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Yellowstone National Park is *the* wildlife park. You have a better
chance of seeing rare large mammals in Yellowstone National Park
than anywhere else in America. The last large population of bison
still exists in Yellowstone National Park. One of the last large
populations of grizzly bears exists in the park ( Glacier National
Park is the other). Bald eagles, ospreys, golden eagles and owls
soar over the valleys and forests. Trumpeter swans swim the shallow
backwaters. Cutthroat trout swim the various rivers and lakes.
Moose roam the edges of forests near water sources in low light
hours. Wolves roam the interior, waiting at the edges of meadows
and denning up in the forests. If your goal of a national park
visit is to see as much wildlife as possible, Yellowstone National
Park is your #1 choice. There is nothing like it. It's a snapshot
of the old west. It's important to note that one of the things
that keeps Yellowstone National Park's wildlife so dynamic is
the millions of acres of wild country bordering the park. The
park itself is 2 million acres, while it's ecosystem is 18 million
acres. The entire ecosystem is what keeps Yellowstone's wild heart
pumping, and this in turn keeps the wildlife at outrageous levels
for you to enjoy.
When hiking, always carry bear spray and follow bear safety guidelines.
Make noise when in wooded areas so you do not surprise bears.
Never approach wild animals. Bison are widely considered the most
dangerous animal in Yellowstone National Park. Never approach
them and keep your distance.
Antelope: Easily seen all over the northern half of the
park, especially around Tower and the Lamar Valley.
Bison: Easily seen all over the park, in any area. The
highest concentrations are in the Lamar and Hayden valleys.
Bears: Both black and grizzlies are seen all over the park.
Your best bet for seeing both in the summer is Tower, the Lamar
Valley, Hayden Valley and the are around Fishing Bridge and Sylvan
Pass. In mid to late fall, Dunraven Pass is almost a sure thing.
In the spring, the Lamar and Hayden valley's are good places.
Bighorns: Tower, Sylvan Pass, Soda Butte.
Birds: Yellowstone offers incredible diversity in terms
of bird habitat. Look for osprey and bald eagles near larger water
sources. Golden eagles like the wide open drier country around
Slough Creek. Common Loons swim the waters as well. Download
the PDF Yellowstone bird checklist.
Cats: Good luck. Cougar, bobcat and lynx sightings
are incredibly rare.
Coyotes: Easily seen all over the park, especially Hayden
and Lamar Valleys.
Elk: Norris, Madison, Hayden, Lamar, Tower, Mammoth, Canyon.
Moose: Soda Butte, Hayden, Canyon, Bridge Bay, Lewis Lake.
Mountain goats: NE corner of the park near Cooke City,
mountains in the Slough Creek drainage, Beartooth Pass (outside
the park).
Mule deer: Anywhere in the park, but Tower area seems good.
Water mammals: Beavers and otters are common in park waters.
Wolves: Hayden Valley, Lamar Valley, northside of Dunraven
Pass near Tower. Bring binoculars or a spotting scope.
Because of it's amazing wildlife, Yellowstone National Park is
one of the top wildlife photography areas in the world, rivaled
only by the Serengeti or Alaska. For landscapes, a consumer point
and shoot with 3x zoom should serve you well. If you want wildlife
shots, you are going to need 200-400mm of zoom. One of the consumer
super zooms will do the job. For DSLR users, a range of 17-300mm
on a 1.6x crop camera is ideal. Yellowstone National Park is very
wide country, so a super wide angle lens is not needed except
for some of the geothermal features. Bring your standard zoom
and your tele zooms. Yellowstone National Park is not a place
to "go light" with only your standard zoom. Opportunities
are rich and many.
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