Latest / This Week in Yellowstone National Park / This Week in Yellowstone: February 26th to March 4th, 2026

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This Week in Yellowstone: February 26th to March 4th, 2026 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

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From Yellowstone National Park, where winter
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activities are starting to wind down, this is
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that Scott guy you know and love with a brand
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new episode of This Week in Yellowstone. What's
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up everybody? This week in Yellowstone National
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Park, from February 26th to March 4th, 2026,
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I talk about eagles, tell you about January's
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visitation statistics, update you on an experience
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that will be ending in Yellowstone this week,
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and talk about how parks gather visitation numbers.
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Plus, I'll give you the weather forecast, the
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snowpack update, a trail to hike, the wildlife
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report, and everything else you need to have
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an incredible time this week in Yellowstone.
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Quick disclaimer, gonna miss a few details here
0:51
and there, that's just the breaks. Also, I mention
0:55
park locations very casually, so if you're unfamiliar
0:58
with a place I'm talking about, a quick search
1:00
can help. Also, please know that this report
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only covers the drivable areas of the park. This
1:07
podcast is a passion project of mine. If you
1:10
enjoy it, I'd love a review or a quick email.
1:12
If you want to support my work, you can check
1:14
out my hiking and wildlife watching guidebooks.
1:16
or you can join me for a guided hiking tour in
1:19
Yellowstone's backcountry. For more information,
1:22
visit outdoor -society .com or contact me directly.
1:27
Seriously though, I say this every week, but
1:29
book a tour with me. You're not going to regret
1:31
it. This week's Yellowstone news. So before I
1:34
jump into the news, if there's any interest in
1:37
a standalone episode on how to plan your Yellowstone
1:40
trip, please email me or text me your questions.
1:44
My email is theoutdoorsociety at gmail .com or
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you can text me at 406 -589 -1873. First bit
1:53
of news. Yellowstone National Park sees its busiest
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January on record. January 2026 marked a historic
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milestone for Yellowstone National Park with
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47 ,734 recreation visits, making it the busiest
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January in park history. The figure reported
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in the National Park Service's monthly public
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use report. If you want that website, shoot me
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a message, I'll send it to you. It's a great
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website that tells you way too much data. The
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numbers surpassed all previous January totals
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and highlights a continued growth in winter visitation.
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The new record exceeds January 2022 of that was
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the record high with 46 ,615 visits and January's
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2024 numbers of 42 ,740. It also marks the fifth
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consecutive year January visitation topped 40
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,000 and only the ninth time the month has crossed
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that threshold. For comparison, January averages
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hovered between 28 ,000 and 30 ,000 for much
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of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. I
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love saying that, that made me feel so old, and
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that underscores how dramatically winter visitation
3:02
has shifted in the last few years. Entrance data
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reflect typical winter access patterns. The north
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entrance at Gardiner, the only entrance open
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year -round to regular wheeled vehicles, accounted
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for 32 ,381 visits. West entrance had 11 ,927.
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South entrance had 3 ,187. And the east entrance
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had 239. January's report also showed how visitors
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used the park. There were 55 backcountry permitted
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campers in January this year, which is wild.
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In comparison, there are only 32 campground uses
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in Mammoth campground, a front country campsite,
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so more people stay in the backcountry. Lodging
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remains significant with 9 ,329 lodge days recorded
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at the winter operating properties, so Old Faithful
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and up in Mammoth. The steady and consistent
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rise in January visitation suggests more travelers
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are intentionally choosing off -peak months.
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Some would even argue that the winter is no longer
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off -peak months. While things are quiet and
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there's strong wildlife viewing opportunities
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and good geothermal features that you can reach
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in snow coaches, it's still a very popular thing.
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Combined with a lack of significant low -level
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snowfall this year, that's probably why we saw
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such a big January visitation. The record -setting
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January of this year confirms that winter is
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no longer a niche season in Yellowstone. I don't
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think it really has been in a while, but a lot
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of people still consider it. Again, I know I
4:31
already said that, but I really want to hammer
4:32
that home. Because it is important that the park's
4:35
visitation lasts throughout the year. Brings
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a lot of positive benefits to the economy locally
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and gateway communities. And with that though,
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it comes... with some problems of trying to figure
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out how to properly staff the park in the winter.
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So there's a lot that's going to be happening
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in coming years, not previous years, in coming
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years based on the previous year's increase in
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visitation. Now the only other real news this
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week is that snow coach tours from Mammoth end
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for the season on March 1st, but I'm going to
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be talking about that in great detail in just
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a minute. But first, my experience of the week.
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where eagles rule the river, spotting bald and
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golden eagles in Paradise Valley and Yellowstone's
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northern range. So the Yellowstone River flows
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partially through the northern range of Yellowstone
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National Park before leaving the boundary and
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heading north through Paradise Valley. This connected
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landscape supports both bald eagles and golden
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eagles, including important nesting territories.
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Bald eagles in Yellowstone are part of the Rocky
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Mountain breeding population and are closely
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monitored by the National Park Service. They
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establish territories near rivers and lakes where
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fish and waterfowl are reliable food sources.
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Nests are typically large stick structures built
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in tall cottonwoods or conifers near the water.
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Those offer great views of the surrounding area
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and are generally easy to see because they are
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enormous. Mating pairs reuse and expand these
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nests year after year and some grow to enormous
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sizes. In Yellowstone, Bald Eagles generally
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lay eggs between February and mid -April. Incubation
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lasts about 35 days, and the young remain in
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the nest for roughly 10 to 12 weeks before fledging.
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Biologists monitor nesting success annually and
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have tracked around 30 or more territories in
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recent years. Productivity varies with weather,
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prey availability, and disturbance, though the
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long -term trend reflects a stable breeding population.
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Now the northern range including Lamar Valley,
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Slough Creek, and the Gardiner Basin offers prime
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nesting and foraging habitat and open river corridors
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where there's abundant prey and nice trees, right?
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Right now when you're in the park, if you're
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by the water, definitely just look in the trees.
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There's probably gonna be a bald eagle there
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or they're gonna be flying up all around you.
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If you're at the confluence area where Soda Butte
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Creek meets the Lamar River, I know it's not
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the Yellowstone, but still, it's still in the
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park. That is a good area to spot golden eagles
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as well, so keep an eye out there. Just north
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of the park, Paradise Valley provides a similar
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habitat. Yellowstone River flows freely through
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the valley with little infrastructure getting
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in the way. These conditions attract wintering
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bald eagles including local breeding pairs and
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migratory eagles from further away. While many
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nesting territories are inside the park, Paradise
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Valley functions as a key winter habitat and
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an extension of the larger ecosystem. Now golden
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eagles also nest across this region and the northern
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range holds the highest density or one of the
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highest densities in known golden eagle territories
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in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. Unlike
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bald eagles, golden eagles favor open country
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and often build nests on rock ledges or steep
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cliffs facing the broad valleys. So if you're
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looking for nests with a golden eagle you're
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gonna have to look on rock ledges really hard
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to see. When you see one, it's great, and if
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you're a birder, you know, it's rewarding to
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scan forever and then see a golden eagle nest.
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Golden eagles typically lay their eggs in early
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spring as well and reuse nest site for many years
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just like the bald eagles. Their diet centers
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more on small animals such as ground squirrels
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and rabbits, though they do scavenge in the winter.
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The sagebrushed hills and grasslands of the northern
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range provide excellent hunting grounds and golden
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eagles are frequently seen soaring along ridge
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lines or perched on rocky outcrops scanning for
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prey. Late February and March are active periods
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for nesting behavior. Bald eagles reinforce nests,
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perform aerial courtship displays, and defend
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territories. Golden eagle nests can sometimes
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be spotted tucked into cliff bands with careful
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observation. Now one of those bands that you
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can scan, like the cliff band that you can scan,
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is visible from the Lamar Valley trailhead. I'll
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be talking about that trailhead later. I've seen
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a golden eagle nest out there, so maybe you'll
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see that. Now if you do see anything, just know
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that viewing should always occur from a respectful
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distance, as both species are sensitive to disturbance
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during nesting season. The recovery of bald eagles
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in Yellowstone reflects broader conservation
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success following past declines tied to habitat
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loss and contaminants such as DDT. Today's scene
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of bald eagle is pretty commonplace, especially
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here in the northern range, where eagle sightings
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have become a regular part of my life and life
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for pretty much all the locals. Driving through
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the valley to the park, if I don't see three
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to five bald eagles, it's a slow day. So when
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you're driving to the park, you're going to leave
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I -90 and drive through Paradise Valley, start
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looking for eagles right away. You're going to
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see some immediately. As soon as you get to where
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Paradise Valley starts opening up after leaving
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Livingston, there's a tree on the left that almost
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always has eagles on it. If not, when you're
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by the rest area down in Paradise Valley, there's
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a big nest pretty visible from near the rest
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area. If you want any other specific tips or
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specific locations to look for eagles both nesting
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and perched, feel free to reach out to me. Happy
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to help. My tip of the week. Snow coach tours
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from Mammoth are ending for the season on March
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1st. Here's what that means for you. So every
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year the same pattern unfolds. March arrives,
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shoulder season, lodging rates in Gardner and
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Mammoth look appealing, vacations are planned,
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flights are booked, and plans come together.
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Then comes the surprise. Snow coach tours from
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Mammoth into Yellowstone's interior end on March
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1st. It's part of the park's normal seasonal
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operation, yet many visitors do not realize it
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until they're already in town. So Yellowstone
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operates under a structured over snow travel
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system each winter. From roughly mid -December
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through early March, most interior roads are
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open to commercially guided snow coaches and
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snowmobiles. The National Park Service ends over
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snow travel in early March so crews can begin
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the transition to spring road clearing. From
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Mammoth, routes toward Norris, Old Faithful,
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and even into Canyon shut down on March 1st.
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After that, over -snow vehicles step aside and
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plows begin preparing roads for regular vehicle
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travel. The road from Mammoth into the interior
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is currently scheduled to open to cars in May
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-April, weather permitting. The exact date depends
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on snowpack, drifting, and spring storms at higher
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elevations. Snow coach and snowmobile tours from
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west south and eat the east entrances continue
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for a short period beyond March 1st I think the
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15th is the date so visitors entering from those
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gateways may retain Their limited interior access
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those staying in Gardner Mammoth after March
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1st cannot reach destinations in the interior
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Unless they were to do so by foot on trails This
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winter to spring transition is deliberate. The
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over -snow travel protects road surfaces when
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the snowpack is deep and consistent. Once March
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arrives, plowing begins in stages across high
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elevation terrain where drifting and compacted
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snow can be significant. The work takes weeks
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and is shaped by mountain weather. From a management
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standpoint, the timing makes sense. From a visitor's
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standpoint, especially those expecting geysers
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framed in snow leaving from Mammoth and reaching
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the interior, it can feel disappointing. What
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remains open often changes that perspective.
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The northern range from Mammoth through Tower
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and Lamar Valley out all the way out to Cook
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City stays open to regular vehicle travel year
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-round. I say this all the time, if you know
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the park well, you know this. The northern range
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is open to personal cars all year. Wildlife biologists
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and park managers widely recognize this area
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as one of America's premier wildlife watching
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regions. Open valleys, lower elevation winter
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range, and a paved road corridor create unusual
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viewing opportunities that are so good that they're
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going to, like, leave you flabbergasted in good
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ways. March is frequently underestimated here.
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If you look online, people say March is the worst
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time to visit the park. That's not true. I really
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hate when I see worst time to visit the park.
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It might not be the absolute best perfect time,
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but there is no worst time to visit the park.
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Yeah, you're not going to have access to the
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thermal areas down in the interior, the Grand
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Canyon of the Yellowstone, but that doesn't change
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things as far as like an amazing trip goes. Wolves
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are often visible in the northern range. Bison
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are always out there foraging. Elk are transitioning
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toward Early spring behavior, coyotes and foxes
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hunt along the road corridor. Bald eagles concentrate
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near open water. In some years, the first grizzly
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bears emerge later in the month depending on
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conditions. We've already had a grizzly out roaming,
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there's going to be another one very soon. Lamar
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Valley, Slough Creek, Hell Roaring, Soda Butte
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Creek, and the Blacktail Plateau remain some
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of the most active landscapes and they're absolutely
14:00
beautiful as well. The wildlife density is what
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sets this region apart. Animals use the same
14:05
valleys and benches that parallel the road. They
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go back and forth. They're visible all the time.
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And that allows visitors to observe multiple
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species in a single day without any backcountry
14:15
travel. For those willing to adjust their expectations,
14:19
March becomes less about iconic geyser basins
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and more about the raw natural experience of
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Yellowstone. Sunrise in Lamar Valley is amazing
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and you might even hear wolves howling in the
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distance. You might get there in an early morning
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when it's still below freezing and see bison
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steam forming on their freezing on their faces.
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The Yellowstone River may be steaming in the
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cold as well or you're going to see the ice start
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breaking up and migratory birds coming back.
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These are the core memories and the core expressions
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of Yellowstone and you get to be a part of it.
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Wildlife focused vehicle tours continue operating
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in the northern range throughout the spring.
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Those offer guided interpretation and spotting
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equipment. Hiking and snowshoot opportunities
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through my company, through me, also remain available
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depending on the conditions. Usually unless it's
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going to be a brutal storm, we're going to go
15:12
out. If it's warm and rainy, great. Snowy, cold,
15:16
great. Unless it's a blizzard, we're going out.
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So just because Snow Coach Tours for Mammoth
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end on March 1st doesn't mean that you need to
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bail on your park trip. The Northern Range of
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Yellowstone sees a ton of visitors, but it's
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still underrated. It is dynamic, it's spacious,
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it's intensely alive, and it is jaw -droppingly
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beautiful no matter what the month. My random
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Yellowstone fact of the week. how entrance station
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statistics are collected. So I recently got an
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email asking, hey, how do they gather statistics
15:49
at the entrance station? And so I'm going to
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talk about that. If you have a question you want
15:53
answered, ask me. I will probably do this on
15:56
the podcast. So every year Yellowstone announces
15:59
its annual visitation numbers and every month
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it does the monthly visitation numbers. For the
16:03
year, it's always millions, right? And it always
16:06
grabs national headlines. Like, five million
16:08
people visit Yellowstone, and usually it goes
16:10
along the lines of like, it's too crowded. Um,
16:13
not true. But whenever we get these numbers,
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everybody always likes to ask questions, and
16:19
one of those questions is, how are they gathered?
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So, the National Park Service defines a visit
16:23
as a recreation entry. Each time a person enters
16:26
the park for recreational purposes, it counts
16:29
as one visit. If someone leaves on three separate
16:32
days, Then comes back that equals three visits
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if they leave and come back later in the week
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That's counted again if you were to leave Come
16:41
back leave come back leave come back through
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an interstation like five times in a day that
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counts as five visits The system tracks entries
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not unique individuals This distinction became
16:52
especially noticeable in years like 2020 during
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COVID and 2022 with the flooding when infrastructure
16:58
limitations led some visitors to exit and re
17:01
-enter more frequently than in previous years,
17:03
increasing the number of recorded visits without
17:05
necessarily increasing the number of individual
17:07
people. So Yellowstone has five primary entrance
17:10
stations, the north, the northeast, the west,
17:13
the south, and the east. Nearly everyone arriving
17:15
by vehicle must pass through one of these gates.
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If you get there early enough, gates aren't staffed.
17:20
They don't count you. things are staffed pretty
17:23
regularly so there's very few people that enter
17:26
the park when they're not being counted and having
17:29
those five entrance stations really direct makes
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Yellowstone easier to measure than some other
17:33
national parks and with more open boundaries.
17:36
There's also traffic on highway 191 between Big
17:39
Sky and West Yellowstone that technically passes
17:41
through the park but this traffic is monitored
17:44
but not included in the official recreation visits
17:47
because it functions as a through highway rather
17:50
than a destination stop. Some parks actually
17:53
count those areas and so that's why some parks
17:57
have a very high number of visitors without actually
18:00
having a lot of people visiting the park, if
18:03
that makes sense. The counting process begins
18:05
with vehicles. Entrance attendants record vehicles
18:08
as they pass through the fee booths when visitors
18:11
pay, present passes, or check in. In addition
18:14
to step observations, Yellowstone uses automated
18:16
traffic counters in certain areas. These systems
18:19
may include those tubes that you drive across,
18:23
and each time a vehicle crosses the sensor, it
18:25
registers a count. Automated data counters help
18:28
maintain accuracy during busy periods and provide
18:32
data when staffing levels fluctuate. Vehicle
18:35
totals are not enough, since the park reports
18:37
people rather than cars. To estimate the number
18:40
of individuals, Yellowstone does two things,
18:43
one more than the other. Yellowstone applies
18:45
an average vehicle occupancy rate, and these
18:48
multipliers are based on historical data and
18:51
visitor surveys conducted under National Park
18:53
Service social science guidelines. If the average
18:56
occupancy is calculated at 2 .6 people per car,
18:59
that number is multiplied by the total vehicle
19:01
count to estimate recreation visits. In some
19:05
cases, more and more frequent now, entrance staff
19:08
visually estimate and count passengers and record
19:11
that information directly rather than solely
19:13
relying on that multiplier. All of these methods
19:17
are documented in a formal count procedure document
19:20
specific to Yellowstone. This report outlines
19:22
which entrances are included, what technology
19:25
is used, how seasonal closures are handled, what
19:28
occupancy rates apply, and how data is adjusted
19:31
if that equipment fails. The purpose of these
19:34
counts is not just for fun. It is to identify
19:38
trends, evaluate growth, and plan for the future.
19:41
The visitation counts impact everything from
19:44
how many rangers should be working, to when should
19:46
we start hiring, to what hours should we have
19:49
staff, to everything you would ever imagine.
19:53
This is very important and when we talk about
19:57
our parks and some of the things that are going
19:59
on with them and them being underfunded, having
20:01
these vehicle counts is super important. I know
20:03
people that brag about getting there and they
20:05
haven't bought a pass in years and they get in
20:07
the park before they're counted and that's neat
20:10
I guess, but these visitation statistics guide
20:14
decisions about everything from maintenance,
20:17
wildlife management, emergency services, and
20:19
funding allocations. Sure, no system is perfect,
20:23
but this is the best we have, and the better
20:26
we can do this and the more accurate it is, the
20:28
better the park will be planned for the future.
20:32
So, to briefly sum this up, every time a visitor
20:35
passes through an entrance station, they become
20:37
part of a long -running data set that helps shape
20:40
how the park is managed for years to come. The
20:43
weather for the coming week! As always, this
20:46
is the best forecast for the week at the time
20:48
of recording. I try, but the weather just doesn't
20:52
seem to be cooperating sometimes. And just know
20:54
that the forecast can change numerous times in
20:56
a week, but every week, this should be within
20:59
the ballpark of what you'll experience when visiting
21:01
the park. The earlier dates are going to be the
21:04
more accurate, the further away dates are going
21:06
to be slightly less accurate. So, let's start
21:09
with Lamar Valley. On Thursday, it'll be 38 and
21:13
17. Friday, 40 and 20. Saturday, 42 and 19. Sunday,
21:19
42 and 22 with a 21 % chance of rain. Monday,
21:23
45 and 18 with a 19 % chance of rain. Tuesday,
21:27
47 and 19. Wednesday, 46 and 27 with a chance
21:32
of some snow late that night. The weather for
21:34
Gardiner, Montana. Thursday, high of 43, low
21:38
of 25. Friday, 45 and 26. Saturday, with a chance
21:55
of some rain or snow late that evening. 42 and
22:12
18, Tuesday 44 and 21, and Wednesday 43 and 27
22:18
with a chance of rain or snow later that evening.
22:21
So if you're coming to the park hoping for like
22:23
great winter, doesn't look like it's happening.
22:27
Highs in the 40s in Cook City, not really ideal
22:31
but you know it is what it is I guess. And with
22:35
the weather report that brings us to the snowpack
22:37
update. As of February 25th, the snowpack is
22:41
around 100 % of normal for this time of year.
22:43
The eastern and northern ranges of the park are
22:46
about 114 % of normal, while the western and
22:49
southern ends of the park are about 90 % of normal.
22:52
Last year on this date, we are averaging around
22:54
104 % of our normal level. Next week I'm going
22:58
to talk about kind of what this snowpack means
23:00
and what this winter and how this winter stacks
23:04
up to previous years and why some people are
23:06
very worried about it, other people aren't. Road
23:10
conditions. The only road that is open is between
23:13
Gardner, Montana and Cook City, Montana. Please
23:15
be aware that this road can close at any time
23:17
due to inclement weather. This morning on the
23:20
25th of February, the road from Gardner to Mammoth
23:25
was closed for a bit because it was icy and snowy.
23:28
Just looked at the weather in Gardner right now
23:31
and it's already 50 degrees there and the road
23:33
is perfectly fine So roads are gonna kind of
23:36
do that if bad weather comes in weather forecast
23:38
this week doesn't look like it's gonna do that
23:40
But there's a way you can stay on top of this
23:42
for up -to -date information You can call three
23:44
zero seven three four four two one one seven
23:47
for a recorded kind of blurb from the park Or
23:51
you can text the number 82190 to the number 888777
23:58
for road alerts on your cell phone via text.
24:02
Camping information. There's only one campground
24:04
open in the park right now, and that's Mammoth.
24:06
And it sounds like no one is really going there,
24:09
like one person a night. So I think you'll have
24:11
plenty of spots to choose from. That leads me
24:15
to the wildlife watching update. So if you're
24:18
in the park this last week, you probably either
24:21
had really good luck or no luck at all, depending.
24:23
Those who had good luck saw otters, they saw
24:26
moose, they saw coyotes and foxes, they saw wolves,
24:30
they saw pretty much everything you could see.
24:33
So this week I'm expecting a bit of the same.
24:36
As of the last couple of days, there have been
24:38
some wolves hanging out in Lamar Valley. There's
24:41
a carcass out there. So if you drive through
24:43
the valley, you're going to see a lot of people
24:45
stopped probably looking at the carcass. If the
24:47
wolves are done with it, don't skip it. There's
24:50
still going to be coyotes. There's going to be
24:52
eagles on it. There's going to be action still
24:53
going on it. So if you know that there's the
24:56
carcass out there, stop and watch it. It's still
24:58
really cool. The moose have been out more towards
25:01
Soda Butte Creek, around Prairie, things like
25:04
that, especially Little Marr River Trailhead.
25:06
Those otters have been off and on spotted throughout
25:09
this winter at the confluence area of Soda Butte
25:12
Creek in the Lamar River. The further out you
25:15
get toward Cook City, there's going to be a couple
25:18
of foxes that are hanging out by Pebble Creek
25:20
and closer to Cook City itself. And then you're
25:23
going to have further west you go. You're going
25:27
to have a lot of bison out. You're going to have
25:29
some elk and you're going to have some pronghorn
25:31
hanging out outside the park. It is a great time
25:34
right now for wildlife watching. It's pretty
25:37
consistent viewing of The standard animals wolves
25:41
are going to be out probably in the distance.
25:44
However, like I said this last week They're much
25:46
closer and people got some really good pictures
25:48
and had great sightings So you just really don't
25:51
know if I was going to tell you what to do, which
25:54
I'm going to it's Do what you should almost always
25:58
do is drive old Yellowstone Road South Old Yellowstone
26:01
Trail Road South from Yellowstone Hot Springs
26:05
down to the park entrance. Then you're going
26:08
to see some bighorn sheep out there. Probably
26:09
you're going to see some pronghorn. You might
26:11
see some bison. You're going to see some eagles.
26:13
You're going to see a lot of different animals.
26:15
And then as and some elk. And then as you go
26:17
into the park, you're going to see some more
26:19
elk. Then once you get up to the plateau out
26:22
by Blacktail Ponds, start looking for pretty
26:25
much everything. Wolves have been spotted out
26:29
in the distance there throughout the winter,
26:31
but haven't heard anything as of late Hell roaring
26:35
may have some good sightings if the wolves just
26:37
had a kill in Lamar They might be on the move
26:40
So kind of as soon as you get to blacktail and
26:44
you have any openings if you see cars stopped
26:47
There's gonna be something good. It's gonna be
26:50
like I said, it's gonna be a good week. The weather
26:53
is gonna be pretty bright it's not going to get
26:56
super cold so you know animals might not be as
27:00
active during the day as they have been when
27:01
it's very cold so early mornings evenings that's
27:06
going to be your best bet but don't rule out
27:07
a midday sighting either it's been pretty good
27:10
other than that i mean if you have specific questions
27:13
i'm trying to keep this one short so if you have
27:15
specific questions about where you should go
27:17
shoot me an email happy to help trail alerts
27:20
and updates there are no official trail alerts
27:23
this week That being said, we're days away from
27:25
bears coming out of their dens for the spring.
27:28
A grizzly was sighted a few weeks ago, as I talked
27:30
about, but it vanished as fast as it was spotted.
27:33
That won't be the case soon. Once this next round
27:35
of bears start coming out, this is the start
27:38
of bearapalooza, or whatever you want to call
27:40
it. We are right near this cusp of, okay, now
27:45
it's truly bear season. So, carry bear spray.
27:49
have it readily accessible, and not in a backpack.
27:52
Also know how to use it before you head out.
27:55
That leads me to the Trek of the Week. The Lamar
27:58
River Trail. Snowshoeing the Lamar River Trail
28:01
in the winter is one of the most accessible ways
28:03
to step directly into the Yellowstone's wild
28:05
heart without needing a snowcoacher guided over
28:08
snow transport. And since those are wrapping
28:10
up for Mammoth this week, now is a perfect time
28:12
to wander Lamar. As I say all the time, The northeast
28:16
entrance road is plowed year round, which means
28:18
you can drive to the Lamar River Trailhead in
28:20
winter conditions and begin your trek straight
28:22
from your car. Once you leave the parking area,
28:25
the trail drops to a small wooden bridge over
28:27
Soda Butte Creek. Even if you aren't a hiker,
28:30
this alone is worth the trek out of the car.
28:32
I mentioned this on the January 15th episode.
28:35
Go back and listen to that if you want. It's
28:37
just a gorgeous spot. So hike down to that at
28:40
the very least if you're driving by. Once you
28:42
cross the bridge, the world opens into a broad
28:45
snow -covered valley shaped by the Lamar River.
28:48
The trail itself isn't groomed or marked in the
28:50
winter, so what you are really following is the
28:54
terrain rather than a maintained path. That being
28:57
said, this trail is popular enough in the winter
28:59
that there should be some human tracks to follow.
29:02
After a fresh snowfall, you may find yourself
29:04
breaking trail through powder, but it doesn't
29:07
look like that's gonna happen, so you should
29:08
be able to follow some steps. At other times,
29:11
like now, you're going to follow a set of tracks
29:14
set by previous snowshoers or skiers. The route
29:17
is mostly flat to gentle rolling across the valley
29:20
floor, making it physically approachable, though
29:23
deep snow and wind can add to that effort. There
29:26
might be a few drifts here and there. National
29:28
Park Service notes that most ski and snowshoe
29:30
routes in Yellowstone are not maintained in the
29:33
winter, so visitors should carry navigation tools
29:35
and be prepared for changing conditions. For
29:39
this adventure, The route is pretty simple. Cross
29:41
the bridge, go up the slight rise next to the
29:44
slope leading to the top of the mountain, stay
29:46
on the flat area next to the mountain, and head
29:49
straight to the Lamar River a few miles away.
29:52
You can really walk wherever you want, but make
29:55
sure you know where you are. It's really hard
29:58
to get lost here, but it's not unheard of. Trucking
30:01
to Lamar is wide open and quiet. The Lamar River
30:04
often runs partially frozen, there's open channels
30:07
cutting through white banks, there's long sightlines
30:10
stretching toward the mountains of the northern
30:12
range, and the lack of trees in most sections
30:15
gives you a panoramic view in nearly every direction.
30:18
I mentioned the wind because that wind can sweep
30:20
across the valley and not only can it lead to
30:23
drifts, but it also can drop your core temperature.
30:27
Because of this, proper winter layers are essential,
30:30
along with some good boots and Snow shoes that
30:34
are suited for variable snow depth. Right now,
30:36
it's just so tough right now. You should use
30:39
snow shoes out there, but it's, you know, it
30:44
might be hard snow and you wouldn't need them,
30:45
but it might be soft and you might post hole.
30:47
So have them with you. Also have trekking poles
30:49
for balance as it's if there's any instability
30:52
in the snow, it's going to be really hard to
30:54
walk even in snow shoes. Wildlife is one of the
30:56
main reasons people venture here in the winter.
30:59
The Lamar Valley is widely recognized as one
31:01
of the best places in the lower 48 states to
31:04
view wildlife, especially in the winter when
31:06
animals concentrate on lower elevations. Bison
31:09
are frequently seen moving across the valley
31:11
floor, using their massive heads to sweep snow
31:14
aside when they're searching for grasses, which
31:17
some years can be very deep, this year not as
31:20
deep. Now, you are probably going to encounter
31:23
a bison on this trek. Please remain at least
31:27
25 yards from them at all times and make a wide
31:30
berth to pass them. That doesn't mean stay on
31:32
the trail. Go way off the trail if you have to.
31:36
I've seen too many people just stay on the trail
31:38
and pass bison way close in the winter. And in
31:41
winter animals are under greater stress due to
31:43
cold temperatures and limited food. So giving
31:46
them space is very important. That way they're
31:48
not wasting calories and they might have a better
31:51
chance at survival. Carrying binoculars or a
31:54
spotting scope also allows you to observe without
31:56
approaching any animal too closely. Also know
31:59
that the weather can shift quickly in the northern
32:01
range, clear skies can give way to blowing snow,
32:04
and temperatures often feel colder due to wind
32:06
exposure. Checking current conditions at the
32:08
visitor center before heading out is strongly
32:11
recommended. Also bring extra food, extra water,
32:15
and insulation because that's going to make your
32:17
day safe and happy instead of not safe and very
32:21
uncomfortable. What I love about snowshoeing
32:24
the Lamar River Trail is that sense of immersion
32:27
in the elements. There's no geothermal bird walks
32:30
or busy winter hubs here. Once you step away
32:33
from the road, you're moving through an open,
32:36
wildlife -rich landscape on its terms. It is
32:39
wild. It is raw. You're going to come across
32:42
animal tracks, and every set of tracks tells
32:44
a story. Every bend of the river reveals a new
32:47
view, and every mountain view is just stunning.
32:51
For those seeking a quiet authentic Yellowstone
32:54
winter experience that is both accessible and
32:57
deeply wild Lamar River Trail stands out. I love
33:00
this trail in the winter a lot. It's very easy
33:03
to do It's straightforward. It doesn't take a
33:07
ton of effort because there's not a lot of elevation
33:09
gain But it is always an adventure and there's
33:11
always something cool Some very quick trail information
33:15
you can hike this as long as you desire. There's
33:18
no real endpoint. It's an out -and -back trail
33:21
To reach the Lamar River, you're going to hike
33:24
about four or five miles round trip and gain
33:26
a couple of hundred feet. You're also going to
33:29
be hiking at 6 ,500 feet above sea level at all
33:32
times. So stay very hydrated. Know that you are
33:37
going to be exerting yourself more than probably
33:39
where you live. If you don't want to do this
33:42
on your own, I do offer this as a snowshoe tour.
33:45
So reach out to me. Or if you just want more
33:47
tips, reach out to me as well. Happy to help.
33:50
Next week in the next episode I'm gonna return
33:54
with all the information you need to have a good
33:55
week in the park Including the wildlife weather
33:58
and trail updates until then. Thank you so much
34:01
for listening Thanks for your emails book a trail
34:04
tour with me pick up a guidebook of mine and
34:07
Happy visits to Yellowstone Abrupt ending! This
34:21
week in Yellowstone is brought to you by the
34:23
Outdoor Society. That's my company. It's just
34:26
me. I do this. It's a labor of love. If you like
34:28
it, tell your friends. Rate and review it. Shoot
34:31
me a message. Otherwise, keep listening, and
34:34
I hope to see you in Yellowstone. Copyright 2026,
34:37
baby!