Yellowstone National Park 2021 Trip Reports
Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin
15th thru 20th September 2021
Yellowstone National Park
~ September 2021 ~
Wednesday - September 15th
I left Idaho Falls around 10:00 a.m. and made good time arriving north of Gardiner, Montana and finding a campsite for the night. Coming thru Mammoth I had never seen so many cars and tourists. The park remains busier than ever. A high today of 82 degrees and high winds tonight. The grizzly bear watching north of the park remains excellent.
Thursday - September 16th
43 degrees this morning north of the park and warming up to 69 degrees in Lamar Valley today. At 9:45 a.m. I spotted a black bear in Crystal Drainage viewed from the Slough Creek stop sign. At 10:00 a.m. I found a grizzly on Amethyst Bench (I talked to others who said they had four separate grizzlies digging this morning on the bench). At 11:30 a.m. three black wolves were seen in the Old Druid Rendezvous area viewed from Picnic Pullout. At 7:00 p.m. 9 gray and 8 black wolves (including all eight of the puppies and the two alpha wolves) were seen in the rendezvous area.
Friday - September 17th
I camped the rest of this trip in Colter Campground outside of Cooke City. 37 degrees at camp but 28 degrees in Lamar Valley this morning warming up to 78 degrees. I had a THREE DOG DAY today in the park (fox, coyote, and wolf). At 6:30 a.m. I found a grizzly digging on Amethyst Bench. At 10:45 a.m. one gray wolf walked thru the rendezvous area. The wolf watching just got tougher for the rest of the year. The pups are now traveling with the adults so no more seeing wolves daily in the rendezvous area. At 7:00 p.m. I spotted a grizzly in the tree line south of Trashcan Pullout.
Saturday - September 18th
35 degrees warming up to 68 degrees this afternoon in Lamar Valley. I viewed two foxes and a porcupine today. At 6:30 a.m. we had a grizzly again on Amethyst Bench. At 7:00 a.m. we had a small grizzly eating berries in Crystal Drainage viewed from the Slough Creek stop sign. At 7:30 a.m. I found a grizzly digging east of the foothills to the south viewed from Trashcan Pullout.
Sunday - September 19th
51 degrees with mid-morning rain with a high of 51 degrees. I had a THREE DOG DAY today. At 7:30 a.m. twelve black and three gray wolves first seen on the first sliver of Ski Slope eventually chasing a herd of bison with no results and disappearing over the top of Ski Slope going to the south viewed from Coyote Overlook. At 8:45 a.m. Taylor B found the small grizzly again in Crystal Drainage viewed from the Slough Creek bathroom. At 9:40 a.m. we had a black wolf in Crystal Drainage moving east. At 5:45 p.m. I spotted a grizzly moving southwest of the Confluence.
Monday - September 20th
33 degrees this morning with snow on my car warming up to 49 degrees. I had a fox on the road this morning going into the park. At 7:00 a.m. we watched 17 wolves hunting bison on the slopes of Norris viewed from the Confluence. At 8:15 a.m. John G found a grizzly in the drainage to the east of the Slough Creek den area. At 9:45 a.m. John and Carolyn G showed me a grizzly in the tree line above Amethyst Bench. It had earlier found a small old carcass on the bench and dragged it back into the tree line to eat in private. At 10:30 a.m. three gray pups and one black pup were in the rendezvous area. (They did not join the 20 on the hunt on Norris). At noon I found a dark grizzly digging north of Picnic Area. At 3:00 p.m. I found the small grizzly again eating berries in the Crystal Drainage. At 3:40 p.m. John G found a black bear also in Crystal eating berries. At 5:30 p.m. with John and Carolyn G help I watched the Middle Ridge grizzly sow with two cubs of the year near the skyline south of the Institute.
People Seen
Wolf Watchers: From Montana: Wendy B, Jeremy S, Dan and Laurie L, Taylor B, Doug M, and Rick M. From Oregon: David and Stephanie O. From Washington: Larry and Linda R. From Texas: Carl L, and Carol S. From Iowa: Jim and Joellyn B. From New York: Rick and Maureen B. From California: Bob H, Kathie L, and Mark M. From Virginia: Dusty. Bear Watchers: From Montana: Jack G. From Louisiana: Bruce P. From Virginia: Big John. From Colorado: Rick and Len H. From Washington: John G. From Utah: Dean and Jeri D, and Mark and Liz H. From Wyoming: Tom H. From Illinois: Frank G. From Oklahoma: Shaun and Regina W. Others seen this report: From Montana: Evan S, Melba C, Will S, Claire L, Cara M, Audra C, Chris H, Josh F, and MacNeil L. From Idaho: Adam B. From Colorado: Brian and Diane A. From Vermont: John K. And from Arizona: David and Phyllis.
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Yellowstone National Park
Lamar Valley Map - Yellowstone National Park
| Yellowstone National Park Trip Reports | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2021 | 2016 | 2011 |
| 2025 | 2020 | 2015 | 2010 |
| 2024 | 2019 | 2014 | 2009 |
| 2023 | 2018 | 2013 | 2008 |
| 2022 | 2017 | 2012 | 2007 |
| Yellowstone National Park Trip Reports | |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 2000 |
| 1996 | 2002 |
| 1997 | 2003 |
| 1998 | 2004 |
| 1999 | 2005 |
| 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 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 |
| Links | |
|---|---|
| The Great Outdoors Net | Great Outdoor Recreational Places |
| Gardiner, Montana | West Yellowstone, Montana |
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