Items16The creator’s order
  1. 1American bisonAmerican bisonLamar and Hayden valleys offer wide views of bison grazing. You can often pick out the heavy head, high shoulders, and shaggy front half before you see finer details. In late summer, bull bison bellow during the mating season. Wait inside your vehicle if a herd crosses the road.0
  2. 2ElkElkLook for elk in Lamar Valley in summer and around Mammoth Hot Springs in fall. The rump usually looks pale against the tan body and dark neck. In September or October, listen from a distance for a bull’s high, carrying bugle before looking for the herd.0
  3. 3Grizzly bearGrizzly bearAt dawn or dusk, scan the open parts of Hayden or Lamar Valley with binoculars from a roadside pullout. A grizzly’s shoulder hump, rounded ears, and slightly dished face are better clues than its color. Watch from inside your vehicle and leave room for the bear to move between open ground and cover.0
  4. 4American black bearAmerican black bearThe Tower and Mammoth areas can be good places to look for a black bear. Some have cinnamon or brown coats. Use the combination of a straighter face, taller-looking ears, and shoulders without a grizzly’s prominent hump when you can see the animal clearly.0
  5. 5WolfWolfBring a spotting scope to a wide pullout in Lamar Valley and scan the far slopes and open floor, especially early or late in the day. A lone wolf can be hard to tell from a coyote at long range. Look for longer legs, a heavier muzzle, and a bulkier body before you settle on an identification.0
  6. 6PronghornPronghornScan Lamar Valley’s open grass in summer and the area between the North Entrance and Reese Creek in winter. A pronghorn often shows a broad, bright rump patch and white bands on the front of its throat. Its patterned face and upright ears can be easier to see than the horns from a distance.0
  7. 7Bighorn sheepBighorn sheepCheck the slopes along Dunraven Pass in summer or the cliffs in Gardner Canyon year-round. Rams have heavy curled horns, while ewes have slimmer ones. Look for a white rump against the brown rock as a sheep crosses between ledges or pauses above the road.0
  8. 8MooseMooseCheck willow flats, marshy meadows, and quiet lake edges. A Yellowstone moose can be hard to pick out among the willows, but long legs and a broad muzzle are useful clues when it steps into the open. Adult bulls may carry broad antlers, which they shed in early winter.0
  9. 9Bald eagleBald eagleScan tall trees along the Yellowstone River or Yellowstone Lake for a large, still bird overlooking the water. An adult’s white head and tail stand out. A younger bird can look mostly dark, so look for broad wings and a heavy bill before using color alone.0
  10. 10North American river otterNorth American river otterLook for a low head, an arched back, and a long tail on rivers, streams, and lake margins. Otters spend much of their time in the water and can vanish under the surface. Dawn or dusk is a good time to scan quietly, though they can turn up at other hours.0