Latest / This Week in Yellowstone National Park / This Week in Yellowstone: June 12th to June 18th, 2025

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This Week in Yellowstone: June 12th to June 18th, 2025 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

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From Yellowstone National Park, where wildflowers
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abound, bears are almost everywhere, and we have
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some less than ideal people doing some stupid
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things around wildlife, this is that Scott guy
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you know and love with another episode of This
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Week in Yellowstone. What's up everybody? This
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week in Yellowstone National Park, from June
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12th to June 18th, I share a secret corner of
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the park that most visitors to Yellowstone have
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never even heard of, rant about a few bare incidents
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that the park has experienced in the last week,
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help you prepare for the heat and elevation for
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your summer trip, and share a perfect trail for
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this coming week. I'll also give you the complete
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weather forecast, wildlife report, and everything
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else you need to know to have an incredible time.
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this week in Yellowstone. My standard disclaimer,
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I might miss a few details so feel free to reach
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out with questions. I also mention park locations
1:03
very casually. So if you're unfamiliar with any
1:06
place I say, a quick search can help or you can
1:09
just reach out to me directly. Also, Please know
1:12
that this podcast is a passion project. I'm not
1:15
paid by anybody. I'm not sponsored by anybody.
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I'm just sharing this because I one love talking
1:20
about the park and two wants you to have a great
1:22
time when you visit. If you like this podcast,
1:25
review it. Send me a quick email. Those of you
1:27
that have emailed me absolutely adore you. Thank
1:30
you so much. If you'd like to continue to support
1:32
my work, you can check out my guidebooks on hiking
1:34
and wildlife watching at outdoor society dot
1:38
com. Or you can sign up for a guided Yellowstone
1:40
tour. When you visit, I offer hiking tours that
1:44
go beyond the boardwalks. If you want to see
1:46
something different away from the standard park
1:50
experience, reach out to me. I want to hook you
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up. All right. This week in Yellowstone News.
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So a bit of a bummer. Sorry. In advance, numerous
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unconfirmed reports of people feeding, approaching
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and handling bears in Yellowstone. All right,
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every so often I share something from social
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media Usually I don't bother until there's an
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official press release from the park. However,
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this week I'm making an exception There's an
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Instagram Instagram user take the scenic route
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with us who knows Yellowstone extremely well
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and they reported the following on a recent post
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Yesterday was a doozy of bad decisions in the
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park related to bears. First I heard was there
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is a sow with two cubs being fed. I assumed this
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was the bear old bear due to the location. The
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report mentioned that people feeding her and
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the cubs were 25 feet from the bear. Then in
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the evening I heard from friends that someone
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was seen holding a black bear cub elsewhere in
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the park. This is probably the yearling that
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is due to separate from its mother soon. Then
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Bear Management made a post about these two events
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along with a third where folks were feet from
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the obsidian bear and her three cubs. Alright,
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so there is no reason not to believe these reports.
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Visitors in the park have a history of behavior
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like this and have been doing so for decades.
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Hell, 60 years ago, this was common practice
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in the park. And like you were probably weird
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if you didn't do this to bears. However. That's
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not OK now. And it's easy to say like, hey, the
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lack of funding is responsible for these incidents.
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There's not enough Rangers in the park, but that's
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not the case. The park is staffed quite well.
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And even if there. were a ranger every few miles
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of park roads and trails, incidents like this
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would still occur. The issue has nothing to do
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with funding or staffing. It doesn't really even
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have to do with education of visitors. Instead,
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this behavior comes from entitlement. People
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do what they want and consequences be damned.
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That could be speeding in the park. Yes, that
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is also a terrible thing to do in the park. This
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could be getting too close to elk and bison.
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This could be grabbing a bear. There are rules
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and people choose not to follow them because
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they are better than them in their head. This
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is an entitlement issue and this is a much bigger
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thing. So speaking of consequences, one major
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issue I have with lawbreakers in the park is
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that when they're caught, they more than often
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just get a slap on the wrist. A small fine, a
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park ban maybe for a year or two, and maybe a
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day or two in jail. Do you want an example? In
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2019, three Montana men who crossed into Yellowstone
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National Park to kill a mountain lion. were fined
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$1 ,700 each and placed on three years unsupervised
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probation. During that time, they were also banned
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from hunting, fishing, or trapping worldwide.
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That's a slap on the wrist. Biologists estimate
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that there are 20 to 31 adult mountain lions
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that reside year -round in Yellowstone's northern
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range. That's about 12 to 18 females and 8 to
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13 males. That is a small amount of Mountain
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lions and to have them just have one get killed
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and it's a $1 ,700 fine for each person is a
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laughable punishment Now if the people who handle
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the Bears and fed the Bears are caught this is
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probably what's gonna happen to them It's a punishment
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that is not huge for the humans, but it's potentially
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a death sentence for the Bears many people when
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things like this happen, hope that when, you
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know, people get too close to bears that the
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bears are going to attack. If the bear attacks,
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the bear is going to be killed. If the bear gets
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fed too much, the bear is going to get killed.
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The person that gets attacked might get injured,
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maybe they'll die, but more than likely nothing's
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going to happen to them aside from a minimal
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punishment and the cycle of behavior will continue.
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Now I could rant about this for hours, but I
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won't. What I will say is to be vigilant about
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helping maintain proper viewing distances of
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the wildlife. If you see someone breaking the
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rules, you don't have to approach them. You can
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take a picture of them, their car, and their
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license plate, and report it to the rangers as
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soon as possible. Supposedly these bear incidents,
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no one has a picture of, because no one really
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cared. That is a travesty. If you see something
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like this, document it, report it immediately.
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It's also, um, you know, maybe something we could
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talk to Congress about. I know they have other
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things to deal with and not handle, but maybe
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it's time we work to give some teeth to these
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laws in our national parks, as that may be the
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only solution to mitigating behavior like this.
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All right. Finally, please remember that only
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like So few people are doing things like this
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there are four and a half million visitors to
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the park each year and only a small Handful are
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just Bad the overwhelming majority are following
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the park's rules and their regulations and are
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being truly awesome So, please let's not lose
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sight of that so I typed this and then I immediately
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ended the ended type in and I got an email checked
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my email and so Here we go As I'm typing this,
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I just got word that on June 10th, a 30 -year
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-old man from New Jersey was gored by a bison
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near Old Faithful after a group of visitors approached
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it too closely. He sustained minor injuries.
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This is the second bison goreng of 2025, the
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same number as 2024. Stay 25 yards from bison,
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elk, All of the ungulates like that, even if
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they're close to the road or a trail, stay 25
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yards away. Do not approach wildlife. If it's
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a bear or wolf, that's 100 yards, an entire football
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field. If you have a hard time converting meters
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to yards, just go with meters. It's about the
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same. All right, like that was a bummer. I'm
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sorry. But I want people to know what's going
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on and those things are going on. And when I
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can tell people appropriate distances and What
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we need to do to document, I feel that's an important
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message. Again, there are so many good visitors,
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so many amazing people visiting the park, so
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many positive stories that don't get reported.
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Please try to remember that instead of immediately
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going to the negative. Yes, these are negative
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stories, but again, 99 .9 % of all people visiting
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the park are truly awesome and following the
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rules. Alright, my experience of the week. The
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Beckler region The Beckler region of Yellowstone,
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tucked away in the park's remote southwest corner,
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offers an experience that feels worlds apart
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from the crowded boardwalks and traffic jams
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in the main park roads. This is Yellowstone in
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its most natural unspoiled state, a place where
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waterfalls thunder, wildflowers bloom in untouched
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meadows, and even thermal features bubble quietly
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deep in the backcountry without an audience.
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Getting there requires a bit of an effort, but
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that's exactly what makes it so special. The
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journey, whether you're driving through the Mesa
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Falls Scenic Byway or approaching from the south
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through the Caribou Targi National Forest, builds
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a sense of anticipation. It's as if you're entering
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a secret entrance to the world's first national
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park. For those who crave solitude and connection
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with nature, Beckler is a revelation. Known as
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Yellowstone's Cascade Corner, this region is
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home to more waterfalls than anywhere else in
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the park. Many of them only accessible by long
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hikes, by quiet scenic trails that wind through
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lush forests and river valleys. Just be aware
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that the trails will be boggy, muddy, and full
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of mosquitoes well into the late summer months.
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Trails like the Beckler River and Boundary Creek
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paths offer access to hidden gems like Denada
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Falls and Union Falls, waterfalls so majestic
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that they feel almost mythical. Wildlife sightings
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are frequent and intimate here. Elk, moose, and
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even bears roam the backcountry with little human
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interruption. And unlike the main areas of the
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park, you'll often have the trail and even an
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entire waterfall all to yourself. But perhaps
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the greatest reason to drive to Beckler is the
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feeling it leaves with you. A sense that you've
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touched something rare and wild, something that
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most people will never see. In a world increasingly
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shaped by convenience and overexposure, Beckler
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reminds you of the value of going further, slowing
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down, and experiencing nature on its own quiet
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terms. It's not just a place you visit. It's
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a place that stays with you long after you've
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left its rivers and forests behind. For the adventurous
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spirit and the wilderness seeker, Beckler isn't
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just worth the drive, it's the reason you came
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to Yellowstone in the first place. So to get
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there, after passing the warm river area, there's
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a peaceful spot that's popular for picnics and
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fishing. The paved road transitions into Forest
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Road 582, also known as Cave Falls Road. This
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gravel stretch leads you to the southwestern
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entrance of Yellowstone. Though the road is passable
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in most vehicles during dry conditions, it's
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wise to drive slowly and be prepared for dust,
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potholes, and zero cell service. Once you reach
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the Cave Falls area, you'll be rewarded with
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one of Yellowstone's widest waterfalls. It's
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a broad curtain of water, just 20 feet high,
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but stretching nearly 250 feet across the Fall
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River. This part of the park is known, like I
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said earlier, as the Cascade Corner, thanks to
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the abundance of waterfalls and backcountry trails.
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And again, it remains one of Yellowstone's least
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visited areas. I could talk about it forever.
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It's not going to get any more popular because
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of me. It is a bit of a pain to get to, so you
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know, if you are looking for something, enjoy
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that. The Cave Falls area is perfect for quiet
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hiking, photography, and wildlife watching, especially
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if you're hoping to avoid crowds. It will take
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a little more work to find wildlife, but you
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might just have a great experience. Now, if you're
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planning to be on foot out here or camp out here,
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bear spray is a must. This is a heavy bear area
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and trails like the short hike to Beckler Falls
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offer easy access to some of the region's natural
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beauty. But again, could be muddy, could be boggy
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and also expect lots of mosquitoes. always check
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the road conditions before you go especially
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in the spring after heavy rains and No summer
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after thunderstorms and bring everything you
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need for the day. There are no services between
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Ashton, Idaho and Cave Falls not there's nothing
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out there. So that's your last place to stock
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up and get a full tank of gas everything This
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is a peaceful rewarding drive into one of Yellowstone's
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best -kept secrets. I want to share it with you
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because You know currently yes, I have a decent
13:23
listenership, but before this if this podcast
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ever gets super popular You know, I want to give
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it to you that are here early on because this
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is a favorite region that I go to Once or twice
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a year and I I highly suggest if you have time
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to do it All right a bonus driving the mesa falls
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scenic byway now if you can't get out to cave
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falls But you're by island park and west yellowstone
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and headed down that side of the tetons This
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is for you. So between Ashton and Island Park,
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the journey gets even more rewarding as you turn
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east onto the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway. It's a
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beautiful maintained road that winds through
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the Caribou Targhee National Forest. This byway
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leads you away from the main highway traffic
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and into a world of dense forests, rolling hills,
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and volcanic geology. The highlight, of course,
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is the pair of waterfalls, Lower and Upper Mesa
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Falls, where the Henry's Fort crashes over ancient
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lava flows. Upper Mesa Falls, in particular,
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is a must -see, with its 114 -foot plunge into
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a basalt gorge viewed from an easy access boardwalk
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and overlook. Along the route, you'll pass the
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warm river area I mentioned earlier, which is
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a calm and charming spot for picnics, fishing,
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and spotting wildlife. Alright, my tip of the
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week! Managing heat and elevation in Yellowstone.
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So without fail, the end of spring and the start
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of summer brings about a whole new set of things
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to deal with when visiting Yellowstone. While
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fall and winter have snow and cold, this time
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of the year has sun and warmth. Some of you listening
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may be from hot places and I know you being like
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it's not warm there, but I can assure you the
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heat at elevation hits a little different. Elevation
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along Yellowstone National Park's roadways averages
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about 7 ,500 feet above sea level, though this
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can vary quite a bit depending on where you are
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in the park. Some of the lower sections, such
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as Gardiner, Montana, sits around 5 ,300 feet.
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On the other end of the spectrum, the highest
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point on a paved road in the park is Dunraven
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Pass, which reaches an elevation of roughly 8
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,859 feet, and that's between Tower Junction
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and Canyon Village. Now popular destinations
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like Old Faithful and Lake Village are generally
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7 ,300 to 7 ,800 feet above sea level, while
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the west entrance in Madison Junction sit a little
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lower around 66 to 6 ,800 feet. The northeast
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entrance near Cook City is about 7 ,000 feet,
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and if you head up towards the Beartooth Highway
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you're gonna be 9 -10 ,000 feet. So some are
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gonna tell you that Yellowstone, because it's
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at elevation, will feel cooler than at sea level.
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I mean, it could be true, but while I get the
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logic, it's also partially false. Most of the
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park on a hot summer day is uncomfortable for
16:16
all, even with our low humidity. Last year I
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had a few people on a tour from the south, and
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I gave them my weather forecast for a hike a
16:24
day before, and they responded by telling me
16:27
that they'd be just fine, they were used to heat
16:29
and humidity, and dry heat is easy to handle.
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Even when we met in the morning, they laughed
16:35
off my warning about the heat at the elevation.
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We were about an hour under a hike and the high
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temperature started to impact them. They were
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extremely uncomfortable in the warmth and told
16:44
me that they should have taken the heat at elevation
16:46
more seriously. This happens to me numerous times
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in the summer. People say they're going to be
16:52
okay and then they're not. I also constantly
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overhear people in the park shocked at how hot
16:57
70 degrees feels. Being at elevation will make
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your body work harder than it normally would
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for simple tasks, due to less oxygen. So if you're
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coming from sea level to Mammoth, which is one
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of the lowest spots in the park, you're experiencing
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a decrease in oxygen effectiveness of over 4%.
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It's not 14 % like you lose at the top of Everest,
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but it's still noticeable to the majority of
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park visitors. So how should you handle this?
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The solution is pretty easy. Get plenty of rest,
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stay hydrated, give your body energy with good
17:31
foods, and move a little slower. A few tips I
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tell people when they're booking tours with me
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is that if they can, give themselves a day or
17:40
two to get used to the elevation before doing
17:43
a strenuous activity. While this isn't always
17:46
possible, if you can definitely consider it.
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The other is if you're going to be out doing
17:51
things active, don't go drinking the night before.
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More often than not when People go out the night
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before, have some drinks and then try and go
18:01
on a hike. It does not go well. It usually doesn't
18:04
go well even at sea level, but it definitely
18:06
doesn't go well at elevation. So also wear a
18:10
hat, a sun shirt, put on sunscreen, use chapstick
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with an SPF on it, bring a bandana and soak it
18:17
with cold water when you can. The elevation will
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dry you out, so keep pounding fluids. It's always
18:24
better to need to pee than to get heat exhaustion.
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Finally, the younger you are and the better shape
18:29
you're in, the less you're going to feel this
18:30
elevation in the heat. And therefore, the less
18:33
you'll need to be worried. But still, take it
18:37
seriously. Come over prepared. That way if you
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come across somebody in the backcountry, you
18:41
can help them out. Alright, random Yellowstone
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fact of the week. Sometimes my facts are going
18:46
to be short and this is one of those times. Today
18:49
I'm briefly talking about touring the park. Initially,
18:53
traveling to and around the park was pretty rough.
18:55
It wasn't until 1883 when the Northern Pacific
18:59
Railroad reached all the way down to Cinnabar,
19:02
just north of Gardiner. That's when things got
19:04
a little easy. Little easier. I stress a little
19:07
here. A typical tour would take visitors from
19:10
the train station on Tally Ho stagecoaches up
19:13
through the Gardner River Canyon to Mammoth Hot
19:15
Springs. After checking into the hotel, they'd
19:18
take a tour of the hot springs, then spend the
19:20
next four days going around the park on passenger
19:23
coaches called Yellowstone Wagons. These wagons
19:26
were rugged at best, forcing riders to exit the
19:29
vehicle on steep inclines and descents. However,
19:32
each night visitors would stay in a nice room
19:34
with a good bed and fresh food. Hotels were spread
19:37
out all over the park, but over time, they were
19:40
rendered useless as travel became easier, some
19:42
were torn down, some burned down, and only a
19:45
few stayed standing. So those early visitors
19:48
told everyone they knew about the park, they
19:51
sent letters and postcards sharing their ordeals,
19:54
and they helped spread the popularity of the
19:56
park near and far. The railroads also advertised
19:59
the park, helping to build the reputation and
20:01
daydreams of seeing the wonders of Yellowstone
20:04
firsthand. The current figure 8 that we all know
20:08
and love, the upper and lower loop roads, were
20:10
completed in 1905, helping visitors more easily
20:14
travel around the park. It wouldn't be until
20:16
1915 that the first automobile entered the park,
20:21
forever changing tourism and helping create the
20:24
way we now visit the park. Alright, the weather
20:28
for the coming week! Lamar Valley! pretty much
20:33
expect highs in the 50s 60s maybe up to the 70s
20:38
for the next week lows down in the 40s and 30s
20:42
and a chance of thunderstorms pretty much every
20:44
day this is gonna kind of be the forecast for
20:46
the next little bit Gardner same thing West Yellowstone
20:51
same thing Cody same thing and old faithful same
20:56
thing It's going to be pretty sunny. There's
20:58
no major precipitation right now. Now, the issue
21:02
with these forecasts is the long term forecasts
21:04
are always kind of hit and miss. There could
21:08
be some storms coming in, but don't expect any
21:11
snow for the next week. There could be some rain,
21:14
but generally it's going to be pretty decent.
21:17
Partly sunny partly cloudy might like I said
21:20
might be some thunderstorms here and there and
21:22
know that the higher up you get There's a better
21:25
chance of some wind things like that, but generally
21:27
looks to be a good week Since I'm recording this
21:31
a day in advance than normal I don't want to
21:33
go too much into detail about the weather But
21:36
I can almost guarantee that it's going to be
21:39
fine aside from those every so often thunderstorms
21:42
So be ready for that It's not gonna get super
21:45
cold unless you consider the 30s as low as super
21:49
cold. And then it's gonna get super cold for
21:51
you. So the weather always brings us to the snowpack.
21:57
And currently the snowpack is terrible. Throughout
22:02
the park, it's about 20 % of normal. Out on the
22:06
west side of the park, it's down to 9 % of normal.
22:09
So, that's not great. Expect fire dangers to
22:14
skyrocket up there to high any day now. It's
22:18
going to be drying out a lot and that's going
22:20
to, you know, pretty much drop river flow a bit
22:25
and we're in summer, that's all I can say. It's
22:30
unfortunate that the snowpack has dropped this
22:33
much so fast. If we look at last year around
22:37
this time, we were between 60 % and 90 % in some
22:43
places in the park. So not great but can't do
22:49
anything about it. So fingers crossed it's not
22:51
a bad fire year. With the weather being the way
22:55
it is and the snowpack being the way it is, the
22:57
road conditions are pretty easy to tell you.
23:00
All major roads are open right now and around
23:03
Yellowstone, including Dunraven Pass and the
23:05
Beartooth Highway. I foresee absolutely nothing
23:08
closing these roads in the next week. I could
23:11
be surprised. Always check the weather forecast.
23:13
You can also sign up for text alerts on your
23:17
phone about road closures by texting 82190 to
23:22
the number 888777. Alright camping information.
23:28
It's always Mammoth Hot Springs campgrounds open
23:30
Madison campground near West Yellowstone is open
23:33
the fishing bridge RV Park and Bridge Bay are
23:36
also open tower campground and Canyon open Grant
23:39
Village is open opening this week on June 15th,
23:44
Lewis Lake campground is going to be open and
23:48
then Indian Creek campground just south of Mammoth
23:53
that opens on June 13th And we're pretty much
23:57
good to go with everything being open that's
24:00
going to open this year now Slough Creek campground
24:03
is also going to be opening on June 15th So that's
24:07
that's it a pebble Creek campground for those
24:09
people that are curious about it Great campground
24:12
got washed away in the 2022 floods not gonna
24:14
be open for a while. So everything but Pebble
24:18
Creek will be opening back up. So if you have
24:22
camping reservations, have fun. All right the
24:25
wildlife watching update. As of earlier this
24:29
week, out in Lamar Valley, out by Soda Butte,
24:34
out by Pebble Creek, that area has been great.
24:37
There's been wolves. There's been bears. There's
24:40
been moose. There's been coyotes at a den. There's
24:43
been badgers. There's been a little of everything.
24:46
So still telling you, if you want to go have
24:49
a more dependable Wildlife viewing go out to
24:54
Lamar. You may see something there Obviously
24:58
Hayden is also picking up a bit. There's a lot
25:01
of bears down there Bison are starting to return
25:04
a bit more Bison and Lamar right now are just
25:08
Ridiculous they're everywhere. There's thousands
25:10
of them with babies and everything There's pronghorn
25:14
with babies running around in Lamar again, like
25:17
I can't stress Lamar enough right now I know
25:19
people love Hayden, and Hayden does have good
25:22
sightings. They do have a wolf pack out there
25:24
that people are seeing wolves in from a distance,
25:27
but the main action is still hitting in that
25:31
northern range. Out towards that... East entrance
25:35
there's some bears out there. You're gonna see
25:36
there's some bighorn sheep You're also gonna
25:39
see if you go up toward tower from Roosevelt
25:43
toward tower and you stop at calcite Springs
25:45
There's some newborn bighorn sheep in those cliffs.
25:48
There's also some bears in that area between
25:52
Mammoth and Norris. I've seen bears recently.
25:55
It's really a good time for wildlife watching
25:57
still however the warmer it gets the less likely
26:02
you're going to see things during the heat of
26:03
the day. So just know that. Mornings, evenings.
26:08
It doesn't have to be super early in the morning,
26:10
but before 11, before 10 probably is going to
26:13
be your best wildlife viewing. Elsewhere in the
26:16
park, you never know what you're going to see.
26:18
But for the most dependable things, wildlife
26:21
wise. It's it's the northern range. I I will
26:24
say this until I'm blue in the face and I don't
26:27
think I'm wrong here based on my entire life
26:30
of experience in the park But the northern range
26:32
has more wildlife sightings Consistently than
26:35
a lot of other places in the park east entrance
26:38
has some good ones, too But that northern range
26:42
from mammoth all the way up to tower then out
26:45
to Lamar and Cook City just seems to have consistency
26:50
and dependability Now, you might drive out there
26:52
and see nothing. And if you do, I will be shocked.
26:57
You should at least see some bison. But sometimes
27:00
that happens. Not everything is always visible.
27:03
Put in the miles. Put in the time. Don't just
27:06
drive through once and give up. Drive back and
27:08
forth a few times and you probably will have
27:10
better luck. All right. Trail alerts and updates.
27:15
The black tail in Rescue Creek. Trails are currently
27:19
having a bear warning. The Lava Creek Trail has
27:23
numerous carcasses and bears frequenting the
27:25
trail. Storm Point closed due to aggressive bear
27:28
that's charging people. Howard Eaton Trail near
27:31
Fishing Bridge has an aggressive bear that's
27:33
been charging people as well. I share this information
27:36
not to tell you where to see a bear, but I tell
27:39
you this to stay away from those areas. This
27:43
information is up to date as of the morning of
27:45
June 10th and all this information that I'm sharing
27:49
is available online and all the trail conditions
27:52
are updated and they can be found online at the
27:54
Backcountry Situation Report of Yellowstone National
27:57
Park. If you are a hiker, go there, bookmark
28:01
that page. I know that makes me sound old, but
28:03
it's a very useful page, the Backcountry Situation
28:05
Report for Yellowstone National Park. All right,
28:09
my trail of the week. The Garnet Hill Loop. So
28:13
I constantly share hikes that I say are my favorite
28:16
hikes, and this week is no exception. The following
28:19
is a direct excerpt from my Hiking Guidebook
28:22
to the region. I highly encourage you to pick
28:24
up a copy of it if you are a hiker and you want
28:27
to know what's in Yellowstone and beyond. Just
28:29
north of Yellowstone, there is a million acre
28:31
wilderness with amazing trails that no one goes
28:34
to. So I share my favorite trails in there in
28:36
my book. Won't share them here because this is
28:39
not an outside of Yellowstone podcast. So the
28:42
Garnet Hill Loop is by no means a secret trail.
28:45
The trail is a favorite of rangers and seasonal
28:47
employees, seeing moderate use during the summer.
28:50
Despite that, you'll see very few people while
28:53
hiking this loop trail. I recommend parking at
28:55
the large parking area near the gas station and
28:58
the pit toilets at Roosevelt Junction, then walking
29:01
along the road to the northern trailhead just
29:03
before the road to Lamar turns toward the bridge.
29:06
This will have you hiking a loop counterclockwise
29:09
and giving you what I think is the best experience.
29:12
The first mile or so of this hike gains 135 feet
29:15
of elevation, topping out around 6400 feet. Along
29:20
this stretch of trail you'll wander through sage,
29:23
passing boulders discarded by glaciers, the last
29:25
ice age, bison, coyotes, eagles, hawks, and occasionally
29:32
bears. Around two miles into the hike the trail
29:35
starts to drop toward the Yellowstone River.
29:38
By mile three you're below 6 ,000 feet and you're
29:41
walking right next to the river on one side and
29:44
Garnet Hill on the other. Please know that this
29:46
section of trail is very narrow and you'll encounter
29:50
wildlife here. So give them plenty of room to
29:53
pass and always stay an appropriate distance
29:55
from them. Please pay attention on this. I have
29:59
rounded a corner with very limited visibility
30:02
in this section and was probably too close to
30:06
a bison. Um, you know, it wasn't unsafe. I, no,
30:11
I will, I will say it was unsafe, but we were
30:13
able to make it. Okay. There was just nowhere
30:16
else to go. Like rounded it. Didn't have a lot
30:18
of site. There's a bison. So we quickly moved
30:21
off to the trail and let the bison pass and it
30:23
was all fine. Please do the same thing. Always
30:26
do your best to stay appropriate distances from
30:29
all wildlife. Around mile 4, after a bit of an
30:33
uphill stretch, you're going to get a great view
30:36
of the Yellowstone River, which I often use as
30:38
a spot to snack and take a break. This is also
30:41
a good spot to check in with how you're feeling
30:43
and decide whether you want to take a detour
30:45
to the Hellboring Suspension Bridge or just continue
30:48
on the loop. At mile 4 .5, you're going to reach
30:53
that junction. Here you can either hike back
30:55
to Roosevelt and complete the loop or you can
30:57
hike to the bridge which is a half mile away
31:00
So it's gonna add a mile total and that way you
31:04
can get to the suspension bridge It's kind of
31:06
worth it. There is a hill, you know, but if you're
31:08
already out there might as well do it Once you're
31:11
back at the junction head toward Roosevelt by
31:13
following the trail along Elk Creek You'll pass
31:16
cool rocks places with marmots and some very
31:20
welcome shade Be aware that this section of the
31:23
trail is also quite narrow and is a frequent
31:26
location for bears to hang out. Make lots of
31:30
noise, have your bear spray ready, and make lots
31:33
of noise. Yes, I said that twice on purpose,
31:37
so not reading this from my book right now. In
31:40
this section, I have had some of the closest
31:42
bear encounters. Please pay attention. have your
31:46
bear spray out like I said it is very narrow
31:48
and black bears and occasionally grizzlies hang
31:51
out there and it can be unsafe so the louder
31:55
you are the more announcing you're going to have
31:58
that you're coming so that doesn't mean bring
32:02
bells with you it doesn't mean play music I mean
32:05
talk very loudly that whole time all right after
32:11
you pass through that way Around mile 6 or 7,
32:14
depending whether you hike to the suspension
32:16
bridge or not, you'll emerge from the forest
32:18
and get back into the prairie. This is where
32:21
you'll reach an area known as Yancy's. In 1884,
32:25
John Yancy built a small hotel here called the
32:27
Pleasant Valley Hotel. In 1906, it burned to
32:31
the ground and was not rebuilt. However, the
32:35
area is now a destination for stagecoach riders,
32:38
cookouts, and horseback riding trips from Roosevelt.
32:41
In the summer, expect to see horseback tours,
32:45
people on stagecoaches, and maybe a flock of
32:48
humans dining on chili and other cookout snacks
32:51
while confused bison look on. It's kind of a
32:54
wild thing to hike this whole way and then come
32:56
across and there's all these people like riding
32:58
on a stagecoach. It always makes me want to have
33:00
a bandana and like pretend to stick them up.
33:03
I think it would be funny but... You know, probably
33:05
not the best thing to do, so don't do that either.
33:08
So from Yancy's, follow the stagecoach road back
33:11
to the road and finish the loop hike. The total
33:14
distance for this is around nine miles with about
33:16
a thousand feet of elevation gain. Again, it's
33:19
a great hike. That last bit of shade where those
33:22
bears are, you know, it's a little, your pulse
33:25
might jump a bit, but it's a good loop. you can
33:29
get out and really enjoy things that a lot of
33:31
people don't see, including some pretty spectacular
33:34
views of the Yellowstone River. All right, next
33:37
week in next week's episode, I'm going to return
33:41
with all the information you need to have a good
33:43
week in the park, including a wildlife update.
33:46
weather forecast and trail updates as they come
33:49
in. Um, one last thing for those hoping to hike
33:53
up to Mount Washburn this week, probably should
33:56
have included this earlier, but those who listen,
33:58
those of you who listened to whole thing, congratulations.
34:01
You can kind of hike it right now. It's not technically
34:05
like ready, but there's only a few patches of
34:08
snow here and there have good footwear, bring
34:10
some trekking poles with you, have plenty of
34:12
food and water and sunscreen and be ready for.
34:15
potentially less than ideal footing for a little
34:18
bit of time, but otherwise you can hike it. Pretty
34:21
soon it's going to be open a lot easier, so if
34:24
you're looking for just a one time before the
34:28
crowds hit Mount Washburn, this might be the
34:31
week to do it. Just watch for thunderstorms.
34:33
Alright, that being said, thanks for listening.
34:36
I appreciate you all who listen to this every
34:38
week, and until next week, happy trails! This
34:54
week in Yellowstone is brought to you by the
34:56
Outdoor Society because that's my company and
34:58
that's where this is hosted There are no sponsors.
35:01
This is a labor of love. So thank you all for
35:03
listening Copyright 2025, baby