The best time to visit Yellowstone Park depends on what kind of trip you want to have. The badgers favorite food in Yellowstone are ground squirrels, and we often see badgers digging in the ground in search of a meal. The Tower-Roosevelt area. Early morning and evening hours are the best times to view wildlife. However, if there is a specific species you’re hoping to photograph (or, well, Instagram), some months are better than others. Or are they just different areas that wildlife in general is more abundant in? This is my favorite spot in Yellowstone, by far. Lamar Valley. There are many places in Yellowstone to see animals, but I will give you the best ones (that I know of). Winter, however, is when Yellowstone is at its best – particularly for wildlife lovers. To be even more specific for me the best time to visit Yellowstone is during Mid-September and I’m going to tell you everything you need to know to make your own decision on when the best time will be for you. To see and photograph a Yellowstone cutthroat run up close, head to Trout Lake, where in early summer the trout run up a tiny stream to spawn. You need a minimum of three full days to see the top sights in Yellowstone. There are nearly 300 species of birds, 16 species of fish, five species of amphibians, six species of reptiles, and 67 species of mammals—including seven native ungulate species and two bear species. The Reasons Wildlife in Yellowstone National Park is closer than you might expect and often not afraid of the millions of people they see every year, so there are lots of rules. Grand Teton is basically next door. Yellowstone is obviously an iconic park and so I was really excited to see it! This is the other place that is big for seeing wildlife in Yellowstone. Real wildlife, like buffalo, wolves, and even bears, in their natural habitat enjoying the vast wilderness before them. Yellowstone National Park's wolf population is estimated to be up by as much as 20 percent, and winter is the best time to see them. For me, as great as those features are, Yellowstone will always be a place to view large wildlife. Predators like wolves are crepuscular – that is, they are most active at dusk and dawn, when they can move with stealth in the low light. Badgers, like the one pictured are common at lower elevations and can be spotted in the northern range of Yellowstone park. If you want to see buffalo, elk, deer, bears, wolves, moose…this is the place to go. We have two young boys (6 & 8) so any advice on antsy kids and wildlife viewing is also welcome. The best time to see grizzlies is early in the morning, late in the evening, and at night. In mid-summer, they are mainly seen near the Tower–Roosevelt meadows and in the Hayden and Lamar valleys. Visiting Yellowstone in the late Spring (May, June) If you’re set on visiting Yellowstone in the spring, the best time is May to June when more parts of the park will be accessible. Best time of year to visit Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone is open all year round, though most park roads are closed when winter comes due to heavy snowfall and inclement conditions. The best time to visit Yellowstone depends on whether you value warm weather, sparse crowds, baby animal sightings or brilliant fall foliage. Regardless of what time of year you choose to visit Yellowstone, all seasons have something exceptional to offer the wildlife enthusiast, the budding photographer, or the intrepid adventurer. Then in April through May/June new life comes forth with baby bison, elk, pronghorn, moose, and wolf cubs. United States - Best time for wildlife viewing in Yellowstone? The world’s oldest national park sits on top of a giant supervolcano. (Photo by Dave Walsh/Getty Images) Wildlife … Yellowstone is known for its abundant wildlife that can be viewed year-round. WHEN to see animals: Early morning and later evening is the best time of day to see wildlife in Yellowstone. Timing is everything for seeing wildlife. Today there are around 10 packs in the park that have about 100 wolves and over 520 individuals living in the territory of Greater Yellowstone. Spring in Yellowstone is a great time for wildlife viewing. Let’s see, one of your top five reasons for planning a vacation to Yellowstone National Park is to see the wildlife right? Habitat preferences and seasonal cycles of movement determine, in a general sense, where a particular animal may be at a particular time. In the park, animals have over 3,000 square miles (over 7,500 square km) of habitat available to them, so seeing them usually involves both luck and timing. Yellowstone is one of the best wildlife destinations on the planet. Splashes of color dot the landscape as the first wildflowers erupt in the wake... Summer in Yellowstone (Mid-June – August). So if you are in the park to see wolves, you are fine. Carved by glaciers and... 2. Thus your best bet to see Hayden’s resident Wapiti Lake wolf pack is to arrive around dawn and find a place to watch. Bears start to emerge from their dens in March followed by the return of migrating birdlife. If you are visiting Yellowstone with your kids and family, then you would probably want to opt for warmer weather i-e July and August. Well, you’ve picked the right national park. Since Yellowstone is so large, you will potentially spend several hours each day driving from sight to sight. The Lamar valley is the best place to see wolves in Yellowstone. This is Yellowstone wolf watching gold! Below the chart, I’ve described the reasoning for those times of the year, as well as areas that those particular animals frequently are seen. Hello! And you can still enjoy natural spectacle along the Yellowstone: the Hayden Valley is a spectacular place to see grizzly bears and other wildlife. But you need to know where to go. Yellowstone’s abundant and diverse wildlife are as famous as its geysers. Bears also like this early time of day. Don't fool yourself, you need to splurge on those binoculars, get a good pair. The Best Time to Visit Yellowstone to See Wildlife Image Credit: Lloyd Blunk via Unsplash. Top Rated Yellowstone Hiking Tours Here you can find a huge variety of free roaming animals. The summer crowds begin to disappear, and you have a real chance for solitude, and phenomenal wildlife viewing. Bison are the easiest to spot and you can see them at any time of the year. Early morning and evening hours are when animals tend to be feeding and thus are more easily seen. Add in extra time for wildlife sightings, animal traffic jams, and maybe even circling the parking lots midday for an empty space. You can see wildlife in Yellowstone year round. But remember that the… - My wife and I are retired, so we can travel whenever we want. We weren’t sure when the best time to visit Yellowstone was. Yellowstone's abundant wildlife is as famous as its geysers. The animals are often far off, especially wolves and bears and you'll be out of luck if you don't have binoculars. Best Places To See Wildlife in Yellowstone NP 1) Lamar Valley. The best viewing spots are located around Yellowstone Lake, Fishing Bridge, Hayden and Lamar valleys, Swan Lake Flats, and the East Entrance. Spring (from late March – early April to May) is the best time to see bears next to the roads; in … Each season holds dear memories to me, and my only hope is that you get out there to experience Yellowstone at any time of year with you and yours. Winter is the best time to see wolves. Extending over the states of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, Yellowstone is the world’s oldest national park.It stretches more than 3,470 square miles and boasts natural wonders such as hot springs and geysers and has the habitats of some majestic wildlife like wolves, grizzly bears, and herds of … The Best Time to see Wildlife in Yellowstone. Yellowstone National Park is a true natural wonderland. Spring in Yellowstone (April – mid-June). Best Times to Visit Yellowstone The best times to visit Yellowstone National Park are from April to May and between September and October. Nature’s towers are created with cliffs. A small number of concessions will start to open, wildflowers will begin to bloom, and wildlife sightings (bear cubs in particular) will be in full effect. Without doubt, Lamar Valley is the best place in Yellowstone to see wildlife. But, deciding when to go was a little tricky. The best time to visit Yellowstone National Park, America’s first national park, is in the fall and spring when crowds have thinned out and the weather is still relatively nice. Read through the categories below to determine if September is the best time for you to visit the park! Viewing wildlife in Yellowstone We love spotting bears across a valley or watching a herd of elk in the distance, but in Yellowstone it’s much more involved than that. You can still visit Mammoth Hot Springs and if you want to see West Yellowstone and Old Faithful, you can do so with a snow coach. The wildlife that visitors want to see the most in Yellowstone are Bears, Wolves, Moose, Elk, Bison, Badgers, Otters, Fox and any newborn critter. To see the wolves is thrilling. And this is one of the best places to see wolves as well. Below I’ve charted out the best times of the year to see the most requested wildlife in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Grand Teton National Park. There is over 60 % of all world’s geysers and about 10,000 other geothermal features.There are simply so many beautiful things to see in Yellowstone National Park that you should rather plan a longer visit. We settled on late spring before the peak season started and it was perfect! It isn’t just the lack of people, although that’s always a bonus when visiting any outdoor space. You need to do a pre-sunset drive (or sunrise) through... 2) Hayden Valley. For Immediate Release Photos Available YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, March 30, 2015 – May is a particularly special month in Yellowstone National Park, and it is one of the best times of the year for visitors to view wildlife, find availability of lodging and kick off the season with memorable tours and packages. A two-in-one sounded convenient. These shoulder months offer mild weather and fewer crowds. Yellowstone National Park, the first national park in the United States and one of the most famous protected areas in the world, has much to recommend it.Many go for the geothermal features, the scenic vistas and the great hikes. Hardy species like bison and elk are not shy of visitors, nor do they hibernate, which means spotting them in Yellowstone National Park is pretty much guaranteed throughout the year. Summer is fleeting in Yellowstone, but gorgeous while it lasts. Are there different animals that reside in Hayden and Lamar valleys, such that one is the best place to see XXX and the other is the best place to see YYY? Yellowstone's abundant and diverse wildlife are as famous as its geysers. Yellowstone National Park has the largest concentration of wildlife in the lower 48 states. When is the best time to visit Yellowstone? You'll see bison any time of day, but come at sunrise and sunset and prepare to be amazed. There are many benefits to visiting in September, as well as some drawbacks. I’m going to tell you, why the best time to visit Yellowstone is in the fall. 5 Best Spots for Wildlife Viewing in Yellowstone National Park 1.