Wildlife Watching in Yellowstone National Park: Bison, Bears & Lamar Valley
No trip to Yellowstone National Park feels complete without a wildlife encounter or two, and we were definitely not disappointed. The park is home to an incredible variety of animals, and seeing them roaming freely across the landscape quickly became one of our favorite parts of the trip.
While wildlife can appear almost anywhere in Yellowstone, there are a few places that are especially well known for sightings. These were the areas that gave us some of our most memorable moments.
Lamar Valley
Lamar Valley is probably the most famous wildlife watching area in Yellowstone, and after visiting, it's easy to understand why. Located in the northeastern part of the park, the landscape feels completely different from much of Yellowstone. After winding through forested hills, the road suddenly opens into wide grasslands that seem to stretch forever.
We got an early start and reached the valley just as the first light was beginning to cut through a thick layer of morning fog. We parked at one overlook, made coffee to warm up, and watched the landscape slowly come to life. At first, we wondered if we'd arrived too early because we weren't seeing much wildlife.
Fortunately, we decided to keep driving.
Almost immediately, a huge bison stepped onto the road and casually walked straight toward our van. He strolled right down the centerline as if traffic simply worked around him. He passed so close that we could have reached out and touched him, though of course we stayed inside and admired him from a respectful distance.
From there, the sightings kept coming. Bison grazed across distant hillsides, wandered through open meadows, and appeared right alongside the road. Watching such enormous animals move so calmly through the valley was incredible. It never felt like a zoo or a managed wildlife area. This was their home, and we were simply driving through it.
One stop led us to a short walk overlooking a small stream where a herd of bison had gathered. A large bull stood on a nearby rise, almost as if he were keeping watch over the rest of the herd.
Bringing binoculars turned out to be one of the best decisions we made on this trip. They gave us a much better look at the animals without needing to get any closer.
One of my favorite moments came when a massive bison suddenly dropped to the ground and began rolling enthusiastically in the dirt. Whether he was scratching an itch or simply enjoying himself, it was impossible not to smile watching such a huge animal happily kicking up clouds of dust.
Hayden Valley
Hayden Valley is smaller than Lamar Valley but can be just as rewarding if you arrive at the right time of day. Our first drive through the valley was during the late morning as we traveled north from the Lake Village area toward Canyon Village. We kept an eye out for elk and pronghorns and spotted a few bison, but overall it was fairly quiet.
On our last night in Yellowstone, we looked at each other and decided to squeeze in one final sunrise drive before heading back to Salt Lake City for our flight home. It meant a very early alarm, but neither of us wanted to leave wondering what we might have missed.
It turned out to be one of the best decisions of the trip.
Hayden Valley was absolutely alive with bison. Herd after herd gathered near the road, creating a classic Yellowstone bison jam that slowed traffic to a crawl. We watched them grazing, running, kicking up dirt, vocalizing to one another, and simply going about their morning.
We lingered much longer than we probably should have and came dangerously close to missing our flight.
Blacktail Plateau Drive
We hadn't planned on driving Blacktail Plateau Drive. We simply noticed the dirt road on the park map and, as usual, couldn't resist exploring it. The road was bumpy but well maintained, and it offered a quieter drive away from the busier sections of the park.
Up until this point, we had gone our entire Yellowstone trip without seeing a bear. We secretly hoped one might wander into a meadow somewhere along the drive. For a while, it looked like we were out of luck.
Then we came across a small pullout with three cars already parked. That's almost always a good sign in Yellowstone. We pulled over, grabbed the camera, and quickly spotted a young black bear rolling around in a grassy meadow far in the distance. I mounted my telephoto lens and spent several minutes photographing him as he played in the grass.
It ended up being the only bear we photographed during the trip, and we were perfectly happy viewing him from a long way away.
Earlier in the trip, I also caught a brief glimpse of what I believe may have been a grizzly bear in a distant meadow. The trees opened for only a second as we drove past, revealing a large brown animal before it disappeared back into the forest. We turned around to look again, but it was already gone. I'll never know for certain, but it remains one of those Yellowstone moments that still makes me wonder.
More Yellowstone Wildlife
Bison may have stolen the show, but they weren't the only wildlife we encountered.
We spotted pronghorns feeding across open fields, towering bull elk, and an active osprey nest perched above a large ravine. One adult remained near the nest while the other hunted nearby, and through our binoculars we could just make out movement from the young birds tucked safely inside.
Every drive through Yellowstone felt like it held the possibility of seeing something new around the next bend, and that sense of anticipation became one of our favorite parts of exploring the park.
If you're planning a visit, remember that these animals are completely wild. Give them plenty of room, stay on designated roads and pullouts, and never approach or feed them. A telephoto lens and a pair of binoculars will let you enjoy incredible views while helping keep both you and the animals safe.
Here are a few more of my favorite photos from our wildlife adventures around Yellowstone National Park.
