Latest / This Week in Yellowstone National Park / This Week in Yellowstone: August 13th to August 19, 2026

Transcript

This Week in Yellowstone: August 13th to August 19, 2026 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

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From Yellowstone National Park where the first
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hints of the upcoming elk rudder visible This
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is 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 August 13th to August 19th 2026 I talked
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about the southern end of the park finally I
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discuss the awesomeness of picnic areas, and
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I share a short blurb about why we still talk
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about the 1988 fires. I'll also give you the
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complete weather forecast, a cool trail to hike,
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the wildlife report, and everything else you
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need to have an incredible time this week in
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Yellowstone. Standard disclaimer, I'm gonna miss
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a few details here and there, that's just for
0:51
brevity. And I also mention park locations very
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casually, so if you're unfamiliar with a place
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that I'm mentioning, a quick search can help
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or you can just reach out to me and ask. Please
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know that if you want to contact me the best
1:03
way is via text at 406 -589 -1873 or via email
1:10
at theoutdoorsocietyatgmail .com. Also, this
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podcast is the passion project of mine. I'm not
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paid. I'm not sponsored. I do it out of love
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for the park and because I want you to have a
1:21
good time here. If you enjoy what you hear, I'd
1:24
love a review or a quick email. If you want to
1:26
support my work more, you can check out my hiking
1:28
and wildlife watching guidebooks or join me for
1:31
a guided hiking tour in Yellowstone's backcountry.
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For more information on all of that, reach out
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to me or visit outdoor -society .com. This week's
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Yellowstone news. So there's not a ton of news
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right now, there is one quick thing about visitation
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statistics. Yellowstone National Park hosted
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958 ,706 recreation visits in July of 2026, and
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that's down 2 % from July of 2025. Visitation
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in July showed an 11 % decrease from July of
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2021, which was Yellowstone's record -breaking
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year with over 4 .8 million recreation visits,
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and the busiest July on record. So far in 2026,
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the park has hosted about 2 .6 million recreation
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visits, down 1 % from 2025 and down 1 % from
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2021. Basically, all that that means is that
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Park visitation is still very busy. It just has
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taken a very slight dip this year compared to
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other years. That could be because of higher
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gas prices. It could be a decrease in international
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travel due to increased rates to visit national
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parks. Could be any number of reasons. But park
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visitation is down just a little bit. If you're
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concerned about the park not being popular, don't
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worry about that. Park's still very popular.
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Like I said, there were 958 ,706 recreation visits
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in July of 2026. That's about it. I could dive
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into these stats more, but I think I'm the only
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person that is super interested in all of this.
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So for now, I will just keep it at that. My experience
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of the week. The southern end of the park. If
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you're a long time listener of this podcast,
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you've probably realized I have consistently
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skipped over talking about a large section of
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the park. It isn't really done on purpose, the
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park's just so big that I often forget to make
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sure to cover everything. That, and this is a
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section of the park, I just don't really visit
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that much unless I'm driving down to the Tetons.
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So this week, I wanted to finally give it some
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love. That area, like I said off the top, is
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the southern end of the park. So you start in
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West Thumb, which I love West Thumb Geyser Basin.
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West Thumb Geyser Basin is one of the more unique
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and scenic geyser basins in all of Yellowstone.
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I mean, they're all unique and scenic, but this
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one's right on the lake. Super, super pretty.
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Mountain views in the distance. People kayak
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outside of it. It's just really cool. And so
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you start there and... Most people, when they're
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driving the loops, as I talked about a couple
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weeks ago, you know, don't be limited to just
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driving the loops. If you do the loops, you're
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still gonna hit West Thumb Geyser Basin. But
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when you leave West Thumb and head south toward
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the south entrance, there are some hidden gems
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down there that I absolutely think you need to
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see. The road is only about 22 miles from West
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Thumb to the south entrance, but along the way
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you're gonna cross the Continental Divide, pass
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through really cool forests and meadows, reach
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the shores of Lewis Lake, see Lewis Falls, and
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then also pass by Moose Falls. This is a very
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cool area that then ends at the Snake River.
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I know I'm saying it's really cool, but it is,
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and like I said, again, I have ignored this and
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I want to make sure people know that I haven't
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ignored this because I don't like it. I absolutely
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love this section. When I was in college, I worked
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down in that area. I know that area very well.
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It was my stomping grounds for months on end
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every year. And I think that the south entrance
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and that road up to West Thumb, that's where
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you can really slow down and connect to the landscape
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in a much different way than elsewhere in the
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park. So one thing about this stretch of the
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road that I really like is that you get across
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the Continental Divide again. Yeah, when you
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drive from West Thumb up to Old Faithful, you
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cross the Continental Divide a few times, but
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anytime you get across it, it's really awesome.
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And here, when you're driving it, if you want
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to turn that quick crossing into a short hike,
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the Riddle Lake Trail is a really nice option.
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The trailhead is about three miles south of Grant
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Village, just south of the Continental Divide
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sign, and it's around a 4 .8 mile round -trip
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trail that crosses the divide before continuing
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through mountain meadows and a forest to get
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to Riddle Lake. Riddle Lake is a small peaceful
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destination compared with the bigger lakes, and
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it's part of the charm of why you should go there.
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I've been there and I've seen elk in the meadows,
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lots of birds there, there's some trumpeter swans
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that have hung out there a few years, and I've
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even heard and seen loons. Of course, I've also
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seen tons of bear signs, so as always, check
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conditions because of bears and any other animals
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that may cause a closure. Sometimes those trumpeter
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swans are there nesting, especially earlier in
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the year, and they will possibly close that trail
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when they are nesting. And you heard me just
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now get excited and slap my laptop. So continuing
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south from there, you're going to get to Lewis
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Lake and Lewis Lake is a really great spot. I've
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camped there numerous times. It's a really fun
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place to paddle. And since it's at seven thousand
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eight hundred feet, it feels really different
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from, again, all the other lakes that you may
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see in the park. It's small, it's enclosed by
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the forest, and it's really quiet when the wind
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is calm. When the wind is blowing hard, this
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lake becomes much more dangerous and really not
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a place you want to be out on. But when it's
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a calm day, this is one of those places where
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you can paddle. You can take your canoe out there,
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kayak, stand at paddle board, and it's a remote
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destination that's right next to the road. So
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you can get out pretty quick, go out on the lake
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and just have this to yourself. This is an underrated
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gym in the park if you are one of those people
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that brings a watercraft with you. Obviously
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get your watercraft looked at every time just
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to make sure it's not bringing in any invasive
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snails or anything like that. So do all of those
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checks as you're driving to the park with it.
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But if you want to explore beyond the road this
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is that area. One of the cool things you can
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do if you're on the water is you can get to the
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Lewis channel which connects to Shoshone Lake.
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This lake is kind of hidden from everything and
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to get out there it takes a journey but if you
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have the time this is that corridor where a little
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effort and a little bit of type 2 fun can get
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you to some really cool places. South of Lewis
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Lake, the road continues alongside the Lewis
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River before reaching one of the easiest stops
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of the entire drive, which is Lewis Falls. The
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falls are about 11 .3 miles south of West Thumb
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and can be viewed from a roadside pullout. Nice
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little trail, they recently remodeled this whole
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area a year or two ago and it's super cool. I'm
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saying everything's cool, I know, I can't stop
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myself. Sorry everybody for repeating a word,
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but it is. Lewis Falls, especially right now
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through the fall, really pretty and it only gets
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prettier. So stop there, wander around, take
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in the sights, and have a slow stop while watching
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a really pretty waterfall. From Lewis Falls,
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it's not that far to Moose Falls in the south
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entrance. Moose Falls is an overlooked favorite.
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It's about a 30 -foot plunge waterfall located
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on Crawfish Creek, about a mile north of the
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south entrance. It was named in 1885 for the
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frequent moose sightings in that area. And it
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features a quick, easy roadside stop to appreciate
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this little spot. It's also, when I worked out
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there, a really cool dipping area on a hot day.
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So if you feel like doing that, definitely do
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that. I did skip one of the major things that
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you can do while you're driving from West Thumb
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to the south entrance, and that's Grant Village.
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Grant village is a nice village in the park.
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There's places to eat. There's stores you can
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get gas You can do all those things and there's
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a campground down there. If you want to know
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a personal story about the campground for me
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Let me know book a tour. I'll probably talk about
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it on the tour I don't really talk about it on
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this podcast, but um, I don't get down there
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much because of this story but That is a personal
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thing. Grant Village is awesome. Highly recommend
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going down there. Some of the ranger talks down
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there are really fun and the scenery right next
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to the lake. I've watched thunderstorms roll
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through there. It's awesome. It's awesome. So
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go there. So after you enjoy Moose Falls, you
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keep heading south and the road leaves Yellowstone
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and enters a landscape associated with the John
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D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway and then
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Grand Teton National Park. You're driving from
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the Tetons up to Yellowstone and you want the
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fastest way you're driving through The John D
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Rockefeller Memorial Parkway There's a couple
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stops there. You can go to some cool views But
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really it's just a connecting section of road
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between the two places between the two parks
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There are some really overlooked areas here and
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one of those overlooked areas I will be talking
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about next week and that's a dirt road between
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the Tetons and Yellowstone that's pretty rad.
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Now what I like about the stretchy Yellowstone
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that runs from West Thumb to the south entrance
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is that it doesn't constantly demand that you
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stop. There's no geysers erupting beside the
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road or enormous waterfalls announcing themselves
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from every overlook. Instead the rewards are
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quieter. You cross the Continental Divide, you
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watch the forest open around Riddle Lake, you
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see Lewis Lake appear through the trees, and
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then you listen to the river roar at Lewis Falls,
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scamper around Moose Falls, and then you see
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the Snake River right by the south entrance.
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entrance. This isn't the Yellowstone of most
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postcards and that's exactly why I think it's
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worth experiencing. It's quieter, more subtle,
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easier to overlook, but for those people willing
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to slow down, it offers a wonderful glimpse of
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the park between the famous places. The road
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to the south entrance from West Thumb is more
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than just that place to go from the Tetons to
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Yellowstone or Yellowstone to Tetons. It's a
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place where, if you take the time, you might
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discover a favorite spot that you want to return
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to year after year. Speaking of experiences like
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that, that brings me to the tip of the week,
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which is remember to stop at picnic areas. I've
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talked about this before. I'm going to talk about
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this again. But there's a certain kind of Yellowstone
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experience that rarely makes it onto the must
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-see lists. It doesn't have a famous name or
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viewing platform and you won't find like an Instagram
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hashtag about it or anything like that. Probably
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won't even find crowds. Instead, you might find
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a few empty picnic tables, a stand of lodgepole
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pines, a creek or river murmuring nearby, or
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a broad view of any of the waterways of the park
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looking toward mountains. Yellowstone has 52
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designated picnic areas scattered throughout
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the park. Some are a little more than a handful
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of tables tucked beside the road, while others
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have fire grates, restrooms, and plenty of room
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to spread out. They're easy to drive past when
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you're eager to reach the next geyser, waterfall,
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or wildlife viewing spot, but if you have the
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time, stopping for a lunch here or even just
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a quick break can change the rhythm of a Yellowstone
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day the best possible way. While I could and
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probably should at some point cover all of the
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picnic areas in the park, this week I'm sharing
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a few of the more centrally located ones. By
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no means are these the best of the best. These
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aren't necessarily my personal favorites. Instead,
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these are the ones that serve as a first step
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to seeking out and finding the picnic area that
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speaks to you. Bridge Bay is one of those popular
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picnic spots, and for good reason. The road brings
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you down toward the shore of Yellowstone Lake
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where you'll find 23 picnic tables along with
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3 fire grates and an accessible vault toilet
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near the water. The lake is enormous, often appearing
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more like an inland sea than a mountain lake,
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and the Bzorka Range rises beyond it. Find a
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table, unwrap your sandwich, and look out across
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the water. You might have planned to spend only
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5 to 10 minutes here, but give yourself permission
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to stay longer. Listen for the birds, listen
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to the waves, and just gaze out and enjoy a quiet
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moment. On the western side of the park, Madison
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Junction is another favorite kind of first journey
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into the picnic areas of Yellowstone. Good caveat
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there. This one is more developed than most and
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it sits near the Madison River and has 14 picnic
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tables, three fire grates, drinking water, accessible
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flush toilets, but there's something wonderfully
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unhurried about eating lunch beside a river.
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You can hear the water moving through the valley,
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you can watch the light change across the trees,
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and you can just sit there and remember that
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you don't actually have to see everything right
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then. You're gonna watch people rush to and fro,
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you're gonna see other people have stressful
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vacations here, but that's one reason I like
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it. It's a good reminder of why most of us are
14:45
in the park, and it's to just connect deeper
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to the lands and to the environment. If it's
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overwhelming in that parking area, picnic area,
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you can walk down to the Madison River and just
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have a great time away from everybody else. If
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you're traveling between Mammoth Hot Springs
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and Norris, you're gonna pass by one of my little
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favorite areas in the park, Sheep Eater Cliff.
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This is one of those places where you can really
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get to know Yellowstone's geology. Sheep Eater
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Cliffs is a columnar basalt cliff formed when
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ancient lava cooled and fractured into remarkable
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columns visible today. The picnic area here itself
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is very small with five tables but that's part
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of its charm. It can fill up during the day.
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I like to get here early in the morning for a
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late breakfast or maybe in the evening as I'm
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on my way home. If you sit here and it's crowded
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and you don't really like it consider hiking
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downstream about a half mile to a little narrow
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box canyon. I love this area and you can always
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get away from the people so This is a good little
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picnic area and then it entices one to explore
15:55
a little more and see what else is out there.
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One of the picnic areas I hemmed and hawed about
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adding was the Nez Perce picnic area along the
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Firehole River. Firehole River area has a lot
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of picnic stops and most of those are pretty
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popular just based on the fact that they are
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located between Madison Junction and Old Faithful.
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However, if you time it right, Places here, especially
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that Nez Perce picnic area are truly lovely and
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they're a great place to take a breather. The
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firehole has a character all on its own. It winds
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through forests and geothermal country and this
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picnic area has really good birds around it.
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Sometimes the bison are there. I've seen wolves.
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I've seen bears here and it's just a cool spot.
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Again, it does fill up and get crowded in the
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middle of the day. But if you do something here
16:45
in the morning or evening, it's really peaceful.
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It's a great spot to catch a sunrise or a sunset
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as well. Sometimes when I have a tour out this
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way, I park there in the morning and just listen
16:56
to the birds. There's no one else around. It
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also helps that there's a pit toilet there. So,
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you know, you get a little of everything. There's
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another picnic area I like that's near the south
17:07
entrance, which, you know, I'm happy I finally
17:09
got to talk about, and that's the Snake River
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picnic area. Here there are 8 picnic tables,
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6 fire grates, and an accessible vault toilet.
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The Snake River corridor feels quieter than some
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of Yellowstone's better known destinations, and
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this picnic area is right near the entrance so
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everyone rushes past here. Very few people stop
17:28
here. I love stopping here starting this time
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of the year all the way through fall. I've watched
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grizzlies in the distance, I've seen moose here,
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I've heard elk bugling. It's just a good stop.
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Yellowstone picnic areas come with responsibilities.
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This is a wild country and it's important to
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remember that the animals here are wild. Yellowstone
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is bear country and the National Park Service
17:51
asked visitors to keep food, garbage, and scented
17:54
items properly secured and never feed any wildlife.
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That includes squirrels and birds. Madison Junction
18:01
is the only picnic area with potable water. Nowhere
18:05
else will you find a place to refill some water
18:07
bottles or anything like that. Also, please know
18:11
that campfires are only permitted where designated
18:15
fire grates are provided and only when you are
18:18
allowed to burn things. Always check all park
18:21
rules and regulations and get the updated information
18:24
before you enter the park, and if you don't know
18:26
what they are, ask the ranger when you come in.
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Yellowstone can be overwhelming when you visit
18:31
it, and that's why these picnic areas are a nice
18:34
place to reset. You can stop here, take out your
18:37
map, plan out what's next, and just enjoy having
18:41
a spot where you aren't having to rush. Next
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time you're in the park, make sure you just stop.
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Have a lunch packed. When you're driving, watch
18:51
for those picnic signs, and pull off at one of
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them, find a table, and sit there a while and
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let Yellowstone come to you. Now again, there
19:00
are so many picnic areas. There's so many that
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I love. I will continue to talk about this, but
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if you are looking for a picnic area in a certain
19:07
section of the park and want to know where I
19:09
stop, reach out to me. Happy to help. But if
19:12
you ask me, what are the good picnic areas in
19:14
the park? That's too much to text. That's too
19:17
much to answer in an email. All of them are worthwhile
19:20
in their own right. So if you have questions,
19:23
ask me and I will do my best to answer. Now my
19:26
random Yellowstone fact of the week. If you spend
19:30
enough time in Yellowstone, you eventually begin
19:32
to notice that something looks amiss. The forests
19:37
seem to be the same height in a lot of places.
19:40
I've been asked by numerous people, when did
19:42
the park replant all of these trees after logging?
19:46
And what happened was there was a giant fire
19:48
in 1988. So today I'm going to be talking about
19:51
the 1988 fires and why we still talk about them.
19:56
The 1988 fires are sometimes remembered simply
19:59
as the year Yellowstone burned. But the reality
20:02
was more complicated. That summer, Yellowstone
20:05
experienced the most severe drought in recorded
20:08
history. Rain essentially disappeared for nearly
20:11
three months. Temperatures were high, vegetation
20:14
dried out, and a series of thunderstorms brought
20:16
lightning and strong winds. Fires began both
20:19
inside and outside the park and conditions quickly
20:22
became so extreme that what had started as a
20:25
collection of relatively ordinary wildfires became
20:28
something entirely different. By the end of the
20:31
season, approximately 793 ,880 acres, or about
20:37
36 % of Yellowstone National Park, had been impacted
20:41
by fire. Across the larger Greater Yellowstone
20:44
ecosystem, about 1 .4 million acres burned. What
20:49
makes this story especially interesting is that
20:51
Yellowstone had already been wrestling with an
20:53
important question about fire. For much of the
20:56
park's early history, managers followed a policy
20:58
of putting out fires whenever possible. By the
21:01
1970s, however, scientists and park managers
21:04
increasingly understood that fire was not simply
21:07
an enemy of the landscape. The better everyone
21:10
got to know the park, the more they understood
21:12
that forests had evolved with fire and many plants
21:15
and habitats depend on it. Beginning in 1972,
21:19
the park began allowing some naturally ignited
21:21
fires to burn when conditions permitted. Between
21:24
1972 and 1987, 235 natural fires burned about
21:29
33 ,759 acres and most of them were relatively
21:34
small and eventually went out on their own. Then
21:38
came 1988 and the rules of the game seemed to
21:42
change almost overnight. As the fires grew larger
21:45
and more aggressive, Park managers first suspended
21:47
the natural fire policy on July 15th and began
21:51
suppressing new natural fires. By July 21st,
21:55
all fires were being fought. More than 25 ,000
21:58
firefighters ultimately participated in the effort,
22:01
with as many as 9 ,000 working at one time, making
22:04
it the largest firefighting effort in the United
22:07
States at that point. About $120 million was
22:10
spent fighting the fires. Despite that enormous
22:13
effort, suppression had relatively little effect
22:16
on the fires themselves. In the end, it was the
22:19
arrival of cooler, wetter weather, including
22:21
rain and snow in early September, that finally
22:24
stopped their advance. The images from that summer
22:27
helped create the lasting impression that virtually
22:29
all of Yellowstone was ablaze. That actually
22:33
wasn't the case. Little personal story here,
22:35
away from what I wrote. In 1987, I first visited
22:40
the park. Now you're starting to know how old
22:41
I am. I fell in love with the park. It was wonderful.
22:45
Then summer of 88, I watched as the place that
22:48
I just fell in love with was burning on national
22:51
TV. I was devastated and I was sure, along with
22:56
a lot of people, that the park was ruined forever.
22:59
Once I came back and started visiting the park
23:01
more and more, I saw how fire Did hurt the park
23:05
but the park rebounded back in a much more unique
23:09
and great way on my tours I talk about this and
23:12
I like to say that as a part grew back in 1980
23:15
from 1988 I Was also growing up and we grew together
23:20
and that could be why I love the park so much
23:23
The fires while they appeared to burn the entire
23:26
park burned in a mosaic with some areas experiencing
23:29
intense fires and other areas burning less severely
23:33
and some areas escaping the fires altogether.
23:36
Seven major fires were responsible for more than
23:38
95 % of the acreage burned and several of the
23:42
largest fires actually began outside of Yellowstone
23:44
before moving into the park. 67 structures were
23:49
destroyed but remarkably no park visitor or nearby
23:52
resident was killed. The fires also killed relatively
23:55
few large mammals compared to what many people
23:58
expected. The National Park Service estimated
24:00
that about 300 large mammals died directly as
24:03
a result of the fires. Which if you think about
24:06
36 % burning and only 300 that's not too bad.
24:10
Obviously sad still. Perhaps the most important
24:13
part of the story came after the flames were
24:15
gone. In the months and years that followed scientists
24:17
watched Yellowstone begin to rebuild itself.
24:20
Lodgepole pine, one of the dominant trees in
24:22
the park, is remarkably well adapted to fire.
24:25
Many lodgepole pines produce a certain type of
24:28
cone that remains closed until exposed to the
24:31
heat of fire, allowing them to release seeds
24:33
on a newly open ground. Fire also created a patchwork
24:37
of different habitats, with burned areas providing
24:40
opportunities for new vegetation and changing
24:43
conditions for wildlife. Dead standing trees
24:46
became nesting sites for birds while fallen trees
24:49
provided food shelter and nutrients as they gradually
24:52
returned to the soil. That recovery is one of
24:55
the reasons why the 1988 fires remain so fascinating.
24:59
If you had stood in Yellowstone shortly after
25:00
the fires, you would have seen a landscape that
25:03
looked devastated in many places. Today, decades
25:06
later, many of those same areas have become young
25:09
and mature forests again. Some of these places
25:12
that you don't even know were impacted by fires
25:15
were burnt by these fires. The lessons of 1988
25:19
also continue to influence how fire is managed
25:21
today. Yellowstone no longer treats every wildfire
25:25
as something that must automatically be extinguished,
25:28
nor does it simply allow every natural ignited
25:30
fire to burn without intervention. Under the
25:33
current approach, firefighters can manage fires
25:35
for multiple objectives. A fire may be allowed
25:38
to burn in a remote area where it can perform
25:40
its ecological role, while firefighters suppress
25:43
portions of it near people, roads, or buildings.
25:46
The goal is to protect human life and property
25:48
while allowing fire to remain a natural part
25:51
of the ecosystem wherever it's safe to do. That
25:55
balance is perhaps the most enduring lesson of
25:57
the 1988 fires. Fire can be frightening and destructive,
26:01
particularly when drought, heat, and wind come
26:03
together, but in Yellowstone, Fire is also part
26:06
of the landscape's natural rhythm. The park's
26:09
forests, plants, and wildlife have evolved alongside
26:11
it for thousands of years, and removing fire
26:13
entirely would change the ecosystem just as surely
26:16
as a major wildfire can. There's another reason
26:20
to remember 1988, especially today. The conditions
26:23
that made that summer so extraordinary, drought,
26:27
heat, and strong winds, are precisely the kinds
26:29
of conditions that fire managers continue to
26:31
watch closely. If you look at the west right
26:33
now, a lot of the west is experiencing that.
26:36
Fire size and severity are influenced by factors
26:39
including drought, temperature, humidity, wind,
26:41
vegetation, and the amount of time since an area
26:44
last burned. Yellowstone continues to experience
26:47
wildfire, and the park's fire managers now monitor
26:50
both current conditions and the long term effects
26:52
of past fires. When you visit Yellowstone and
26:55
drive through the forest that looks perfectly
26:57
peaceful, take a second look. Some of those trees
27:00
may be survivors, others may be growing in soil
27:03
that was blackened in 1988. A stand of lodgepole
27:06
pine that looks like an ordinary forest, but
27:09
all uniform in size, is actually a part of a
27:12
decades long story of destruction, regeneration,
27:15
and change. The 1988 fires are worth remembering
27:18
not simply because they were enormous, but because
27:21
they taught us to see Yellowstone differently.
27:23
They reminded us that a national park isn't a
27:26
landscape frozen in time. It's alive and constantly
27:29
changing, shaped by fire, weather, water, wildlife,
27:32
and countless other forces. What looked like
27:35
devastation in 1988 eventually became new. New
27:40
forests, new habitat, and new scientific understanding
27:44
of how the park is impacted by fire. Perhaps
27:47
that is the most remarkable thing about Yellowstone's
27:50
fires. The story didn't end when the flames went
27:52
out. In many ways, just like my relationship
27:55
to the park, it really began once those flames
27:58
went out and the park started regrowing. The
28:02
weather for the coming week. As always, this
28:05
is the best forecast for the week at the time
28:07
of the recording. I'm recording this at 4pm on
28:10
Wednesday, August 12th. Forecasts can change
28:13
numerous times in a week, but this should be
28:15
within the ballpark of what you'll experience
28:16
when visiting Yellowstone. So let's start with
28:19
Lamar Valley. On Thursday, A high of 70, a low
28:23
of 46, an 89 % chance of about a half inch of
28:27
rain, mostly starting in the evening. Maybe the
28:31
afternoon, late morning. It's hard to tell what
28:34
time the rain's gonna start, but it's gonna be
28:36
raining tomorrow. On Friday, there's a 79 % chance
28:39
of some rain, maybe some thunderstorms, high
28:41
of 66, low of 44. Sunday, 59 % chance of some
28:46
rain, high of 70, low of 43. On Sunday, 17 %
28:51
chance of rain, highest 74, a low of 45. Monday,
28:56
74 and 46 with a 35 % chance of rain. Tuesday,
29:00
72 and 45 with a 40 % chance of rain. And Wednesday,
29:04
73 and 46 with a 20 % chance of rain. The weather
29:08
for Gardner, Montana. On Thursday, a highest
29:11
75, a low of 48. 90 % chance of about .45 inches
29:16
of rain. On Friday, The weather for West Yellowstone.
29:45
on thursday a high of 69 a low of 42 about a
29:48
60 chance of a quarter inch of rain on friday
29:51
a high of 66 and a low at 39 31 chance of rain
29:56
saturday 69 and 38 with a 44 chance of rain sunday
30:01
74 and 41 with a 16 chance of rain monday 75
30:05
and 42 with a 15 chance of rain Tuesday 72 and
30:10
42 with a 24 % chance of rain and Wednesday 73
30:14
and 42 with a 22 % chance of rain the weather
30:17
for Cody, Wyoming on Thursday highest 73 low
30:22
of 56 60 % chance of about a tenth of an inch
30:25
of rain on Friday highest 70 low of 56 50 % chance
30:30
of rain Saturday 73 and 55 50 % chance of rain
30:35
Sunday 80 and 58 24 % chance of rain Monday 82
30:39
and 59 24 % chance of rain Tuesday 79 and 56
30:44
24 % chance of rain and Wednesday 80 and 58 with
30:48
a 15 % chance of rain Finally the weather for
30:52
Cook City, Montana On Thursday, a high of 67,
30:55
a low of 47, 80 % chance of a half inch of rain.
30:59
On Friday, 63 and 45, with a 75 % chance of a
31:03
little under a quarter inch of rain. Saturday,
31:06
67 and 45, with a 60 % chance of a tenth of an
31:10
inch of rain. Sunday 70 and 47 23 percent chance
31:14
of some rain Monday 71 and 48 34 percent chance
31:19
of rain Tuesday 68 and 46 with a 39 percent chance
31:23
of rain and Wednesday 69 and 47 with a 17 percent
31:27
chance of rain now with this weather, please
31:30
know that Places like the Beartooth Highway may
31:34
be pretty nasty to drive. Some of the higher
31:36
elevation places, if these thunderstorms, these
31:39
intense thunderstorms roll through, will be a
31:41
little difficult to drive. But, you know, do
31:44
your best, check road conditions, all that. Now
31:48
road conditions, no major park roads are closed
31:51
right now. There are a few spots of construction
31:53
that will delay you a little bit, but they've
31:55
been really good about those delays. But, like
31:59
I said, there could be times where the roads
32:01
in the park are closed due to inclement weather.
32:05
For up -to -date information, you can call 307
32:07
-344 -2117, or you can sign up to receive Yellowstone
32:11
Road Alerts on your cell phone by texting 82190
32:15
to the number 888 -777. Camping information.
32:20
Everything that's open this year is open right
32:23
now. The Wildlife Watching Update. The wildlife
32:27
watching in the park still really good. This
32:29
cooler weather may limit some visibility but
32:32
it also might get things a little more active
32:34
because it's gonna be a good reminder that fall
32:37
is coming and there's a little bit of a press
32:40
to get those calories in. The main action this
32:44
week has been out in Lamar. There have been some
32:46
carcasses out there if you drive to Soda Butte
32:50
Creek and back. you might see something. I would
32:53
head out there personally if I was going to be
32:55
doing any wildlife watching. Lamar is where it's
32:57
at. Lamar or Hayden right now. Those are obviously
33:00
the two biggest, but Lamar seems to be good for
33:03
wolves and good for bears. I've heard a lot of
33:06
people have some really good wolf and bear experiences
33:09
this week. Obviously that could end and they
33:12
could go somewhere else, but With a bison rut
33:15
going on, with injured bison here and there,
33:18
it's a good place for a potentially easy meal
33:20
or easy killable bison. So I would go those places
33:24
for bears or for wolves, and then the bears may
33:28
also be there. Bears, for me, the last few weeks
33:32
have been hit and miss. It's been a lot harder
33:34
to see them than in previous weeks. Once the
33:37
weather gets cooler, they're going to be easier
33:38
to see again. But right now it's kind of dumb
33:41
luck if you're going to see them. I still have
33:44
decent luck driving that bare muted triangle
33:46
area between Floating Island Lake out to Slough
33:50
Creek and up to Tower But you might have good
33:53
luck over the pass. Also, there's been bears
33:55
hanging out in Canyon I talked with somebody
33:57
and they said that there's a black bear hanging
33:59
out there Out the east entrance is still pretty
34:02
good some bighorn sheep out there a couple grizzlies
34:04
have been seen Here and they're kind of moving
34:07
quickly. Not quite the craziness that was earlier.
34:10
I've also heard some people seeing some moose
34:13
by the Northeast entrance out by Cook City so
34:16
that's worthwhile to check out then you're gonna
34:19
have bison you're gonna have pronghorn all over
34:22
the place especially Lamar and Hayden elk are
34:26
starting to get together in mammoth there's a
34:29
couple young bucks hanging out and that's well
34:33
you know young bulls but young buck is a more
34:36
fun thing to say but the bulls are out the bull
34:38
elk are out and you're going to see some good
34:41
antlers here and there no bugles as of yet i'm
34:45
going to be talking about that a little in a
34:47
couple weeks but we're getting close -ish to
34:51
the start of the elk rut so you may want to hang
34:54
out around that north entrance from gardener
34:56
Actually the Sinclair station north of Gardiner
34:59
all the way down into Mammoth good place for
35:02
elk if you're wanting to see some elk You're
35:05
going to have good birds here and there the weather
35:08
is not going to be ideal obviously when it's
35:09
pouring down rain So good luck. I if you're wanting
35:14
an interesting experience Look to the river crossings
35:19
when the bison are around After this rain kind
35:22
of passes and the rivers are a little more swollen
35:24
That's some good action to see as some of those
35:27
younger bison are still getting used to crossing
35:30
rivers and when the flow is a little higher,
35:32
it looks a little more dicey. Most of them will
35:34
be okay, maybe not all of them, but that's where
35:37
some action may be. Otherwise, reach out to me
35:39
if you need any other updated tips of wildlife.
35:43
It's just a weird time of the year. I would also
35:47
just check out early morning, late evening, driving
35:49
over Dunraven. That's from Tower to Canyon. And
35:54
you might see some bears there, you might see
35:55
some bighorn sheep, all of that. So put in the
35:58
miles this time of the year and you'll see things.
36:01
If you are in places in the middle of the day,
36:04
you might not have the best of luck, but that's
36:06
kind of what this time of the year is. You also
36:08
might have great luck. But mornings and evenings,
36:12
even with this cooler weather, that's when I
36:14
would go out. That's when the most action probably
36:17
will be. Drive safe, best of luck, and again,
36:20
if you need any updated wildlife watching tips,
36:22
reach out to me. Happy to help when I can. Trail
36:25
alerts and updates. That country conditions page
36:29
has been updated again. Link to it is in the
36:32
show notes as always. That's the easiest way
36:35
to share all this information, so click that
36:37
from the show notes and you can get updated information
36:39
on the trails. If there's something very specific
36:42
that you're not seeing, again, reach out to me.
36:44
Happy to help. One other thing carry bear spray
36:46
have it readily accessible and not in a backpack
36:49
and know how to use it My truck of the week So
36:54
I was going back and forth about what to recommend
36:57
this week because the weather is gonna kind of
36:59
be dicey to start But it's also gonna be cooler
37:02
weather so that makes some of the longer days
37:04
a little more possible And while there is a chance
37:07
of some rain and thunderstorms here and there,
37:10
I want to recommend this hike this week. And
37:13
if it doesn't work out for you this week, maybe
37:14
it will next week. But the hike I'm recommending
37:17
this week is Big Horn Peak. There are hikes to
37:20
mountain summits, and then there are hikes that
37:22
feel like you've stumbled upon a secret in Yellowstone
37:25
that was keeping itself all alone and waiting
37:28
for you to discover it. The trek to Big Horn
37:31
Peak is one of the latter. Tucked in the northwest
37:34
corner of Yellowstone, near the park's boundary
37:37
with Montana, Bighorn Peak is part of the remote
37:40
Gallatin Mountain country along the Skyrim region
37:43
of the park. From the Black Butte trailhead on
37:46
US Highway 191, that's south of Big Sky, the
37:50
route quickly leaves the pavement and the steady
37:53
traffic between West Yellowstone and Big Sky
37:55
behind. Before long, the sound of cars gives
37:58
way to the sound of nothing really. You might
38:02
hear the wind moving through the trees, but it's
38:05
so quiet out there. It's difficult to believe
38:08
that one of the park's busier roads is just a
38:10
short distance from where you're going to be
38:12
hiking. The National Park Service rates the Black
38:15
Butte Trail as strenuous, describing the out
38:18
and back route as 11 .4 miles with 3 ,100 feet
38:21
of elevation gain to the Skyrim Trail and the
38:24
vicinity of Bighorn Peak. I've done this a few
38:27
times and sometimes I get 11 miles, sometimes
38:30
I get 13 miles, and it's always over 3 ,000 feet
38:34
and you top out near 10 ,000 feet. Whatever distance
38:38
your watch or however you track things measures,
38:41
just know that this is not a casual stroll. It's
38:44
a long demanding mountain day best suited to
38:46
experienced hikers who are comfortable with sustained
38:49
elevation gain, changing mountain conditions,
38:52
and navigating in Yellowstone's backcountry.
38:55
What makes the effort worthwhile is how quickly
38:58
the landscape begins to feel wild. Like I said,
39:00
you start out by Highway 191, which is constant
39:03
traffic back and forth, people traveling all
39:06
over. As you hike away from there and you start
39:09
to climb, you then are just alone. The more you
39:14
climb, the trees begin to open and the views
39:16
expand. Meadows have some wildflowers in them,
39:19
and the higher you get reveals the broader views
39:22
of the Gallatin and Madison ranges. The climb
39:25
isn't too strenuous at first, just kind of lackadaisical
39:29
and a few switchbacks here and there, and then
39:31
when it starts in earnest, you'll know it. You
39:33
know when you're gonna really start hiking. Finally,
39:37
the trail reaches the high country around Bighorn
39:39
Peak, where the character once again changes.
39:43
Instead of the trees, instead of the wildflowers,
39:45
you're gonna be on a broad grassy summit that
39:47
just gives panoramic views in all directions.
39:51
This little area you're gonna see a sign that
39:54
says bighorn peak and then there's gonna be the
39:56
peak You're gonna see where you to go. I always
39:58
see bighorn sheep here It's not just a clever
40:01
name that they have bighorn peak is a great place
40:03
to hike and see bighorn sheep the sense of solitude
40:07
that you're gonna find on bighorn peak is almost
40:11
worthwhile even if the summit wasn't so cool
40:14
The summit though is so cool. You walk and it
40:18
looks like it was blasted out and you're on this
40:20
rock and you kind of weave your way around and
40:22
then you're on a peak looking around with perfect
40:25
panoramic views. You probably are not gonna see
40:29
another person here though. The solitude, the
40:32
silence, this feeling of remoteness is so fantastic.
40:37
I love hiking here and if you're looking for
40:39
something like this and this speaks to you, this
40:42
is where you want to go. Said it earlier, but
40:45
I'm gonna say it again. This is grizzly territory.
40:48
This is bear territory This is not a easy walk
40:52
in the park. You're going to be tired You're
40:54
not gonna want to make noise when you're climbing
40:56
up the steep parts of this trail But make lots
40:59
of noise because bears are here. I've seen bears
41:01
here almost every time I've done it again a good
41:04
area It's fantastic for wildlife watching, but
41:07
it's also not for people who do not know how
41:11
to hike properly in heavy bear areas. The higher
41:15
you go right now, the more active bears are going
41:17
to be. Again, Bighorn Peak deserves a place on
41:22
your radar if you're a serious hiker to the region
41:24
and you're looking for something new. The Skyrim
41:27
trails in Yellowstone, underrated, fantastic
41:31
long day hikes if you're a quick hiker or a great
41:34
backpacking route. I don't get to do this enough.
41:38
And every time I see somebody do it, I am very
41:41
envious. It's awesome. The Skyrim trails are
41:44
fantastic. But a shorter version of that, Bighorn
41:47
Peak. Bighorn Peak is not Yellowstone's easiest
41:50
mountain adventure and nor should it be. It's
41:53
for you that are still listening and you're like,
41:56
oh, that sounds great. I know I'm just kind of
41:59
like, it's great. It's remote. There's good views.
42:01
There's wildlife. The wildflowers are really
42:04
cool and this is an opportunity to really gaze
42:07
around and see all of the other peaks that can
42:09
be climbed in this section of the Greater Yellowstone
42:11
Ecosystem. If you want to know this western side
42:15
of the park better, climb Bighorn Peak when the
42:18
weather is decent, take a look around, have the
42:21
Peak Finder app and see what other mountains
42:23
you can climb because I guarantee you this is
42:26
a hike that will entice you to do so much more.
42:30
that is off the beaten path in the Greater Yellowstone
42:33
Ecosystem. That's it for me this week. In the
42:36
next episode, I'll return with all the information
42:39
you need to have a good week in the park, including
42:41
the wildlife, weather, and trail updates. Until
42:43
then, pick up a guidebook of mine. Please tell
42:47
a friend about this podcast. Rate it on whatever
42:50
you rate your podcasts on. If you have any questions,
42:53
reach out to me, 406 -589 -1873 or email me at
42:57
theoutdoorsociety at gmail .com. Till next week,
43:01
see ya. Oh, I didn't mean see ya. I mean, happy
43:04
trails. Otherwise, keep listening and I hope
43:29
to see you in Yellowstone. Copyright 2026, baby!