by 
This week in Yellowstone National Park, from May 28th to June 3rd, 2026, I will share with you why this week is so good for wildlife watching, talk about how to ensure you are being an ethical visitor, and let you know about off-trail travel in the park. 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.
EXPERIENCE OF THE WEEK
Babies Are Everywhere
With all the main roads open in the park, including the Beartooth Highway, this week is truly a perfect time to be in the park. Warm days, cool evenings, and occasional thunderstorms all bring energy to the park, but that is nothing compared to the buzz created by all of the babies in the region. Right now, elk are calving, the last of the baby bison are being born for the season, newborn birds are walking and flying, bear cubs are scampering around trees and the prairie, and almost everywhere you look, there is something going on.
If you are lucky enough to be visiting the park right now, congratulations on being here for what I consider to be the best wildlife watching time of the year. Yes, the fall is also quite good, but nothing compares to late May and early June.
One of the most iconic signs of spring in Yellowstone is the arrival of bison calves. Often called “red dogs” because of their bright reddish-orange coats, these calves are usually born between late April and early June. By late May, herds throughout the park are full of newborns nursing, running, and trying to keep up with adults during migration and grazing movements.
Bison calves may look playful and harmless, but visitors should never forget that protective mothers and nearby bulls can become aggressive if people approach too closely. Yellowstone requires visitors to stay at least 25 yards away from bison and other large animals. Every year, people are injured after underestimating how fast and defensive bison can be around calves.
Elk calves also begin arriving in large numbers during late May and early June. Cow elk often leave the herd temporarily to give birth in quiet meadows or forest edges where the calves can remain hidden during their first days of life. Unlike bison calves, young elk spend much of their time lying motionless in vegetation while their mothers feed nearby.
Visitors sometimes mistakenly assume these calves have been abandoned. In reality, the mother is usually close by and intentionally keeps her distance to avoid attracting predators. Park officials strongly warn visitors never to approach or touch young wildlife, even if the animal appears alone.
Moose calves begin appearing around this time as well, especially in wetter areas throughout the park and surrounding forests. Cow moose are highly protective mothers and can become surprisingly aggressive if they feel threatened. Early summer is one of the best times to spot moose feeding in ponds, willow flats, and marshy stream corridors with their calves nearby.
Black bears and grizzly bears also become far more visible during late spring. Cubs born during winter denning season are now large enough to travel regularly with their mothers. Grizzly mothers with cubs are frequently spotted moving through open valleys searching for food after emerging from their dens. Bear cubs spend much of their time wrestling, climbing, and following their mothers closely while learning survival behavior. Black bear cubs are also similarly active throughout forested areas and lower elevations.
Yellowstone’s wolves are raising pups during this same period, though visitors are unlikely to see the youngest pups directly. Wolf dens and rendezvous sites are carefully chosen for protection, and adult pack members spend much of late spring hunting constantly to feed growing litters. In places like Slough Creek, patient wildlife watchers may occasionally observe adults carrying food back toward den areas or interacting with older pups later in the season.
Bird activity also explodes across Yellowstone during late May and early June. Sandhill cranes can often be seen with their babies, called Colts, in wet meadows, while trumpeter swans guide young birds across ponds and slow-moving rivers. Bald eagles, ospreys, and other raptors are actively feeding nestlings during this period as well.
The park’s wetlands become especially busy at sunrise and sunset, when waterfowl, shorebirds, and cranes are most active. For photographers and wildlife watchers, this is one of the richest seasons of the year.
Spring in Yellowstone is beautiful, but it is also one of the most sensitive times for wildlife. Young animals are vulnerable, and repeated human disturbance can create serious stress for mothers and offspring alike. Rangers consistently remind visitors to remain patient, stay at safe viewing distances, and avoid blocking wildlife movement near roads and trails.
One of the most remarkable things about Yellowstone in late May and early June is how quickly the park transforms. Only weeks earlier, much of the landscape was still locked in snow and winter silence. Suddenly, the valleys are full of movement and sound. Calves stumble through sagebrush, bear cubs climb fallen logs, cranes call across wetlands, and the entire ecosystem seems to reawaken all at once.
For many visitors, this brief window between late spring and early summer becomes the most memorable time to experience Yellowstone. It is not just because of the scenery. It is because the park feels full of new life everywhere you look.
TIP OF THE WEEK
Please Be An Ethical Photographer
Yellowstone National Park is one of the greatest wildlife viewing destinations in North America. Few places offer the chance to see grizzly bears, wolves, bison, elk, moose, foxes, great grey owls, and bald eagles all within the same ecosystem. That experience is what draws millions of visitors to the park every year, especially photographers hoping to capture unforgettable wildlife moments. Now, I do want to clarify something here. When I say people are getting too close to wildlife when taking pictures, most assume these are people with iPhones or something similar. That is partially true. However, I am also talking directly to people with larger DSLR cameras, as I see more of them approaching wildlife unethically than those with an iPhone.
Yellowstone’s popularity has created growing problems caused by people getting too close to animals in pursuit of photos and videos. Rangers constantly remind visitors that ethical wildlife watching matters just as much as getting the shot.
Yellowstone promotes the message “Use a Zoom, Give It Room” as a reminder that wildlife should be photographed from a safe and respectful distance. If you need a closer image, use binoculars, spotting scopes, or a zoom lens instead of walking closer to the animal.
The park requires visitors to stay at least 25 yards away from bison, elk, deer, and most wildlife, and at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves. Those distances are minimum safety requirements, not targets for how close you should try to get.
Every year, visitors ignore those rules while attempting selfies or close-up photographs. Bison are responsible for more injuries in Yellowstone than any other animal because people consistently underestimate them. Despite their calm appearance, bison can run much faster than humans and react instantly when they feel crowded or threatened. Several visitors in recent years have been tossed or seriously injured after approaching bison too closely for photographs. It will more than likely happen again this year.
Bears and wolves present an even greater concern. Ethical wildlife watchers understand that repeatedly crowding predators can alter their behavior and increase dangerous interactions with people. Animals that become habituated to humans may eventually require intervention by park staff, including relocation or destruction in severe cases. A few weeks ago, there was a carcass along the Yellowstone River south of Hayden Valley. People looking to take pictures ignored signs and barriers, and even ignored the park volunteer at the site, walking all the way down to the riverbank to get images of a bear and wolves. Rangers eventually had to come and shut down the entire area.
But it isn’t just bears, bison, and wolves. Just last week, a flock of photographers chased a great grey owl away from the road and into an area closed off due to bear management. They ignored the signs and continued to follow the bird for the perfect picture. When they returned, a ranger was waiting and ticketed them. Now, some of these were part of a tour group, and some had super expensive camera setups. Some had iPhones. All of them were stalking wildlife and entering a closed-off zone.
Responsible wildlife photography means allowing animals to behave naturally. Chasing wildlife, surrounding animals with crowds, blocking their movement, or entering the landscape to get closer to them for better photos creates unnecessary stress on the animals and danger for visitors.
Wildlife jams are common throughout Yellowstone, especially in places like Hayden Valley and Lamar Valley. Ethical photographers can help keep those situations safe by staying near their vehicles, using pullouts correctly, avoiding traffic hazards, and respecting ranger instructions. You’ll see it countless times in the park, but where there is a wildlife jam, people exit their vehicles to walk up to see what is going on. Do not do this, please. Some of the best wildlife viewing experiences happen when people remain patient and allow the animals to move naturally through the landscape.
Yellowstone remains one of the last truly wild ecosystems in the Lower 48, and ethical wildlife watching helps protect that wildness. Respecting distance regulations, using zoom lenses, and putting animal welfare ahead of social media content ensures future visitors will continue experiencing these animals the way they are meant to be seen: wild, free, and undisturbed.
RANDOM YELLOWSTONE FACT OF THE WEEK
Hiking Off-Trail in Yellowstone National Park
There’s something incredibly tempting about leaving the trail behind in Yellowstone National Park. Beyond the crowded boardwalks and scenic pullouts lies one of the largest intact wilderness ecosystems in North America, full of remote valleys, dense forests, wildlife corridors, and hidden geothermal features. While the park will never talk about this, as they do not want to encourage people going off-trail, it is one of the things I am asked quite often while leading tours in the park. Off-trail hiking is allowed in many parts of Yellowstone, but it comes with serious responsibilities and important regulations that every visitor needs to understand before wandering into the backcountry.
Yellowstone is not an ordinary mountain park. The landscape is shaped by geothermal activity, active wildlife habitat, rapidly changing weather, and rugged terrain that can quickly become dangerous for unprepared hikers. While some areas allow cross-country travel, others strictly prohibit it, primarily in thermal areas and certain Bear Management Areas.
The most important rule in Yellowstone involves thermal terrain. In geothermal areas, visitors are required to stay on designated boardwalks and marked trails at all times. Beneath the surface, thin crusts can conceal boiling water and unstable ground. What appears solid may collapse without warning. Walking off-trail in thermal zones is illegal and extremely dangerous. Now, this is where things get a little murky, details-wise. Some trails in Yellowstone’s backcountry go directly through thermal areas, with no boardwalks. This is allowed, as long as you are on an official trail. If you are ever unsure, assume that you shouldn’t be allowed there and turn around.
Thermal areas are also incredibly fragile. The colorful hot springs, microbial mats, and mineral formations can take decades or centuries to develop. A single footprint can permanently damage delicate geothermal features. Even remote backcountry thermal areas may have restrictions, so hikers should never assume geothermal terrain is safe to explore freely simply because it is far from developed boardwalks. As I just said, stay on the trail and never, ever venture elsewhere in a backcountry thermal area, even if you see bison tracks or other human tracks.
Wildlife regulations are equally important. Yellowstone sits at the center of one of the most important grizzly bear ecosystems in the Lower 48, and the park uses numerous seasonal Bear Management Areas to reduce dangerous encounters and protect important habitat. These restrictions change throughout the year depending on bear activity. Some areas close completely during certain seasons, while others restrict visitors to designated trails or daylight-only travel. In some locations, off-trail hiking may be prohibited entirely during peak bear activity.
Pelican Valley is one of the best-known examples because of its heavy grizzly use, but similar restrictions occur throughout the park near Yellowstone Lake, the Two Ocean Plateau region, and portions of the Gallatin backcountry.
These rules exist for a reason. Yellowstone has a long history of dangerous bear encounters, including fatal attacks. Off-trail hikers face greater risk because they often move through thick vegetation and remote terrain where visibility is limited, increasing the chance of surprising a bear at close range. Bear management areas are also located where more bears reside, so keeping out of those keeps everyone and everything safe.
As I always say, anyone hiking Yellowstone, including boardwalks and simple trails, should carry bear spray in an easily accessible location, not buried inside a backpack. The park also strongly recommends hiking in groups and making regular noise while moving through dense vegetation. Talking, clapping near blind corners, and staying alert for tracks, scat, or carcasses can help reduce the likelihood of sudden encounters.
Navigation is another challenge that many visitors underestimate. Yellowstone’s forests and meadows can become surprisingly disorienting once you leave established trails. Large sections of the park have no cell service, and terrain that appears simple on a map often involves marshes, deadfall, stream crossings, or hidden thermal runoff channels.
Carrying a topographic map, compass, GPS device, and offline maps is essential for backcountry travel. Weather conditions can also change rapidly, even during summer, with cold rain, thunderstorms, and sudden temperature drops creating dangerous conditions for unprepared hikers.
Despite the risks, Yellowstone’s off-trail wilderness offers an experience that few places in the United States can still provide. Once you leave the roads and crowds behind, the park becomes remarkably quiet and wild. You may walk for hours without seeing another person while moving through landscapes shaped almost entirely by natural forces.
That sense of isolation and raw wilderness is exactly what draws many hikers into Yellowstone’s backcountry. At the same time, experienced visitors understand that the park demands humility and respect. Yellowstone’s regulations are not obstacles to adventure. They exist to protect visitors, wildlife, and one of the most fragile and powerful landscapes in North America.
Off-trail hiking here can be unforgettable for those who prepare carefully, understand the rules, and respect the environment. Just remember that in Yellowstone, the wilderness still sets the terms and rules and regulations exist for a reason.
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/
SNOWPACK UPDATE
As of May 26th, the snowpack is around 52% of normal for this time of year. The eastern and northern ranges of the park are 61% of normal, while the western and southern sides are 37% of normal. Last year on this date, we were averaging around 77% of our normal level for the whole park.
ROADS CONDITIONS
No main park roads are closed now. 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
Mammoth is open. Madison is open. Fishing Bridge is open. Bridge Bay is open. Tower Campground is open. Canyon opens on the 29th.
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. The area around Fairy Falls, Imperial Geyser, Queen’s Laundry, and all of that is closed until further notice. Carry bear spray. Have it readily accessible and not in a backpack. Know how to use it.
TREK OF THE WEEK
Bunsen Peak Trail: One of Yellowstone’s Best Short Summit Hikes
The Bunsen Peak Trail is one of those Yellowstone hikes that delivers far more than people expect. It is relatively short by park standards, but don’t let the mileage fool you. This is not an easy walk for most visitors. The trail begins at over 7,000 feet in elevation, and the climb gains roughly 1,300 to 1,600 feet in a little over two miles, depending on where you measure from. The altitude alone catches many hikers off guard, especially visitors coming from lower elevations.
Located just south of Mammoth Hot Springs near Swan Lake Flats, Bunsen Peak rises prominently above Yellowstone’s Northern Range. The peak itself is an extinct volcanic cone named after German scientist Robert Bunsen, best known for the Bunsen burner used in chemistry labs. Despite the name, Bunsen never actually visited Yellowstone.
The standard out-and-back route is roughly 4.4 miles round-trip, though some hikers choose to extend the adventure into a larger loop using the Bunsen Peak Road Trail and Osprey Falls Trail. Most people complete the main summit hike in about three to five hours, depending on pace, weather, and how long they spend at the top.
The climb begins almost immediately. After leaving the trailhead, the route works steadily uphill through a series of switchbacks winding through lodgepole pine forest. There is nothing technical about the trail itself, but the grade is consistent enough that most hikers will feel it quickly. This is one of those hikes where people often underestimate the effort required because the distance looks short on paper.
As you climb higher, the forest begins to thin and the views gradually open. Before long, hikers are treated to sweeping overlooks of Swan Lake Flats, Golden Gate Canyon, and the Mammoth Hot Springs area. On clear days, you can even spot Gardiner, Montana in the distance. One of the best parts of this hike is how the scenery continuously improves the higher you climb.
Higher on the mountain, the landscape shifts noticeably. Trees give way to rocky slopes, alpine grasses, and low shrubs, creating broad views across Yellowstone’s Northern Range. Electric Peak dominates the skyline to the northwest and often becomes the visual centerpiece of the hike. Wind can become intense near the summit ridge, even during summer, so carrying an extra layer is usually a smart idea.
If snow lingers into late spring or early summer, the upper section of the trail can become much steeper and more difficult. Some hikers encounter loose scree or snow-covered slopes during the final quarter-mile approaching the summit. Trekking poles can help significantly in these conditions.
At 8,564 feet, the summit of Bunsen Peak offers one of the best panoramic views in northern Yellowstone. From the top, hikers can see Swan Lake Flats stretching below, Mount Everts rising near Mammoth, and layer after layer of mountain ridges extending across the park. On especially clear days, visibility reaches deep into the surrounding wilderness, including portions of Blacktail Plateau and Yellowstone’s northern valleys.
Wildlife sightings are common throughout the area. Elk and mule deer are frequently seen near the trail, and both black bears and grizzly bears inhabit the surrounding terrain. Even though Bunsen Peak is considered a popular day hike, hikers should still carry bear spray and remain alert, especially during quieter morning or evening hours. Summer also brings colorful wildflowers along portions of the trail, adding even more variety to the scenery.
For hikers looking for a bigger challenge, the route can be extended beyond the summit. The trail continues along the ridge before descending toward the Bunsen Peak Road Trail, which eventually connects to Osprey Falls and Sheepeater Canyon. Adding those sections creates a much longer and more demanding day with additional elevation change, but it also turns the hike into one of the more rewarding loop options in northern Yellowstone.
Bunsen Peak remains one of the best choices in Yellowstone for hikers wanting a true summit experience without committing to a full backcountry expedition. It is close to the road, accessible for many visitors, and delivers some of the most impressive views in the Mammoth area. Between the steady climb, expansive scenery, volcanic history, and constant reminder of Yellowstone’s scale, this trail manages to feel like a real mountain adventure in just a few miles.
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!
