#yellowstoneexperts

The grizzly bear, (Ursus arctos horribilis), has become an icon of Yellowstone National Park and of the wilderness in general. For a large portion of Yellowstone visitors, a grizzly bear sighting ranks right up toward the top of the bucket list, alongside witnessing such famous attractions as Old Faithful Geyser, the Grand Canyon of the…

It’s 6am in Lamar Valley. I wonder what we will see. You’re probably asking why there are already 100 vehicles lining the roadsides near the Lamar Buffalo Ranch, and whether the hundreds of visitors pointing spotting scopes out into the distance are seeing something. As it usually turns out, those people are watching–looking for or…

Photo courtesy of Yellowstone Wild Guide Evan Watts / Watts Wildlife Photography. Sparse clouds caught the orange glow of the rising sun as we drove east. It was a cool, damp morning in mid-July, and as we made our way into the Lamar Valley, the sun rose just enough to reveal the gentle, rolling slopes…

“Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much the larger and better in every way,” John Muir. As a naturalist guide in Yellowstone, one of the lessons I try to impart upon my guests is the best way to view baby wildlife in Yellowstone ethically and responsibly…

One day in early to mid-July you might find yourself driving through Yellowstone National Park taking in the amazing scenery all around you. You turn a corner and the beauty of one of the many creeks, streams, and rivers in the park reveals itself. Suddenly, that beauty is interrupted by what looks like a flock…

Photo courtesy Montana State University Thermal Biology Institute. When I, Leysa, take my guests on tour I demonstrate how the seemingly little things in Yellowstone contribute to the bigger picture. For example, how small grubs, insects, and ground squirrels can feed some of the park’s biggest carnivores; how removing one apex predator can change an…

One of the last days of June and the dash tells me it’s 38° F at 6 a.m. Awesome! That is exactly what I want on a morning drive to the center of a volcano. Geyser steam hangs thick in the air like cream of mushroom soup and Yellowstone is virtually deserted. As we drive…

As a naturalist guide in Yellowstone, one of the most coveted sightings as far as wildlife is concerned is to catch a fox hunting—or “mousing”—for its prey. However, because of foxes’ tendency to be more active at night, this sighting can prove to be a difficult challenge. On an early Sunday morning in June I…

Day after day, month after month, year after year, familiar faces show themselves in Yellowstone. For some, this means people: the wolf watchers, those individuals with the largest spotting scopes of all that we’ve grown to love and admire throughout time; the geyser geeks in their floppy sun hats, letting us know when our favorite…

Something about sandhill cranes catches our attention in northern Yellowstone. The cranes fly up to 200 miles per day when migrating north to their spring nesting grounds here, announcing their arrival in an insistent and raspy chorus. Their unmistakable calls — made possible by long windpipes that curl into their sternums, adding richness — can…