Yellowstone in Spring

Spring comes late to the mountains, forests and meadows of Yellowstone National Park. Sitting on the Yellowstone Plateau at an average altitude of 2,400 metres (8,000 feet), it is not until June that the winter snows have melted sufficiently, and the sun’s rays are warm enough for America’s flagship wildlife haven to burst into life. This is a busy time for Yellowstone’s mammals and birds and a wonderful time to visit. The resident birds are augmented by an interesting mix of summer and passage migrants, all resplendent in their breeding dress. The mammals are fattening up after the lean months of winter, many have young and, importantly, the summer holiday tourist crowds have yet to arrive!

This exciting 14-day spring tour to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons will focus on the region’s wildlife and geological highlights at a time of year when the reserve is transitioning from winter to summer. It begins with a flight to Jackson Hole in the US state of Wyoming, where we will be based for the first four nights of the holiday while we explore Yellowstone’s equally impressive neighbour, the Grand Teton National Park. The jagged mountains of the Grand Teton range are part of the magnificent Rocky Mountain chain and overlook a picturesque mosaic of forests, lakes and sagebrush meadows bordering the meandering Snake River. During our time here we will not only be admiring the breathtaking scenery, but will go in search of our first Moose, Pronghorn Antelope and Rocky Mountain Elk. Diminutive Broad-tailed Hummingbirds zip from flower to flower, alongside a wide range of other avian delights including Mountain Bluebird, Yellow-headed Blackbird and Western Tanager … all backed by some of the most dramatic scenery in the Americas!

Next we head north into Yellowstone itself and explore the southern half of the national park from the town of West Yellowstone. Our four nights here will give us ample time to search for mammals such as Black and Grizzly Bears, Mule Deer, Bighorn Sheep and Coyote, plus smaller species including Yellow-bellied Marmot and the attractive Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel. We are also sure to encounter the majestic North American Bison, an animal that was driven to the brink of extinction from an initial population estimated to number over 65 million! The story of the Bison is one of the most tragic in natural history, but today nearly 5,000 animals roam the grasslands of Yellowstone National Park and the sight of a herd feeding or slowly plodding across the road in front of us will no doubt be one of the enduring memories of the holiday. Birds may include Bald Eagle, Black-headed Grosbeak, Clark's Nutcracker, Grey Jay and Red-naped Sapsucker. For the very fortunate, there is even the chance of a magnificent Great Grey Owl perched on a dead snag in the late afternoon sun or hunting along the edges of a pine-fringed meadow. Much of the national park sits in a huge sunken volcanic caldera over 40 miles across, the heat welling up from beneath fuelling the geysers, boiling mud pools and hot springs — including Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic Spring — which dot Yellowstone’s steaming landscape.

Finally, we drive to the north-east for three nights in the small town of Cooke City, stopping en route at the dramatic steaming travertine terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs. From Cooke City we will explore the northern half of Yellowstone National Park, focusing in particular on the famous Lamar Valley, one of the park's wildlife hotspots and a reliable area for sightings of both Grey Wolf and Grizzly Bear. The last Wolf was shot in Yellowstone by government-backed hunters in 1926, but 69 years later they were returned to the Lamar Valley and, despite some local opposition, Wolves are now thriving and the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem is once again complete! Other birds to look out for in this region include Burrowing Owl, Williamson's Sapsucker, Townsend's Solitaire and Western Meadowlark. Time in the north of the park would not be complete without a visit to the spectacular Yellowstone Falls and a journey up Beartooth Pass, which sits at 3,300 metres (11,000 feet) and is home to Mountain Goat, Golden Eagle and Black Rosy Finch.

After an enjoyable two weeks exploring the forests, mountains and geothermal highlights of Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons, we end our tour with a night in the town of Bozeman from where we catch our return flight home.