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Posted by Ballpark Frank (64.79.35.96) on 09:34:38 06/22/17
In Reply to: Morning Outing From Canyon posted by Jilly
Jilly,
Pamela offered sound advice, so I am not going to duplicate her input.
Here are a few add-ons: By late August, Yellowstone can be considerably different than the cavalcade of wildlife that we see in May and June. The bison are still rutting, so that can be a plus or a minus in Hayden Valley, depending on whether they are out blocking the road. Also, Hayden Valley can be prone to fog development overnight, which can last through the first 2-4 hours of the morning, depending on the weather variables, like barometer, humidity, temperature, and wind. I have been in pea soup fog on more than one occasion in the valley in mid to late August. (Heck, I've seen it in June and July as well.)
If Hayden Valley is fogged in, and you head north, you will at least avail yourself of the possibility of a great grizzly sighting on Dunraven Pass. I have seen grizz real close to the road in the early morning up there many times.
If the wolfing is slow, don't forget the bear viewing possibilities along the East Entrance road, east of Fishing Bridge.
Off the beaten path driving opportunities took multiple hits about 20 or so years ago, when they closed the Bunsen Peak road and the extension of the Fountain Flat Freight Road out to Goose Lake. Options are limited. You can drive a mile or two down to Natural Bridge, just south of Bridge Bay, but that is not much. If you will be driving a vehicle with a lot of ground clearance, you could go out the South Entrance, and head west on the Reclamation Road from the Flagg Ranch area. It runs just south of the park boundary all the way over to the Bechler ranger station/Cave Falls area. If you have never been there, that is an interesting area to check out. Other nice drives outside the park include the Beartooth Hwy, the Sunlight Basin road, and numerous roads down around Island Park that access Big Springs (the source of the Henry's Fork, Sawtelle Peak, and showy waterfalls (Lava Falls and others).
Ballpark
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