Latest / This Week in Yellowstone National Park / This Week in Yellowstone: May 14th to May 20th, 2026

Transcript

This Week in Yellowstone: May 14th to May 20th, 2026 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

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From Yellowstone National Park where last week
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I saw 26 bears in 72 hours This is that Scott
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guy you know in love with a brand new episode
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of this week in Yellowstone What's up everybody
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this week in Yellowstone National Park from May
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14th to May 20th 2026 I'll talk about seeing
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bears and how you can do it, discuss what to
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expect from gateway towns this week, and give
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a history of Tower Fall. I'll also give you the
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complete weather forecast, a cool trail to hike,
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the snowpack update, the wildlife report, and
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everything else you need to have an incredible
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time this week in Yellowstone. My standard disclaimer,
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I'm gonna miss a few details here and there,
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so if you need more answers or anything like
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that, reach out to me, I'll happily answer whatever
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questions you may have. I also mention park locations
1:02
very casually, so if you're unfamiliar with a
1:04
place I'm talking about, a quick search online
1:07
can help, or again, just reach out to me. Also,
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Please know that this podcast is a passion project
1:13
of mine. I'm not paid. I'm not sponsored. This
1:16
is just a labor of love. So I'd love a review
1:19
or a quick email if you enjoy what you hear.
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If you want to support my work and chip in, you
1:24
can check out my hiking and wildlife watching
1:26
guidebooks or join me for a guided hiking tour
1:28
in Yellowstone's backcountry. For more information,
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visit outdoor -society .com or contact me directly
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via text at 406 -589 -1873. you are coming to
1:41
the park seriously book a trail tour with me
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you will love it if you're a hiker if you're
1:46
not a hiker you probably won't like a hiking
1:48
tour but that's an irrelevant aside that I just
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gave you all also Slightly irrelevant aside for
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most of you, but for a few of you some of you
1:57
reached out sent me great emails sent me texts
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I apologize for not responding to those recently.
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There was some family health issues and I lost
2:05
a loved one So it was a little overwhelming the
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past couple of weeks I will try and respond to
2:10
those but if I don't know that they are truly
2:12
appreciated and Yeah, your support throughout
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all of this means the world to me and I love
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that you listen to it and you love the park So,
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thank you So this week's Yellowstone news if
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you love Pebble Creek in the northeast corner
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of the park You are not gonna like this news
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But Pebble Creek is basically going to be closed
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throughout the summer the campground is already
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closed So that's not really a big thing, but
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you know it's a nice picnic spot It's a good
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restroom out there, but all of that's going to
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be closed this summer off and on The hours and
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days are not listed right now, so I can't give
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you more information. Once I do hear that, I
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will let you know. But just know that don't rely
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on Pebble Creek for being open as a bathroom
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or a picnic area this summer. If it is open when
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you go by, it's a pleasant surprise. Also in
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this week's Yellowstone News, the Tom Miner Association
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is asking people not to go to Tom Miner right
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now. There are too many people going up there.
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I only mentioned that. I was asked not to mention
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it too much, but if you're thinking about, ooh,
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I want to go up to Tom Miner for what people
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go up to Tom Miner for. Don't do it, please.
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It is being inundated with a lot of people right
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now. And it's not good for the wildlife. If you
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don't know what I'm talking about, great. Don't
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go. Don't search for it. Otherwise, yeah, that's
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basically the news. It's not that busy of a time,
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but we're just going to keep opening and there's
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going to be more and more news stories coming
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across. But this week, pretty slow. So let's
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be thankful about that. My experience of the
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week. Bears, bears, bears. Many people don't
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often repeat the same word three times. When
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one does, it's usually referring to the band
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Tony Tony Tony or singing along to the Motley
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Crue song Girls Girls Girls. One word is usually
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enough though. However, this week I'm doing what
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you shouldn't do with the word Beetlejuice and
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I'm repeating myself thrice. This time of the
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year in Yellowstone is the best time of the year
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to see bears and I will challenge anyone on this.
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My dad visited the park with me this last week
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for a total of about three days of park time
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total. In that visit, we saw 26 bears, 21 of
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them were unique bear sightings, and 6 of them
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were grizzlies. Now this is obviously a lot,
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and I don't expect anyone to think that this
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is the norm. That being said, I had a friend
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drive into the park on Saturday for a hike not
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looking for bears, and they saw 6 bears that
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day while driving to and from the trailhead.
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Similarly, my dad and I also weren't focused
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on trying to see bears. Most of the sightings
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just sort of happened. So how did we get so lucky?
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We woke up around 6, and we drove into the park
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by 6 .30 or 7 every day. We saw grizzlies between
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Mammoth and Norris, Norris and Canyon, and between
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Canyon and Lake. We saw grizzlies and black bears
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between Mammoth and Roosevelt, including the
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road to the Petrified Tree, and also Roosevelt
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Tower, and Roosevelt and Soda Butte. Some were
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near the road, some were far away. On the 4th,
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30th, so April 30th to 5th, 6th, May 6th episode
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of the podcast, I talked about the Bermuda Triangle,
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which was insanely good for bear sightings this
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last trip. Do yourself a favor and give that
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a listen if you haven't. Again, I must stress
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that my experience isn't necessarily the norm.
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I chatted with some park staff who are working
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at the gift shops and things like that, who are
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driving around the park before and after work
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and have yet to see a bear. Sometimes the lucky
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Yellowstone is in your favor. Sometimes it isn't.
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The best thing you can do is try and try often.
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Eventually your luck should turn. Quick time
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to mention that this episode of the podcast is
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sponsored by Legalize Gambling. You have to win
6:03
eventually, right? So give us your money now.
6:06
I mean, obviously I'm joking with that sponsorship.
6:08
I'm not sponsored. I have no sponsors. And if
6:10
I did, I probably wouldn't let any Legalize Gambling
6:13
sponsor me. But the part before that I said about
6:16
trying and trying again is true, especially before
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10am and after 5pm. Those tend to be the best
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times as of late, but it isn't a steadfast rule.
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Go when you can and you might see a bear. So
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why are bears so prevalent this time of year?
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The answer is simple. Bears are especially easy
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to see in Yellowstone during May because they
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have recently emerged from their dens and are
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actively searching for food in those lower elevation
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areas. Early spring conditions typically keep
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much of the high country covered in snow, not
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so much this year, but even so, animals are kind
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of in that routine and they know where those
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food sources are low, so they're going low right
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now. You might see both grizzly and black bears
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spending more time in open valleys, meadows,
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and roadside areas where new grasses, roots,
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and winter -killed animals, and elk and bison
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calves are available. These same lower elevations
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are also where most of the park roads run, which
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increases the chances of visitors spotting bears.
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May is also the beginning of calving season,
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and bears are often drawn to areas where newborn
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calves are present, especially grizzly bears.
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According to the National Park Service, Bear
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activity increases significantly in the spring
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as they work to regain weight loss during torpor.
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Yellowstone Forever says that wildlife biologists
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within Yellowstone National Park know that spring
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provides some of the best bear viewing opportunities
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of the year because the vegetation is still relatively
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short and it makes the bears easier to spot across
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open landscapes. Combined with cooler temperatures
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that encourage daytime activity, unlike in the
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midsummer when bears are active during the early
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morning or evening hours, really just helps.
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Honestly, right now is the best time. This coming
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week will be amazing for bears. All the way through
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really the first week of June is a good time
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to see bears. I couldn't tell you where they
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are specifically, but you will have good luck
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if you drive the Northern Range, especially from
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like the Blacktail Plateau Road, that first entryway,
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it's not open yet, but from there all the way
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to Tower and then back to Soda Butte through
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Lamar Valley. You do that down to Slough Creek,
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then later if you go down from Mammoth and by
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later. I mean whenever you want if you go for
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mammoth down to Norris That's gonna be really
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good And then even Hayden Valley and out the
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east entrance if you drive all of that a couple
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of times When you're visiting especially in the
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early morning late evening hours you will more
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than likely see a bear So good luck out there
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if you need more tips reach out to me happy to
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help my tip of the week What to expect in Gateway
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towns this week? So if you're staying in the
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park, and you're not actually staying in the
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park But you're staying just outside in West
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Yellowstone or Gardner or Silvergate and Cook
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City or even out to Cody You're gonna notice
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that we are not quite in full tourist season
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those towns are not fully staffed up Nothing's
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really open that as much right now hours are
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restricted all of that and so I'm just gonna
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briefly talk about that as my tip because When
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I was in the park recently a lot of people were
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very frustrated that not much was open In fact,
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when I was in Cook City on a Friday night, there
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was one restaurant open for the whole city for
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everyone visiting. So that is pretty normal,
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honestly, for this time of year. This is kind
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of that last gasp before true tourist season
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starts. So not everything's gonna be open and
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hours are gonna be reduced. Even in Gardiner,
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even in West Yellowstone, even out in Cody, not
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everything is gonna be open or be... run in the
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hours that it will be in the middle of the summer.
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But even in the middle of summer, the hours are
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not going to necessarily be what you expect if
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you're coming from a big city to Yellowstone.
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In a bigger city, you can get food much later
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at night. In the middle of the summer, the Gateway
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towns are going to be closing their restaurants
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maybe at nine. Maybe they're going to stop seating
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at eight or eight thirty. That also applies to
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right now if you're visiting the park. Do not
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expect things to be open late or even um I guess
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late works but like there is this expectation
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that things should be open to at least nine or
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ten and that's just not how life is out here.
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If you're expecting that out here you will be
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disappointed and frustrated. And again when I
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was in the park this week I heard a lot of people
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talking about how they expected more to be open.
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It's not going to be this coming week either
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there will be things open more things are opening
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every week, but it's not going to be as open
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as you think. The gateway towns are not as staffed
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as one may want, and there's also not as many
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amenities as a lot of people think. If you're
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staying out in West right now, you may want to
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see if the restaurant you want to go to accepts
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reservations and plan a day ahead, because you
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may roll up to a place and it has an hour or
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two wait. That's not uncommon in the middle of
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summer, so you should just plan on that. Maybe
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you're not gonna run into this problem at all
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and that's great but I want to save some of you
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a lot of frustration into assuming that it's
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gonna be really easy to find a place to eat or
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grab a cup of coffee in the morning or something
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like that. It's kind of the middle of nowhere
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out here and you know, not everything's gonna
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be open. Obviously West and Cody are going to
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be easier to find things like that. There's plenty
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of coffee places in Gardner as well and there's
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Cook City Coffee out in Cook City, but Not everything
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is open all the time things happen pipes burst
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staff gets sick So always have a backup plan
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make sure you go to the grocery store and stock
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up on food and things like that just in case
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that way if you get back late and There's nothing
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open for dinner. You're not going to go to bed
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without dinner You can have something there like
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grab sandwich stuff from the grocery stores other
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than that what to expect in Gateway towns is
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Could be staff being trained so they might not
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know the new systems well enough So it might
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take longer to place an order or to have your
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food served this even goes for inside the park
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If you're eating inside the park right now a
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lot of staff is being trained some are learning
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new systems even at the front desks It's just
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going to be that way right now Pack patience
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and know that everyone is doing the best they
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can and if something happens where it is a delay
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for your time frame It's not personal Everyone
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again is doing the best they can I saw a lot
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of people get frustrated because check -in took
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longer at the mammoth Lodge over the weekend
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and There's no reason to get upset about that.
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That's gonna happen outside the park as well
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It just is what it is and at the end of the day
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you're visiting a beautiful place that all you
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have to do is step outside and breathe deep of
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fresh air look at mountains look at the rivers
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and realize that Your sense of time our sense
13:26
of time where we're rushed and have things that
13:29
need to be done now and just get thrown out the
13:31
window because Worst case is you have to sit
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outside and wait in a beautiful place by Yellowstone
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National Park So that's what to expect in the
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Gateway towns and around the Gateway towns right
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now again very brief But I just wanted to give
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a heads up and just just expect that it's nice
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to know coming in that not everything may be
13:51
open when you're visiting also quick note here
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don't trust the websites or even like people's
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social media like instagram or google listings
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for the hours listed those are not updated by
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most businesses including my own i do a terrible
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job at it so the best way to do it go to the
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business look at the hours posted or talk to
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you know your hotel front desk person, something
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like that, and they can give a lot of recommendations.
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In Cook City, when only one restaurant was open,
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we checked in, and the guy was like, only one
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restaurant's open tonight, this is what it is,
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there it is, and pointed down the street at it,
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and we went and got food, and it was great. So,
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enjoy your time this week, and know that you're
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gonna be able to find enough, it just might not
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be everything. My random Yellowstone fact of
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the week the history of tower fall in Yellowstone
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National Park now if you notice I'm really Saying
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tower fall obvious because it's not tower falls
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this irritates me I feel it should be tower falls,
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but the proper name is tower fall If I refer
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to it as tower fall or tower falls here, especially
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if I call it tower falls It's just because it
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sounds better right tower fall sounds like you're
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waiting for the s forever So I'm going to read
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what I wrote and just know that the proper name
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is Tower Fall and it pains me to say as much
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as it may pain your ears to hear. If you've ever
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driven through the northeastern part of Yellowstone
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National Park, there's a good chance you stopped
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at Tower Fall. The waterfall drops 132 feet into
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a rugged canyon surrounded by sharp volcanic
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rock spires that look almost like castle towers.
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It's one of the park's most recognizable sites.
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Though what makes Tower Fall especially interesting
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is that its story goes far beyond scenery. The
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falls tell a story about volcanoes, glaciers,
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native history, exploration, art, and even the
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creation of Yellowstone National Park itself.
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Like much of Yellowstone, Tower Fall exists because
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of volcanic activity. Yellowstone sits on top
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of one of the largest volcanic systems in the
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world called the Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic
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Field. Over millions of years, huge eruptions,
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lava flows, earthquakes, glaciers, and erosion
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all helped shape the landscape visitors see today
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in this northern range. What's interesting about
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these volcanic eruptions in the northern range
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is that they are not related to the caldera eruptions.
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So when you think of Yellowstone Caldera, right,
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you think of that volcano. But the mountains,
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like the Beartooth Mountains and all of that,
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were volcanic at one time. The tall rock towers
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beside the waterfall are actually volcanic formations
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made mostly of hardened lava rock and volcanic
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breccia. Long ago, lava cooled into the thick
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rock layers, and over time, water, freezing temperatures,
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and erosion slowly wore away the softer material
16:57
around them. The harder rock stayed behind, creating
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the narrow stone pinnacles that give Tower Fall
17:03
its name. You can also see evidence of ancient
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lava flows in the cliffs around the falls. Some
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areas contain columnar basalt which forms when
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lava cools and cracks into vertical columns.
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Later, glaciers move through the Yellowstone
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region during the ice ages, carving valleys and
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exposing even more volcanic rock underneath.
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Eventually Tower Creek cut its way through the
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landscape and created the dramatic waterfall
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we see today. Long before Yellowstone became
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a national park, indigenous populations traveled
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through and lived in the area for thousands of
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years. There is human evidence in Yellowstone
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dating back to more than 11 ,000 years old. The
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region around Tower Fall and the Yellowstone
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River was important to many indigenous groups
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including the Bannock, Crow, Shoshone, and Blackfeet.
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These communities used the area for hunting,
17:53
travel, trade, and gathering resources. There's
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a place called the Bannock Ford along the Yellowstone
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River that if you do go to tower you can walk
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down to the Yellowstone River from there and
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get to the Bannock Ford and that was an important
18:08
crossing point for travelers moving through the
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region. Yellowstone also contained valuable obsidian
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deposits and obsidian is volcanic glass that
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indigenous populations used to make sharp tools
18:19
and weapons. In many ways, Tower Fall was part
18:22
of a larger cultural landscape long before tourists
18:25
ever arrived. Tower Fall entered written American
18:29
history during the exploration of Yellowstone
18:31
in the late 1800s. In 1869, members of the Cook
18:35
-Fulston -Peterson expedition visited the area
18:38
while exploring the Yellowstone River headwaters.
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A year later, the better -known Washburn, Langford,
18:44
and Doane expedition camped nearby and described
18:47
the falls in detail. The waterfall got its name
18:50
from Samuel Hauser, one of the expedition members,
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who thought the rock pinnacles beside the falls
18:55
looked like towers. Originally the site was called
18:58
Tower Falls, but in 1928 the USGS officially
19:02
changed the name to the singular Tower Fall.
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Why? I didn't look that up. Early explorers were
19:08
amazed by the place. At the time, few Americans
19:11
had ever seen landscapes like Yellowstone's volcanic
19:13
canyons and waterfalls. Tower Fall quickly became
19:16
one of the region's most memorable natural landmarks.
19:20
Tower Fall actually played an important role
19:21
in the creation of Yellowstone National Park.
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In 1871, artist Thomas Moran and photographer
19:28
William Henry Jackson visited Yellowstone with
19:31
a Hayden Geological Survey. Their job was to
19:34
document the region's landscapes. Moran created
19:38
a famous painting of Tower Fall while Jackson
19:40
photographed the area. Back east, Many people
19:44
doubted the stories about Yellowstone's geysers,
19:46
waterfalls, and dramatic scenery. Moran's paintings
19:50
and Jackson's photographs gave Congress and the
19:53
American people some of the first convincing
19:55
visual evidence of how extraordinary the region
19:57
really was. These images helped build support
20:00
for protecting Yellowstone, and in 1872, Congress
20:04
established Yellowstone as the world's first
20:06
national park. Because of that, Tower Falls connected
20:09
directly to the beginning of the national park
20:11
movement in the United States. As Yellowstone
20:14
became more popular in the late 19th century
20:17
and early 20th century, Tower Fall turned into
20:20
one of the park's major tourist stops. Roads,
20:23
overlooks, trails, and the nearby Tower Fall
20:25
General Store made the waterfall easy for visitors
20:28
to access. For many years, one of the most famous
20:32
features near the falls was a giant boulder balanced
20:36
close to the edge of the cliff. It looked as
20:38
though it might fall at any moment. June actually
20:43
what sex I'm gonna backtrack because I forgot
20:44
to write this but um Way back in like the 1910s
20:48
and all of that you could put a bet on when the
20:52
rock would fall So all of these people said the
20:55
rocks gonna fall and it was anywhere from minutes
20:57
to years in June of 1986 the rock finally did
21:02
fall Crashing into the canyon below and permanently
21:05
changing the appearance of the waterfall There
21:08
is also experienced erosion and landslides over
21:10
time A steep trail once allowed visitors to hike
21:13
to the bottom of the falls, though the trail
21:15
became increasingly unstable. Because of safety
21:18
concerns, Yellowstone permanently closed access
21:21
to the base of Tower Fall in 2004. Today, visitors
21:25
mainly view the waterfall from overlooks near
21:27
the parking area or hike down to the river but
21:31
never seeing the falls from that way. The only
21:33
way to see the waterfall is from that overlook.
21:37
If you hike, to the base of the falls you're
21:40
trespassing and it's illegal. Last year there
21:43
was some park staff some seasonal employees that
21:46
worked a tower that were like oh yeah you can
21:47
just hike up there you can hike up through the
21:49
creek don't do that don't go there at all it's
21:52
closed off. If you need a waterfall to go to
21:54
reach out to me I can tell you some great backcountry
21:57
waterfalls that people don't really go to or
21:59
know about. Today Tower Fall remains one of Yellowstone's
22:03
most photographed waterfalls. You can snowshoe
22:05
up there in the winter, and it's gorgeous and
22:07
frozen. It's awesome. What makes it special is
22:10
how many different stories come together in one
22:13
place. The waterfall reveals Yellowstone's volcanic
22:16
past, its glacial history, and the power of erosion.
22:19
It also reflects thousands of years of human
22:22
history, an important chapter in conservation.
22:26
The landscape around Tower is always changing
22:28
and... You never know what's going to happen.
22:31
Rocks might fall, there might be a change, and
22:33
then change how the waterfall is viewed. In that
22:36
sense, the waterfall is not just a historical
22:38
landmark. It's part of a living landscape that
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continues to evolve just as it has for millions
22:44
of years. The weather for the coming week. As
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always, this is the best forecast for the week
22:50
at the time of the recording. I record these
22:52
Wednesday afternoon and they drop on Thursday
22:54
morning. So this is the best I can do. The forecast
22:57
can change numerous times in a week, but this
23:00
should be within the ballpark of what you'll
23:02
experience when visiting the park. And just so
23:04
you know, this week is exactly why when people
23:07
are like, I'm visiting in May, what should I
23:09
pack? It's gonna be, it's fun. So right now as
23:14
I'm recording this up in Livingston, it's 87
23:16
degrees. Just keep that in mind when I talk about
23:18
Sunday's forecast. In Lamar Valley right now
23:21
when I'm recording, it's 80 degrees. So okay,
23:26
let's start with Lamar Valley then. On Thursday
23:29
the 14th, the high is 59, the low is 33, 1 %
23:33
chance of rain. Friday, 58 and 30, 1 % chance
23:37
of rain. Saturday 55 and 29, 44 % chance about
23:43
a quarter inch of snow. Sunday high of 40, low
23:47
of 26, 56 % chance of a half inch of snow. On
23:51
Monday high of 42, low of 22, with a 24 % chance
23:55
of rain or snow. On Tuesday high of 50, low of
23:58
27, 20 % chance of rain. On Wednesday high of
24:02
57, low of 29, with a 20 % chance of rain. And
24:07
that brings us to Gardner, Montana, which is
24:09
going to be very similar. In Gardner, Thursday
24:13
is going to have a high of 65, a low of 37, 1
24:16
% chance of rain. Friday, 63 and 34, 3 % chance
24:20
of rain. Saturday, 59 and 31, with a 50 % chance
24:24
of snow in the evening, about a third of an inch.
24:28
On Sunday, 43 and 28, with a 44 % chance of three
24:32
quarters of an inch of snow. On Monday, Snow
24:35
showers, high of 46, low of 25, with about a
24:39
tenth of an inch of snow. On Tuesday, high of
24:41
55, low of 30, 17 % chance of rain. On Wednesday,
24:45
high of 61, low of 33, 20 % chance of rain. In
24:50
West Yellowstone, on Thursday, a high of 61,
24:53
low of 30. No real chance of rain. Friday 61
24:57
and 28. No real chance of rain. Saturday 55 and
25:01
25 with 36 % chance of about a quarter inch of
25:04
snow. Sunday 42 and 23 with a 36 % chance of
25:09
a quarter inch of snow. Monday 44 and 19. 24
25:13
% chance of some precipitation. Tuesday 52 and
25:16
24. 14 % chance. And Wednesday 57 and 27 with
25:21
an 18 % chance. Cody Wyoming on Thursday windy
25:26
highest 71 low of 43 on Friday 71 and 40 Saturday
25:32
69 and 38 on Sunday 45 and 33 56 % chance of
25:38
a quarter inch of snow Monday 43 and 31 51 percent
25:43
chance about a tenth of an inch of snow Tuesday
25:45
57 and 37 17 percent chance of rain Wednesday
25:49
63 and 42 with a 17 percent chance of rain and
25:54
finally out the northeast entrance in Cook City
25:56
on Thursday high of 52 low of 32 Friday high
26:00
of 52 low of 30 Saturday, high of 50, low of
26:04
28, with a 48 % chance about a half inch of snow
26:07
developing in the late afternoon or early evening.
26:10
Sunday, high of 36, low of 24, expect about two
26:14
inches of snow. Monday, high of 37, low of 18,
26:18
with a 25 % chance of snow. Tuesday, high of
26:21
46, low of 26, 24 % chance of rain or snow. And
26:26
Wednesday, high of 51, low of 28, 30 % chance
26:30
of some rain. So if you're headed into the park,
26:33
it's gonna be warm -ish and cold. I know some
26:35
of you are like, 50 doesn't sound warm. 50 in
26:38
the park when it's sunny will feel like 70. I
26:42
say this all the time, I'm gonna repeat it. People
26:44
underestimate what heat feels like at elevation,
26:47
and 50 -something degrees in the sun is hot in
26:50
the park. So if you're coming to the park this
26:52
week, bring layers, be ready for rain, sun, snow,
26:56
wind. Speaking of snow, the snowpack update.
27:00
As of May 13th, the snowpack is around 65 % of
27:03
normal for this time of year. It's going to be
27:06
lower when they update it after today's snow,
27:09
or after today's sun. Like I said, it's super
27:11
hot today. The eastern and northern ranges of
27:14
the park are 73 % of normal, while the western
27:17
and southern sides are 50 % of normal snowpack.
27:20
Last year on this date, we were around 73 % of
27:23
our normal level for the whole park. You know,
27:27
we're we're doing okay, but it could be better
27:30
but could be worse. So who knows? road conditions
27:34
The only road closed in the park right now is
27:38
the road over Dunraven Pass connecting Canyon
27:40
to Tower All other park roads all other main
27:44
park roads are open be aware that any road can
27:49
close at any time due to inclement weather. If
27:52
they are wrong on the forecast and it snows more,
27:55
the east entrance will probably close and Craig
27:58
Pass connecting the south entrance west thumb
28:00
area to Old Faithful could close as well. It
28:04
might not close, but just know that those areas
28:07
have a possibility for closure. For up -to -date
28:10
information on roads, you can call 307 -344 -2117
28:14
for recorded information, or you can do what
28:17
all of us that live here do and sign up to receive
28:19
Yellowstone Road Alerts on your mobile phone
28:21
by texting 82190 to the number 888 -777. Camping
28:29
information. Mammoth is open, Madison is open,
28:33
Fishing Bridge is open, Bridge Bay opens on the
28:35
15th of May. The Wildlife Watching Update. So,
28:39
wildlife watching, as I said in the bear section,
28:42
very good right now. If you're headed to the
28:44
park this week, even with the weather being the
28:46
way it is, it's going to be awesome. Baby bison
28:49
popping up all over. Saw some swimming across
28:52
the Madison River. Out in Lamar, there's tons.
28:55
Hayden doesn't have a lot of bison right now,
28:57
maybe that's going to change, but... Hayden was
29:00
actually pretty slow wildlife wise. Everything
29:02
I saw, the bears that I saw, were closer on the
29:06
canyon side than actually in Hayden proper. Harlequin
29:09
ducks are down at Le Hardy Rapids. That's pretty
29:11
cool. Bears are pretty... Active out the east
29:15
entrance as well along the lake Connecting like
29:19
Lake Hotel area to West Thumb not a lot of wildlife.
29:22
There's occasional wildlife out there, but it's
29:24
not a consistent place So, you know keep your
29:27
eyes peeled out there. I'll talk about what you
29:30
can see out there a little later in the summer
29:33
But right now that's just a slow wildlife watching
29:37
spot same with the section from West Thumb over
29:40
Craig Pass down to Old Faithful It's just not
29:43
a heavy viewing wildlife area. There's animals
29:47
out there, and you might get lucky, but you're
29:49
not gonna see a ton. Now, around the geyser basins,
29:53
you might see some bears, you might see some
29:55
bison, there might be some pronghorn out there.
29:58
You know, it's great, it's good times. but always
30:02
keep your distance. I'm gonna talk about an event
30:04
in Hayden real quick before I forget. So at the
30:07
south end of Hayden Valley, right north of Lee
30:10
Hardy Rapids, there was a bear, or there's a
30:14
carcass that a bear was eating on and wolves
30:16
were eating on. This alone is not uncommon Bison
30:20
will be drowning as they try and cross the river
30:23
and just don't have the strength to do it Or
30:25
if runoff is high they might get swept away So
30:28
they will wash up on shore somewhere and the
30:30
things that eat meat will eat them What happened
30:33
last week was kind of what you'd expect from
30:37
a good viewing area that a lot of people know
30:41
about The park had volunteer staff there kind
30:44
of regulating the scene making sure everybody
30:46
kept their distance and eventually people were
30:50
trying to like sneak around and not be seen and
30:53
come down and by people I'm not necessarily talking
30:56
about just the average tourist I'm talking about
30:58
some professional photographers that were there
31:01
and they actually got yelled at by the volunteers
31:03
the photographers yelled back and then the volunteer
31:08
called the Rangers and the Rangers shut the entire
31:10
area down and made sure no one would go there.
31:13
So this is not uncommon behavior. This happens
31:17
all the time. There's a sense of ownership of
31:19
these wildlife viewing that visitors to the park
31:22
have. Even when I was in the park, I saw a guy
31:26
approaching a grizzly and I was just like, Hey,
31:27
you're too close. And he tried to convince me
31:29
that he was 150 yards away from a grizzly bear.
31:34
And I have a picture where He is almost the same
31:39
size as the bear in the picture. He was maybe
31:41
70 yards. 100 yards from all bears and wolves,
31:44
25 from bison, things like that. Again, always
31:48
happens. It's not new. It always will happen,
31:52
and it has nothing to do with the rise of social
31:53
media, but people get too close to bison. It's
31:57
going to continue to happen. Just remember, stay
31:59
25 yards from them. If they walk towards you,
32:01
walk away from them and keep that distance. Sorry
32:05
for that. Now, if you head up to the Northern
32:07
Range, bears are gonna be basically from Floating
32:09
Island Lake all the way out to Pebble Creek.
32:14
Like I said earlier, I saw a ton of bears, 26
32:17
bears in 72 hours is a lot. It's ridiculous,
32:21
to be honest. But you can do that too. Just put
32:24
in the miles, drive around. The section between
32:28
Roosevelt Junction and up to Tower, There's some
32:31
black bears up there. They are pretty close to
32:33
the road, so stay in your vehicle and give them
32:36
plenty of space. Finally, the wolves out at Slough
32:39
Creek. The wolves are going to be visible. They're
32:41
going to be pretty far away for the most part,
32:44
so don't expect to see them without binoculars
32:46
or a spotting scope. They are going to the den
32:49
out there. If anybody thinks I'm giving a secret
32:52
location here, they've been using the same den
32:55
area for at least the last six years, and everyone
32:59
in the park knows about it. It's written about
33:01
constantly. It's not a secret. So if you want
33:04
to see wolves go there However, know that there
33:07
are people that will sit out there all day They'll
33:09
get there before sunrise and leave after sunset
33:11
and by people I don't mean a handful. I mean
33:13
maybe like 50 cars Once the wolves are out that
33:17
area is gonna swell With vehicles and traffic
33:21
and it's going to be a bit of a madhouse. It's
33:23
not the most calming place to see wolves, but
33:26
you can see wolves. Otherwise, it's kind of a
33:29
matter of luck to see wolves, so that's where
33:32
you go if you really want to have the best odds.
33:36
So good luck navigating that. This isn't me being
33:38
negative about any of it. I just want you to
33:40
know what to expect. Other than that, if you
33:43
have any wildlife watching questions, reach out
33:45
to me or pick up my Wildlife Watching Guidebook
33:47
available through my website, Outdoor -Society
33:50
.com. And yeah, good luck, and I hope you see
33:53
lots of bears. Trail alerts and updates so the
33:57
backcountry conditions page is updated again
34:00
I'll have a link in the show notes as I will
34:02
from here on out throughout the summer. That
34:05
site is the easiest way to check the status of
34:08
the trail you want to hike and it's way easier
34:10
for me to refer you there than to try and read
34:12
what all the closures are since it fluctuates.
34:15
Please note the area around Fairy Falls, Imperial
34:17
Geyser, Queens Laundry and all of that is closed
34:20
until further notice. That's where the bear attack
34:22
happened. They're still keeping it closed out
34:25
of safety and that's a good thing. carry bear
34:27
spray everywhere you go, even the boardwalks,
34:31
have it readily accessible and not in a backpack,
34:33
and know how to use it. My Trek of the Week Lone
34:38
Star The Lone Star Geyser Trail in Yellowstone
34:42
National Park is a relaxing and scenic hike that
34:44
leads to one of the park's more off the beaten
34:46
path geysers. Tucked away just south of the often
34:49
busy Old Faithful area, the trail starts at Kepler
34:53
Cascades parking area on the Grand Loop Road
34:55
It's a 4 .8 mile round -trip hike on a wide gentle
34:58
rolling path that follows an old service road
35:01
through quiet lodgepole pine forests alongside
35:04
the Firehole River. It is gorgeous. The route
35:07
is pretty easy. Some places listed it moderate,
35:11
but if this is a moderate trail then everything
35:13
else is hard. So it's great for most hikers including
35:18
families because it's mostly flat. It's also
35:21
open to bicycles up into the geyser, and the
35:25
even surface makes it doable for sturdy strollers
35:28
too. It's kind of an all access point, so if
35:31
you want to go out there, it's a good walk that
35:33
is flat. As you walk this trail, you'll hear
35:35
the steady flow of the river, and you might see
35:38
some wildlife like elk, bison, deer, and a variety
35:41
of birds along the way. In summer, like later
35:44
in summer, wildflowers often brighten the trail
35:46
with pops of colors. There's a few out right
35:48
now, but not enough. and know that wild bear
35:51
encounters are kind of rare here. They are possible,
35:55
so carry bear spray and know how to use it. That's
35:58
every trail. Along this hike, you're gonna pass
36:01
a few small thermal features as you go, giving
36:04
subtle hints of the guys that are waiting at
36:05
the end. After about 2 .4 miles, The trail opens
36:10
into a peaceful clearing where Lone Star Geyser
36:13
sits, framed by forest and it bubbles quietly
36:16
between eruptions. The geyser itself is striking,
36:19
cream colored cone about 10 feet tall. It erupts
36:23
roughly every three hours, shooting water and
36:25
steam 30 to 50 feet into the air for about 30
36:28
minutes. Because it's so much more remote than
36:31
places like Old Faithful, there's not going to
36:34
be a ton of people there. You might even find
36:36
yourself sharing the moment with just a handful
36:38
of other people or no one at all, especially
36:41
if you go during the weekday at, you know, dawn
36:44
or not, not dawn, don't go out there at dawn
36:46
or dusk. Make sure you're there in daylight hours
36:48
and away from active wildlife times. There's
36:53
usually a logbook nearby where visitors note
36:55
the last eruption time, and that can help you
36:58
decide if it's worth hanging around. As always,
37:00
if it's anywhere close, it is worth staying.
37:04
You can also go to the visitor center at Old
37:06
Faithful itself and get an approximation of when
37:09
it's going to rub so you can time your walk from
37:11
there. Please note there are no restrooms, water
37:14
stations, or facilities on this trail, so be
37:17
sure to pack everything you need, water, snacks,
37:19
sunscreen, and the camera binoculars, and pack
37:22
everything out that you bring in. Like all trails
37:26
in the park, including boardwalks, dogs aren't
37:29
allowed here. Back to this trail. If you do want
37:33
to make this a longer day instead of 4 .8 miles,
37:37
it's gonna be a little like 10 mile day, there
37:41
is a connector path near the Old Faithful Lodge
37:43
and Visitor Center that leads to the main Lone
37:46
Star Geyser Trail. Yes, it adds a bit of a distance,
37:49
but it gives you the option to walk right from
37:51
the heart of Yellowstone's most iconic areas
37:53
to a remote area that's really cool. It's a really
37:56
fun way to escape the crowds and get into a quieter
37:58
corner of the park without needing to hop in
38:00
the car after Old Faithful. Whether you start
38:04
at Kepler Cascades or connect from Old Faithful,
38:06
Lone Star Geyser Trail offers a peaceful, rewarding
38:09
escape into nature. It's the perfect mix of forest
38:12
solitude, riverside beauty, and the rare chance
38:15
to see a geyser erupt in a quiet, natural setting.
38:18
If you're looking for a laid back hike with a
38:21
big payoff, this one's a gem. In next week's
38:26
episode, I'm going to return with all the information
38:28
you need to have a good week in the park, including
38:30
the wildlife update, the weather forecast, and
38:33
what trail you should hike. Until then, book
38:36
a tour with me, pick up a guidebook of mine,
38:39
and happy trails. This week in Yellowstone is
38:54
brought to you by the Outdoor Society. That's
38:56
my company. It's just me. I do this. It's a labor
38:59
of love. If you like it, tell your friends, rate
39:01
and review it. Shoot me a message. Otherwise,
39:04
keep listening and I hope to see you in Yellowstone.
39:07
Copyright 2026, baby.