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 lowlight 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 nothern 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.

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.

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 Serengetti 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.