Thanks Steve. Based upon my limited experience I would say you are pretty much correct. Interesting the "dead" areas are along the roads into the park but not all road into the park are dead zones.
My Yellowstone Hotspots Map
- Thread starter Steve
- Start date
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Did you guys see the recent post where they did a screen shot of the feedback form that a guest left at a Yellowstone lodge? They complained because they didn't see any bears and they wrote please train the bears to be where tourists are! 
Here's a tip if you're going this time of year when road closures are common because of snow--sign up for road alerts on your cell phone by texting 82190 to 888-777.
If you're stuck in traffic and want to read about the local geology, or answer the other dumb question of "What time do they turn the geysers on?", before your trip download the "Geologic Field-Trip Guide to the Volcanic and Hydrothermal Landscape of the Yellowstone Plateau" (USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2017–5022–P) at https://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2017/5022/p/sir20175022_p.pdf.
If you're stuck in traffic and want to read about the local geology, or answer the other dumb question of "What time do they turn the geysers on?", before your trip download the "Geologic Field-Trip Guide to the Volcanic and Hydrothermal Landscape of the Yellowstone Plateau" (USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2017–5022–P) at https://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2017/5022/p/sir20175022_p.pdf.
Jbear
Active member
Anyone have a map like that for Glacier/Waterton? Were heading there soon. Have backpacked there and visited once after, but that was 21 years ago.
My wife and I are on our way home from Yellowstone today. The Tower area, Lamar Valley and Hayden Valley were our most productive areas. It snowed in the region last night and this morning and there were some road closures in the park.
Yeah we leave ours turned on year round, makes us think happy thoughts with a reminder of cool experiences. Right now Sylvan Pass is having a problem....
I'll be in the park, I'm driving from California, on June 1 for seven days, entering from West Yellowstone and staying in Gardiner. After that, three days in Teton NP and then home. This will be my 8th trip to Yellowstone. The way I note wildlife in the park is if the occurrence provides a decent shot, not something way off in the distance. I subscribe to an electronic newsletter and they list every wolf and grizzly sighting and they are almost always miles and miles away. I go for the shot, not just the viewing. I don't use a scope so I don't bother too much with the wolf-watchers other than to check that the wolf is not near the road. Bison are everywhere, of course, in Lamar Valley and the "red dogs" are always fun to photograph as they play. I always find a lot of good bear activity up the Tower-Roosevelt Rd. toward Dunraven Pass, but not so much on the pass itself, sometimes a grizzly there but mostly black bear. The best place is generally just before and after the store and sometimes right at the end of the store parking lot. I've also got good bear shots at the Petrified Tree road, there is a path there they like they take. I travel the road to Lamar Valley many, many times while there and have found coyote, badger, bison and one time a really great wolf shot and there is often a kill somewhere along the road but sometimes very far out. A kill makes for very good coyote interaction and also draws eagles, the wolf makes the kill, usually very early in the morning, and everyone else feeds off of it all day until every last bone and piece of meat is gone. The Obsidian grizzly is in her normal area with at least one cub from last year, (as per the electronic newsletter) she had three COY last year, that's the area just past Obsidian Cliff at Roaring Mountain. I've most often got good fox shots up toward Silver Gate, between Pebble Creek and Silver Gate. There are often good moose shots in that area around Pebble Creek, too. One time at Pebble Creek, when I had left my car with my lunch in hand, walked a short distance and then returned, two trucks pulled up in back of my car and the people had cameras out and were shooting behind me as I was putting stuff away in the backseat and when I looked behind there was a fox 10 feet away! I felt really dumb about that! I'm going to spend some time in the Madison area this time as I have not done that in the past. I'll print the nicely colored map and take it with me.
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I assume you meant black bear?
In my mind I was seeing the brown version of the black bear and that's what went in print! I'm way too visual.
The terms are confusing because, as you point out, many black bears (the species) are in fact brown and not black in color! Easy mistake to make.
Maybe we should coin a new term for the species and see if it catches on.
The terms are confusing because, as you point out, many black bears (the species) are in fact brown and not black in color! Easy mistake to make.
Maybe we should coin a new term for the species and see if it catches on.
In fact, I believe there are many people who do not know that all brown bears or honey-colored bears are actually Black bears since they are not black. It can get confusing since they come in different colors but are called Black, a lot like Red Fox which can be found in any variation of red, from orange to deep red and all of the in-between.
Vincent_VdB
Well-known member
Or white and black rhino that are both grey but got their names through a misunderstanding in translation
There’s an osprey nest close to the road on Firehole Canyon Drive a little ways past the falls. A parking area is just past the nest on the left.
Doug Herr
Well-known member
Ursus americanus, the American Bear.Maybe we should coin a new term for the species and see if it catches on.
Sawdustman
New member
I’ve always stayed at west Yellowstone but in 2 weeks I’ll be staying in Gardiner to get a quicker daily trip through Lamar.
I was just there May,7th - 17th ... bears, bears , bears ...it was amazing. I definitely concur with your map. I spent 75% of my time between Mammoth Hot Springs and Tower Falls. Drove to Cody 2 times through the east entrance looking for the Wild horse herd,. Covered 1600 miles in the park and seen everything on my bucket list for this years trip. Epic trip and had a hard time coming home !!!
I was amazed by how many people I had connection with on my trip this year, I met some really nice photographers and people in general ♥Cool - look for a dark red GMC with the license BCGTRK and say hello
I've always stayed in Gardiner. I stayed in West Yellowstone once on the first night only and checked the prices this year to do the same but they wanted $400 for a one-night stay! I'm staying two hours out the night before this time and then driving in through West Yellowstone in the early morning to check into my place in Gardiner in the afternoon for seven days. Gardiner works great for the Lamar Valley area and it's convenient with the store nearby. I'm not someone who likes to eat in restaurants all the time so I use the store most of the time. This time I'm staying in a B&B and I'm hoping that works out. Usually I stay in one of the motels.
I've lived in Gardiner now for over a year and I'm out shooting, depending on the time of year, 3 to 6 days a week from sunrise to sunset. As @Steve indicates, animal sightings are very seasonal. At the moment there is a lot of grizzly activity along the East Entrance road from the Mary Bay and Sedge Bay areas east to the Teton Overlook. This is the area where the grizzlies Jam, Snow and her two cubs, Raspberry, and a couple more, hang out. On your way there, you'll pass the Mud Volcano, just past Hayden Valley, where griz 864 and her two cubs hang out (however, it appears 864 just recently kicked her cubs out). If you continue further East past the Teton Overlook there is a good chance you will see Bighorn Sheep beyond the Sylvan Lake area. In addition, the long stretch of road beginning from Phantom Lake along the North Loop to Tower Falls, which passes by Blacktail Pond and the Northeast Entrance Road has seen a great deal of black bear activity (to include some beautiful Cinnamon Black Bears) with cubs. There has also been some grizzly activity there as well. If you're interested in Harlequin Ducks, LeHardy Rapids on the Yellowstone River is where they are currently located and will be there until July. You will pass the Rapids on the way to the East Entrance and before Fishing Bridge. Beginning now and for the next couple of months, the indigenous trout begin heading towards their breeding grounds in Yellowstone Lake, near Pelican Bay, and from LeHardy rapids you can photograph them jumping upstream. I have a great shot of that from last year. Have not yet seen them jumping yet this year. If you're headed south from Mammoth towards Norris Junction, along that road in the area of Roaring Mountain and Frying Pan Creek the Grizzly Beryl with her two cubs have been spotted quite often and the Grizzly Obsidian with her three cubs has also been spotted. I've photographed Beryl and her cubs in that area just this past week and though I have yet to see Obsidian, I believe my sources to be reliable and accurate. I have found, and many can quibble with me, that but both Lamar and Hayden Valleys haven't offered me consistently good shooting opportunities because the animals are frequently just too far away. Having said that, however, I have gotten good shots of Coyotes there and a couple wolves in Lamar, and also a great shooting opportunity of a Bobcat this Spring. If you're looking for wolves, just keep an eye out for fairly large groups of folks with scopes. These are the "wolfies." Pull over, introduce yourself politely, and because 99% of them are extremely nice and helpful, they will let you look at the wolves through their spotting scopes. Places for wolves include Slough Creek where the Junction Butte Pack has denned, Jasper's Bench (possibly) in Lamar Valley and places I don't know in Hayden Valley because I spend little time shooting dots on the horizon. If you're looking for Osprey, there is a nest prominently exposed and visible just west of the western end of the Lamar Canyon with a large pull out. It's near the construction site. There is an area on the way to Mary and Sedge bays called Storm Point and Indian Pond that is just East of Fishing Bridge, where there are trails leading to Yellowstone Lake. This area is known for Great Gray Owls, but while people swear by it for the owls, I've turned up nothing yet - though, I'm not done. Just a word of warning that it is an active bear area, do not walk the paths alone, go in groups, carry bear spray, and be very careful. Hope this helps the folks headed for Yellowstone prior to the middle of July. My experience is by mid-July the animals change their patterns and head for higher ground and different food sources. One last thing, don't over look taking the Old Yellowstone Trail leading out of Gardiner. It's a dirt road and there are elk and bighorn sheep to be seem along with pronghorns. July thru December, but mostly October/November is the bighorn rut, and it is something to see. The rut for elk begins September thru October. Bison rut occurs in August-September. Bear rut is now through June. If your're looking for moose, the Tetons is the place to go September through December primarily along the Gros Ventre Road near the campground. Well, that's all I have. Hope it helps
Thank you Steve!
jimfromno
Member
I don't think you'll be seeing too many big horn sheep this time of year, they head up the mountains for most of the year and come down in the winter.
They're very common in fall at Calcite.