Yellowstone Up Close and Personal Logo © Copyright Page Makers, LLC Yellowstone Up Close and Personal Grizzly Logo © Copyright Page Makers, LLC

Yellowstone National Park 2013 Trip Reports





Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin

19 thru 27 June 2013




Yellowstone Wolf ~ © Copyright All Rights Reserved Gerry Hogston

~ June 2013 ~





Moose in Winter ~ © Copyright All Rights Reserved Gerry Hogston

Wednesday - 19 June


I left a little later this morning for the park, and boy does the traffic get busier the later you leave. Trumpeter Swan pair nesting in Island Park. A badger with one young one 40 yards off the road in Little America. High of 80 degrees today. At 12:55 p.m. I spotted a grizzly sow with a yearling cub on the # 2 finger of Norris. At 2:55 p.m. I found two equal sized large cinnamon black bears south of the # 1 finger of Norris. At 4:00 p.m. we had a grizzly north of Coyote Overlook. At 8:00 p.m. we watched a grizzly in K Meadow. At 8:45 p.m. my last sighting was a gray wolf south of Footbridge Pullout.




Thursday - 20 June


34 degrees this morning warming to 60 degrees today. I stayed near Silver Gate last night, but found a campsite at Pebble Creek for the rest of the trip. I spotted a bull moose near Trout Lake today and a badger in Little America. At 5:45 a.m. I found a grizzly in the big meadow east and behind Jasper Bench from Dorothy's Pullout. At 6:00 a.m. all three wolves of the Lamar Canyon Pack south of Hubbard Hill digging out a coyote den (later got two of them). At 6:10 a.m. we watched a grizzly sow with one yearling cub in # 2 finger of Norris. At 7:20 a.m. there was a large grizzly in K Meadow. At 7:40 a.m. we watched a grizzly sow with one yearling in the bowl viewed from the Institute (by 9:30 a.m. they had moved into the A-Z meadow). At 9:45 a.m. we had a black bear sow with a brown yearling cub south of the Institute. Note: seems like a lot of black bear sows with last year’s cubs yet, courting seems later this year. At 10:30 a.m. I spotted a grizzly sow with one light yearling cub in Penny Lane. At 8:00 p.m. we had a grizzly close south of Footbridge Pullout, just across the Soda Butte Creek in the willows moving west. At 8:30 p.m. I found two equal sized cinnamon black bears south of the # 1 finger of Norris. At 8:50 p.m. my last sighting for the evening was a grizzly north and east of Trash Can Pullout (brief sighting, but it could have been Scarface).




Friday - 21 June


The coyote den north of Coyote Pullout now has only four pups. The badger with one young still roadside in Little America. At 5:45 a.m. I found a grizzly sow with one yearling on A-Z Meadow. At 5:50 a.m. I found another grizzly higher on A-Z. At 6:10 a.m. we had three gray wolves and one black wolf of the Junction Butte Pack on the west end of Jasper Bench. At 6:15 a.m. we also had a cinnamon black bear in the big meadow east and behind Jasper Bench. At 7:35 a.m. I spotted a grizzly with short hair on its back north of Coyote Overlook (this grizzly looks a lot like the grizzly that had two COY'S and then one COY in Slough Creek (hope I'm wrong). At 7:50 a.m. we had a black bear south of the Institute. At 8:00 a.m. I watched a grizzly on Calfee Creek Meadow. At 9:00 a.m. we had two black bears south of the Institute (perhaps a courting pair). At 8:45 p.m. we watched a black GPS collared wolf with big gray of the Lamar Canyon Pack south of Footbridge Pullout (a Lamar Canyon male that has been in Wyoming they think. This wolf is much smaller that Big Gray - the next day it was seen being chased by the two Lamar Canyon's (middle gray and the black female and never seen again in the valley).




Black bear cubs by John William Uhler Copyright © All Rights Reserved

Saturday - 22 June


34 degrees this morning warming to 56 degrees today. A moose was in Round Prairie early this morning. Mid-morning I went to Canyon and hit a small storm on the way over. It was 49 degrees at Antelope Creek, but snowing and 37 degrees at Dunraven Pass. At 5:40 a.m. we had the grizzly with short hair on its rear north and west of Midpoint Pullout. At 5:45 a.m. we also had a grizzly sow with one yearling cub in the Bowl viewed from Midpoint Pullout. At 7:15 a.m. I spotted a grizzly under the snow crevice west of Footbridge Pullout. At 7:30 a.m. we had a large grizzly in the Eroded Area viewed from Footbridge Pullout. At 2:25 p.m. I found a black bear in the Crystal Drainage. At 3:45 p.m. we watched a black bear south and east of Picnic Area. At 7:00 p.m. we saw Scarface following another grizzly, perhaps a large sow south of Footbridge Pullout. He was scent following the other grizzly for over an hour, never moving more than 4 or 5 miles an hour. At 7:30 p.m. my last sightings was a grizzly sow with one yearling on the skyline west of A-Z Meadow.




Sunday - 23 June


34 degrees warming to 80 degrees today. Lots of cars at the Confluence with no parking this morning as Scarface was coming towards the road. Yep, he swam the river and creek, crossed to road thru all the tourists and proceeded out of sight up the trail that the wolf watchers use above and north of the Confluence. At 6:45 a.m. we had a grizzly in Cache Creek, poor viewing with the sun coming up. At 6:50 a.m. a small grizzly crossing north of Trash Can. At 6:50 a.m. we had a large grizzly in the rendezvous area. At 7:10 a.m. Scarface crosses east to west north of Trash Can. At 7:15 a.m. I spotted a grizzly sow with one COY just east of Druid Peak near the skyline. This family appeared in the same clearing that last week had a grizzly sow with two COY'S (hope it was a different grizzly family). At 6:10 p.m. I found a grizzly high in the Salad Bowl. At 6:55 p.m. we watched a black bear high in the Salad Bowl. At 7:15 .m. a second black bear high in the Salad Bowl (probably a courting pair, as they were close to each other).




Monday - 24 June


37 degrees this morning warming to 82 degrees. At 5:30 a.m. I found a small grizzly in the Bowl viewed from the Institute. At 5:45 a.m. I spotted a small grizzly west of A-Z Clearing near the skyline. At 6:20 a.m. we had a grizzly sow with one yearling cub in the Bowl. At 6:35 a.m. we watched a cinnamon black bear south of the Institute in the tree line. At 12:30 p.m. we had a black bear sow with one black COY that was up a tree west of Elk Creek. At 3:30 p.m. I spotted a grizzly high in the Salad Bowl. At 4:30 pm. I found a grizzly sow with two yearlings in a small clearing way south of the Institute, near the skyline. At 6:30 p.m. we watched a grizzly sow with one yearling cub high and right of A-Z clearing. At 8:45 p.m. we had a grizzly sow with one yearling on the # 2 finger of Norris.





Yellowstone Grizzly Bear taken Spring 2012 ~ © Copyright Frank Smith All Rights Reserved

Tuesday - 25 June


51 degrees this morning warming to 70 degrees. At 5:30 a.m. we watched the middle gray and the black female wolves just west of Hitching Post (they must have just crossed the road, than bedded probably waiting for big gray, then proceeded to hunt for antelope fawns - later they re-crossed the road east of Footbridge Pullout going to the north). At 5:55 a.m. I spotted a grizzly sow with the light yearling cub in K Meadow. At 6:05 a.m. I spotted a grizzly sow with a yearling cub in the # 2 finger of Norris. At 6:30 a.m. I found a small grizzly in the Salad Bowl. At 6:40 a.m. I spotted a small grizzly north of Coyote Overlook (brief sighting). At 7:15 a.m. Ragged Tail of the Junction Butte Pack was south in Little America. She must have had other wolves north of the road as she howled for 30 minutes or so, then re-crossed the road back to the north. At 7:15 a.m. we had a cinnamon black bear on Specimen Ridge. At 7:45 a.m. I found two grizzlies high north of coyote viewed from Little America (they were out again briefly in the evening, others saw them but some thought a courting pair and others thought a sow with a yearling cub?). At 6:30 p.m. a looked up at Penny Lane from Footbridge and found a grizzly with two COY'S. They were low in the clearing so I went down to Hitching Post. Good news, it was the grizzly with three COY'S. These COY'S are still really small, but looked good and healthy. At 9:15 p.m. my last sighting was a black bear near the Pebble Creek Campground.




Wednesday - 26 June


53 degrees this morning warming to 73 degrees. At 5:30 a.m. I spotted a courting pair of black bears in the Rendezvous Area. AT 6:00 a.m. I found a grizzly in the Bowl. At 6:30 a.m. the grizzly with the three COY'S was back in Penny Lane. At 6:45 a.m. we had a grizzly sow with one yearling cub in the Bowl. AT 7:00 a.m. we watched a grizzly sow with one yearling on the # 3 finger of Norris. AT 7:20 a.m. we had a small colorful grizzly on the # 2 finger of Norris. At 9:45 a.m. Scarface crossed the road west of Fisherman's Pullout from the north to the south (later in the evening he was in A-Z). At 2:20 p.m. we had a grizzly sow with a yearling in A-Z meadow (actually had both sows with one yearling in A-Z Meadow at the same time, one had the lighter cub). AT 3:15 p.m. we watched a large grizzly in K Meadow. At 5:00 p.m. I spotted a grizzly sow with two yearlings on Ski Slope.




Thursday - 27 June


A short day in the park that started at 42 degrees. Only sighting was a black wolf probably the black female from the Junction Butte Wolf Pack north of Coyote Overlook that Jeremy spotted.




Yellowstone Coyote taken Spring 2012 ~ © Copyright Randal W. Horobik All Rights Reserved



Yellowstone National Park

Sightings and Trip Report are from the North and Northeast Area of Yellowstone

Lamar Valley Map - Yellowstone National Park

Lamar Valley Map - Yellowstone National Park


Yellowstone National Park Trip Reports
2018 2014 2010
2017 2013 2009
2016 2012 2008
2015 2011 2007

Yellowstone National Park Trip Reports
1995 2000
1996 2002
1997 2003
1998 2004
1999 2005




Yellowstone National Park Videos
Yellowstone Wildlife Videos
Bighorn Rams Grizzly Bear at Old Faithful
Bison / Buffalo at Old Faithful Grizzly Bear near Roaring Mountain
Black Bear Grizzly Sow Nursing Cubs
Black Wolf Otters at Trout Lake
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel Otter at Yellowstone Lake
Grizzly Bear at Blacktail Ponds  

Yellowstone Geyser and Thermal Videos
Beehive Geyser Eruption Old Faithful with Bison
Beehive Geyser Eruption Two Pocket Basin
Fan and Mortar Roaring Mountain
Grand Geyser Rocket and Grotto
Old Faithful One West Thumb

Yellowstone Waterfall Videos
Cave Falls Mesa Falls Undine Falls
Gibbon Falls Rustic Falls Upper Falls
Lower Falls Tower Fall Wraith Falls




Yellowstone National Park by Page Makers, LLC © Copyright All Rights Reserved
I n d e x
Accessibility Earthquakes Maps Video Page
Address Email Newspaper Visitor Centers
Adult Programs Entrances Old Faithful Live WebCam Visitor Stats
Amphibians Entrance Fees Pets Volcano Observatory
Animals Fall Closure Phone Numbers Waterfalls
Backcountry Fish Picnic Areas Weather
Bear Management Fishing Fees Ranger Led Activities WebCams
Bear Sightings Fishing Regulations Reptiles Wildflowers
Biking Getting Here Reunions Winter Closing
Boating Hiking Rivers, Creeks & Streams Winter Opening
Books History Roads Winter Weather Reports
Butterflies Junior Ranger Program Schedule Wolf Project
Camping Lakes Search Page Wolf Sightings
Campground Maps Location Spring Opening Wolverine Help
Challenges Lodging Star Talks Yellowstone ~ the Name
Chat Page Lynx Help Trip Planner pdf Young Scientist
Clinics / Medical Mammal List Trip Reports Youth Conservation Corps

Yellowstone National Park WebCams
Old Faithful Live All Old Faithful Old Faithful Static Old Faithful VC North Entrance Mt Washburn Mammoth YVO WebCam

Entrance Cities and Gateway Towns
Gardiner, Montana Silver Gate, Montana West Yellowstone, Montana Cooke City, Montana
Livingston, Montana Cody, Wyoming Jackson Hole, Wyoming Yellowstone National Park

Not all who wander are lost by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien © Page Makers, LLC

Contact UsHome