Yellowstone National Park 2026 Trip Reports
Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin
September 24th through 27th 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
~ September 2026 ~
September 24th - Thursday
34 degrees this morning in Silver Gate warming up to 75 degrees outside the park this evening. At 6:40 a.m. Marisa de F found a grizzly walking to the south in the large meadow behind the eastern end of Jasper Bench. In sight for above ten minutes taking, its time. Bear watching remains really slow in Yellowstone, so I decided to go out of the park to the north to watch for grizzlies. I had seventeen grizzlies this evening: a sow with one cub of the year (coy), two sows with two coys each, a sow with three large yearlings, a pair of larger blond sub adults, and three individual grizzlies. I camped outside of Gardiner, Montana this evening.
September 25th - Friday
48 degrees this morning outside of Gardiner warming up to 76 degrees back in Yellowstone Park this evening. I had fifteen grizzlies tonight north of the park: a sow with one coy, two sows with two coys each, a sow with three large yearlings, the colorful pair of larger blond sub adults, and three individual grizzlies.
September 26th - Saturday
54 degrees this morning in Silver Gate warming up to 65 degrees out in the park this afternoon. At 7:00 a.m. Michelle H, Yellowstone Wolf Tracker, called with a medium to small sized grizzly digging behind the Western Foothills in Lamar Valley. With Michele's help I watched the grizzly for about ten minutes before it retreated to the tree line and out of sight. This evening the same grizzly came out in the same place, and I watched it for about thirty minutes.
September 27th - Sunday
37 degrees in Silver Gate this morning warming up to 69 degrees out in the park. 1573M, a Rescue Creek wolf was shot in a legal hunt outside of the park. That is in unit 313. Only one wolf is allowed to be harvested in unit 313 and 316. Unit 313 should now be closed to hunting of wolves and only one wolf remains to be harvested in Unit 316 in these two units that border the park. Also, Wyoming Units 1 and 2 east of the park towards Cody have harvested two in each unit, so no further hunting of wolves should be allowed (note: for the wolf watchers this is important, since the Mollies wolf pack who traces its bloodline back to the wolf introduction in 1995 and has the oldest wolf, 1090F in the pack; Concern about trophy hunters trying to kill her in the hunt. I found no grizzlies today in the park.
People Seen
Wolf Watchers: From Montana: Rick M, Wendy B, Marisa de F, Ilona P, Claire L and Jeff B. From Utah: Celia L. From California: Glenda M and Kelly K. From Idaho: Roger and Lynda S and Tom and Molly B. And from Missouri: Frank H. Bear Watchers: From Mississippi; Gary G. From Illinois: Chicago Bob and Margaret P. From Montana: Jack G, Sarah W with mom and aunt, and Tim G. From Oklahoma: Shaun and Regina W. From Colorado: Rick and Tanner H. And from Wyoming: Tom H. Others seen this report: From Montana: Matt D, Michael S, Hunter G, Jayden A, Keith V, Evan S, Kate J, Michelle H, and Quinn H. and from Washington: Aaron M.
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 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 Ranger Station Videos | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bechler | Tower Fall | |
| Yellowstone Area Videos | ||
|---|---|---|
| Lamar Valley | Picnic Areas | Ponds in Little America |
| Yellowstone National Park WebCams | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| All WebCams | East Entrance | Mammoth | Mount Washburn |
| North Entrance | Old Faithful Live | West Entrance | 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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