Latest / This Week in Yellowstone National Park / This Week in Yellowstone: December 4th to December 10th, 2025

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This Week in Yellowstone: December 4th to December 10th, 2025 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

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From Yellowstone National Park, where the start
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of December finally feels like real winter is
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actually going to happen, this is that Scott
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guy you know and love with a brand new episode
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of This Week in Yellowstone. What's up everybody,
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this week in Yellowstone National Park from December
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4th to December 10th, 2025. I'll be talking a
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lot about what to do in the upcoming snowstorms
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that are going to be hitting the region all week.
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I'm also going to tell you a cool spot for some
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potential moose sightings, give tips on how to
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scan for wildlife in the snowy weather, share
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a trail that is perfect for putting on miles
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and seeing a corner of the park that few see,
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and even talk about a feature in Mammoth. I'll
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also give you the complete weather forecast,
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the snowpack update, the wildlife report, and
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everything else you need to have to have an incredible
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time this week in Yellowstone. As always, I have
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my disclaimer. I may miss a few details here
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and there, so if you're confused about something,
1:04
want more clarification, please reach out to
1:06
me with any questions you may have. I also mention
1:09
park locations very casually, so if you're unfamiliar
1:12
with what I'm talking about, a quick search can
1:14
help or you can just reach out to me. Also, this
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report only covers the drivable areas of the
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park. Finally, this podcast is a passion project.
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If you enjoy it, I'd love a review or a quick
1:25
email. If you want to support my work further,
1:27
you can check out my guidebooks on hiking and
1:29
wildlife watching, or join me for a guided Yellowstone
1:32
hiking tour. For more information on all of that,
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just head over to outdoor -society .com or contact
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me directly. This week's Yellowstone news. It's
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another slow news week in the park, so I don't
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have much to talk about, but for those asking
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about the specifics about the fee increase that
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I talked about last week, and those wondering
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how it's all going to be enforced, nobody has
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any idea. I'll share more when I learn it, but
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like any new government announcement right now,
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there are actually very few details. And we're
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just all going to have to wait and see how this
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is going to pan out. All we know is there is
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a fee increase for international tourism. Are
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they going to be checking every single person's
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ID when they enter the park? Maybe. Maybe not.
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That seems like it's really going to slow the
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entry, but you never know. We have no clue. So
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as soon as I know something, I'll continue to
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share it here. The only other news really worth
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sharing is that this is the last week of a truly
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empty park. Starting next week on December 15th,
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the snow coach tours are going to start up and
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winter tourism officially kicks off. I'll be
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talking about this more next week, but I just
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wanted to give you a heads up right now since
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it's so slow and I wanted something to talk about
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in this section. My experience of the week. So
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everyone knows Lamar Valley is a great spot for
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wildlife watching. I also constantly talk about
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Slough Creek and Little America as stellar spots
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in the northern range to see animals. However,
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I rarely mention Round Prairie. In fact, very
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few visitors to the park know of Round Prairie
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or where it is, which is why I'll not only tell
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you where it is, but also why I have chosen it
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as my experience of the week. Round Prairie is
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found just east of Lamar Valley. As you drive
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east past Soda Butte Cone and through the narrow
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canyon section just beyond Trout Lake Trailhead,
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you get to the clearing where the old Pebble
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Creek Campground is. This is Round Prairie. For
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many, it's a quick place to drive through, or
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where they turn around when looking for animals
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in Lamar. However, the wildlife potential here
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is quite good and only gets better throughout
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the winter. Now that snow is actually falling
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and staying around, Round Prairie will become
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one of the most consistent places to see moose
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in the park. That could happen this week, next
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week, or next month. We kinda just don't know,
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but it will happen. Even if the moose aren't
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there, Those who sit and scan from the handful
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of pullouts in Round Prairie are going to see
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bison, coyotes, foxes, all sorts of animals.
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I also want to mention that this area is great
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for scanning the surrounding mountains for mountain
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goats. I'll talk about it more in the Wildlife
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Watch section, but plenty of mountain goats have
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been spotted here over the last week. You may
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also see ermine around this area, as well as
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pygmy owls when they're back in the region. I
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was going to say back in town, but uh... It's
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not really a town. So the best way to experience
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Round Prairie is twofold. The first is the standard
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driving method, where you just stop and scan
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from every pullout. While you could just stop
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at one pullout, I find that changing angles really
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does help see more in this wide expanse. It also
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gives you a chance to see if that lump in the
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distance is an animal or just a rock or a log.
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Once you've done that scanning and stopping and
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driving to every little pullout, I strongly encourage
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you to park at the Pebble Creek parking area
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and walk at least into the campground and back.
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Getting out of your car here not only gives you
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a chance to listen for wildlife, but the farther
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you walk up the creek, the more magical the landscape
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becomes. I'll be talking about what's up further
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in the future on a future episode, but just trust
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me on this for now. Now that I've told you where
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to go this week, my tip of the week ties directly
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into this, and my tip of the week is wildlife
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watching during snow. As of the time I'm writing
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this, the forecast, well also recording this,
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the forecast for Lamar Valley and Cook City is
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calling for snow every day through the weekend,
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from Thursday through Wednesday, and the weekend
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there's going to be snow. If that forecast is
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indeed the case, this makes wildlife watching
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much more difficult than on good weather days
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in the park. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't
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go, it just means that you need to know some
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tips and tricks for making even the snowiest
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of days good wildlife watching days. Now that
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snow is becoming more common across the northern
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range, you can actually use it to your advantage.
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In winter, wildlife tends to stand out much more
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because of the contrast between the dark fur
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and white snow. It's pretty obvious when there's
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an animal there, but it needs to be said. When
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scanning, look along ridge lines, tree lines,
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river banks, and open meadows, you know, places
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where animals naturally travel or feed. Wolves
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often move against slopes where they don't stand
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out as much, and bison and elk gravitate to areas
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where grazing is easier. Learning where these
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hot spots are can save you time and increase
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your chances of real encounters. The deeper the
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snow, the more logs and rocks will become covered,
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eliminating the thousands of animal -shaped objects
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that many of us stop and look at when searching
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for wildlife. One of the other things I love
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about being in the park during or after a snowfall
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is that you can see fresh tracks in the snow.
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They can be visible from the road or an overlook,
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and they show the movements of wildlife just
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moving through the snow, and they'll help you
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see how active the park is. They can also tell
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you if wildlife has been in the area recently.
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If you look at a field and it is pristine snow
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untouched, there's not any animals there, right?
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But if it's tramp down, if you can see a rut
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going through deep snow, you know something's
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traveling there. So look for those things and
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you might be able to actually like follow tracks
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and find something. You might not follow them
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physically, but interpreting tracks through snow
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can give you a clue into where to aim your binoculars
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or which direction to keep driving or hiking.
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Now speaking of binoculars, having the best optics
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you can use is key for any day in Yellowstone,
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in the winter as well. Snowy days often create
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low contrast, so a good pair of binoculars or
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spotting scope makes all the difference as your
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eyes are going to struggle to see as well as
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they normally do with glare and everything. No
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matter what optics you have, you need to take
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a minute or two to clean the lenses and let them
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get used to the cold weather. Keep them under
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your jacket when you're not using them to prevent
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fogging up, and also bring a microfiber lens
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in case they are foggy or need to be cleaned.
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If you're going inside and outside, inside and
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outside with glasses, and if you wear glasses
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especially, you know they're gonna fog up. Binoculars
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do the same thing. Having that microfiber lens
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to clean them off, getting them used to the temperature
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that you're at will make a big difference. Another
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key is to dress for long periods of standing
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still, especially if there's a wolf pack or something
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off in the distance. I've talked about this a
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lot. I'm going to continue to talk about it.
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It's super important. Wildlife watching in the
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park often means lingering in cold conditions,
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which is when that chill sets in. I talked about
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it last week of doing micro movements. Do the
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same thing. Also have a warm parka, insulated
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boots, hand warmers, good socks, all of those
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things. If you're warm, you're going to stay
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patient. patience is like half the battle with
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winter wildlife scanning. Now I do want to be
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truthful here. I'm telling you very quick things
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about like here's how you can do spot wildlife
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in the snow and everything. In heavy snow, spotting
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wildlife can be much more difficult. It looks
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like it's gonna be pretty snowy on multiple days.
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That means you're gonna probably not be able
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to see the wolves when they're two or three miles
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out, right? That is just what's gonna happen
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with your bark visit. But that doesn't mean that
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it's not going to be awesome. I just want you
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to maybe tamp down your expectations a little
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bit and remember to be happy with what you see.
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You may not see much if it's dumping snow like
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I just said, but you still should be able to
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see bison and elk just absolutely covered in
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snow and it makes them look even more impressive.
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You also might see coyotes hunting. You might
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see a fox hunting. You might see owls just perching,
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right? There are things to look for if you're
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patient and you take the time to scan even in
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the snow. Some of my very best experiences are
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in the heaviest of snow. I once saw otters way
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off in Lamar River. Could barely see them through
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my binoculars as they're playing along the riverbank,
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but I saw them and there were three of them and
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it was wonderful and You know, it was a super
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snowy day. Cars were off the road all over the
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place. But wildlife watching was still pretty
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cool. All the bison had like snow blankets on
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them when they're laying down. So you just have
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to be appreciative of what you see, really. And
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if you are patient, if you do kind of wait and
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catch those gaps in the snowstorms, you might
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see everything move about and get going again,
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which is really cool. My random Yellowstone fact
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of the week. If you've been to Mammoth Hot Springs,
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there's almost no way that you've missed seeing
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the feature known as Liberty Cap. While many
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will see it and quickly snap a picture before
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admiring it and moving on to more active and
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colorful terraces in the area, this feature is
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unique and worth taking some time to appreciate.
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The name Liberty Cap dates back to 1871 when
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the Hayden Geological Survey visited the site.
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Members of the party thought the cone resembled
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the Liberty Caps, soft conical caps associated
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with freedom and liberty during the French Revolution,
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and symbols used on early American coins, so
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they named it Liberty Cap. For those curious,
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it also did have a slightly more provocative
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and inappropriate name. While that name is not
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written down, it's pretty easy to figure out
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a variation or 12 when looking at it. Liberty
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Cap stands near the northern end of Mammoth Hot
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Springs and rises roughly 37 feet by 11 meters
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above the surrounding terrain. It's not a volcanic
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pinnacle, but rather the remains of a long active
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hot spring cone. For hundreds or even thousands
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of years a single geothermal vent discharged
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mineral -rich water here. The water, heated by
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underground geothermal sources, carried dissolved
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calcium carbonate, and as it surfaced, carbon
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dioxide escaped, and calcium carbonate precipitated
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out, layer by layer. Over time, those deposits
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built up into the travertine mound we now call
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Liberty Cap. The cone likely formed around 2500
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years ago, according to the geological dating
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of some of the similar formations in the area.
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At some point, geologists aren't certain when,
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the spring's plumbing changed and the flow stopped.
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The once active spring went dormant and today
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Liberty Cap is extinct. Its surface has weathered
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over the decades and plants like lichens and
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small grasses have colonized parts of it. Even
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before the park was established, Liberty Cap
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was a landmark. When early visitors and surveyors
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came through Mammoth in the late 19th century,
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it was already a striking and unusual formation,
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rising out of the warming terraces and steam.
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As tourism grew and the area became managed,
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first under military oversight with what became
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Fort Yellowstone, later under the stewardship
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of the National Park Service, Liberty Cap remained
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a core feature of the lower boardwalk routes
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at Mammoth. In 1878, Superintendent Norris, fearing
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that the feature would topple over, braced it
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with timbers to ensure it remained erect. After
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some time had passed, everyone involved in this
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decision realized it would stand on its own and
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the timbers were removed. Geologically, Liberty
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Cap serves as a reminder of how dynamic Yellowstone's
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thermal systems are. The Broad Mammoth area hosts
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nearly a hundred hot springs scattered across
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terraced travertine formations. The water comes
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from snow and rain seeping deep underground where
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it's heated by magma or possibly a smaller local
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heat source, then resurfaces through fractures
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and fissures. sometimes for centuries in the
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same spot. Most spring -formed cones elsewhere
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remain small, only one to two meters, but Liberty
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Cap is a rare example of a cone that reached
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a significant size. Today, Liberty Cap is inactive,
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but it remains one of the most recognizable and
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photographed landmarks at Mammoth Hot Springs.
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It marks the start of the boardwalk area that
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leads visitors through the lower terraces and
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into those colorful thermal features that we
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all know and love. But it all starts with Liberty
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Cap. The weather for the coming week here we
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go everybody Weather for the coming week is going
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to be probably snowy. So let's start with Lamar
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Valley on Thursday Lamar Valley will have a high
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of 25 a low of 20 and expect around 3 inches
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of snow Friday high of 29 low of 25 around 4
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inches of snow Saturday high of 32 low of 19
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around 2 inches of snow Sunday high of 31 low
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of 26 around 2 inches of snow Monday 35 and 29
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with about 3 inches of snow Tuesday 40 and 30
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with about 3 inches of snow and Wednesday 41
15:06
and 32 with about 1 inch of snow Gardener, Montana
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on Thursday a high of 28 a low of 23 about 1
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inch of snow Friday high of 33 low of 27 about
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2 inches of snow Saturday, high of 35, low of
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20, about one inch of snow. Sunday, high of 34,
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low of 27, about one inch of snow. Monday, high
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of 38, low of 30, possibly less than an inch
15:33
of snow. Tuesday, high of 43, low of 33, 71 %
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chance of one inch of snow. And then Wednesday,
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high of 44, low of 35, 68 % chance of some precipitation,
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about a quarter inch of rain is what it currently
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says. Finally Cook City Montana Thursday high
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of 22 low of 19 4 inches of snow Friday high
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of 27 low of 24 6 inches of snow Saturday high
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of 30 low of 20 3 inches of snow Sunday 29 and
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24 3 inches of snow Monday high of 33 low of
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27 4 inches of snow Tuesday high of 39 low of
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29 five inches of snow, and Wednesday high of
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40, low of 32, three inches of snow. So why is
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all this snow important? Well, because our snowpack
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is terrible. The snowpack as of the night of
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December 2nd in the eastern and northern part
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of the park is at 65 percent of normal, and the
16:37
western part of the park is at 45 percent of
16:40
normal. So obviously not ideal. Last year The
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eastern and northern part of the park on this
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date were at 57 % of normal and the western side
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of the park was at 82 % of normal. So, you know,
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it wasn't that great then either, but I think
16:58
this coming week should help boost those numbers
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a little bit. The road conditions for this coming
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week. Obviously with all the snow this week,
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don't expect great roads. There will be plows
17:11
out. They will be doing a good job keeping that
17:13
road open. However, it's going to be snowy. That
17:16
snow is going to get compact. It's going to warm
17:18
up. It might freeze in places. Drive very slow.
17:22
Drive extremely cautious and just know that you're
17:26
driving in the mountains in the winter. Now,
17:30
the only road open right now is between Gardner,
17:32
Montana and Cook City, Montana, and this road
17:35
may close at any time due to inclement weather.
17:38
If you want to know what the roads are going
17:40
to be like, sign up for text alerts on your cell
17:43
phone. Text the number 82190 to the number 888777.
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That is what we all do. If you have cell service,
17:53
you're going to be getting those text alerts
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immediately. You can also call 307 -344. 2117
18:01
for recorded information, but that's not going
18:04
to be as immediate, so sign up for the text alerts.
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It's going to help. Also, talk to the ranger
18:09
at the park entrance when you get there. They
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can tell you how the roads are. Camping information.
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There is only one campground open in the park
18:18
right now, and that's Mammoth. That's open year
18:20
round, and anybody camping there this week, enjoy
18:23
the snow and tell me about it. It will be very
18:27
fun. And cold. The wildlife watching update.
18:32
So wildlife watching right now is pretty good.
18:35
It will be interesting this week, as I said earlier,
18:38
with all the snow coming down. But any gaps in
18:41
the snow, it's going to be pretty good. So if
18:43
the snow does let off at times, head out if you
18:47
can and definitely go scan. Right now, the wolves
18:50
have been spotted east of Lamar and in the hell
18:53
roaring area. There's been a moose that's been
18:56
hanging out kind of in the same spot. It's been
18:59
hanging out all year This time it was kind of
19:02
by where the petrified tree is and then There
19:06
have been a few foxes a few coyotes things like
19:10
that No real bears that have been sighted most
19:14
of them have probably gone to their dens Especially
19:16
with the snow coming in they're gonna hunker
19:18
down for a little bit But if you do hike always
19:21
have bear spray just in case bears can come out
19:23
any time of the year. Bison are going to be pretty
19:27
cool this week. I know it's just like, oh bison,
19:30
a lot of people feel that way. The bison in the
19:34
heavy snow, in the cold weather, really rad.
19:37
I cannot stress this enough. If you can safely
19:39
get in the park during a heavy snowstorm, check
19:42
out the bison, especially when they're draped
19:44
in snow. Talked about it earlier. Also, bighorn
19:47
sheep are still north of the park. They're still
19:50
putting on a decent enough show. Their rut is
19:53
kind of winding down, but not really. Check that
19:56
out by the Yellowstone Hot Springs, Old Yellowstone
20:00
Road area. And then mountain goats have been
20:03
spotted, as I said earlier, around Round Prairie,
20:05
also up on Baronet Peak. And then as you just
20:08
drive around, you're going to start seeing tracks
20:10
of things. And that's where you want to start
20:13
scanning. This is also the time of the year where
20:15
if it's a good pygmy owl year, there's going
20:18
to be pygmy owls around because the snow is going
20:20
to cover things. They're going to sit in trees
20:22
and they're going to be looking for mice and
20:23
everything to eat. Speaking of mice and things
20:26
like that, you might see some tracks in the snow.
20:29
Follow those around. Those are fun. Also, keep
20:31
an eye out for ermine. They will be completely
20:34
white now. They have changed their summer coats
20:37
into their winter coats, so they're no longer
20:39
brown. They're completely white. Same with snowshoe
20:41
hairs. And you may also see a lot of other birds
20:44
around. It's a good time of the year. I usually
20:46
see golden eagles. I enjoy this time of the year.
20:49
I know the snow is going to put a damper on a
20:51
lot of wildlife viewing, especially those big
20:54
sweeping scenes like hell roaring. But if there
20:56
is a break, there might be some very good action.
20:59
There also might be a kill pretty close to a
21:02
road. Sometimes that happens. So could be a very
21:04
good week, could be slow. We're just going to
21:07
all have to find out. And if you see me driving
21:09
around, say hi. If you're headed to the park
21:12
at any time, whether you're listening because
21:14
you're coming this week or you just are planning
21:16
a trip, and you want to know more about wildlife
21:19
watching or hiking, I've written two guidebooks,
21:22
one for wildlife watching, one for hiking in
21:24
and around the park. I have put all of my information
21:27
I know into those, and honestly, they're very
21:32
useful resources. I get a lot of positive reviews
21:34
from them. They're available in both ebook and
21:37
paperback formats. Ebooks are just 10 bucks.
21:40
Paperbacks are a little more, but that's just
21:42
the cost of printing nowadays. But these are
21:45
going to help you basically be a local. You're
21:48
going to know where to hike. You're going to
21:50
know where to go to see wildlife. If you do want
21:53
to buy a book, I ask that you buy it directly
21:56
through me as I make next to nothing when they're
21:59
sold on Amazon. But if it's easier to get on
22:01
Amazon, great. I want you to have those resources.
22:04
Also, if you do like what you hear on this podcast
22:07
and you want to support me, picking up a book
22:08
is a great way to do that. You can get a copy
22:11
of those books from me at outdoor society dot
22:15
com. Trail alerts and updates. Right now, we're
22:20
in winter. They do not update the trail alert
22:22
website, so there's no official trail alerts
22:24
this week. Bears, like I said, not really out
22:28
right now, but they are active, so. Always carry
22:31
bear spray, have it readily accessible, and know
22:32
how to use it. Also, make sure you bring extra
22:35
food, extra water, extra layers if you're going
22:37
to go out hiking. This is not a time to mess
22:39
around, especially with all this snow coming
22:41
down. My truck of the week, the washed out road
22:45
from Mammoth. With the weather for the coming
22:47
week not really ideal for hiking, with a snowpack
22:50
not deep enough for snowshoeing or cross -country
22:52
skiing, finding a hike where you can just walk
22:55
and not constantly worry about footing is a little
22:58
trickier. Luckily, there's a fun route near Mammoth
23:01
that takes you to some scenic spots on an easy
23:04
to follow route. This is also my standard, I
23:07
don't want a real hike, but I want some miles
23:09
adventure. To do this hike, which is actually
23:13
a walk on a paved road, you should park near
23:16
the visitor center or post office in Mammoth.
23:18
Once you've parked and are ready to go, you have
23:20
two choices. You can either walk down the road
23:23
to the campground or follow the signs to the
23:25
campground and take the short but steep trail
23:27
down. Once you reach the campground, whichever
23:30
way you do, follow the main road and keep heading
23:33
downhill on the old road. Pass through any barriers
23:37
you encounter to the washout as they're designed
23:40
to stop cars but not people. As you hike down
23:43
the gradual hill, keep an eye out for elk, deer,
23:45
bison, and the last of the lingering pronghorn.
23:49
Also keep an eye out for steam rising along the
23:51
Gardner River. The steam is from the old boiling
23:53
river site. While hot water still flows from
23:56
the earth into the river, the hot springs that
23:59
were once a popular dipping spot for visitors
24:01
are now gone and the area is closed. Once you
24:05
get to the old parking area for the boiling river,
24:07
you'll be walking along a section of road that
24:09
traces the Gardner River. Keep an eye out for
24:12
hawks and eagles as well as magpies and any other
24:15
birds still in the area. You're also now entering
24:18
an area that is sometimes incredible for bighorn
24:21
sheep sightings. So scan the hillsides for them,
24:24
listen for them accidentally knocking rocks loose,
24:27
or maybe headbutting during the rut. You never
24:29
know what you're gonna hear. Just keep following
24:31
the road as it traces the river downstream, and
24:34
eventually you're gonna reach a washout where
24:36
you can no longer walk any further on the road.
24:38
Enjoy the view here and think about the rushing
24:41
water that surged downstream in 2022 that caused
24:45
this washout and the loss of this old road. Once
24:48
you've taken in the view and scanned the cliffs
24:50
for wildlife, head back the way you came and
24:53
the route is going to be about 6 miles total
24:55
with roughly 600 feet of elevation gain. You
24:58
shouldn't need any special footwear besides comfortable
25:00
hiking boots or hiking shoes to walk in, but
25:03
always bring extra layers, plenty of food and
25:05
water, and bear spray. You know, as always, be
25:08
smart, be safe, be ready to hike another day.
25:12
All right. That is it for this week, everybody.
25:15
We are coming to the end of the year and I can't
25:17
believe it. I am debating anybody listening this
25:21
long can weigh in, but I'm debating taking the
25:23
last two weeks off of this year and not having
25:26
a podcast for a little bit and then starting
25:28
again in the new year. If anybody is coming to
25:31
the park and is like, I need this information,
25:33
record a podcast, I'll do it. But if I don't
25:37
hear from anybody, I'm gonna assume you're all
25:39
good with me taking a two -week vacation at the
25:41
end of this year and starting again that first
25:43
week of January. But I will be back next week
25:47
because winter season kicks off and we will be
25:51
ready for all sorts of snow adventures and it's
25:53
gonna be awesome because it's cold, it's snowy,
25:56
it's winter in Yellowstone everybody. Till next
25:58
week, happy trails and thank you so much for
26:01
listening. This week in Yellowstone is brought
26:13
to you by the Outdoor Society because that's
26:16
my company and that's where this is hosted There
26:18
are no sponsors. This is a labor of love. So
26:21
thank you all for listening copyright 2025, baby