by 
This week in Yellowstone National Park, from August 6th to August 12th, 2026, I talk about how to maximize wildlife watching during this slow season for animals, discuss wildfire smoke impacting the park, and tell you about a boat on Grand Prismatic Hot Springs. I will also give you the complete weather forecast, a cool trail to hike, the snowpack update, the wildlife report, and everything else you need to have an incredible time, “This Week in Yellowstone.”
LISTEN TO THIS AS A PODCAST
The text below is my notes for the podcast. They may be incomplete.
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/
Disclaimer: I may miss a few details, so please feel free to reach out with any questions. I also mention park locations casually. If you’re unfamiliar, a quick search can help. This report only covers drivable areas of the park.
Also, this podcast is a passion project. If you enjoy it, I’d love a review or a quick email! To support my work, check out my hiking and wildlife-watching guidebooks, or join me for a guided hiking tour in Yellowstone’s backcountry. For more information, visit outdoor-society.com or contact me directly. Seriously though, come book a trail tour with me.
THIS WEEK’S YELLOWSTONE NEWS
Stop Speeding
EXPERIENCE OF THE WEEK
Looking for Wildlife in the “Slow Season”
It shouldn’t come as a secret to listeners of this podcast that the peak of summer is the hardest time to see wildlife in the park. It isn’t that all the wildlife is gone from the park; it is just that those of us fortunate enough to be here all the time were spoiled with May and June. While those two months are insanely good for wildlife watching, August still holds some great surprises and moments that make it a great one.
The biggest attraction this time of year is obviously the bison rut. From late July through much of August, Yellowstone’s largest mammals become impossible to ignore. Massive bulls roam the valleys looking for cows, bellowing, wallowing in the dirt, and occasionally battling rivals for the chance to breed. As you know, Hayden Valley and Lamar Valley are two of the best places to witness this annual spectacle, but you’ll likely encounter rutting bison throughout much of the park. The other day, out in the wilderness off the Slough Creek Trail, a small herd was engaging in rut activities. The rut is one of Yellowstone’s most dramatic wildlife events, and one that reminds visitors why giving bison plenty of space is so important. I will always say this, but stay at least 25 yards away at all times, and more like 50 during the rut.
August is also the start of when bull elk will start feeling the early pulses of their rut, which kicks off in earnest in September. While this week may be a bit early, there is still a small chance to hear the first of the bugles.
RANT
TIP OF THE WEEK
The Return of Wildfire Smoke and How To Deal With It
If you’re visiting Yellowstone National Park this coming week, you may notice some wildfire smoke drifting into the region from fires burning outside the park. While hazy skies are never ideal, they don’t have to put a damper on your vacation. Smoke conditions can change dramatically throughout the day as winds shift, and many visitors still enjoy incredible wildlife watching, hiking, geyser gazing, and photography by staying flexible and planning around the conditions. A little preparation can go a long way toward making the most of your time in Yellowstone.
One of the best habits to get into is checking the Air Quality Index, or AQI, before heading out each morning. The National Park Service provides real-time air quality information from monitoring stations in and around Yellowstone, allowing you to see current conditions before you set off for the day.
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/air/current-data.htm?site=yell&location=west-entrance
The AQI uses an easy-to-understand color scale. Green indicates good air quality, yellow means moderate conditions, orange signals that sensitive groups should limit prolonged outdoor exertion, and red indicates unhealthy air for everyone. Because Yellowstone covers more than 2.2 million acres, air quality can vary considerably from one area of the park to another. One section may have noticeably hazier skies while another remains relatively clear, depending on wind direction and the location of the incoming smoke.
If you’re planning a hike or another physically demanding activity, mornings are often your best opportunity. Overnight weather patterns can sometimes improve local air quality before daytime winds begin transporting smoke into the region, and the cooler temperatures make hiking far more comfortable during August. If the air becomes hazier later in the day, consider shifting to lower-impact activities like walking a boardwalk, watching wildlife from a pullout, enjoying a ranger program, or spending time at one of Yellowstone’s visitor centers or museums. Remaining flexible with your itinerary often pays off, especially when smoke conditions change from hour to hour.
The Environmental Protection Agency recommends paying close attention to the AQI before engaging in prolonged or strenuous outdoor activity. Healthy adults may notice irritated eyes, a scratchy throat, or coughing when smoke levels increase. Children, older adults, pregnant people, and those with asthma, heart disease, or lung disease should be especially cautious when air quality reaches the orange category or higher. If conditions worsen, shortening a hike or choosing a less strenuous activity can help you stay comfortable while still enjoying the park.
Smoke can also have an unexpected silver lining for photographers. While it may soften distant mountain views, tiny particles suspended in the atmosphere scatter sunlight in ways that often create exceptionally colorful sunrises and sunsets. Deep oranges, brilliant reds, and vibrant pinks become more common when just the right amount of smoke filters the light. Early morning and evening are often the most rewarding times to have a camera ready, especially around Yellowstone Lake, Hayden Valley, Mammoth Hot Springs, or any of the park’s wide-open landscapes where the horizon stretches for miles. Some of Yellowstone’s most memorable photographs are captured on mornings or evenings when a light veil of smoke transforms an otherwise ordinary sky into something spectacular.
It’s also worth remembering that Yellowstone offers far more than distant vistas. Old Faithful’s eruption, the colorful hot springs, bubbling mud pots, wildlife encounters, waterfalls, and the sounds of the park remain just as captivating, even if the surrounding mountains are a little hazy. In many cases, the smoke stays high enough in the atmosphere that it has little impact on enjoying the geothermal features or spotting wildlife at closer range.
The most important thing is to stay informed and remain flexible. Check the AQI before heading out each day, plan your more strenuous activities for the morning when conditions are often at their best, and be willing to adjust your plans if the wind shifts. Wildfire smoke from outside Yellowstone can be unpredictable, but it doesn’t have to define your visit. With a little planning and a positive attitude, you can still experience everything that makes Yellowstone unforgettable. You may even be treated to one of the most colorful sunrises or sunsets you’ve ever seen.
RANDOM YELLOWSTONE FACT OF THE WEEK
The Boat On Grand Prismatic
Most people who stand on the boardwalk overlooking Grand Prismatic Spring never imagine that scientists once floated a boat across its nearly boiling waters. Yet for a brief period in the 1990s, a specially designed research vessel called Little Dipper allowed geologists to venture into the center of Yellowstone’s largest hot spring, collecting measurements and observations from parts of the spring that had never before been directly studied. It remains one of Yellowstone’s most memorable hydrothermal research projects and helped scientists better understand one of the park’s most iconic natural wonders.
Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in Yellowstone National Park and one of the largest in the world. According to the National Park Service, it measures between 200 and 330 feet across and is more than 121 feet deep. Its striking blue center is surrounded by brilliant rings of yellow, orange, red, and green created by communities of heat-loving microorganisms known as thermophiles. While the spring has fascinated visitors for generations, its immense size made it difficult for scientists to fully understand what was happening beneath the surface. Studying the spring from the shoreline could only reveal so much about its depth, water circulation, temperatures, and underwater structure.
Yellowstone Park Geologist Rick Hutchinson believed there had to be a better way. In the early 1990s, he worked with Livingston, Montana, boat builder Mark Poppert to create a small research boat specifically designed for Yellowstone’s thermal features. The design drew inspiration from an earlier research craft that had been used on hot springs in New Zealand, but it was customized for the unique challenges found in Yellowstone. The result was Little Dipper, an eight-foot-long, four-foot-wide vessel built with multiple flotation chambers that would keep it afloat even if the hull were compromised while operating on some of the hottest water found anywhere in the national park system.
Before tackling Grand Prismatic Spring, the team tested Little Dipper on Emerald Pool in Black Sand Basin. Once they were confident in the boat’s design and performance, they turned their attention to Yellowstone’s largest hot spring. One of the boat’s most innovative features was a circular opening in the middle of the hull. This porthole allowed scientists to lower instruments directly into the hot spring without having to lean over the side of the boat. Researchers could collect water samples, measure temperatures at different depths, and gather information about the chemistry and circulation of the spring while remaining safely seated in the center of the vessel.
In 1996, Hutchinson and Yellowstone National Park photographer Jim Peaco carefully rowed Little Dipper onto Grand Prismatic Spring. The photographs from that expedition have since become some of the most recognizable images of scientific research ever conducted in Yellowstone. The work, however, was anything but routine. Water near the center of the spring approaches Yellowstone’s local boiling temperature of about 199 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning that falling into the spring would almost certainly have been fatal within seconds.
The danger of the work became the source of one of Hutchinson’s most memorable comments. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the researchers did not wear life jackets during the expedition. When asked why, Hutchinson reportedly joked, “It’s not going to be much use to you if you go in the drink.” His dark humor reflected the reality that no safety vest could protect someone from nearly boiling water.
The expedition allowed scientists to gather valuable information directly from the middle of Grand Prismatic Spring. They measured temperatures throughout the water column, studied circulation patterns, collected water samples, and improved their understanding of the spring’s underwater structure. The research also helped scientists better understand how different communities of thermophilic microorganisms occupy distinct temperature zones around the spring, creating the vivid rainbow colors that make Grand Prismatic one of Yellowstone’s most recognizable landmarks.
Determining the spring’s depth proved to be more complicated than expected. Hutchinson lowered a sounding line from the boat and measured more than 120 feet. He later questioned whether the sounding line may have folded over on itself during the measurement, illustrating just how difficult it is to determine the spring’s exact maximum depth. Today, the National Park Service continues to list Grand Prismatic Spring as being more than 121 feet deep.
Although Grand Prismatic Spring is the feature most closely associated with Little Dipper, it was not the only place where the boat was used. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, researchers also deployed it on Morning Glory Pool and Frying Pan Spring. The boat even served another important purpose by helping scientists remove trash that visitors had thrown into thermal features over the years. Coins, rocks, and other debris can clog the underground plumbing systems that feed Yellowstone’s hot springs, potentially altering them permanently.
The story of Little Dipper is inseparable from the legacy of Rick Hutchinson. In 1997, only a year after the famous Grand Prismatic expedition, Hutchinson and visiting geologist Diane Dustman were killed in an avalanche near Heart Lake while conducting fieldwork. Although his career was cut tragically short, his work significantly advanced scientific understanding of Yellowstone’s hydrothermal systems and remains an important part of the park’s scientific history.
Little Dipper is no longer used. Today, scientists have access to advanced sensors, aerial imagery, remote monitoring equipment, and other technologies that reduce the need to place researchers directly on hazardous thermal waters. Even so, the little boat remains an enduring symbol of scientific curiosity and ingenuity. It transformed Grand Prismatic Spring from something that could only be admired from the shore into a floating laboratory, helping researchers unlock new insights into one of the most extraordinary hydrothermal features on Earth.
WEATHER FOR THE COMING WEEK
I am too lazy to type it all out, so you’ll have to listen to the podcast to get the weather forecast, or just contact me.
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/
ROADS CONDITIONS
No main park roads are closed now. There are a few spots of construction, but there should be minimal delays. While unlikely, be aware that roads can close at any time due to inclement weather.
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.
CAMPING INFO
Everything is Open!
WILDLIFE WATCHING UPDATE
You have to listen to the podcast to get this information. Sorry.
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 next to nothing when they are sold on Amazon. Grab your copy now at outdoor-society.com!
TRAIL ALERTS AND UPDATES
The backcountry Conditions Page is updated! I have a link to it in the show notes. That site is the easiest way to check the status of a trail you want to hike.
Carry bear spray. Have it readily accessible and not in a backpack. Know how to use it.
TREK OF THE WEEK
Mystic Falls And Beyond
If you’re looking for a hike in Yellowstone that combines a beautiful waterfall, quiet forest, and one of the park’s best hidden views of Old Faithful, it’s hard to top the Mystic Falls Trail. This moderate hike is roughly 4 miles round trip if you include the overlook, with about 600 feet of elevation gain. It delivers far more variety than its relatively short distance would suggest, making it one of the best hikes in the Old Faithful area.
Normally, hikers would begin at Biscuit Basin, but things are a little different this season. Following the hydrothermal explosion at Black Diamond Pool in July 2024, Biscuit Basin remains closed while the National Park Service continues repairs and evaluates visitor access. Fortunately, the trail is still reachable using the Upper Geyser Basin-Biscuit Basin Trail, which begins just south of the closed Biscuit Basin parking area. Before heading out, it’s always a good idea to check Yellowstone’s current conditions page for the latest information on trail access and closures.
Once you’re on the trail, the crowds quickly begin to fade away. The path winds through a mature lodgepole pine forest while following the Little Firehole River upstream. It isn’t a difficult start, giving you plenty of time to enjoy the scenery and listen to the sounds of the forest. Red squirrels chatter from the trees, Clark’s nutcrackers and other songbirds are often heard overhead, and tracks in the dust serve as reminders that this is still prime wildlife habitat. Bison occasionally wander through the area, elk are regularly seen, and both black bears and grizzly bears are known to use these forests. As with any hike in Yellowstone, carry bear spray where it can be reached quickly and stay alert throughout your hike.
After a little more than a mile, you’ll begin hearing Mystic Falls before it comes into view. The Little Firehole River suddenly drops about 70 feet over volcanic rock as it tumbles off the Madison Plateau into a narrow canyon below. It’s one of Yellowstone’s tallest easily accessible waterfalls, and the cool mist and rushing water make it a wonderful place to pause for a few minutes. Many hikers turn around here, and there is certainly nothing wrong with that. Mystic Falls alone is worth the walk.
If you’ve still got some energy, however, the best views are waiting above. Just beyond the falls, a spur trail begins climbing a series of switchbacks toward the top of the Madison Plateau. This section is the steepest part of the hike, but it doesn’t last long. As you gain elevation, the forest gradually opens, revealing increasingly expansive views across the Upper Geyser Basin.
Eventually, you’ll reach one of Yellowstone’s most underrated overlooks. From the ridge, the entire Upper Geyser Basin spreads out below, with countless steam plumes rising from the landscape. On days with good visibility, you can watch Old Faithful erupt from nearly a mile away, offering a completely different perspective than standing shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of visitors around the famous geyser. It’s one of those views that surprises almost everyone who makes the climb, and one that relatively few park visitors ever experience.
The overlook also provides an opportunity to appreciate just how extensive Yellowstone’s hydrothermal system really is. Steam rises from dozens of geysers and hot springs scattered across the basin, while the surrounding lodgepole forests stretch toward the Madison Plateau and beyond. It is an outstanding place to take a break, enjoy lunch, or simply watch the landscape change as clouds drift overhead and geysers send bursts of steam into the sky.
From the overlook, you can retrace your steps back to Mystic Falls, or continue along the Mystic Falls Loop Trail, which eventually reconnects with the trail leading back toward the Upper Geyser Basin. Along the way, you’ll pass through forests recovering from past wildfires, cross open hillsides filled with wildflowers during the summer months, and enjoy changing perspectives of the surrounding plateau. It’s a hike that feels much longer than it actually is because the scenery changes so often.
Although access has changed because of the ongoing Biscuit Basin closure, Mystic Falls remains one of the most rewarding half-day hikes in Yellowstone if conditions allow. Bring plenty of water, carry bear spray where you can reach it immediately, and give yourself enough time to make the climb to the overlook. The waterfall is beautiful, but the panoramic view from above is what truly makes this hike unforgettable. Watching Old Faithful erupt from a quiet ridgeline, far removed from the crowds below, is one of those Yellowstone experiences that stays with you long after you’ve left the park.
NEXT WEEK
In the next episode, I’ll return with all of the information you need to have a good week in the park, including wildlife, weather, and trail updates. Until then, book a tour with me, pick up a guidebook of mine, and happy trails!
