Yellowstone’s winter season is well underway, and with that comes unforgettable experiences in the field for our Yellowstone Forever Institute participants. Most of our educational, field-based programs take place along Yellowstone’s famed Northern Range—a mecca for wildlife activity. A seasonal bonus: the canvas of white covering the ground makes the park’s fascinating year-round inhabitants even easier to spot!
Can’t make it to the park this winter season? Read on for our first Winter Wildlife Report of the New Year!
Over the holiday season, participants on a Private Tour had the rare chance to observe five river otters playing and sliding around on the banks on the Lamar River. They also spotted a Short-tailed Weasel (ermine) lugging around a vole near Mammoth and five members of the Prospect Peak wolf pack bedded down near Slough Creek.
Meanwhile in the park’s snowy interior, participants on an Old Faithful Winter Expedition Lodging & Learning program were treated to an unexpected eruption of Daisy Geyser while snowshoeing back to Old Faithful from Biscuit Basin. The week was filled with conversations ranging from the Yellowstone volcano to wildfire. Their field sightings included lots of trumpeter swans, coyotes, and bald eagles.
As we ushered in the New Year, a Private Tour on the Northern Range spotted six moose, two foxes, numerous coyotes, and the always-endearing water ouzel—also known as the American dipper—fishing along the frozen waters of Pebble Creek. While on a snowshoe adventure, the group also spotted two different groups of cougar tracks. The first was a mother wi
th a kitten, the second was a much larger individual (male) traveling solo. The two groups were approximately one mile apart.
The Yellowstone Forever Institute offers ample opportunity to discover the wonders of Yellowstone National Park in winter. Check out our winter catalog to learn more about how we can help you experience the world’s first national park during this magical season.
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