Skip to content
Travel Montana

Travel Montana

Phone Email
  • Why Montana
  • Why Hire Us
  • Vacations
  • About Us
  • FAQs
  • Planning Guides
    • COVID-19 Safety Procedures
    • Montana Vacation Planning Guide
    • How to Plan a Yellowstone Vacation
    • How to Plan a Glacier National Park Vacation
    • Top 10 Things to Do in Montana
  • 2023 Catalog
  • Book Your Vacation

How to See Wolves in Yellowstone National Park

February 3, 2021February 3, 2021 |  by: Allan
How to See Wolves in Yellowstone

On January 12, 1995 gray wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park, correcting the eradication man had inflicted on this keystone species from most of the western United States. After decades, it was again possible to see wolves in Yellowstone!

Many people are understandably fascinated with wolves. They have been glorified and vilified in story, book, and film. They are a keystone species (pretty much everything in the ecosystem in which they live depends on them) and an apex predator. They are rugged, beautiful, and full of intrigue.

Yellowstone Is The Best Way in the World to See Wolves in the Wild

The reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone had an unintended side effect. It produced the world’s single greatest opportunity to see wolves in the wild.

Yellowstone is mountainous and cold in the winter. Snow falls and can create deep drifts that make it difficult for ungulates (hoofed animals such as deer, elk, and bison) to move around and find food. Therefore, in the winter time, these animals tend to congregate in lower elevations of the park.

The Lamar Valley is one such area. Relatively flat, at a lower elevation, with plenty of vegetation, and with the Lamar Valley as a source of water running right through it, the valley is perfect for elk. That makes it perfect, in winter, for wolves.

And what makes the Lamar Valley perfect for wolf viewing is there is a paved road running straight down the valley that remains plowed all winter long and is within a reasonable distance of both sides of the valley at all times.

How to See Wolves in Yellowstone National Park

We have a few suggestions on how to see the wolves of Yellowstone National Park.

  • Visit in the Winter. Not only do wolves come down more often into the Lamar Valley, as indicated above, but they also tend to be more visible against the white snow. However, wolves are in the park year round so any time can be wolf viewing time.
  • Watch the wolf watchers. These are the folks who come out frequently, sometimes every day. If you see a bunch of people with telescopes set up, they are probably watching something interesting.
  • Bring binoculars or a telescope. The bigger the better. Having said that, you will encounter wildlife watchers throughout the Lamar Valley – sometimes in large groups when wolves have been spotted. Most are happy to share their expertise and sometimes offer their scope that is already set up to see a wolf.
  • Get up early or stay out late. Wolves tend to be more active in the early morning or late afternoon hours just after dawn and before dusk.
  • Keep Alert. Even when you are not in prime wolf territory or actively searching, in Yellowstone it is always worth keeping alert and your eyes scanning the nearby and far off terrain. Sometimes you will just see a flicker of movement that reveals an animal sighting.
  • Consider hiring an expert. It is possible to hire a wolf expert as a day guide or consider joining us on our Wolf Adventure in Yellowstone!

Remember to keep your expectations in check. In winter, you are likely to see a wolf if you spend a time in the Lamar Valley, pay attention to the wolf watchers, and have or borrow a telescope. While you might not see something exciting like a pack of wolves chasing an elk, it does happen. Besides, by looking for wolves you might have other great animal sightings. And Yellowstone is beautiful anyway!

Main photo courtesy National Park Service
Posted in Travel MontanaTagged Winter, Wolves, Yellowstone

3 thoughts on “How to See Wolves in Yellowstone National Park”

  1. Pingback: The Wolves of Yellowstone - Yellowstone
  2. Cristina Deniel says:
    November 3, 2022 at 9:16 am

    I’m interested in taking my husband to see the wolves for his upcoming birthday in February 2023. Do not even know where to begin my search. Help! We are in the Southern California desert and would be flying or driving from Palm Springs. What’s the best way to get there? Where do we stay? How do I find a guide or guided group? In other words, I’m at the beginning of my search. Any brochures or recommendations will be appreciated. Thank you.

    Reply
    1. Allan says:
      November 3, 2022 at 9:31 am

      Hi Cristina,

      Thanks for checking out our site and posting your questions. We only do guided group tours for groups of four or more, so might not be your solution. Did you see our Yellowstone Planning Guide? That might be a good place to start.

      https://travelmontana.com/how-to-plan-yellowstone-vacation/

      Allan

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search

Stay Updated

Recent Posts

  • Digital Marketing ManagerWe Are Hiring – Digital Marketing Manager
  • Best Time To Visit YellowstonePerfect Time To Visit Yellowstone? This August!
  • Yellowstone FloodingYellowstone To Partially Reopen This Week
  • Montana and Yellowstone Flooding Update

Need help planning your adventure?

We'd love to chat with you about your upcoming trip to Montana.

Call 888-758-8687

Or Email us

Related

Contact Us

PO Box 16, Red Lodge, MT 59068
888-758-8687
info@TravelMontana.com


Facebook
YouTubeInstagram

  • About Us
  • Request a Travel Montana Catalog
  • Book Your Vacation
  • Need Help? Contact Us
  • Sign Up for More Information
  • Travel Montana Blog
  • Work For Us
  • Planning Guides
  • Our Partners
  • Media Center
  • Travel Professionals
  • Equality Plan
  • Climate Change Pledge

Interested in Wine, Food, and Beer tours? Check out Taste Vacations →

Interested in active travel around the world? Check out Zephyr Adventures →

© 2023 Travel Montana | Privacy Policy | Proudly powered by WordPress | Hosted by Pressable

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.