views, but also means hikers are exposed to the
33:31
weather. The wind can whip through there really
33:32
well, afternoon thunderstorms can quickly develop,
33:35
and lightning is a serious concern on the mountain.
33:38
Starting early in the day is your best strategy,
33:40
allowing you time to enjoy the cooler temperatures
33:43
and increase your chances of reaching the summit
33:45
before storms develop. The summit itself is a
33:48
destination worth savoring. Sitting atop the
33:50
mountain is one of Yellowstone's historic fire
33:52
lookouts. one of only a few remaining lookout
33:55
stations in the park. The lookout remains staffed
33:58
during much of the fire season, and interpretive
34:00
exhibits inside the shelter help visitors understand
34:03
both Yellowstone's fire history and the surrounding
34:05
landscape. From the summit, the views are endless.
34:09
Yellowstone Lake glimmers in the distance, Absaroka
34:11
Range dominates eastern skyline, and much of
34:14
northern Yellowstone stretches out below. Mount
34:16
Washburn is also fascinating from a geological
34:19
perspective. The mountain is actually the remnant
34:21
of an ancient volcano that formed roughly 50
34:24
million years ago as a part of the Absaroka volcanic
34:27
field. Later, volcanic activity associated with
34:30
Yellowstone caldera dramatically altered the
34:32
landscape, leaving only part of the original
34:34
volcano visible today. Standing on the summit,
34:37
you're literally standing on one of Yellowstone's
34:39
oldest volcanic features while looking out across
34:41
one of its youngest. Although this hike is popular,
34:45
back to bears, it's still very wild. As with
34:49
most of the park, black and grizzly bears regularly
34:51
use the Mount Washburn area. Yellowstone National
34:54
Park recommends hiking in groups of three or
34:57
more people carrying bear spray, making noise,
35:00
and staying alert. The bears here are prevalent.
35:03
I probably see bear sign every time I'm on this.
35:06
I haven't seen too many bears while hiking. Probably
35:09
every 10 times I do this, I do this mountain
35:11
a lot, but... Know that there's bears there,
35:14
and they love to be there, and the park will
35:16
occasionally close the trail for that. So, if
35:18
it's closed because of bear activity, listen
35:20
to that sign. That being said, if it is open,
35:24
definitely go. If you're a visitor looking for
35:26
a hike that delivers a bit of everything, Mount
35:28
Washburn is hard to beat. It offers that alpine
35:31
scenery that you can't find very easily in the
35:33
park, wild flowers, wildlife, geology, history,
35:37
and some of the best views in all of Yellowstone,
35:40
right on a single trail. Whether you've never
35:43
hiked Mount Washburn or you've hiked it a dozen
35:45
times, do it again. It's wonderful. One of my
35:48
favorite hikes. I mean, they're all my favorite
35:49
hikes. If you listen long enough, you realize
35:51
I say that every week. But Mount Washburn is
35:54
truly special, wonderful, and I think you'll
35:57
enjoy it. Now, one thing before I end this episode
36:01
and get to the finale here. There is some lingering
36:04
snow and spots on this trail. Bring some trekking
36:08
poles and you should be fine. Just know that
36:11
you will be walking through snow in some places.
36:14
It's not going to be super bad. There's been
36:16
a lot of people that hiked up there. The snow
36:17
is beaten down pretty well, but in the midday
36:20
sun, that remaining snow is going to be very
36:22
slushy and just having something else to help
36:24
you balance a little bit when you're sliding
36:26
around will be great. So bring some poles, expect
36:29
some snow, enjoy the views and know it's probably
36:31
going to be windy up top, but you can sit inside.
36:35
Next week. In the next episode, I'm gonna return
36:38
with all the information you need to have a good
36:40
week in the park, including the wildlife, weather,
36:42
and trail updates. Until then, book a tour with
36:45
me, pick up a guidebook of mine, tell somebody
36:48
about this podcast, and happy trails. This week
37:03
in Yellowstone is brought to you by the Outdoor
37:05
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37:08
this. It's a labor of love. If you like it, tell
37:11
your friends, rate and review it. Shoot me a
37:13
message. Otherwise, keep listening and I hope
37:16
to see you in Yellowstone. Copyright 2026, baby.