Springtime in Yellowstone: Our Favorite Things!
We are as excited as you are the first day of springtime has finally arrived here in Yellowstone National Park! Though we continue offering winter tours through the end of March (and wolf watching has continued to be very successful) we thought we’d share some of the things we are looking forward to when we resume touring again starting in May:
Bears – Spring is a great time to look for black and grizzly bears in northern Yellowstone. As bears emerge from dens where they overwintered, they are soon on the prowl for food ranging from greening grasses to insects to carcasses of animals killed by winter.
Bluebirds – The brilliant blue flickers of mountain bluebirds on the wing are among the first harbingers of spring in northern Yellowstone. These omnivorous songbirds perch on trees, sagebrush, and other outcrops and flit around grasslands and geyser basins searching for terrestrial insects.
Buttercups – Look down at the ground and you’ll likely see bright-yellow buttercups peeking out from amidst the dormant vegetation that toppled over during winter. They are (usually) the first among many wildflowers to paint the blue-and-green backdrop of the northern Yellowstone landscape.
Baby Bison – What can we say? Bison calves – termed locally as “red dogs” due to their tawny coats – pull at our heartstrings as they wobble around on unsteady legs. These spring babies are some of the first young animals to appear on the landscape starting in mid to late April. We were fortunate to see this newborn calf during spring training at Yellowstone Wild in 2023!
To learn more about our 2024 spring, summer, and fall tours available to book online please visit us at www.yellowstonewildtours.com and be sure to check out our blog and “about us” sections to learn more about what we can offer during your unique Yellowstone experience.
Blog text by YW Assistant General Manager Chelsea DeWeese
Photos courtesy of Yellowstone Wild Owner Emil McCain (bears) / NPS-Yellowstone (bluebird) / Yellowstone Wild Guide Rob H (bison)
To learn more about Chelsea and the rest of the Yellowstone Wild team visit our “About Us” web page.