This Week in Yellowstone, we welcome back much needed snow, take a look at the huge jump in grizzly bear numbers, and hear about Yellowstone’s version of first tracks. I also share where you can see bighorn sheep fighting and mating. The snowpack is low, but wildlife watching is picking up. You know you want to visit the park this week. 

Yellowstone. 

The word alone conjures up images and memories for those who enjoy America’s Public Lands. The park is world famous, a destination for roughly four million people a year, with the majority arriving over just a three month time period. Popular, scenic and enjoyable for all ages, Yellowstone is a destination for a myriad of reasons, but young and old all seem to fall in love with the two million acres wilderness wonderland. 

This Week in Yellowstone National Park, we look at how the low snowpack is impacting activities in and out of the park, celebrate the return of a once rare-to-see species in the park, and find out where I like to stop to use the bathroom in the winter. I even share a hike idea that is perfect for the warmer than normal weather in the area. This is a good one! Give it a read, a share and get ready to visit America’s first National Park.

We had hiked four miles or so miles down the closed road to the Slough Creek Campground and into the Slough Creek Valley. It was a late January day, with high temperatures barely scraping the freezing mark. The sun was out in full force, warming the prairie and the wildlife, but a light wind kept the incoming winter at the forefront of the mind. Little did we know that we would soon have a truly unique wildlife watching experience.

This Week in Yellowstone, we continue to embrace the end of the year shoulder season by focusing on the quiet and calm. In this installment of my weekly series, I look at the infrastructure bill, let you know what the National Park is doing about the roadside bear den near Roosevelt Junction, give some tips for what to expect when visiting this time of the year, and share a few of my favorite spots to wander right now. 

It is officially the off season This Week in Yellowstone! In this post, I will talk about the drop in October visitation, how to make the most of one road being open in the park, where to see battling bighorn sheep, and even discuss the myth that bears hibernate. I even share a frozen waterfall location. This is a good one!

This Week in Yellowstone is one of change. After the weekend ends, we see the closure of interior park roads and a drastic drop-off for visitation. This will be your last chance until spring to drive to places like the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic and Yellowstone Lake. Even now, with the roads open, there is a calmness that has washed over the region. This week is honestly one of my favorite weeks to visit the park, so if you are in the area, make a visit over the weekend and enjoy one last adventure in the main part of the park.

Things have drastically slowed down around the park over the past few weeks. News is slow, visitation is low, and much needed snow keeps on falling in the higher elevations. This coming weekend will be the second to last weekend before interior roads close for the season, giving you just a few more days to enjoy the entire park. Since news is slow, this week we get an update on the woman who dove into a hot springs to save her dog, question the headline writers for USA Today’s FTW series, and celebrate the return of a webcam. As usual, I also give next week’s weather forecast for the park, tell you where you’ll have the best luck seeing animals, and give readers my tips and recommended experiences for this time of the year. 

Here we are, looking at the second to last weekend in October. Visitation has dramatically decreased and colder air is back, baby! If you are visiting the park this week, this is what you need to know: This week, we dive into what the park was really like during the record setting summer visitation, take a look at the impact of winter snowcoaches and snowmobiles on the park’s wildlife, catch up on the fate of the grizzlies just north of the park and find a lesser-known view of a popular waterfall. Readers of this week’s post will also learn about recent bear den sightings in the park, where to catch a late season grizzly sighting, and find out where you can still camp. 

Whew! We made it through the first major snowstorm in the region for the season! Last week, especially Monday to Wednesday, the park was bit chaotic. We will definitely get into the specifics in a bit.

This coming week, we will see the return of the sun, fantastic views of snow back on the mountains, a couple of campground closures, and all of the other wonderful things that Yellowstone has to offer. We will also dive into the recent storm, chronic wasting disease, NASA’s plan to harvest Yellowstone for energy and more.

Give it a read, a share and get ready to visit America’s first National Park. If you want to support my weekly park posts, please pick up a guidebook!