What time of year do you see the most animals in Yellowstone?

Best Times to Visit Yellowstone for Wildlife March and April are the best months to view bears, while the winter months are best for wolves and bighorn sheep. Elk, moose, bison, and mountain goats can be spotted during the summer, which is also the park's busiest season.



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1. Lamar Valley. Without doubt, Lamar Valley is the best place in Yellowstone to see wildlife. Carved by glaciers and fed by the Lamar River, the grasslands that cover this valley are easily accessible on Highway 212 and attract the biggest land species in the park—bison, elk, moose, and bears.

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We have the proper optics and equipment, so you can witness and film bears out in the field. Hands down the best time of year to see bears in Yellowstone is between mid-April and the first week of June.

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With that said, I can almost guarantee that you will spot wildlife while driving through Yellowstone National Park. Even if you don't manage to get up early or stay out late, your chances are very high to cross path with bison, deer, and the occasional antelope. Bear sightings are also not uncommon during the day.

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Where to See Wolves: In Yellowstone, the most frequently spotted wolf packs roam the Lamar Valley, Hayden Valley, Canyon area and Blacktail Deer Plateau. In Grand Teton, see them in Willow Flats. Dawn and dusk are best.

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Yellowstone National Park can get very crowded during peak season (June, July, and August). The best months to visit Yellowstone are April, September, and October. These “off season” months provide more chances to catch a glimpse of the local wildlife and enjoy thinner crowds.

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Moose are fairly isolated in Yellowstone National Park. I have only observed moose in a select few locations in the park. In fact, moose are probably one of the hardest animals to see in Yellowstone.

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April through mid-June is the best time to see moose along this corridor, but some moose are present year-round. Keep your eyes peeled for other wildlife, including grizzly bears, bighorn sheep, and elk.

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Flights to the nearest major airport — that of Jackson Hole, Wyoming — are typically cheapest between November and March, which is the park's low season. Prices for lodging begin to drop after Labor Day, once the summer crowds have diminished and children are back in school.

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Grizzly bears are active primarily at dawn, dusk, and night. In spring, they may be seen around Yellowstone Lake, Fishing Bridge, Hayden and Lamar valleys, Swan Lake Flats, and the East Entrance.

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Inhabited by both black bears and grizzly bears, Yellowstone is a bear-watcher's paradise. For many people, seeing bears is one of the main reasons they come to Yellowstone. It's possible to see ten or fifteen bears in one day in this vast preserve.

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Grizzly bears are most commonly observed in Lamar Valley, Swan Lake Flats, Gardiners Hole, Dunraven Pass, Hayden Valley, and in the wet meadows along the East Entrance Road from Fishing Bridge to the East Entrance of the park.

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Lamar Valley Valleys and meadows are the best places to spot Yellowstone bears. And what better place to start looking for grizzly bears in Yellowstone than the area known as “America's Serengeti”?

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If you do any hiking or camping in Yellowstone, you SHOULD bring bear spray. Generally, you don't need bear spray when visiting the popular and crowded geyser areas and villages, such as Old Faithful and Canyon Village.

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