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This week in Yellowstone National Park, from April 3rd to April 9th, I talk about a short, scenic drive just north of Gardiner, give an update on the road biking status of the park, share one of my favorite trails, and quickly discuss the history of feeding bears. Plus, I will give you all the other updates you need to be prepared for This Week in Yellowstone.
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Disclaimer: I might miss a few details, so feel free to reach out with questions! I also mention park locations casually—if you’re unfamiliar, a quick search can help. This report only covers driveable areas of the park.
Also, this podcast is a passion project—I’m not paid or sponsored. If you’re enjoying it, I’d love a review or a quick email! To support my work, check out my guidebooks on hiking and wildlife watching, or join me for a guided Yellowstone tour. For details, check out the tabs on the top of the page or reach out to me directly!
THIS WEEK’S YELLOWSTONE NEWS
With no real news to report this week, except the continuation of interior road closures until April 18th, I will instead jump directly into the history section.
RANDOM YELLOWSTONE HISTORY TIDBIT
The History of Feeding Bears in Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park is famous for its stunning landscapes, geothermal features, and wildlife—especially bears. It is becoming a forgotten fact, but for years, people fed bears in the park, turning them into roadside attractions. What seemed entertaining at the time eventually became a serious problem, leading to strict regulations and a shift in park policy.
In the early days, Yellowstone’s bears quickly figured out that humans meant easy meals. Tourists tossed food scraps, and hotels even set up feeding stations where bears would dig through garbage in front of crowds. By the 1910s and 1920s, nightly “bear shows” hosted by park staff became a hit, with bears gathering at dump sites while visitors watched and snapped photos. Many people even fed bears from their cars or campsites. The park even took a publicity picture showing off a “lunch counter for bears.”
As more bears relied on human food, trouble followed. They lost their natural foraging instincts and grew bolder—even aggressive. By the 1930s through the 1950s, bear-related injuries and attacks increased. At the same time, the unnatural feeding disrupted Yellowstone’s ecosystem, affecting both bears and other wildlife.
By the 1960s, it was clear things had to change. The National Park Service (NPS) launched a strict “no feeding” policy, shut down garbage dumps, and improved waste management. Rangers worked to educate visitors and enforce the new rules to help bears return to their natural behaviors.
Feeding bears is now strictly prohibited. Visitors must store food in bear-proof containers, and violators face hefty fines. Staff patrols campgrounds and trails to ensure compliance and educate people on bear safety.
Thanks to these efforts, bear populations have adapted back to natural foraging. While human-bear encounters still happen, they’re far less common and actually rare in the park. The history of feeding bears in Yellowstone is a lesson in the unintended consequences of human interference—and the power of conservation to restore balance.
If you want to see a truly ridiculous movie about how bears used to be in Yellowstone, go to Disney+ and watch the movie titled “Yellowstone Cubs.”
EXPERIENCE OF THE WEEK
Any day now, the park will make an announcement about road biking season in Yellowstone. For a brief window of time, the roads connecting West Yellowstone and Mammoth are open to bicyclists. Spring bicycling season usually starts in early April, although there is currently no set opening date. The route between Mammoth and West Yellowstone is 49 miles one way, giving bicyclists a unique experience of riding through a mostly empty park. I say mostly empty because bicyclists may still encounter park employees, contractors, and plows.
Even if you don’t ride the entire route and back, just being able to hop on a bike and enjoy the landscape of the park car-free is a cool experience.
The season is short-lived, however, so if you have a chance to do it, don’t hesitate. Interior roads start to reopen to vehicles on April 18th.
The designated roads open for cycling only after snow removal and other pre-season operations make them accessible. Cyclists should be aware that roads may not be plowed on weekends, and snowfall can sometimes be heavy.
Additionally, the six-mile stretch from the East Entrance to Sylvan Pass is also a bikeable route during the spring biking season but not nearly as popular or accessible to those not near Cody, Wyoming.
Watch my social media or Yellowstone National Park’s accounts for the official announcement. I anticipate it will happen this week.
TIP OF THE WEEK
As we wait for the roads to the interior to open, we are in a weird period here in Yellowstone. The snow is melting, but slowly. The trails are opening up but at a glacial retreating pace. Wildlife sightings are occurring and the park between Gardiner and Cooke City is absolutely spectacular, but sometimes, you may just want a different experience. Because of that, this week, I am recommending driving above Gardiner and heading toward Jardine. I said toward Jardine because the road to the tiny little hamlet gets rougher by the mile. However, that shouldn’t stop you from driving a few miles.
From Gardiner heading toward the park, the road to Jardine is located on the north side of the Yellowstone River. The road name? Jardine Road, which is pretty much directly across the road from the Conoco station in Gardiner. Follow the road through the small neighborhood and beyond the end of the pavement, where it will climb a steeply graded road. The views get better the higher you climb, and while it may be tempting to stop on the road to take a picture or two, please do not stop on the road. This is a road where people live. Use pullouts when they exist.
After a couple of switchbacks, you’ll reach the top of the hill. As you drive up this way, keep an eye open for migratory birds, hawks, falcons, eagles, deer, elk, and the occasional bison. You may also get lucky and see a bear out this way, but probably not. I also strongly recommend this as a sunrise or sunset spot, if the weather is good. You can thank me later.
A few stops I recommend are at the Eagle Creek Campground, the Yellowstone River Trailhead (near the campground), and the pullout at a cool little pond about a mile beyond the campground. Those up for a little hike can wander the campground, or take a short jaunt on the Yellowstone River Trail to take in a panoramic view before the trail descends to the river. Do not hike this trail unless you are prepared to hike back up the hill!!!
You can keep driving beyond the pond pullout, but as I mentioned at the start of this section, the road gets less and less smooth. Consider turning around at the pond and heading back to town, stopping at all the pullouts you skipped on the way up.
WEATHER FOR THE COMING WEEK
Lamar Valley: After a chance of snow on Thursday evening, expect a chilly Friday, with lows in the single digits and highs in the 30s. The weekend will see partly sunny skies and highs in the 40s and maybe even low 50s, with lows in the teens and 20s. Monday may also hit 50, with clouds and a potential for precipitation on Monday night and all of Tuesday. It could fall as rain or snow. Wednesday will be partly cloudy again with highs in the upper 40s.
Cooke City: After a potential for a few inches of snow on Thursday, things start to warm up and clear up for the weekend. The high on Friday will be only 30, but jumps to 40 on Saturday and almost 50 on Sunday and Monday. A chance of snow returns for Tuesday, then a high in the 40s returns on Wednesday.
Gardiner: Expect precipitation on Thursday afternoon and evening with highs around 40 and the low dropping to the teens. Friday will see a high in the upper 30s and a low near single digits, then glorious sun and warmth returns for the weekend and Monday, with highs in the 50s. It may drizzle on Tuesday, but then partly sunny skies and a high of the 50s greets us on Wednesday.
As always, the forecast is pretty predictable up to three days out, then it’s kind of a guess to an accurate forecast beyond that.
SNOWPACK UPDATE
The snowpack for the park is still looking good. We are in the 90% normal range and the last round of snow helped keep it that way. With warmer weather and a lack of new snow in the forecast, this coming week could see the snowpack starting its meltoff. This won’t be the big melt-off, as we will still have a handful of snow events in the next month or two, but we have definitely rounded the corner into spring.
ROADS CONDITIONS
The roads this week look to be pretty good. No new snow in the forecast means that the roads could be bare, but maybe a little wet from melting snow or whatnot. I do not foresee anything major impacting the roads this week, but things can always surprise us, so be prepared.
For up-to-date information call (307) 344-2117 for recorded information, or sign up to receive Yellowstone road alerts on your mobile phone by texting “82190” to 888-777. Anticipate possible road closures due to inclement weather and dangerous driving conditions.
CAMPING INFO
Mammoth Hot Springs remains the only open campground in the park and will be the only open campground in the park until May. However, additional camping options are available and will continue to open outside the park. If you need some spots to camp, reach out and I can share a few.
WILDLIFE WATCHING UPDATE
You have to listen to the podcast to get this information.
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-yellowstone-national-park/id1789397931
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/41E5WWldz4s7n6NXh2Lahr
RSS: https://rss.com/podcasts/this-week-in-yellowstone-national-park/
PICK UP A GUIDEBOOK
Love what you have heard on this podcast and want more information on wildlife watching? Get a copy of my wildlife-watching guidebook to the region! Available in both ebook and paperback formats, my book will help you spot wildlife like a seasoned local. Please consider buying a book directly from me, as I make nothing when they are sold on Amazon. Grab your copy now at outdoor-society.com!
HIKING NEWS AND UPDATES
We are still not quite in great hiking season, but we are getting close. If you are hoping to hit a trail, expect a little snow here and there on trails between Mammoth and Tower. I was out on the trails all last week and they are slushy and muddy in spots. Expect increasing amounts of snow the closer you get to Cooke City. Snowshoes may still be needed in most areas east of Slough Creek, and those that don’t need them will be less than ideal, as you’ll be walking in mud and melting snow.
TREK OF THE WEEK
Yellowstone National Park’s Helloraring Trail is emerging as a favorite trek in the park’s northern range, taking active visitors beyond the park’s boardwalks and into more wild and rugged terrain. As you embark on the Hellroaring Trail in Yellowstone, the promise of a captivating adventure for nature enthusiasts and hikers alike becomes readily apparent.
This scenic trail unfolds its beauty as you navigate through switchbacks, offering panoramic views of the Yellowstone River before reaching the iconic suspension bridge over a narrow canyon. The suspension bridge isn’t some rickety bridge. It is quite wide and sturdy but does bounce a little, so be ready for that.
After taking in the sights of the bridge, some choose to turn around and head back up to their cars. Those who decide to hike on will soon find themselves in an expansive prairie heading toward Hellroaring Creek. At the creek, hikers can embark on a “choose your own adventure” experience, wandering along the creekside, hiking to and crossing another bridge, fording the creek, encountering scattered bones and antlers, or seeing the captivating scenes found at the confluence of the creek with the Yellowstone River.
The trail’s year-round appeal, with changing seasons showcasing different perspectives, ensures that it remains an enticing destination throughout the year. Whether it’s the vibrant colors of spring, the lush greenery of summer, or the golden hues of fall, the Hellroaring Trail invites hikers to immerse themselves in the diverse and ever-changing beauty of Yellowstone’s wilderness.
If you do hike this in the winter or early spring, please know that the short road down to the trailhead is closed. You’ll need to park west of the closed-off road at the pullout and walk to the trailhead.
A Few Important Distances:
One-way Distance to Bridge: 1.1 miles
One-way Distance to Creek: 2.1 miles
One-way Distance to the Confluence of Creek and River: 3.4 miles
There is more than just the suspension bridge and the prairie down to the creek in this area, but I don’t want to talk about this trail forever. There are some cool features that few know about, so if you are interested, consider picking up a copy of my hiking book and/or reaching out to me directly.
Also, I need to stress this a lot: The trail starts out going downhill, requiring you to hike up a series of switchbacks on the way back to the trailhead. The elevation gain from the bridge to the trailhead is roughly 500 feet and is not as easy as most people assume it will be. I take hiking tours down this way and even people who consider themselves to be experienced hikers can struggle with the elevation gain. Be prepared for this.
NEXT WEEK
In next week’s edition, I am not sure what I will be talking about. I have had multiple tours in a row and didn’t get to jot down as much as I would have liked for next week’s show, but it’ll happen and be awesome. Don’t worry. I will probably have some biking news, bear news, some random facts about another animal in the park, share another perfect trail to adventure on for the week, and everything else you have come to expect.
Until then, happy trails!
