Yellowstone in the Fall

Yellowstone, the world’s first national park, covers nearly 9,000 square kilometres of mountains, forests, lakes and grasslands and is one of the United States’ foremost wildlife reserves. It is home to both Grizzly Bear and Grey Wolf, plus North American Bison, Moose, Black Bear and an interesting variety of birds. In the ‘fall’, as the days shorten and the colours of the landscape change from the greens of summer to a rich autumnal palette of russet, orange and gold, the mammals are busy preparing for the long winter ahead and the resident birds are augmented by migrants from further north.  On this exciting 14-day tour we will enjoy Yellowstone as the park transitions from summer to winter. The wildlife will be active, the holiday crowds departed, and the colours — weather permitting — spectacular! The geology is fascinating too. The ring of mountains that encircle the park marks the rim of an ancient sunken volcanic caldera in which much of Yellowstone now sits. Although there is no sign of this so-called ‘super volcano’ awakening at any time in the near future, the subterranean heating it generates keeps the reserve’s most famous resident, ‘Old Faithful’, erupting on cue, as well as fuelling a host of smaller geysers and other geothermal oddities! 

The holiday starts with a flight into Jackson Hole in eastern Wyoming, our base for the next four nights while we explore Yellowstone’s equally impressive neighbour, the Grand Teton National Park. The jagged snow-capped mountains of the Grand Tetons are part of the magnificent Rocky Mountain chain and overlook a picturesque mosaic of forests, lakes and meadows bordering the meandering Snake River. During our time here we will be looking out for a wide variety of mammals ranging from Moose and Rocky Mountain Elk, down to Least Chipmunk and Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel.  Birds should include Sage Grouse, Mountain Bluebird, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Yellow-rumped Warbler and a variety of migrating waterfowl. For the fortunate there’s even a chance of seeing a Great Grey Owl perched on a dead snag in the late afternoon sun or hunting along the edges of a pine-fringed meadow! 

Moving on, we will base ourselves in the town of West Yellowstone for the next four nights and head out each day to explore the western and central regions of the national park. This is one of the most geologically active areas of Yellowstone and — along with the Norris Geyser Basin to the north — is dotted with bubbling mud pools, fumaroles, boiling hot springs and geysers, the most famous of which are Old Faithful and nearby Grand Prismatic Spring. Time spent here is like stepping back to the dawn of our planet’s history and a reminder that much of this holiday takes place within the caldera of a giant volcano! Although the geology is fascinating, we will focus on the wildlife and will explore the forests, meadows, lakes and wetlands in search of an exciting mix of mammals and birds. Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, North American Bison and Pronghorn Antelope are all common, and we need to keep an eye open for Black and Grizzly Bears. There is even a chance of the elusive Bobcat. Birds may include Cooper’s Hawk, Ruffed Grouse, American Dipper, Williamson’s Sapsucker, Pine Grosbeak and Clark’s Nutcracker.  Heading north once more, we spend the following three nights in the old mining town of Cooke City located just outside the national park’s north-eastern boundary.  This is the perfect base from which to explore Yellowstone’s northern sector, in particular the famous Lamar Valley, the most reliable area in which to look for Grey Wolves. Early starts will increase our chances of finding a pack of this much maligned mammal, along with the park’s other top predator, the Grizzly Bear. As the sun rises higher we will head further afield in search of northern Yellowstone’s other mammals and birds, including North American Bison, Moose, Coyote, Bighorn Sheep, Black Bear, Bald Eagle, Grey Jay, Western Meadowlark and a baffling mix of North American sparrows! We will also visit the spectacular Yellowstone Falls which plunges 94 metres into Yellowstone Canyon and the colourful travertine terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs, as well as drive the dramatic Beartooth Highway in search of a few high-altitude species such as Black Rosyfinch, Golden Eagle and the nimble-footed Mountain Goat. 

After a final night in the town of Bozeman we must, sadly, leave the spectacular landscapes, geology and wildlife of Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons and begin our journey home.