Yellowstone National Park 2026 Trip Reports
Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin
29 March through 1 April 2026
Yellowstone National Park
Beautiful Mountain Lion ~ Lamar Valley ~ April 10th, 2023 ~ Photo by Linda Rudge Carney © All Rights Reserved
Mountain Lion ~ also known as the Cougar, Puma, Panther, or Catamount ~ Puma concolor
~ March 2026 ~
March 29th - Sunday
Sunday March 29th. 39 degrees at Gardiner this morning warming up to 60 degrees with winds this afternoon out in the park. I viewed three trumpeter swans flying south to north across the slopes of Hellroaring this morning. One grouse flew away from Upper Hellroaring Pullout early this morning. I had my first two sandhill cranes grazing near Footbridge this morning.
March 30th - Monday
Monday March 30th. 51 degrees in Gardiner this morning warming up to 58 with afternoon winds again. Last evening the Junction Butte wolves killed a bull bison across the Hellroaring Creek late in the evening that I did not see. At 6:40 a.m. the Junctions Butte wolves were around last night's kill. I only viewed seven blacks; the total pack is thirteen blacks and two grays. At 8:00 a.m. some people had the Rescue Creek wolf pack near a carcass out of sight in Elk Creek. The wolves were mostly behind some trees, and we could see a lot of ravens in the area. My count was five blacks and two grays, the total count for the pack currently is just like the Junction Butte wolfpack, thirteen blacks and two grays. At 9:30 a.m. I found a grizzly digging on the east side of Junction Butte viewed from Boulder Pullout. I believe this grizzly is the now 5 1/2-year-old Middle Ridge/old Junction Butte sub adult. Soon she slowly fed over the skyline and out of sight. Others located her by moving farther away to the east. The grizzly was in sight of over an hour, and this afternoon in view again a little below the skyline of Junction Butte for over an hour.
March 31st - Tuesday
It was 27 degrees and snowing in Gardiner this morning warming up to 45 degrees this afternoon out in the park. The roads were somewhat snow covered all over the park. We only got about an inch, and the park snowplows were out quickly this morning. People in Cooke City had about eight inches. A lot of low clouds all day did not help watching for bears and wolves. From 2:45 p.m. to 3:40 p.m. I watched the Junction Butte wolves from Upper Hellroaring. They were on the move to the east and stretched out in a long line moving across the slopes of Hellroaring. They surrounded a herd of fifteen or so bison. The herd soon circled into a defensive circle. The pack moved slowly farther to the west; but a couple of the pups lingered and were chased away by a couple of bull bison.
~ April 2026 ~
April 1st - Wednesday
34 degrees in Gardiner this morning warming up to 46 degrees this afternoon out in the park. We had some sun, some rain and some sleet and not too much wind. The bald eagle is on the nest north of the dirt pullout east of Long Pullout, which can also be seen from down the Slough Creek Campground Road. Floating Island Pond is 95 percent open water. Most years it is mid to late April before the ice goes off. I walked behind the Mammoth Visitor Center on three occasions looking for the great horned owls who nest there. I have not seen them yet. A ranger/naturist told me they were there, seeing pellets below the nest tree and the lone pine the male usually sits in. At 9:00 a.m. a guide found two of the Junction Butte wolves down towards the Marge Simpson Tree west in Slough Creek. Both were black, one was collared. At 10:30 a.m. I was at Long Pullout and found more Junction wolves high north of Fisherman's Pullout in Lamar Valley, a long view but they were in snow. They were chasing six or eight bull elk through the snow. I counted at least nine wolves. At 12:30 p.m. Julie A found the 5 1/2-year-old female grizzly on the top of Junction Butte from Elk Creek Pullout to the west. She was digging some but doing a lot of turning over rocks. Since the grizzly was on the far southwest side of Junction Butte, we moved closer to watch her. First at Rick's Pullout, then the gas station at Tower and finally the road just east of the Yellowstone River Picnic Area. I watched her for over an hour and returning from Lamar Valley she was still in sight on the Butte at 3:30 p.m. At 2:20 p.m. others were watching the Junction wolves above Fisherman's Pullout and Julie A had a good look at them from north of Coyote Overlook traveling to the east. This afternoon we had thirteen wolves, eleven black and two grays, only missing the two blacks that were near the Marge Simpson Tree this morning.
People Seen
People seen this report: Wolf Watchers: From Montana: Rick M, Taylor R, Jeff A, Jeremy S, Janice and Cindy H, Jeff B, Marisa F and Mike and Jill B. From California: Bruce and MaryJean Mc, and Glenda M. From Utah: Paul H, Charlie M and Julie and Josie A. From Kansas: Calvin and Lynette J. From New Mexico: Lynn C. From North Dakota: Sandy H. From Arizona Steve J. And From England Jacob B. Bear Watchers seen this report: From Louisiana: Bruce P. From Montana: Doug M, Jeff and Valerie B, and Kathy M. Others seen this report: From Montana: Michael S, Mike S, Dan and Cindy H, Quinn H, Grant J, JoJo K, Cliff B, Andrea B, Pete B and Bryan B.
Beautiful Mountain Lion ~ Lamar Valley ~ April 10th, 2023 ~ Photo by Linda Rudge Carney © All Rights Reserved
Mountain Lion ~ also known as the Cougar, Puma, Panther, or Catamount ~ Puma concolor
Yellowstone National Park
Lamar Valley Map - Yellowstone National Park
| Yellowstone National Park Trip Reports | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2032 | 2026 | 2020 | 2014 | 2008 | 2000 |
| 2031 | 2025 | 2019 | 2013 | 2007 | 1999 |
| 2030 | 2024 | 2018 | 2012 | 2005 | 1998 |
| 2029 | 2023 | 2017 | 2011 | 2004 | 1997 |
| 2028 | 2022 | 2016 | 2010 | 2003 | 1996 |
| 2027 | 2021 | 2015 | 2009 | 2002 | 1995 |
| 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 |
 |
 |