Yellowstone holds bison, elk, moose, wolves, coyotes, bighorn sheep, and both grizzly and black bears across an area larger than Corsica. Seeing them is a matter of being in the right valley at the right hour rather than luck.
Lamar Valley
The north-east corner of the park, and the single best place for wildlife in North America. Wolves reintroduced in 1995 established packs here and are visible from the road with a spotting scope, most reliably at dawn. Bison herds number in the hundreds; the rut in late July and August is loud and visible from the pullouts.
Hayden Valley
Central, between Canyon and the lake, and the second great wildlife valley. Bison cross the road here regularly and stop traffic for as long as they choose. Grizzlies are seen along the treeline at dawn and dusk.
Timing
Animals are active in the first two hours after sunrise and the last two before sunset, and largely invisible in the middle of the day. In practice this means being in position by five in the morning in summer. Spring, when the bears emerge with cubs and the bison calve, is the richest season; autumn brings the elk rut and bugling.
The rules, and why they exist
- Stay 100 yards from bears and wolves, 25 yards from everything else. This is law, not advice, and it is enforced.
- Bison injure more visitors than bears do. They weigh up to 900 kg, run at 50 km/h, and appear placid until they are not.
- Carry bear spray if you leave the road, know how to use it, and keep it accessible rather than in a pack.
- Never leave food, coolers or scented items in the open — a bear that learns to associate people with food is usually killed.
- Stay on the boardwalks in the thermal areas. The ground crusts over water hot enough to be fatal, and people have died stepping off.
Practical notes
The park is enormous and the roads are slow — a loop of the figure-eight takes far longer than the map suggests, and an animal jam can add an hour. Most park roads close to cars from early November to late April. Lodging inside the park books thirteen months ahead; Gardiner, West Yellowstone and Cooke City are the alternatives.