Yellowstone National Park
🇺🇸 United States
🐺 Bison and Wolf ValleysYellowstone is open valley between forest and geyser basin, and the openness is why the animals are so visible from the road. Bison are recorded on eight visits in ten and elk on seven, in herds that stop traffic through Lamar and Hayden.
44.581° N 110.619° W
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
American Bison
Bison bison
★ 
Brown Bear
Ursus arctos
★ 
Gray Wolf
Canis lupus
★ Elk (wapiti)
Cervus canadensis
📊 Most Spotted
Common Raven
Corvus corax
American Black Bear
Ursus americanus
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Pronghorn
Antilocapra americana
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
Coyote
Canis latrans
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
Mountain Chickadee
Poecile gambeli
Uinta Ground Squirrel
Urocitellus armatus
Yellow-bellied Marmot
Marmota flaviventris
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Mule Deer
Odocoileus hemionus
⭐ Iconic Species
★ American Bison
Bison bison
★ Brown Bear
Ursus arctos
★ Gray Wolf
Canis lupus
★ Elk (wapiti)
Cervus canadensis
📊 Most Spotted
American Black Bear
Ursus americanus
Pronghorn
Antilocapra americana
Coyote
Canis latrans
Uinta Ground Squirrel
Urocitellus armatus
Yellow-bellied Marmot
Marmota flaviventris
Mule Deer
Odocoileus hemionus
Bighorn Sheep
Ovis canadensis
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
Callospermophilus lateralis
American Red Squirrel
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
Moose
Alces americanus
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
Mountain Goat
Oreamnos americanus
📊 Most Spotted
Common Raven
Corvus corax
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
Mountain Chickadee
Poecile gambeli
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Regulus calendula
Clark's Nutcracker
Nucifraga columbiana
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
Lesser Scaup
Aythya affinis
📊 Most Spotted
Western Terrestrial Garter Snake
Thamnophis elegans
Gopher Snake
Pituophis catenifer
Sagebrush Lizard
Sceloporus graciosus
Northern Rubber Boa
Charina bottae
Prairie Rattlesnake
Crotalus viridis
North American Racer
Coluber constrictor
Common Garter Snake
Thamnophis sirtalis
Recent sightings in Yellowstone National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
2Bears After the Thaw
Grizzly and black bears feed in the meadows after leaving their dens, at their highest of the year.
3The Elk Rut
Bull elk bugle and gather harems around Mammoth and Madison, and pronghorn move onto the northern range.
1Wolves and Bison in Winter
Wolf packs hunt the open valleys where the snow is thinnest and bison gather to graze, both at their most visible of the year.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Wolves and Bison in Winter
- 2Bears After the Thaw
- 3The Elk Rut
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
I arrived, I spotted a huge osprey nest perched high on a dead tree.
Over the course of two days in Yellowstone National Park, we spotted five black bears, one grizzly bear, countless bison (including adorable babies), elk, pronghorn, and even tiny least chipmunks darting around the boardwalks.
Then we headed over to Pelican Valley to see if there was any wildlife around.
I spent some time setting up my wildlife viewing scope for the first time and got to see grizzly bears very high on a mountainside on the way to Lamar Valley.
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Yellowstone National Park?
The most likely sightings are American Bison (seen by about 90% of wildlife watchers), Elk (wapiti) (seen by about 90% of wildlife watchers), Common Raven (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), American Black Bear (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), American Robin (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers) — among 530 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Yellowstone National Park for wildlife?
May has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.
Can you see American Bison in Yellowstone National Park?
Yes — about 90% of wildlife watchers report a American Bison sighting in Yellowstone National Park, based on 5,017 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Brown Bear in Yellowstone National Park?
Yes — about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Bear sighting in Yellowstone National Park, based on 1,047 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Gray Wolf in Yellowstone National Park?
Yes — about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Gray Wolf sighting in Yellowstone National Park, based on 671 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Elk (wapiti) in Yellowstone National Park?
Yes — about 90% of wildlife watchers report a Elk (wapiti) sighting in Yellowstone National Park, based on 2,933 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
GoodHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
