XOXO Sage. I paid full price to enter the national park and search for wild animals at Yellowstone. But you can count on me to always share my honest opinions, regardless of who foots the bill. From mammals to birds and fish to amphibians, there are hundreds of animal species in Yellowstone National Park. In fact, Yellowstone boasts one of the largest concentrations of wildlife in the contiguous United States.
Share your favorite photo with me by tagging sagescott. To help offset the costs of running EverydayWanderer. You can read all of the legal blah blah blah as my little niece says on the full disclosure page. Sage Advice: These conveniently-located Yellowstone accommodations make it easy to see animals in Yellowstone during prime viewing hours. The minute journey climbs to a height of nearly 11, feet above sea level, delivering panoramic views of the snow-capped mountains and winding past crystal-clear lakes.
The moment took my breath away, and each year when I return, the sight is just as captivating. In addition to thick herds of grazing bison, the Lamar Valley is a great place to see bears. About half the size of the more ferocious grizzlies, black bears are often spotted in the Lamar Valley.
In fact, many of the black bears at Yellowstone are cinnamon colored with reddish-brown fur that often causes visitors to mistake them for grizzlies. Sage Advice: If you see a crowd at Yellowstone, stop and take a look!
Pull safely off the road first, of course. Traveling counterclockwise, another great spot to see animals in Yellowstone National Park is near the Roosevelt Arch. Sage Advice: Yellowstone is not a petting zoo, and the animals in Yellowstone are intentionally wild. Maintain a safe distance by viewing the animals through a long camera lens or binoculars. And never feed the animals, no matter how much that adorable ground squirrel or chipmunk seems to beg!
Regardless of where you encounter the Yellowstone River during your visit to the park, look up at any large trees along its banks. In addition to providing shelter, the nests also serve as a vantage point to hunt fish and waterfowl.
Where the Yellowstone River runs through the Hayden Valley, watch for river otters. Seeing one of these industrious, water-loving mammals is a rare treat, because they typically lounge in their dens during the daytime hours. When snow blankets the ground, their brown coats stand out in contrast to the winter landscape. With up to 20, head of elk at Yellowstone National Park, seeing one of these magnificent mammals is about as likely as spotting a bison.
Elk are nearly always present at the north entrance to Yellowstone near Gardiner. Your best opportunity to spot the curved horns of bighorn sheep at the park is in the mountain passes of the northern edge of Yellowstone.
Using a long camera lens or binoculars, carefully scan the rocky areas where the grassy meadows rise toward the mountains. The town of West Yellowstone, Montana, runs parallel to Yellowstone National Park, and leads to the west entrance of the park. This entry point is the fastest way to the Grand Prismatic Spring, a scalding hot, foot-deep, rainbow-rimmed hot spring. Yellowstone National Park is home to about moose that spread out over 2.
The best place to see moose at Yellowstone is in the southwest portion of the park. Watch for the long-legged creatures wading in the Lewis River or feasting on aquatic plants in lakes. And if you visit the area in winter, here are six wonderful things to do in Jackson Hole besides skiing. As you pass calm lakes and slow-moving streams in the southwestern part of Yellowstone, keep an eye out for trumpeter swans. With black beaks, this swan variety looks more like a white goose with an ebony bill rather than the elegant, long-necked variety with a black mask and orange beak.
Located in the heart of Yellowstone National Park, Yellowstone Lake is a great place to spot animals. Perhaps even more famous than its geysers, is the wildlife of Yellowstone National Park.
Of course, discussing wildlife safety is important, too, especially concerning the many large mammals that live in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem , which also encompasses nearby Grand Teton National Park. See the end of this post for tips to safely view Yellowstone wildlife. This post about the best wildlife watching in Yellowstone National Park contains affiliate links. In fact, many of its millions of annual visitors come here to see huge herds of bison, imposing grizzly bears, aloof moose and hunting wolf packs.
Other Yellowstone animals you might spot include beavers, river otters, trumpeter swans, bald eagles, pronghorn and black bears. Check out the most iconic animals that are regularly seen in Yellowstone below, as well as where you have the best chance of spotting them. From the shores of Yellowstone Lake and the warmth of Old Faithful to the Lamar and Hayden valleys, these are the absolute best places to see Yellowstone National Park wildlife.
The hydrothermal basins at and around Old Faithful are a critical overwintering habitat for bison and elk. Both animals live in the area all year.
In winter, they come here for the thin—if any—snow cover, warm ground and access to vegetation. Especially the Midway and Lower Geyser Basins, a few miles north, are home to many bears in spring. Therefore, parts of this area may be closed for bear management in spring. Old Faithful, however, is always open to visitors. The heart of northern Yellowstone, the Tower-Roosevelt area is characterized by sheer cliffs and rock formations.
This terrain, especially between Tower Junction and Tower Falls, provides the ideal habitat for sure-footed mammals such as bighorn sheep and deer. Various birds of prey nest and hunt in this area, including peregrine falcons, red-tailed hawks and osprey. Just west of Tower Junction, the Blacktail Deer Plateau offers decent chances to see wolves, bears, bison and elk.
Additionally, the area is also one of the best places in Yellowstone National Park to see a variety of large herbivores. Elk are abundant here—they are even regular visitors to downtown Gardiner.
Other commonly seen animals around the North Entrance include bison, pronghorn and bighorn sheep. Elk live in the Mammoth Hot Springs area year-round.
Sightings are almost guaranteed, but remember that these are still wild animals, even if they seem accustomed to people. Year after year, visitors get chased, trapped or injured by elk, particularly in the spring calving season and fall mating season. Bison also occasionally wander into Mammoth Hot Springs, as do black bears. A few miles south of Mammoth Hot Springs, Swan Lake is the seasonal home of elk, bison, grizzly bears, wolves, sandhill cranes and trumpeter swans.
Although fishing in no longer allowed there, Fishing Bridge does still offer a great chance to see these trout, as well as other fish. This abundance of fish, of course, attracts many predators to the area. On the water or in the sky, look for river otters, white pelicans, bald eagles and osprey.
On land, watch for black bears, grizzly bears and, sometimes, wolves. The greater Fishing Bridge area includes the Pelican Valley, which is one of the best places to see grizzlies south of the Canadian border. Additionally, lucky visitors may also see moose on the shores of Yellowstone Lake.
Once filled by an arm of vast Yellowstone Lake, this valley is now home to essentially all of the largest Yellowstone mammals. If you are out on the trails for a hike, make sure you keep bear spray with you.
It is against the law to feed any park wildlife, including bears. For more safety tips, visit the Park website. If you enjoyed this blog, take a look at some of our other related articles at Bozemancvb. Wild Fire Info. Best Seasons for Wildlife Spotting Spring is an active time of year for wildlife in the park. Best Times of Day Animals tend to feed early in the morning and late in the evening, around dawn and dusk.
Best Areas of the Park Lamar Valley and Hayden Valley in the northern area of the park are most well-known for their wildlife viewing opportunities. Tags: Yellowstone National Park.
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