The Ultimate Yellowstone Experienced: A Week of Unforgettable Wildlife Encounters
TRIP REPORT:
Wolves & Winter Wonders January 2025
Day 1:
The guests arrived in Bozeman, where they had what I can only imagine was an exciting and memorable evening. I didn’t know this absolutely as I didn’t join the adventure until Day 2, but Bozeman is a great town, and the guests were about to begin a week in Yellowstone! How could it not be memorable?
Day 2:
At 10:00am, I picked up the guests in Bozeman, and we set off toward Yellowstone, eager for the week ahead. We enjoyed a delightful lunch along the way before walking through the mesmerizing and ever-changing Mammoth Terraces. Nature was already putting on a show for us. A magnificent bull elk, his enormous antlers proudly on display, stood perfectly framed against the steaming terraces. As if that weren’t enough, we later spotted a tiny yet fierce pygmy owl and a cunning fox, an incredible way to begin our journey!
Fox “smiling” at the camera on a Wolves & Winter Wonders package. Photo courtesy of YW Lead Naturalist, Matt D.
Day 3:
An unexpected twist made this day even more memorable. Rick McIntyre (the world’s greatest wolf ambassador and observer as well as a renowned author) dealing with a vehicle breakdown, ended up joining us in our van for the twenty minute drive to one of the finest winter wolf viewing pullouts on Yellowstone’s famed Northern Range. Along the way, he told us unforgettable stories of wolves he had observed during his decades in the park. What a warm-up to the main event! Soon after arriving at the overlook, we were rewarded with an incredible sight: the Junction Butte wolf pack. We watched in awe as they moved across the landscape until they eventually disappeared from view. But Yellowstone wasn’t finished impressing us. Later in the day, we encountered five massive bull moose and a bald eagle perched perfectly in a tree, a true wildlife enthusiast’s dream.
Today was a good one for moose! Photo courtesy of Matt D.
Day 4:
Wolves proved elusive today, but that only allowed us to focus on Yellowstone’s other extraordinary inhabitants. We observed a bear nestled in its den, coyotes skillfully mousing, and foxes basking in the winter sun. But the most astonishing sight of the day was yet to come. Hundreds of bison, moving almost single file, slowly traversed a snow-covered valley in a seemingly endless procession. I’ve never witnessed such a large winter herd—typically, the winter sub-herds number around a couple dozen. It was breathtaking.
As the day wound down, we made the call to linger in the park a little longer. It was our final full day in the Northern Range, and we hadn’t yet seen wolves. That decision paid off spectacularly. Just as we were about to leave, we spotted a pack of twelve wolves bedded in the snow. We set a firm departure time but decided to wait a few more minutes. That patience was rewarded when—precisely three minutes later–the wolves rose, greeted one another, wagged their tails, played for a moment, and then slipped away into the night. We left the park just as they did, arriving at the restaurant, still in our full winter gear, with two minutes to spare. Absolutely worth it.
The iconic view of wolves walking single file through a deep snow, was an epic way to end the day! Photo courtesy of Matt D.
Day 5:
Today, we journeyed by snowcoach to Old Faithful, and it felt like stepping into a winter fairy tale. The air was so cold that the steam from the geysers froze, turning into glittering diamond dust. We explored bubbling hot springs, mud pots, steam vents, and erupting geysers, each more mesmerizing than the last. Of course, we witnessed the legendary eruption of Old Faithful, standing in awe as it soared into the icy air. In the distance, a small group of frost-covered bison completed the picture, a true Yellowstone winter wonderland.
Bison enjoying the warmth of a Yellowstone thermal feature. Photo courtesy YW Photo/Naturalist Rob Harwood.
Day 6:
Our adventure concluded with a warm, leisurely breakfast at a charming local café. As we made the scenic drive back to Bozeman, we reflected on the unforgettable moments we had shared. Surrounded by newfound friends and memories that would last a lifetime, we knew one thing for certain: Yellowstone had delivered an experience beyond our wildest dreams.
To learn more about our winter packages, visit our “Winter” page.
Trip Report by Yellowstone Wild Lead Naturalist Matt D.
Discover more about Matt and the rest of the Yellowstone Wild team, at our “About Us” page
