Yosemite National Park
🇺🇸 United States
🐻 Black Bear and Mule Deer ValleyYosemite Valley is a flat meadow floor between granite walls, and that floor is where the animals are. Mule deer graze it on eight visits in ten and California ground squirrels are on every rock; black bears work the oaks and the campgrounds on more than half of visits.
37.859° N 119.553° W
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
American Black Bear
Ursus americanus
★ 
Mule Deer
Odocoileus hemionus
★ 
Yellow-bellied Marmot
Marmota flaviventris
★ 
Sierra Newt
Taricha sierrae
📊 Most Spotted
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Steller's Jay
Cyanocitta stelleri
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Common Raven
Corvus corax
California Ground Squirrel
Otospermophilus beecheyi
Mountain Chickadee
Poecile gambeli
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
Western Gray Squirrel
Sciurus griseus
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
Western Fence Lizard
Sceloporus occidentalis
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta canadensis
⭐ Iconic Species
★ American Black Bear
Ursus americanus
★ Mule Deer
Odocoileus hemionus
★ Yellow-bellied Marmot
Marmota flaviventris
📊 Most Spotted
California Ground Squirrel
Otospermophilus beecheyi
Western Gray Squirrel
Sciurus griseus
Douglas' Squirrel
Tamiasciurus douglasii
Belding's Ground Squirrel
Urocitellus beldingi
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
Callospermophilus lateralis
Gray Fox
Urocyon cinereoargenteus
Coyote
Canis latrans
American Pika
Ochotona princeps
Bobcat
Lynx rufus
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
Lepus californicus
Lodgepole Chipmunk
Tamias speciosus
Alpine Chipmunk
Tamias alpinus
📊 Most Spotted
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Steller's Jay
Cyanocitta stelleri
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Mountain Chickadee
Poecile gambeli
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta canadensis
Brown Creeper
Certhia americana
Brewer's Blackbird
Euphagus cyanocephalus
Western Wood-Pewee
Contopus sordidulus
📊 Most Spotted
Western Fence Lizard
Sceloporus occidentalis
Sagebrush Lizard
Sceloporus graciosus
Western Rattlesnake
Crotalus oreganus
Gilbert's Skink
Plestiodon gilberti
California Mountain Kingsnake
Lampropeltis zonata
Western Terrestrial Garter Snake
Thamnophis elegans
Northern Alligator Lizard
Elgaria coerulea
Western Aquatic Garter Snake
Thamnophis couchii
Northern Rubber Boa
Charina bottae
Southern Alligator Lizard
Elgaria multicarinata
Western Whiptail
Aspidoscelis tigris
Gopher Snake
Pituophis catenifer
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Pacific chorus frog
Pseudacris regilla
Yosemite Toad
Anaxyrus canorus
American Bullfrog
Lithobates catesbeianus
Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog
Rana sierrae
Western Toad
Anaxyrus boreas
Ensatina
Ensatina eschscholtzii
Mount Lyell Salamander
Hydromantes platycephalus
California Red-legged Frog
Rana draytonii
Gregarious Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps gregarius
Limestone Salamander
Hydromantes brunus
Arboreal Salamander
Aneides lugubris
Hell Hollow Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps diabolicus
Recent sightings in Yosemite National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1Bears in the Oaks
Black bears feed heavily on acorns before winter and mule deer move down into the valley.
2Marmots and Lizards on the Granite
Yellow-bellied marmots sun on the high rock and sagebrush lizards are active across the slabs.
3Newts and Tree Frogs After the Snow
Sierra newts move to the streams to breed and Pacific tree frogs call from the meadows.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Bears in the Oaks
- 2Marmots and Lizards on the Granite
- 3Newts and Tree Frogs After the Snow
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Yosemite National Park?
The most likely sightings are Dark-eyed Junco (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Steller's Jay (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Mule Deer (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), American Robin (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Common Raven (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers) — among 548 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Yosemite 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 Black Bear in Yosemite National Park?
Yes — about 50% of wildlife watchers report a American Black Bear sighting in Yosemite National Park, based on 520 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Mule Deer in Yosemite National Park?
Yes — about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Mule Deer sighting in Yosemite National Park, based on 1,979 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Yellow-bellied Marmot in Yosemite National Park?
Yes — about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-bellied Marmot sighting in Yosemite National Park, based on 565 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Sierra Newt in Yosemite National Park?
Yes — about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Sierra Newt sighting in Yosemite National Park, based on 146 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
Very goodHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
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