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This Week In Yellowstone: July 2nd to July 8th, 2026 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

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From Yellowstone National Park where pretty much
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all the snow that fell last weekend has melted
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This is that Scott guy you know in love with
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a brand new episode of this week in Yellowstone
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What's up everybody this week in Yellowstone
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National Park from July 2nd to July 8th 2026
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I'll let you know about the 4th of July celebrations
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in and around the park, try to encourage you
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to stop and smell the flowers, and then give
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some history about the carcass dumping sites.
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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 because
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it's back baby, the wildlife report, and everything
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else you need to have an incredible time this
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week in Yellowstone. So my standard disclaimer,
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I may miss a few details here and there, but
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feel free to reach out with any questions you
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may have. I also mention park locations very
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casually, so if you're unfamiliar with a place
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that I'm talking about, just do a quick search
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online or you can contact me via text 406 -589
1:07
-1873. Also, please know that this podcast is
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a passion project of mine. I'm not paid, I'm
1:14
not sponsored, I do this because I want you to
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have a good time in the park and love it as much
1:18
as I do. If you enjoy this podcast, I'd love
1:21
a review or a quick email, or recommend it to
1:24
a friend. If you want to support my work more,
1:26
you can check out my hiking and wildlife watching
1:28
guidebooks, or join me for a guided hiking tour
1:31
in Yellowstone's backcountry. For more information,
1:34
visit outdoor -society .com or contact me directly,
1:38
406 -589 -1873. Send any text questions you have
1:43
there. This week's Yellowstone news. It was not
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a slow week last week. First thing I want to
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talk about is last week's snowfall Obviously
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it snowed over the weekend last weekend and it
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snarled some people's plans as of yesterday You
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know Tuesday I record this on Wednesday as of
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Tuesday the 30th of June all roads in the park
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were open everything was back to normal and That
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could be the last snowfall until September We'll
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see. We never know. And who knows? But that snowfall
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was definitely through some people for a loop.
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Those of you that went in the park last week
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despite the weather, I'm glad you did. It looked
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awesome. I'm glad we got more snow here. I'm
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going to talk about the positives of the snowfall
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later. But for now, just wanted to update everybody
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on that. One of the other news stories I wanted
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to briefly talk about was the bison attack that
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happened at Mud Volcano. It was a 12 -year -old
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who got attacked by the bison. As far as I know,
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everything is okay. Obviously, it's never a good
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thing to get attacked by a bison, but, you know,
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they don't attack without reason. So, as always,
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stay 25 yards away. If you see somebody getting
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too close to a bison, don't just stand there
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and film it. Say something. Use that opportunity
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as a time to educate. If they react negatively
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to you, then walk away. But, I have seen a lot
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of things online about people seeing people go...
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Too close to wildlife and instead of just even
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saying hey You do know the rules are 25 yards
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or just trying to do something about it They
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film it and then they whisper like oh is it going
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to attack? That is a lack of empathy. That is
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a lack of human decency I know that there's signs
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everywhere telling people to stay away from wildlife
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people get excited and forget the rules We are
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all flawed individuals who make mistakes in the
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park. We get too excited. So Give somebody the
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benefit of a doubt help remind them if they overreact
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walk away but do your part as a good human being
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I'm seeing too many people including some guides
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just filming things for content and that's not
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what we want the park to be we shouldn't be rooting
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for anybody to get injured One thing about Mud
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Volcano is it is a common place for people to
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get gored. They call them gorings even if they
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get tossed or trampled or whatever. Just a bison
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goring. But Mud Volcano is a place where bison
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will hang around right next to a paved path as
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you're hiking up and a lot of people just hike
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right up there and pass the bison closely. please
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don't do that if there's a bison blocking there
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it is a loop trail you can go around or if the
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bison's blocking the trail just don't do it wait
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until it leaves rangers might be there more because
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of this incident last year i know they closed
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part of that trail because of a bison or maybe
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those two years ago but bison are going to be
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getting more and more aggressive right now as
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they enter their mating season i'm going to talk
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about that next week but stay away from wildlife
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enjoy everything Be smart, be safe, and help
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your fellow human being. One last thing to mention
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with the news is the opening times for entrances.
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I've seen a lot of things online about people
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asking, when can I enter the park? What time
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does the park open? The park is open 24 hours
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a day. If you go to an entrance station and it's
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before it's staffed, then you drive in. If it's
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staffed, then you stop. It's pretty simple. Don't
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think that places don't open until seven or eight.
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You can enter the park at any time of the day.
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And if you're driving from West Yellowstone to
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Lamar and you want to get there right after sunrise,
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you're going to have to leave there super early.
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So, you know, enter the park. But no, there are
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no operating hours for the entrances. The entrance
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stations are manned at different times, but you
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can still enter when the entrance stations are
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not manned. So I hope that helps clear up some
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of the confusion there. My experience of the
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week. Fourth of July celebrations in and around
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Yellowstone. So the towns around Yellowstone
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National Park are getting ready for what's shaping
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up to be a big, lively Independence Day weekend.
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This year feels even more meaningful because
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the celebrations tie into the United States'
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semi -quincentennial marking 250 years of American
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Independence. Across the region, that translates
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into a packed schedule of parades, rodeos, community
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events, and fireworks all set against the backdrop
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of mountains, rivers, and wide open western skies.
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If you're passing through Yellowstone itself
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during the holiday, it's worth remembering that
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fireworks are not allowed anywhere inside the
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park. Yellowstone National Park Public Affairs
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is very clear on this point, since even the smallest
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of fireworks can create a serious wildfire risk
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in such a dry and heavily forested landscape.
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There are no planned celebrations on the 4th
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of July in Yellowstone National Park, so do not
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expect any. The good news is that the gateway
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towns surrounding the park lean all the way into
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the holiday spirit. They are offering plenty
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of ways to celebrate in some really cool towns.
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So in Cody, Wyoming, near the east entrance,
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this is going to be one of the busiest hubs for
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the fourth. This year's theme, 250 years of legends,
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liberty and lasting west, fits the town's personality
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perfectly. The Cody Stampede Parade rolls down
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Sheridan Avenue on both July 3rd and 4th at 9
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.30 in the morning, and then the streets quickly
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fill with visitors and locals throughout the
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next few hours. Then during the weekend, there's
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the Wild West Arts Fest, nightly Cody Stampede
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rodeo performances, and a fireworks show over
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the Shoshone River that brings a whole celebration
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to a classic western finish. North of the park.
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We have my personal favorite town the one that
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I live in 53 miles north of Gardner Which is
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Livingston, Montana and Livingston keeps things
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festive with the same amount of hype and awesomeness
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as Cody There is the Livingston Roundup rodeo
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running at Park County Fairgrounds from July
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1st through July 4th There's very few if no tickets
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remaining for that, but you might be able to
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like find somebody outside selling those One
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of the highlights here is the roundup parade
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on July 2nd That's a tradition that has been
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going strong for more than a century from 3 to
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6 in the afternoon Downtown fills up as people
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line 2nd Street calendar and Main Street to watch
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horses rodeo royalty patriotic floats business
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floats from town and It's a great time I live
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in town and can assure you that the vibe from
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July 2nd through the 4th is nearly unmatched
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anywhere in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem
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and maybe anywhere in America. Like it's a really
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good fourth time. Over at West Yellowstone the
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holiday has more of an all -day walk -around
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feel. Things kick off at Pioneer Park with the
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farmers market and the town keeps the energy
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going with community favorites like the Buffalo
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Chip Chuck competition and the Pie on the Porch
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fundraiser. By the evening everything shifts
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for a 6 p .m. parade, live music, and then the
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fireworks start about 10 15 right outside the
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park boundary. If you're looking for something
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smaller and a bit more laid back, Cook City,
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near the east entrance, delivers a very different
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kind of Fourth of July. The day centers around
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the EMS Fourth of July parade and Fireman's Picnic,
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where the whole community comes together for
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a simple Main Street parade, a local fundraiser
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picnic, and a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. Once
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night falls, fireworks echo through the Beartooth
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Mountains, giving the whole celebration the surprisingly
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dramatic setting for such a small town. In Big
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Sky, the focus shifts away from fireworks, so
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don't expect that. Wildfires are real out in
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big sky and they don't want to do fireworks so
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don't expect any fireworks in big sky but expect
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a celebration. There's a 5k run in the morning
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followed by scenic lift rides or ziplining at
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the resort. Later in the evening the community
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gathers for a free music in the mountains concert
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featuring the tiny band keeping the holiday spirit
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strong without any fireworks in the mix. If you're
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going to be in Bozeman, the Gallatin County Fairgrounds
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become one of the main gathering spots for the
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region. The Valley View Rodeo runs on July 3rd
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and 4th at 7, and once the rodeo wraps up on
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the 4th, the city's official fireworks show goes
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off at 10pm, drawing a big crowd from both locals
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and travelers. Gardner is a little quieter on
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organized events during the actual holiday since
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its rodeo takes place in June, but it still ends
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up being one of the busiest base camps in the
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region. You can use it as a jumping -off point
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for a 4th of July rafting trip, go to the park,
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or you can head up to Chico Hot Springs nearby
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or Yellowstone Hot Springs, but there's really
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not much going on in town itself. So all together,
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in all of these towns, the Yellowstone region
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offers a mix of big celebrations and small town
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gatherings all woven into the same landscape.
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Whether it's a packed parade in Cody or a quiet
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mountain picnic in Cook City, the 4th of July
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here feels distinctly western, with those open
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spaces, big skies, strong communities, and a
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shared appreciation for the land that ties all
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of this together. Now there are obviously other
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small towns all around the region hosting their
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own celebrations, I mentioned a few, but there's
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more so feel free to research and see what fun
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can be had elsewhere in Wyoming, Idaho, or Montana
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on the 4th. Good luck, and if you do light off
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fireworks, do not start a forest fire. 4th of
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July has so many forest fires that start, so
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be safe, be smart, and celebrate responsibly.
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My tip of the week. Stop and smell the wildflowers.
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Most people visit Yellowstone National Park hoping
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to see Old Faithful erupt, watch a grizzly bear
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through a spotting scope, or catch a glimpse
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of wolves in Lamar. Those are certainly unforgettable
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experiences, but early July offers another incredible
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show that many visitors overlook. Across the
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park, meadows, hillsides, forests, and mountain
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slopes explode with wildflowers, turning an already
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beautiful landscape into one filled with vibrant
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colors. Early July is one of the best times in
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Yellowstone to enjoy the wildflowers because
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the blooms are spread throughout the park. The
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lower elevations are often nearing the end of
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their peak while the higher elevations are just
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beginning to emerge from beneath the snows that
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have fallen and letting all that moisture start
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to bloom. Since Yellowstone ranges from roughly
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5 ,300 feet to 11 ,000 feet above sea level,
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spring arrives at different times depending on
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where you are. If flowers have just started fading
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in one part of the park, another area may be
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reaching its peak just a few thousand feet higher.
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One of the best places to begin your search is
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around Mammoth Hot Springs in the northern range.
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This part of the park usually greens up earlier
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than much of the rest of the park, making it
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one of the places where summer flowers appear.
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The beaver ponds trail is really rewarding during
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early July. There's colorful displays of lupine,
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lupine, depending how you want to say it, sticky
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geranium, yarrow, flocks, wild rose, and if you're
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lucky, bitterroot. There's also some arrowleaf
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balsam root that at this lower elevation are
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starting to die off, but still really cool. One
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of my favorite flowers. There's also some paintbrush
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that are blooming around 8 ,000 feet right now,
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but I'll talk about that in a minute. Lamar Valley
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and Hayden Valley are also really good for wildlife
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watching But they're pretty good for wildflowers
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as well as you scan through the valley look for
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all different colors You're gonna get purples
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and reds and blues and yellows and everything
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you want But just it's not going to be like a
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whole blanket of wildflowers They're just gonna
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be spread out and it's gonna be lovely, but it's
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not going to be like the whole Lamar Valley that's
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one thing that I want you to know when you're
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looking for wildflowers in the park You don't
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get a super bloom like you see elsewhere We get
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really good blooms, but they're kind of spread
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out because everything here is big and spread
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out So think of it like that think of it like
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the trees in the park where someplace that more
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trees some don't have as much That's how the
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wildflowers are Now if you don't mind getting
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a little elevation in the park, the slopes around
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Mount Washburn and Dunraven Pass offer some of
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Yellowstone's most spectacular summer wildflower
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displays. With the lingering snow later into
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the year and then this recent snow, you get really
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different times of peak blooms depending on the
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year. The best way really to see the flowers
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in the area up Dunraven is to go up Chittenden
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Road when it reopens and then just hike a little
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bit. If you go up to Mount Washburn, that trail
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is really good. It's going to be lined with tons
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of flowers. You're going to have some paintbrush
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up there, all sorts of things. So definitely
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go check that out. If you want some different
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wildflowers growing in a usual environment, that's
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where the hydrothermal areas come in. You're
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not going to quite have the same amount of plants
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there or the same amount of wildflowers as other
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places in the park, but you will have some there.
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One of the things that makes July so Enjoyable
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are these wildflowers blooming if you come across
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the bright blue lupine or maybe some Scarlet
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paintbrush or the fireweed that's gonna start
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turning bright red All of these things are just
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gonna be so beautiful, especially against the
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big sky It is a fantastic thing every drive through
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the park every day You're gonna start seeing
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different wildflowers the more you slow down
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take those pull -offs look for wildflowers enjoy
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this. This is such a short season that you may
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come from someplace where you have a long season
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and you see wildflowers all the time. Wildflowers
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here only last for a month or two and then they're
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gone for the entire year. Now as beautiful as
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Yellowstone's wildflowers are, they're surprisingly
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fragile. It can be tempting to wander into a
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meadow for a better picture, but don't do that.
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I know like bison and everything roam through,
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but with these wildflowers, do your best to allow
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these blooms to take place without people. Social
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trails created by visitors remain visible for
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years, and that trampling can permanently alter
15:29
delicate alpine and meadow ecosystems. Again,
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I know bison walk through, but the National Park
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Service asks visitors to stay on established
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trails whenever possible and avoid walking through
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flower -filled meadows. Visitors also need to
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remember that every flower in Yellowstone is
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protected. Picking wildflowers is prohibited
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throughout the park and for good reason. These
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blooms provide nectar for native bees, butterflies,
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hummingbirds, flies, and other pollinators. Later
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in the season, many provide seeds that feed birds
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and small mammals throughout the winter, like
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they store all of these and then they eat. Some
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species even provide food for larger wildlife.
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Glacier lilies, for example, are one of the first
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nutritious plants available to grizzly bears
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after they emerge from their dens in the spring.
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Leaving every flower where it grows helps ensure
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that the next generation of plants, pollinators,
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and wildlife can continue to thrive. The best
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way to enjoy Yellowstone's wildflower season
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is to simply slow down. Like I said before, stop
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at the scenic pullouts, walk a trail instead
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of rushing to the next geyser basin, and spend
16:34
a few minutes looking at the ground instead of
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the horizon. You may still see bears, bison,
16:40
and elk, but you're also going to discover hundreds
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of colorful blooms that remind you summer in
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Yellowstone is every bit as spectacular as its
16:48
famous wildlife. My random Yellowstone fact of
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the week, carcass dump sites. If you've ever
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watched Yellowstone's employees load a dead bison
16:57
or elk on the back of a truck, you may have wondered
17:00
where it was going. You may wonder why I'm bringing
17:02
this up. Well, if you paid attention to some
17:04
social media a couple weeks ago, you noticed
17:06
that there was an instance where a bison was
17:09
dead and they had to lift it off the ground and
17:12
put it into the back of a truck. They didn't
17:15
do quite a good job. It's like it almost fell
17:18
off back on the road from the backhoe that or
17:20
whatever equipment they were lifting it up into
17:22
the back of the truck. But they got it in there
17:24
and then they drove away with it. And then what
17:28
happens, right? So Yellowstone National Park
17:31
is famous for allowing nature to take its course.
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That's something that happens. Predators hunt
17:35
prey, scavengers clean up what's left behind,
17:37
and the nutrients from every animal eventually
17:39
return to the soil. So why would park staff remove
17:42
a carcass at all? The answer lies in one of Yellowstone's
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lesser -known wildlife management practices,
17:49
designated carcass disposal sites, often called
17:52
carcass dumps. While the name may sound unappealing,
17:55
these remote locations serve an important purpose.
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They help reduce dangerous encounters between
18:00
people and wildlife, while still allowing bears,
18:03
wolves, ravens, eagles, coyotes, and countless
18:05
other scavengers to benefit from natural food
18:08
source. Rather than disrupting nature, these
18:12
sites actually help preserve it. In most cases,
18:15
animals that die in Yellowstone remain exactly
18:17
where they fall. One of my tours that I take
18:20
goes into the backcountry way off the beaten
18:22
path in Lamar, and we find all sorts of bones
18:24
and antlers and skulls. A bison that dies during
18:27
a harsh winter, an elk taken by wolves, or a
18:30
deer that succumbs to disease quickly becomes
18:32
part of the park's natural recycling system.
18:34
Within hours, ravens and magpies arrive, then
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coyotes, foxes, eagles, and in many cases grizzly
18:40
bears and black bears. than wolves, or maybe
18:44
in some other order, but large predators may
18:46
feed for days here, while insects, bacteria,
18:48
and fungi continue to break down what remains
18:50
long after the larger scavengers have moved on.
18:53
Eventually, every part just goes back into the
18:56
ecosystem, sometimes spread out, sometimes just
18:58
right there. There are times, however, when leaving
19:00
a carcass in place creates unnecessary risks.
19:04
Park staff removed large mammal carcasses that
19:07
are located near campgrounds, visitor facilities,
19:09
parking lots, roads, and other heavily used areas
19:12
because they can attract bears and other large
19:15
carnivores into close contact with people. A
19:18
dead bison beside a popular roadside pullout
19:21
might seem like an incredible wildlife viewing
19:23
opportunity, but it can quickly become a dangerous
19:26
situation once a bear gets there. Rather than
19:29
allowing thousands of visitors to gather around
19:31
an active feeding site, Park crews relocate the
19:35
carcass to a designated disposal area far from
19:37
roads and developed facilities. These carcass
19:40
disposal sites are not landfills or garbage dumps.
19:43
Instead, they're carefully selected locations
19:45
where wildlife can feed with minimal human disturbance.
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Once a carcass is placed there, it often becomes
19:51
one of the busiest feeding locations in the surrounding
19:53
area. Because these sites attract multiple large
19:56
carnivores, the National Park Service does not
19:58
publicize their locations and neither will I.
20:01
Curious visitors seeking photographs could unknowingly
20:03
place themselves in extremely dangerous situations.
20:06
A bear feeding on a fresh carcass is often focused
20:09
on protecting that food source and will react
20:12
aggressively if surprised or wants to protect
20:15
its food source. Keeping those areas remote and
20:18
largely unknown benefits both wildlife and visitors.
20:22
Now, why am I talking about it? Because it's
20:24
something a lot of people should know. Also,
20:27
Yellowstone Carcass Disposal Sites are only one
20:29
part of the bare management strategy that has
20:32
evolved dramatically over the past century. During
20:34
the first half of the 1900s, the park actually
20:37
encouraged bears to gather at open garbage dumps,
20:39
sometimes bringing in carcasses, other times
20:42
just straight trash. And every evening, visitors
20:44
filled the bleachers to watch black bears and
20:46
grizzly bears rummage through piles of trash
20:48
and carcasses in what became known as the famous
20:51
bear shows. Feeding bears from automobiles then
20:54
became popular, and many bears quickly learned
20:57
that humans were an easy source of food. The
20:59
consequences of this were predictable, and according
21:02
to the National Park Service, between 1931 and
21:04
1969, Yellowstone averaged 48 bear -caused human
21:08
injuries and more than 100 incidents of property
21:10
damage every single year. Bears that became accustomed
21:14
to human food often lost their natural wariness
21:17
leading to increasingly dangerous encounters
21:19
with visitors. That changed in the 1970s when
21:22
the park adopted a modern bear management program.
21:25
The park then permanently closed its garbage
21:27
dumps and installed bear resistant trash containers,
21:30
prohibited feeding wildlife, and worked to eliminate
21:32
artificial food sources that attracted bears
21:35
into developed areas. Relocating carcasses away
21:38
from busy roadsides and campgrounds became another
21:40
important tool for keeping bears wild while reducing
21:43
opportunities for conflict with people. Visitors
21:46
can still occasionally encounter temporary trail
21:48
closures because of an animal carcass or because
21:51
of aggressive bears. We know that's going on
21:52
right now at the Mystic Falls area. Even if the
21:56
dead animal was hidden in the trees or near a
21:58
ridge somewhere, park biologists know that feeding
22:00
grizzly bear may be nearby. So closing a trail
22:03
for several days gives that bear time to feed
22:05
naturally before allowing hikers to return. While
22:09
these closures can be disappointing, they're
22:11
an important reminder that Yellowstone remains
22:13
one of the few places where large predators continue
22:15
to behave much as they have for thousands of
22:18
years. Most visitors will never see one of Yellowstone's
22:22
carcass disposal sites, and that's exactly the
22:24
point. These quiet, out of the way locations
22:27
allow wildlife to feed without attracting crowds
22:30
of people, cameras, or traffic jams. They also
22:33
demonstrate Yellowstone's modern approach to
22:35
wildlife management. Rather than interfering
22:37
with nature, park staff intervene only when necessary
22:40
to protect public safety. By moving carcasses
22:43
from developed areas to remote locations, Yellowstone
22:45
allows a natural cycle of life and death to continue,
22:48
while helping ensure that bears, wolves, and
22:50
other scavengers remain wild for generations
22:53
to come. Again, these carcass dump sites are
22:57
not someplace that you'll ever see, but if you
23:00
ever wander like... Where do all the animals
23:02
that die near the road go chances are that's
23:04
where they go There are some places that you
23:06
can walk to later in the year. I may talk about
23:09
that I may not just because you know keeping
23:11
these areas private is probably for the best
23:13
But know that animals are being fed and from
23:16
what I know they rotate where they dump carcasses
23:19
all the time So that way animals aren't just
23:21
expecting something there when it happens. A
23:24
few years ago a car hit a big semi truck hit
23:27
a bunch of bison and they dumped a bunch of bison
23:30
out in one of those and heard from some biologists
23:34
that bears and wolves feasted there for days
23:36
and everything was eaten and it was good. So
23:39
you know it's less than ideal to have an animal
23:42
get hit by a car but if something does die in
23:44
the park too close to road then it is getting
23:47
put back into a more remote place where wildlife
23:50
will be able to eat it. The weather for the coming
23:53
week. As always, this is the best forecast for
23:56
the coming week at the time of recording, which
23:58
is Wednesday, July 1st at 4 o 'clock. The forecast
24:02
can change numerous times in a week, but this
24:04
should be within a ballpark of what you'll experience
24:06
when visiting the park. So let's start with Lamar
24:09
Valley. On Thursday, A high of 71, a low of 41,
24:14
7 % chance of rain. On Friday, 72 and 40, 24
24:18
% chance of rain. Saturday, 77 and 45, 3 % chance
24:23
of rain. Sunday, 79 and 46, 17 % chance of rain.
24:28
Monday, 78 and 47, 24 % chance of rain. Tuesday,
24:33
77 and 47 with a 50 % chance of thunderstorms.
24:37
And then Wednesday, 75 and 45 with a 19 % chance
24:41
of rain. Gardner, Montana on Thursday high 74
24:45
love 43 5 % chance of rain Friday 75 and 43 24
24:50
% chance of rain mostly in the afternoon Saturday
24:53
81 and 48 3 % chance Sunday 82 and 49 15 % chance
24:59
Monday 82 and 50 20 percent chance Tuesday 79
25:04
and 50 42 percent chances some thunderstorms
25:08
and Wednesday 78 and 49 24 percent chance of
25:11
rain West Yellowstone, Montana Thursday 71 and
25:16
39 with a 24 percent chance of rain Friday 72
25:19
and 39 with a 24 percent chance of rain Saturday
25:22
77 and 43 with a 3 percent chance Sunday 80 and
25:27
45 with an 8 % chance. Monday, 80 and 46 with
25:31
a 12 % chance. Tuesday, 76 and 47 with a 20 %
25:35
chance. And Wednesday, 77 and 46 with a 14 %
25:39
chance of rain. Cody, Wyoming. On Thursday, high
25:44
80, low of 53, 60 % chance of a thunderstorm
25:47
in the afternoon. Friday, 84 and 55, 6 % chance
25:51
of rain. Saturday, 89 and 59. Sunday, 91 and
25:56
61, 16 % chance of rain. Monday, 84 and 60, 17
26:01
% chance of rain. Tuesday, 84 and 60, 32 % chance
26:05
of rain and thunderstorms. And Wednesday, 82
26:08
and 59 with a 34 % chance of thunderstorms. And
26:11
finally, Cook City, Montana. On Thursday, 68
26:15
and 43. Friday, 68 and 43. Saturday, 75 and 48.
26:20
Sunday, 76 and 48 with a 14 % chance of rain.
26:24
Monday 74 and 49 with a 50 % chance of thunderstorms
26:28
Tuesday 72 and 49 with a 60 % chance of thunderstorms
26:32
and Wednesday 72 and 47 24 % chance of rain That
26:37
brings me to the snowpack update, which I know
26:39
I said before that I wasn't gonna do again But
26:42
it snowed so I know some people are like oh,
26:44
what's the snowpack light? Snowpack is still
26:46
pretty much non -existent 0 % in normal now.
26:49
This is a little False, but it's gonna be warm
26:52
enough all the snow that fell the last few days
26:54
is going to melt in the next few days It's not
26:57
enough snow and it's not cold enough to stay
26:59
there There might be some snow on some trails,
27:01
but generally it's going to be absolutely fine
27:04
So I just wanted to mention that because it did
27:06
snow so people were asking Oh, how is the snow
27:08
going to be on the trails or the roads snowpack
27:11
is there? But it's not any different than it
27:14
was before this snow, especially after the next
27:16
couple days of warmth So don't worry about it
27:19
If there's snow on the trail, that backcountry
27:22
situation report will let you know. Road conditions.
27:26
No, park roads are closed right now. There are
27:28
a few spots of construction, but those should
27:30
be minimal delays. And while unlikely this coming
27:33
week, be aware that roads can close at any time
27:36
due to inclement weather. For up to date information,
27:38
you can call 307 -344 -2117. Or you can sign
27:42
up to receive Yellowstone Road Alerts on your
27:45
cell phone by texting 82190 to the number 888777.
27:51
Camping information. Everything is open. Have
27:55
at it. Well, I mean, if you have a reservation
27:57
or there's an open site, don't just go hog wild
28:00
on a campsite. Like, make sure that you have
28:02
a reservation and you're supposed to be there.
28:04
Other than that, it's a good time to camp. Love
28:06
camping this time of year. Thunderstorms are
28:08
going to roll through every bit. or every few
28:11
days but it's life and it'll be warm and things
28:14
will dry again. The wildlife report. So as is
28:20
normal for this time of year, wildlife sightings
28:22
are still pretty good but they are slowing down
28:24
and they're getting less consistent. As we warm
28:27
up especially this coming week, wildlife is going
28:29
to be very inactive during the day. I could be
28:33
wrong about this here and there but generally
28:34
that's the rule So know that if you really want
28:36
to see wildlife get there early I'm talking five
28:40
o 'clock to places six o 'clock seven o 'clock
28:43
in the morning So wolves right now are being
28:46
spotted in the northern range up by the Blacktail
28:48
Plateau area It is a good place to go to definitely
28:52
check them out then Out by Lamar. Some people
28:55
are seeing them and also down in Hayden. People
28:58
are seeing wolves down there Grizzlies are still
29:01
all over the place in a distance up in the northern
29:04
range, especially in Lamar. And then there are
29:07
some grizzlies that are hanging out outside of
29:09
Cook City east of town. Bears are kind of getting
29:13
out of the park and traveling higher right now,
29:15
especially grizzlies. So it's going to be harder
29:17
and harder to see them as the snow melts and
29:19
the temperature goes higher. Bison are starting
29:23
to herd up. Good place to see bison are going
29:25
to be the northern range. Probably in Little
29:28
America or Lamar Valley it they just go it kind
29:31
of go back and forth You may see some out here
29:34
and there between mammoth and Roosevelt But generally
29:37
that larger northern herd is going to be in Little
29:40
America Lamar Valley The other big herd will
29:43
be down by Hayden, but they could go from, you
29:47
know, Hayden Valley all the way to the geyser
29:48
basins and back. There's some places that they
29:51
go. So you might go into Hayden and you might
29:52
see nothing, then drive around, then come back
29:55
later in the day. And there could be a thousand
29:57
bison there. It's just going to be a matter of
29:59
luck if they're visible. But once they are, there's
30:01
going to be tons of them all over the road, all
30:04
over everywhere. So hang in there. Bison jams
30:07
are going to increase in Lamar, in Little America,
30:11
in Hayden. There's going to be bison roaming
30:13
around elsewhere, but generally those are the
30:15
two main herds. There's baby pronghorn all over
30:17
the place. Somebody captured some video the other
30:20
day of wolves chasing a baby pronghorn, and that
30:23
was pretty cool to see. They got the baby pronghorn
30:25
and they devoured it quickly, but Babies are
30:28
still out there baby elk are everywhere and it
30:31
is a good time for wildlife watching birds are
30:33
still everywhere. There's some immature Eagles
30:36
learning to fly there are There is a peregrine
30:41
falcon nest near calcite springs. I watched that
30:45
the other day. There's some osprey all over the
30:48
place. It is a good time. Just know, though,
30:51
that during the heat of the day, it's going to
30:53
be a lot less active. That's not to say it's
30:56
going to be completely inactive. It's just going
30:58
to be a lot less active. So if you really want
31:00
to see things, you need to be in these valleys
31:03
or driving to these valleys in good wildlife
31:05
areas. At sunrise or a little after and then
31:10
a couple hours before sunset To sunset and then
31:14
golden hour and all of that. That's how you want
31:16
to book end your day during the day Go out and
31:18
do things and then if you see wildlife, that's
31:21
great But generally that's going to be the rule
31:23
of thumb from here all the way through July Next
31:26
week. I will be talking a lot more about the
31:28
bison rut, but it is picking up There are some
31:31
AI generated guide things online that are saying
31:34
it doesn't start till September same with that
31:37
guide along app I heard is saying that the bison
31:41
jam or not bison jam the bison rut doesn't start
31:43
until September that is Completely inaccurate
31:47
it is going now will pick up speed in the coming
31:49
weeks into August This is the time where it really
31:52
starts to get good So if you want to be here
31:55
for bison... This is the time to do it. If you
31:57
want to be here for grizzly bears, it's going
31:59
to be harder and harder to see them, especially
32:01
as the heat increases and they start going higher
32:04
for a better protein source. So if you do want
32:07
more tips on where to see wildlife, reach out
32:09
to me via text 406 -589 -1873. I'll try my best
32:13
to respond to everybody. I kind of get inundated
32:16
at times. And so I do my best. I'm sorry if I
32:18
don't get to you. It's not because you did anything
32:21
wrong. I sincerely apologize. I wish I could
32:23
talk to all of you, but know that Northern Range
32:27
early morning, the Bermuda Triangle still has
32:30
lots of black bears. And if you see some grizzlies,
32:33
you're probably going to see them out the east
32:35
entrance, maybe in Hayden, maybe on the ridges
32:37
in Lamar, and maybe you'll get lucky, especially
32:39
if you drive a bare -toothed highway. So good
32:42
luck, and I will give you more wildlife next
32:45
week. So trail alerts and updates. Backcountry
32:48
conditions page is updated again. They updated
32:51
this week. There's a link in the show notes.
32:53
This is the easiest way for me to share the status
32:55
of every trail. Go to the link provided in the
32:58
show notes of a hike you want to do and click
33:01
on it. If you can't find information about something,
33:03
reach out to me. 406 -589 -1873 via text, I will
33:08
happily tell you how the trails are. If you are
33:11
hiking, as always, carry bear spray, have it
33:13
readily accessible and not in a backpack, and
33:15
know how to use it. My Trek of the Week. So I'm
33:20
going to be sharing a hike of the week that you're
33:24
probably going to need me for or need some advice
33:27
for, but I want you to know that there is an
33:31
old wolf den you can hike to and see the original
33:34
crates the wolves were brought into the park
33:36
and and see the original enclosure that they
33:39
were brought in I've been hemming and hawing
33:40
going back and forth about do I share this or
33:42
not and then I realized that this is something
33:45
that a lot of guides take their clients to Yellowstone
33:48
forever takes people to it's a well -known thing
33:51
there's stuff online about it not a ton but there's
33:53
stuff online about it and my listenership currently
33:56
is a pretty cool people so I want to share this
33:59
with you and if you want actual details of where
34:01
it is and how to get there I can help you out
34:04
but I will be very kind of strict about just
34:09
make sure that you are well behaved up there
34:11
that you're smart that you're safe it is a sacred
34:14
place for the park and that's why I want to share
34:17
because we all need to be able to have the opportunity
34:20
to connect in things however if I find like that
34:24
this is going too far and people are trashing
34:27
these sites I will delete this part of this episode
34:31
and re -upload it without this. So if you do
34:34
want to hike here, please be respectful. Please
34:38
know that this is a very important spot, and
34:41
the more people that go there and trash it, the
34:44
less likely we'll be able to have cool places
34:46
like this to hike to. The park can and could
34:49
easily close this at any time. So I want to tell
34:53
you about the Old Wolf Pin in Lamar Valley. It
34:56
is located near the Buffalo Ranch, right in Lamar
34:59
Valley that Yellowstone Forever runs. And if
35:02
you're staring at the Buffalo Ranch from that
35:04
big parking lot across the street with your back
35:06
to the Lamar River and you're looking at the
35:08
building, there's a pull -out to your right,
35:11
little ways down. If you go there, it's not a
35:15
huge pull -out, it's not even paved, it's just
35:16
a little indent. If you go there, and that's
35:18
gonna be on that north side, the same side as
35:20
the ranch, There's a little boot path that leads
35:23
through there. Eventually that boot path leads
35:25
to a double track old road. That old road you
35:29
follow until there's a trail and then you follow
35:32
the trail up and eventually you get to this cool
35:35
pen that they put the original bison in. This
35:38
is a place that is really awesome and it's really
35:42
sacred. It's also a cool place to see skulls
35:44
and antlers leave them there, but it's a cool
35:47
place to see What the park what Yellowstone forever
35:51
talks about this is all public land. We're all
35:53
welcome there So you can go there you can see
35:56
a bighorn sheep skull you can see antlers They're
35:58
kind of off by a tree on your way up by a shooting
36:01
gallery that the Rangers used to use his target
36:03
practice It's a cool historical area again. I'm
36:06
not trying to be vague about it. There's no trail
36:08
signs There's nothing marked so I just have to
36:10
kind of describe it and if you want to know more
36:12
I can tell you more The hike up there and back
36:15
is under four miles. You do gain a couple hundred
36:19
feet of elevation. I think it's like 500 feet
36:20
of elevation and you're walking through insane
36:23
grisly territory. Lots of bison are there, lots
36:26
of pronghorn, all sorts of things that you have
36:28
to be super alert for. Another cool element of
36:31
this is that there are a lot of wildflowers up
36:34
there right now. Absolutely gorgeous. Highly
36:36
recommend just going up that hillside and looking
36:39
at wildflowers. Again, you follow that to track
36:42
up you get to a creek crossing and then you see
36:45
the small fenced in area that small fenced in
36:47
area has nothing to do with the wolves it's kind
36:49
of like where they have repeaters and things
36:51
like that located the energy that they need is
36:53
i i don't know i'm making things up i don't know
36:56
what's fenced in and it's small fence but from
36:58
there you go around that fence and then you climb
37:00
a steep hill and then you get to a rolling hill
37:02
and then you just keep following the trail you
37:05
drop down another creek crossing and rise up
37:07
and then you are at the fenced in area where
37:09
the wolves were The fence is dilapidated in parts.
37:13
Some of the old wooden structures where the wolves
37:16
were brought in via plane and then truck, those
37:18
are there. And, you know, some are falling apart.
37:22
There's trees there. This is also a place where
37:24
sometimes bears hang out and eat carcasses. You
37:26
need to be alert here. But it's a cool place.
37:29
Again, I wanted to talk about it. It's a place
37:31
that doesn't get enough love and we need to start
37:33
understanding and sharing some of this history.
37:37
I like to go up there a couple times a year.
37:39
I don't like to abuse going up there. But if
37:41
you're looking for some place just really to
37:43
connect to the wolves, to the history of the
37:46
wolves, and to kind of the human and wildlife
37:49
elements. Buffalo Ranch itself also has a unique
37:52
history of saving the bison in the park. It's
37:55
an amazing place too, not open to the public.
37:58
But this trail, open to the public and worthwhile.
38:01
It's a good short hike for dedicated hikers who
38:05
have some route finding abilities if you can't
38:08
do that There's not much that rivals this but
38:11
Right now if you can't do this and you want to
38:14
hike to do again reach out to me I have a guidebook
38:17
within that guidebook has chapters of where the
38:20
best wildflower hikes in Yellowstone and around
38:22
the region That I like and I share that there.
38:25
So there's plenty of hiking to do I just wanted
38:27
a little less formal thing where I want you to
38:30
know that there are some cool places that I know
38:32
that I'm happy to share with you if you promise
38:35
to be a good steward of the land and help encourage
38:38
other people to be good stewards too. This is
38:41
a fantastic trail up to this wolf pen that is
38:44
no longer used but it's a cool slice of history
38:47
and as we celebrate 250 years of America I think
38:50
some of this history even if it's recent should
38:52
be shared with everybody so again reach out to
38:55
me if you need any more information about this,
38:58
and I'll do my best to get to you. I have a very
39:00
busy week coming up, but I want to help everybody
39:03
experience the park, fall in love with the park,
39:06
and really help continue to protect it for the
39:09
next however long we can. That's it for this
39:13
week. In the next episode, I'm going to return
39:15
with all the information you need to have a good
39:17
week in the park. That includes the wildlife
39:19
update, the weather, the trail conditions, everything
39:23
you need to know. So until then, Pick up a guidebook
39:26
of mine, tell your friends about this podcast,
39:29
and happy trails. Otherwise, keep listening and
39:54
I hope to see you in Yellowstone. Copyright 2026,
39:58
baby!