Yellowstone National Park 2026 Trip Reports
Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin
April 30th through May 3rd 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
~ April 2026 ~
April 30th - Thursday
33 degrees in Gardiner this morning warming up to 55 degrees this afternoon out in the park. Today was my quick trip to Idaho Falls to get rid of my motel stuff and pick up my camping stuff. Randi M and others reported seeing twelve grizzlies, including both the Ski Slope grizzly sow with one two and one-half year-old light-colored cub as well as the Middle Ridge grizzly sow with one large two- and one-half year-old light-colored cub. At 2:35 p.m. back in the park I found the Middle Ridge grizzly sow with one two and one half year old cub on Specimen Ridge. Randi had it this morning from Coyote Pullout in Lamar up again in the Northern Divide Ridge. At 4:15 p.m. Gary G had a small black bear on Chalcedony Fan. At 4:10 p.m. I found a small colorful grizzly digging in the Bowl (one of Randi's from this morning). At 4:55 p.m. I found a bear on Calfee. I could not determine if it was a grizzly or black bear. At 5:15 p.m. there was a large black bear in the tree line south of Picnic Pullout. At 5:30 p.m. Kevin M found a medium sized dark grizzly digging on Lois Lane (part of Norris). Later it moved to digging on Penny Lane. At 5:40 p.m. Kevin M spotted a larger grizzly farther to the south traveling to the north. At 6:30 p.m. Gabriel M found a big dark grizzly north of Hubbard Hill. It was walking the skyline as it left, a beautiful sight. At 7:15 p.m. we had a medium sized colorful grizzly four hundred yards off the road to the north, northeast of the cone.
~ May 2026 ~
May 1st - Friday
It was 24 degrees this morning in Silver Gate, warming up to 55 degrees out in the park this afternoon. At 7:50 a.m. I found a light-colored grizzly digging north of Picnic Pullout, it glowed in the sun. It was out again at 2:30 p.m. At 8:10 a.m. Doug M had a small grizzly digging in the Salad Bowl/Southern Divide Ridge. At 8:25 p.m. I found a medium sized colorful grizzly digging northeast of Coyote Overlook. At 10:00 a.m. Dean D found the Ski Slope grizzly sow with one two year and one-half year-old light-colored cub south of Picnic. At 10:35 a.m. Gary found a small colorful grizzly moving northeast from east of Coyote Overlook. It was later harassed by a coyote and ran away, then returned moving away from the area (possible coyote den). At 10:35 a.m. we watched nine black and both grays of the Junction Butte Pack trying to get a bison calf from a herd. They did not succeed. At 12:15 p.m. Greg and Renee B showed me a medium sized grizzly just across the Lamar River from Midpoint Pullout. It was moving and feeding a little, created a large bear jam. It was out again in the same area at 2:30 p.m. At 12:20 p.m. I saw a tall grizzly digging in the Bowl (Randi reported this one earlier). At 12:45 p.m. we had a small black bear in the tree line south of Hubbard Hill. At 1:40 p.m. I found a small colorful grizzly digging on Druid Peak from Trashcan Pullout (my first grizzly on Druid Peak). At 1:50 p.m. Dean D found a black cinnamon bear in the tree line south of Trashcan. At 3:00 p.m. we had a large cinnamon black bear ten yards off the road in Lamar Canyon. A major bear jam with people getting too close. At 4:00 p.m. we watched a black wolf chasing an elk across Lion Meadow below the Slough Den. At 6:00 p.m. the wolf was bedded close to the den.
May 2nd - Saturday
25 degrees in Sliver Gate this morning warming up to 67 degrees out in the park this afternoon. I had a THREE DOG DAY today. Just like last year there is a fox den not too far inside the park from the Northeast Entrance. At 6:00 a.m. I found a small grizzly digging on Amethyst Bench It had bison most of the way around it, but it had trees behind it. At 6:25 a.m. Kevin M called with two grizzlies in sight east of Boulder Pullout. I assumed the Middle Ridge family. It was not. Both out of sight when I arrived but with Doug M and Kevin's help, we located them. The first one was a dark grizzly with a little bit of color. A brief sighting as it stood up looked at the road and the cars and ran over the hill and out of sight. The second grizzly was the 5 1/2-year-old female who was just walking around to the east. I did not talk to Kevin about what they were doing so I do not know the whole story. At 6:55 a.m. from the Slough Creek Restroom I found small colorful grizzly at the bottom of the Southern Divide Ridge. A brief sighting, only a few friends got their scopes on it before it disappeared. At 7:00 a.m. Frank H called with a grizzly in the Slough Creek bottoms. After a while it was east of the Horizontal Forest and we got to look at it. At 7:00 a.m. there were a few wolves around the Slough Den. I saw one black bedded near the 890 tree. That gave me a THREE DOG DAY. At 8:00 a.m. Gary G found the Ski Slope grizzly sow and one two and one-half year-old light-colored cub south of Picnic. They were in and out of sight most of the morning. At 8:10 a.m. while looking to where the family had disappeared, I found a medium sized grizzly three hundred yards to the east of the family. It was out again early this afternoon. At 8:20 a.m. Hayden found a black bear in the tree line south of the Institute. At 8:45 a.m. Hayden G made a great spot of two sub adults high north of Fisherman's Pullout. It is a spot where you have to be far east to see that area. We watched them from Trashcan Pullout. It was the Druid Peak two sub adult grizzlies digging, one dark and one blond. Last fall Gary and I watched the whole family, the sow and three two-year-olds there several times. At 8:45 a.m. I found a small colorful grizzly digging north of Coyote Pullout. It was in view for a long time. About 10:00 a.m. Jeff and Valerie B showed me a small colorful grizzly digging near the mixed confer/aspen forest in Slough Creek. At 7:10 p.m. we had a black bear high northeast of Footbridge Pullout.
May 3rd - Sunday
32 degrees in Silver Gate this morning warming up to 69 degrees out in the park this afternoon. I watched two trumpeter swans in Slough Creek this afternoon. The park has posted the wolf closure area at Slough Creek since the wolves are now denned. Basically, you cannot cross Slough Creek. The mosquitos are already out when the sun gets low. At 6:00 a.m. Hayden G found a small colorful grizzly north of Picnic Pullout viewed from Coyote Overlook. We got a better view later from Trashcan Pullout, and it remained in sight for a few hours. At 6:15 a.m. Hayden found a black bear low on Ski Slope. At 6:30 a.m. Terri W found a small colorful grizzly near the western foothills. It was in view again this afternoon having moved to the east half mile. At 7:00 a.m. Hayden had a small colorful grizzly in the drainage north of Picnic Pullout. It was difficult to see but finally we got a brief view. Tonight, it was in sight on the inverted triangle clearing. At 7:45 a.m. Gary G found the Ski Slope grizzly sow with one large two- and one-half year-old light-colored cub on Square Meadow. A brief sighting but we moved from Trashcan to the Institute and we had better view. They were out again this evening on Amethyst Bench. At 8:15 a.m. I found a colorful grizzly north of Hubbard Hill viewed from the Institute. It was glowing in the sun, and we saw steam coming out of its month as it breathed. At 9:00 a.m. Gary G found the Institute sow with two 2 1/2-year-old cubs north of Picnic Pullout. This was the first time we saw this family this year. At 11:50 a.m. I found a large grizzly grazing on grass in Bear Meadow viewed from the Institute. It was only seen for ten minutes and was not seen again today. At 4:00 p.m. I found a black wolf going up to the den at Slough Creek. This made my THREE DOG DAY today. The wolf watchers had seven or so wolves in view near the den this morning. At 4:00 p.m. Gary G showed me a large black bear basically north of Fisherman's Pullout viewed from Straightaway Pullout in Little America. At 7:10 p.m. about a half mile from Warm Creek in a meadow to the south, a large brown grizzly stood up on its hind legs and looked at the road. A car or two pulled over and that was enough for the grizzly to stand again and run off and out of sight.
People Seen
Wolf Watchers: From Montana: Marisa F, Rick M, Jeff A and Bob J. From Utah: Paul H. From Missouri: Frank H. From South Carolina: Greg and Renee B. From California: Glenda M. From Colorado: Karol B, and Bob P. And from Oregon: Michael and Debbie O. Bear Watchers seen this report: From Louisiana: Bruce P. From Washington: Randi M. From Utah: Dean and Jeri D, and Hayden G. From Mississippi: Gary G. From Montana: Doug M, Howard A, and Jeff and Valeria B. From Wyoming: Kevin M, and Gabriel M with their parents Daniel and Mary. From California: Carol B. From Florida: Chris C. From Georgia: Ken C. From Vermont: Don P. From Ohio: Jim and Twyla E. And from South Carolina: Scott P. Others seen this report: From Montana: Andrea B, Quinn H, Debbie M, Scott B, Pete B, Grant J, Cam H, Cliff B, Dan H, and Michael S. From Idaho: Scott B. From Florida: Bill L and Mark L. And from South Dakoka: Phillip H.
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
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