Yellowstone & Glacier

We are heading up to Yellowstone and Glacier next week. Does anyone have any special recommendations for wildlife this time of year?  We only have two days in each location then on to Hood River for our first grandbaby and the eclipse.  Thanks for any suggestions.

Hi Ed.  I don't know anything about Glacier, but Yellowstone has networks for bears and wolves.  This is both good and bad as you can tap in to find out where they are but when they do show up in an accessible area, it gets mobbed.  Last time we were there a sow black bear with two cubs came through our campground in the Lamar Valley and we had photographers and bear fanatics from all over there within 15 minutes.  You can do a web search to find the networks I think.  I suspect most critters will be up in the high country this time of year, so maybe the Blacktail Plateau drive would be a good option.

Have fun.

Hi, Ed - re the eclipse - if you're looking for totality, Hood River is too far north. You might want to stop overnight in the Salem area - although finding accommodations this late will be next to impossible.

If you happen to have an RV, I do know of a couple perfect spots in Madras, OR - email me.

http://www.eclipse2017.org/2017/states/OR.htm

Good luck and have fun with the baby!

Sandy

Ed, at this time of year, seeing the wolves in Yellowstone is mostly a matter of luck or finding out that they've got a kill that's visible from a road.  (They also have become much harder to photograph over the last 5 years or so due to a decline in numbers and the wolf hunting outside the park making them much more wary of humans.)  You can check with Yellowstone Forever, who have a "recent sightings" display at their store in Gardiner (at likely other sites, that I'm not aware of).  There are good views of "the high country" from the road between Canyon and Tower Falls, with this being a good area for summer Grizzly sightings.  It looks like there are several up-to-date wildlife sighting Apps for smart phones.  The Hayden and Lamar areas are best for wolf sightings.  The road from Lamar to the Northeast entrance may turn up Moose.

The main thing happening wildlife-wise in Yellowstone at the moment in the bison rut, so you may get some good action between bulls in the Lamar and Hayden Valleys.  Otherwise, August can be quiet due to high temps and many of the bears heading to higher elevations.  If you're up for a hike, try the Trout Lake hike.  It's short (half mile) but very steep, but there's always a chance you could find river otters there.  It's past peak time (when the trout are spawning), but I've had otters there as late as September.  If you don't see them at Trout Lake, walk up over the east hill over the Buck Lake just in case.  They commute between the two.

Max

Ed, consider this small book, that I have always found helpful:

"Watching Yellowstone and Grand Teton wildlife" (best places to look from roads and trails)  Full of good info

http://www.amazon.com/Watching-Yellowstone-Grand-Teton-Wildlife/dp/1931832277/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502497192&sr=1-1&keywords=Watching+Yellowstone+and+Grand+Teton+wildlife

Good luck! Have a great trip!

Sandy

Thank you everyone for the great ideas and suggestions. We got to see a pair of beautiful young blond grizzlies along the road east of Fishing Bridge, the bison rut in the Lamar Valley along with a black wolf on a bison carcass there. Lots of antelope along the way to and from, a great session with desert bighorn sheep on the east side of Zion, and one of the best was the pair of rocky mountain bighorn rams that walked down the road at us in Waterton Lakes, the lead ram shaking his horns to get me to move our car over out of his way.