Yellowstone National Park 2026 Trip Reports
Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin
June 17th through 20th 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
~ June 2026 ~
June 17th - Wednesday
58 degrees in Silver Gate this morning warming up to the low 70's this afternoon out in the park. At 5:35 a.m. Gary G found a grizzly north of Fisherman's Pullout in Secret Passage viewed from the Institute. It was a very long spot, but we have seen grizzlies in that area before. At 7:00 a.m. Gary had a large black bear in the tree line near the Chalcedony Fan. At 9:25 a.m. Kim H found the Institute grizzly sow with her two colorful two and one-half year-old cubs north of the Institute. In sight for only ten minutes, but they later came out again in the next meadow and were in view for almost an hour. The cubs must have felt good today because there was a lot of chasing and playing. Once even the sow engaged in a short play. At 9:40 a.m. Hunter G, Silver Gate Guides, had two small grizzly's high west of the Bell. These were the two Specimen Ridge two and one-half year-old sub adults.
June 18th - Thursday
39 degrees in Silver Gate this morning warming up to 76 degrees out in the park this afternoon. I had a fox and several coyotes but no wolves today. At 5:45 a.m. I found the Institute grizzly sow with her two colorful two and one-half year-old cubs north of the Institute. Not in view too long this morning. At 6:45 a.m. Michael S, Wolf Tracker, called with grizzlies north of Coyote Pullout. When I arrived Hunter G, Silver Gate Guides, showed me where they were digging. I believe these were two of the three Druid Peak sub adult grizzlies. They were digging but not too close together. Not in view too long then moved behind a large hill below the skyline. At 8:00 a.m. Gary G found a colorful grizzly digging northeast of Coyote Pullout. It remained in sight for over two hours. At 9:00 a.m. Kim H found a dark grizzly walking the snow cornice just below the skyline south of the Institute. In sight for five or ten minutes before it disappeared down into the trees. At 9:40 a.m. Gary found a small cinnamon black bear low in Bear Meadow. At 1:50 p.m. there was a cinnamon black bear in Round Prairie. As often happens, people thought they were watching a grizzly, but it was not. At 4:45 p.m. a large black bear crossed the road in front of me between Silver Gate and Cooke City.
June 19th - Friday
42 degrees in Silver Gate this morning warming up to the low 70's out in the park this afternoon. At 5:25 a.m. Jeff A found the K-3 grizzly sow with two large two and one-half year-old cubs digging on Calfee. The light was not good, but it was nice to see them still together, it had been four days since we saw them. At 6:00 a.m. Doug M showed me two small sub adults in a meadow under the snow cornices. In view for about fifteen minutes, they ran off uphill and out of sight. I only noticed elk below them. But it is good to be cautious if you are a sub adult grizzly. At 6:40 a.m. Gary G had a dark grizzly digging in the Bowl. It was in sight for a while this morning. At 7:10 a.m. Jeff A had a grizzly digging in the A-Z Meadow. It was in view for a long time and people were watching from Fisherman's, Coyote as well as Dorothy's Pullout. At 7:30 a.m. Kate J, Silver Gate Guides, called with a grizzly north of Coyote but had to be viewed from west of Coyote Pullout. I was at Lamar Canyon East and Kate's directions put me on the grizzly in under a minute. A medium or sow sized grizzly digging and slowly moving west. At 7:45 a.m. I found the Institute grizzly sow with her two colorful two and one-half year-old cubs northeast of Coyote Pullout. These bears could be seen from Coyote, west of Coyote and Lamar Canyon West. In view for forty-five minutes, but often in heavy sagebrush. At 9:15 a.m. Gary called with a cinnamon black bear with two cubs of the year on the lower part of Salad Bowl/Southern Divide Ridge. That was the first cub of the year I have seen in 2026. I still have not seen either a cub of the year or a yearling in Lamar this year to date. At 1:15 p.m. we had a medium sized cinnamon black bear south of the road at Lower Barronette Pullout. At 1:20 p.m. I had a large black bear crossing the road south to north a mile east of Lower Barronette.
June 20th - Saturday
48 degrees in Silver Gate this morning warming up to 71 degrees out in the park this afternoon. At 5:20 a.m. Gary G found a grizzly digging in the A-Z Meadow. At 6:20 a.m. from Lamar Canyon East I found a sow sized grizzly digging northeast of Coyote. We were hoping it might be the Institute sow with her two cubs, but it was a single grizzly. About this time the wolf watchers had the Junction Butte wolves for the first time in several days. I counted both the grays and six black wolves (I heard, the wolf watchers counted twelve of the fifteen). At 8:35 a.m. I found a small grizzly digging on the first large meadow behind Ski Slope. It was in sight for a while. At 9:25 a.m. Gary found the Institute grizzly sow with her two colorful two and one-half year-old cubs high northeast of the Institute. Viewing was good for a while but then it went out of sight. Early this afternoon Randi M found them again for about fifteen minutes of viewing. At 1:50 p.m. we had a black bear seen south of the Soda Butte Cone. At 2:10 p.m. a black bear jam stopped cars at Soda Butte Picnic Area.
People Seen
Wolf Watchers: From Montana: Rick M, Jeff A, Bob J, Marisa F, Wendy B, Janice and Cindy H, Leo L, Dan and Laurie L, and Helena E. From Connecticut: Geoff, Kate, Luke F and Tennille. From Oregon: Richard and Linda Y. Bear Watchers seen this report: From Mississippi: Gary G. From Washington: Randi M. From Colorado: Kim H and Rick and Tanner H. From Utah: Julie. From Montana: Doug M and Tim G. From Wyoming: Sandi R. And from Idaho: Kim and Joyce C. Others seen this report: From Montana: Audra C, Hunter G, Anu L, Mike S, Michael S Jayden A, Cam H, Kate J, Quinn H, and Grant J. From Wyoming: Tom H. And from Idaho: Scott B. HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!
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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