As others have noted…either before school lets out or after it starts again. 10 years ago that was excellent advice…but the last time we were there in 2019 while it was less crowded in September it was a lot more crowded than the times before in 2013 and 2016…and there was a lot more road construction. I would still go…but like many other parks we found that arrival at sunrise, spend 3-4 hours and head back to the campground before the crowds built up really kept the crowds down and we got better light as well. But…in 2019 we were camped west of West Yellowstone and got to the entrance before sunrise…50 cars backed up and it was almost bumper to bumper traffic on the road in from West Yellowstone along the river…and this was at 6:30 in the morning in late September…but we just stopped in the road along with 500 of our closest friends and got some great shots of a bull elk crossing the river with golden hour light on him…although we didn’t stop for any reason other than we had no choice…cars were stopped as far as we could see ahead of us because of the elk.
Is Yellowstone Really Worth It?
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It depends on what you want to photograph. If animals like wolves and badgers, then it’s often hard, but not impossible, to get close enough. But for many other animal species that inhabit the park - elk, bison, pronghorn, moose, coyotes, bighorn sheep, pika, marmot - then getting close enough for compelling image opportunities isn’t a problem at all. It’s the American Serengeti as they say. Besides, it’s one hell of a beautiful place, with landscape and macro opportunities plentiful.
My experience is different again. I have made two trips to Yellowstone in January and they have been some of the best wildlife opportunities I have ever had! Admittedly, the Lamar Valley can be hard work but I have had fantastic sightings of Wolf, fox, Coyote, Bison, Badger, Moose, Bighorn Sheep, Pronghorn, Bald & Golden Eagle, plus many smaller stuff and amazing landscapes.
Two be honest, my trips were made by the time we spent within the closed areas. (4 days Lamar Valley & 5 days in the interior.) This is not cheap, with the specialised vehicles but wort every penny. The wildlife viewing in the Hayden Valley, Firehole River Valley and Madison River, produced plenty of close sightings. (Last year, good Wolf sightings all five days.) Much closer than the more accessible Lamar Valley.
I still think if I was lucky enough to get another trip to Yellowstone, it would be in the winter.
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RikWriter
Well-known member
Yellowstone in the fall is not as easy to get wildlife shots as the spring. When I go in fall, I do a lot more hiking. Winter though...I'm shocked you didn't get anything in winter but not at all shocked you didn't get bear shots in winter since they're in their dens.
For many years, Yellowstone was my favorite location for photographing wildlife, particularly elk. That is no longer the case. The successful introduction and expansion of the wolf population has change the wildlife experience drastically. Prior to about 2006, there were many places in Yellowstone where one was certain to find elk during the fall rut. Today, these meadows are barren. Oh sure, there will be elk in Mammoth if you don't mind you elk in streets and yards. If you want wildlife photography, I would recommend Rocky Mountain NP. But don't put this off too long as wolves
will be, or have been, introduced in the Colorado Rockies.
mackster
Member
Totally worth it IMO, but I live only an hour away from YNP so perhaps I'm biased. If you're not familiar with the Park, hiring a good guide can help tremendously. Grand Teton NP is worth a trip to as well, and just south of Yellowstone, but if you can choose only one then I'd go to YNP.
Bobcape
Active member
I have visited YNP/GTNP usually twice a year for the last 19 years. I’m headed over next month for my 3rd visit this year. Spring is my favorite time to visit. After having tried visiting as early as April 1st, I’ve settled on the last week of May-first week of June and mid to late September. Too much snow and few open roads makes April very challenging. In the spring I stay in Cooke City, just outside the NE gate. In the fall I stay in West Yellowstone. Obviously I love spending time in both parks. I think what is most unplanned for by first-timers is the drive times! It likely will be 2 hours from hotel to your first morning spot. And 2 hours back in the evening. Some things that make my trips successful -
* Fill vehicle with gas every night!!!
* Arrive on station early, ready to take photos 1.5 hours before official sunrise. Most visitors think leaving hotel at 8:00 is early. I leave hotel in Cooke City at 3:00am.
* Stay late. I usually get back to hotel at 10:00pm or later. Prep for next day and sleep a little. Take naps during the day.
* Have everything ready to go the night before. Should only need to move food and camera gear into vehicle in the morning and hit the road.
* It will rain, it will snow, it will blow, be ready for all conditions.
* Breakfast, coffee, water, drinks, lunch, dinner, etc. are made and consumed on site.
* Take naps often. The 3rd day is a killer for me. Find some shade and crawl in the back or recline your seats. Burnout is real.
* Don’t hesitate to join the many bear-jams. Take water, chair, camera, tripod and a hat. You may be waiting for an hour or two to get the shot of wolves or grizzlies.
* Look for the less traveled roads and get away from your vehicle. Don’t have to go too far, but it usually pays off.
* Every member must have bear spray on their person!!! Bear spray in the vehicle, or on your pack, or one can per group will not cut it.
Enjoy the parks! They are both amazing!
Bob
* Fill vehicle with gas every night!!!
* Arrive on station early, ready to take photos 1.5 hours before official sunrise. Most visitors think leaving hotel at 8:00 is early. I leave hotel in Cooke City at 3:00am.
* Stay late. I usually get back to hotel at 10:00pm or later. Prep for next day and sleep a little. Take naps during the day.
* Have everything ready to go the night before. Should only need to move food and camera gear into vehicle in the morning and hit the road.
* It will rain, it will snow, it will blow, be ready for all conditions.
* Breakfast, coffee, water, drinks, lunch, dinner, etc. are made and consumed on site.
* Take naps often. The 3rd day is a killer for me. Find some shade and crawl in the back or recline your seats. Burnout is real.
* Don’t hesitate to join the many bear-jams. Take water, chair, camera, tripod and a hat. You may be waiting for an hour or two to get the shot of wolves or grizzlies.
* Look for the less traveled roads and get away from your vehicle. Don’t have to go too far, but it usually pays off.
* Every member must have bear spray on their person!!! Bear spray in the vehicle, or on your pack, or one can per group will not cut it.
Enjoy the parks! They are both amazing!
Bob
MikeInMI
Active member
I did a tour of Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton. Doing all three in one trip made it very worthwhile. I rented an extra body -- had one with my 24-105 for landscape, and another with my 100-400 + 1.4x tc for wildlife. Each time I pulled over for a shot I grabbed the appropriate camera (used both camera a lot). Looking at my Yellowstone photos, I had more landscape than wildlife, and not a lot of wildlife at Yellowstone (someone else on different days could have got a lot).
The last fall trip we took a clerk at the gift shop said the only ones that visited in the fall were "the newly wed and the nearly dead." So it was still busy, but much less so than in August, where it seems all of Europe is on holiday.
I haven’t been since the late 90’s however I am headed up there from TX on Sept 20th and returning Oct 5th. Splitting my time between Yellowstone and Grand Tetons. Starting at Tetons for 3 days and ending in Tetons for 2.5 days. Figure this will help chances of getting fall colors and weather. Middle of trip is all Yellowstone. Staying in Gardner most of the trip but end of Yellowstone time I’m doing 2 nights in West Yellowstone. I decided to drive the 1,500 miles each way. I can take significantly more gear, comfort and be more flexible if need be due to weather etc to adjust my start and stop times.
Calson
Well-known member
Wniter is great buy you will want a AWD or 4WD vehicle to be able to go to Lamar Valley and return. The local car rental companies do not even provide snow tires much less 4WD and their rates are double what one usually pays anywhere else in the USA.
2Lab
New member
Absolutely worth it in May before the schools let out and late September/early October. You may get snow late in September but it usually is not season closing snow.
MarkB
Member
I've been there 7 times over the last 20 years and I certainly plan to return again some day. It is worth it but as others have mentioned there is some luck involved with respect to spotting wildlife. My record is spotting 12 different bears in a single day, but last time there I spotted only 3 bears and it was brief and from a distance. From my last time there, fall 2022.
RikWriter
Well-known member
Sorry, but you're exaggerating to a ridiculous degree here man. I still see buttloads of elk every year. True, they're not in the same places as they used to be, but that doesn't mean they're not there. Check out the road between Cody and the North Fork in the winter before the east entrance opens, you'll find THOUSANDS of elk.
RikWriter
Well-known member
I don't know if things have changed in the last 2-3 years (now that I live here and don't rent) but prior to that, whenever I rented an SUV in Jackson or Bozeman, it was always 4WD. Never had a problem getting one.
RikWriter
Well-known member
Just to give some idea of my experiences in Yellowstone, I used to live in Florida and started making a yearly trip to Yellowstone in June of 2006. Never missed a year after that. Went every single May from 2009 onward for two weeks, came back many times in September or October and twice in winter.
I have never had a single trip in spring that I took before I moved here where I didn't see bears close enough to photograph them. Not one.
I have only had one May trip since 2009 where I didn't see wolves close enough to photograph them. (That was in 2017 and I did see wolves in Grand Teton of October that year close enough to photograph but the light was bad).
Fall is not as easy to find bears or wolves as spring, but that's my record for May.
https://pbase.com/rikwriter/yellowstone
Those are my galleries for Yellowstone if you want to check my record. I am not a professional and I've only taken two guided tours in all that time (and one of them, my first winter one, which cost a lot of money, I didn't even see any wolves). There's some luck involved, but I think persistence and a willingness to put in the miles and the effort and the research is a lot more important than luck.
I have never had a single trip in spring that I took before I moved here where I didn't see bears close enough to photograph them. Not one.
I have only had one May trip since 2009 where I didn't see wolves close enough to photograph them. (That was in 2017 and I did see wolves in Grand Teton of October that year close enough to photograph but the light was bad).
Fall is not as easy to find bears or wolves as spring, but that's my record for May.
https://pbase.com/rikwriter/yellowstone
Those are my galleries for Yellowstone if you want to check my record. I am not a professional and I've only taken two guided tours in all that time (and one of them, my first winter one, which cost a lot of money, I didn't even see any wolves). There's some luck involved, but I think persistence and a willingness to put in the miles and the effort and the research is a lot more important than luck.
raptor photo
Well-known member
Tremendous photos! You go there often! And thanks to everybody for the amount of information in this thread!