Yellowstone National Park: Black Bears and Other Stuff

Black Bears in Yellowstone National Park

After striking out on Bears at Grand Teton, we moved on to Yellowstone National Park. Our plans included spending one night in a cabin at Canyon in the center of the Park and then two nights in a cabin at Silver Gate Lodging in Silver Gate just outside the Northwest entrance in Montana.

 

Our Silver Gate cabin had a queen bed and bunks in one room and a queen in the kitchen

I selected Silver Gate because Scott likes to stay there, especially because he likes the trout at the Log Cabin restaurant across the street from the lodge.

Our cabin; Photos here and above: Silver Gate Lodging

Silver Gate and Lamar Valley

The cabins at Silver Gate are great, but they are a long drive through Lamar Valley. When Lamar is hopping with animals, especially Wolves, it’s great. Unfortunately, this time Lamar wasn’t as critter rich.

OK, we did see ....

A couple of Foxes; Photo: Caty Stevens

A Moose one night

Oh, and an active Osprey Nest

And, a Golden Eagle Nest

The Eagle Nest was interesting in that the tour guide who pointed it out to us said to look on the rocks for a formation that looked like a Raven. There was a cleft that looked like a little bit like a flying bird (not in my photo because it was far below on the rock face) and, sure enough, right above it we found a standing Eagle with a stick nest to the left. 

It wasn’t until we processed the photos that we realized that the flying bird cleft was NOT the "Raven;" what looked like the standing Eagle was. The "Raven" was actually a plant (blue arrow). The real Eagle (red arrow) was sitting on the stick nest! Not the first time nature has fooled me.

We spent a lot of time trying to find an active Badger den we had been told about. We did find the den, but never saw a Badger.

I photographed Badgers in Colorado in 2017 and wanted to see more

We also found a Coyote den way up on a hill based on some instructions we got, but the Coyotes were too far away to matter, especially when we’ve seen many up close.

You can barely see it

We saw a few Wolves very, very, very far away both in Lamar and in Hayden Valley. 

We aren't interested in Wolves unless we can photograph them (this was an exception)

And, Lamar always has Bison.

Lots of Bison

One of the joys of Yellowstone; Photo: Scott Stevens

So, Lamar did have animals (we are so jaded that we complain when most people would be awestruck), but the only Grizzlies we saw were farther away than that Wolf I showed you.

Unfortunately, all the Grizzly action we had was around Lake Butte and most of it was early and late. 

A Grizzly named Jam at the Steamboat Point Picnic Area

That’s a long drive from Silver Gate. 

With all the Bison on the road, you do not want to drive in the dark

Worst of all, the Log Cabin restaurant was under new management and was no longer open for dinner. Driving there for lunch is just not logical and breakfast didn’t start until 7:00 a.m. So, that plan was a bust. 

We would have been better off staying at the East entrance. These are things you can’t know when you have to book far in advance to secure any lodging. 

Black Bears

In this post, I am going to talk about Black Bears (Grizzlies will come in the next).

Black Bears have pointy ears, a "roman" nose and a sloping butt

We go to Grand Teton/Yellowstone for Grizzlies, but a bonus is that Yellowstone has lots and lots of Black Bears.

The majority can be seen near the Tower/Roosevelt junction. And, we saw quite a few in that vicinity.

We spent a lot of time with this very close Bear at the Tower/Roosevelt Junction

This cinnamon Bear (a boar, I think) was further up the road toward Mammoth

This mama and cubs were in the same spot the day before

This one was near Rainy Lake

Petrified Tree is a good bet for Black Bears (and sometimes Grizzlies)

It can be tricky in that Black-Bear-heavy area because the roads are narrow and winding without much shoulder and it is not unusual for the Bears to cross the road.

Many areas have "no parking" signs and cones; this baby has the right-of-way

Huge Bear jams form because some people just stop dead in the road (I even saw one guy get out of his car and leave it blocking the lane).

Can you blame people for stopping? Photo: Caty Stevens

I try to follow the rules (including always parking will all four wheels completely off the road), but I do take advantage of the stops to snap photos.

Taken from the driver's seat

Of course, you could encounter a Bear while hiking (I don't hike in Grizzly country anymore) or on horseback ...

These riders just saw the Black Bear at Petrified Tree

We did see some Bears at other spots in the Park, including a lone Bear near Canyon (no photo) and ...

A mama and yearling near Dunraven Pass; Photo: Caty Stevens

Another up on a hill near Lake Butte

I love any Bear and we stop for most, but I do have Black Bears in my neighborhood, so I don’t get quite as excited when I see them. And, we’ve seen and photographed so many that we will drive by if the Bear is too distant.

This one was far up a hill, but the habitat was interesting

Yellowstone’s Black Bears can be black, brown or cinnamon.

Black and cinnamon (we saw no true browns on this trip)

The brown and cinnamon Black Bears confuse a lot of people, primarily because of the unfortunate naming convention that labels Ursus americanus as the American Black Bear (despite the many color options) and labels Ursus arctos as a Brown Bear, or more colloquially, Grizzly Bear.

This is the "classic" Black Bear

It gets especially confusing when the Black Bear is brown and really large (and Yellowstone has some big ‘uns). 

A mama guarding her cubs; Photo: Scott Stevens

I seldom confuse the two, but I hear many misidentifications every time I go to Yellowstone. For more info on how to differentiate, go here (yeah, it’s a post about Alaska, but it includes Black vs. Brown comparisons).

Black and Brown (Grizzly)

While Grizzly COYs elude us, we do usually see a few Black Bear COYS each year.

A little one I didn't see; Photo: Scott Stevens

These siblings were cinnamon and black

Other Sightings

I have covered most of what we saw (except the Grizzlies to come), but there were a few more critters ...

A close-up Muskrat (pictured) and a far-off Beaver (too far for a decent shot)

A Common Raven too close for my lens (but, what pretty detail!)

And another at a proper distance

A Uinta Ground Squirrel guarding her den

A Chipping Sparrow

A Yellow-bellied Marmot

A Dusky Flycatcher

Even more Bison

Including Bison calves: Photo: Caty Stevens

A Snowshoe Hare; Photo: Caty Stevens

And, of course, lots and lots of beautiful scenery (most of which I didn't photograph) ...

Frosty Bison; Photo: Scott Stevens

Waterfalls; Photo: Caty Stevens

Hills and mountains

The Yellowstone River and thermals

Yellowstone Lake

Steamboat thermal

Scouting Tips

I have mentioned several times that we found a nest or a den or a Bear based on information gleaned from other people. Caty and I ask almost everyone we encounter with a scope or a camera or even noticeable interest in animals about what they’ve seen and where. 

Potential sources

It’s how we find stuff. And, in return, we eagerly share our experiences with others.

We also both follow the Yellowstone Bears Facebook Page. 

Yellowstone Bears

That’s where we get most of our intelligence on which Bears are where and how we’ve learned the identities of many of the commonly seen Bears. 

Where we learned that these Bears are Storm, Jam, Quill and Timber

Without it, Bear hunting would be much more difficult. 

By the way, Yellowstone Bears also includes information about Bears in Grand Teton, so it is doubly useful. And doubly frustrating when we see picture after picture of COYs and then can’t find them.

Trip Dates: June 6-12, 2025

Grand Teton National Park: Some Different Sights

Magnificent! There is no prettier view than the Tetons

We (Scott and me; Caty and me; Scott, Caty and me) often go to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, mainly to look for Bears. 

And, of course, for the scenery

It’s the closest reliable place to see Grizzly (AKA Brown) Bears and it seldom disappoints as far as sightings go. 

Plus, the Parks can be really good for Black Bears and Bison ...

Mama Bison reunited with her calf after a brief separation when she couldn't get over the fence

... and occasionally good for Moose, Elk, Foxes, Coyotes, Beavers, Muskrats, Raptors and, even, Wolves. 

Early morning Elk without a care in the world

So, the three of us went in June.

Scott and Caty

While at Grand Teton, we stayed two nights at Colter Bay Village in a two bedroom/one bathroom cabin. We like staying in Colter Bay because of its location in the north part of the Park. Sometimes we stay a Dornan's Spur Ranch Cabins in the souther part, which are nice because they have full kitchens. But, this time we chose where Bears are frequently seen. Cooking is not allowed at Colter Bay, but we brought food that didn't have to be heated, so that wasn't an issue.

We stayed in a similar cabin back in 2014

What was an issue was how the Colter Bay room was wired for electricity. One switch at our room's door controlled all the power in our room except one outlet right below it all the way across the room from the beds. Since Scott has a CPAP machine, we needed the power on. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem except that there was one rather bright full-room light that had no on/off switch. The first night, we slept with the light on.

The cabin was spacious; Photo: Grand Teton Lodge Company

That same light in Caty's room was either turned off somewhere or burned out, so she didn't have the same problem. The next night, we brought in extension cords that we had in our cars and, with two connected running all the way across the room, we could turn off all the power and still run the CPAP. Tripping hazard, but we survived. A plus of our room location was proximity to an ice machine,

Failed Again!

We have been skunked multiple years in our quest to see Grizzly COYs. That’s Bear-speak for cubs of the year, meaning the tiny little ones that have emerged for the first time from the den.

COYs from Silver Salmon Creek, Alaska, 2023

Caty and I failed when we went in 2023 and we skipped 2024 because of our trip to England and Wales. So, we made reservations as early as we could to return in 2025 to try again. 

With all the Bear photography we do, you’d think we would have a good history with COYS. But, no. 

I have seen COYs in Alaska; Only twice, though

I have never seen COYs in Yellowstone or Grand Teton or, even, Canada. It is not for a lack of research or effort. We always seem to miss the window (we’ve been too early, too late, in the wrong place at the right time and in the right place at the wrong time). We have seen many, many yearlings and two-year-olds. 

Obsidian Sow with her yearlings, 2021

Just can’t seem to find the COYs.

We had a greatish visit in 2025, but failed again. In our defense, this year has been very low on COYs in general. For that reason, next year might be good. But, since Caty and I are going to American Samoa in June 2026, we might miss them again.

Positives

I said that our 2025 visit was GreatISH. Let me explain. We spent two days in Grand Teton and saw NO Bears or Moose. None. Zero. Zip. 

We did see some spectacular scenery because …

... the weather was great ...

… the sun was out and there was no wind, creating great reflections …

… some early wildflowers were blooming ...

… creating great foregrounds for the mountains …

... making for some tricky photo angles (Caty is shooting in a field coned for Bear sightings)

Scott is the master of these foreground shots; Photo: Scott Stevens

After a marvelous encounter with Bear 610 and her three yearlings in 2023 and ...

610 and yearlings

... with Bear 399 and her FOUR yearlings in 2021, along with many other sightings over the years ...

These media darlings put Grand Teton on the map for many

... no Bears was a shock. 

Although it was comfy for us, it may have been too sunny for Bears in their heavy coats

Cattleman's Bridge

We encountered some people at Cattleman’s Bridge, an area we often skip, who showed us where a River Otter den was and informed us that we had just missed them (par for the course). 

Otter den

If you can’t have Bears, there is no reason not to try for Otters. 

So, we went late one evening and early the next morning, times that are often good for wildlife, which, unfortunately, also includes mosquitoes. Otters never appeared, but we did have some very, very close encounters with a couple of North American Beavers. 

Very close!

I got some video as did Caty (here). 

For a moment, we thought maybe people were confused and thought that the Beavers were Otters (it happens all the time), but then a tour guide came by and confirmed that there was, indeed, an Otter den.

The Beavers were swimming and eating and swimming some more

I wrote extensively about Beavers here, so I won’t go into much detail about the actual animals. The ones we encountered at Cattleman's seemed non-plussed by the people (us) on the shore taking photos and videos. 

In fact, the few times they had any reaction to outside activities was when they encountered other Beavers. 

This one swam off to eat alone further down the river

While looking for Otters, we also saw a number of Bald Eagles, including two very mottled Juveniles (most likely one and a half years old) that were hanging out together across the water, jumping, flapping their wings and stalking.

This one posed after its (presumed) sibling flew away

Many people don’t realize that Bald Eagles take about five years to reach full classic white-head-brown-body coloration, so these birds confused some people. 

I, myself, have never seen any as mottled as these two

It was still early morning and pretty dark, so photography was tricky.

And, it was harder to tell what they were doing

We also saw … 

Some Canada Geese …

Beautiful American Wigeons …

... in a beautiful setting ...

A female Barrow’s Goldeneye …

… and another Juvenile Bald Eagle flying overhead

Certainly, it was a nice wildlife stop, but it would have been improved by an Otter, Moose or Bear. 

Still Looking

The last time Caty and I were in Grand Teton, we saw a Great Gray Owl. So, we looked and looked, but had no luck.

We looked for years to find this one

Someone later told us that there hadn’t been many sightings this year.

We did see a cute little Yellow Warbler; Photo: Caty Stevens

We also went back to the Red Fox den we had seen in 2021 (that was a good year!), but learned that the den had been destroyed to force the Foxes to move farther from crowds.

A Red Fox kit on top of the old den

Sad, but I get it since throngs do block the campground entrance. 

And, of course, we went to beautiful Schwabacher Landing, where we have seen Moose in the past. This time we were rewarded with ...

Gorgeous views ...

Waterbirds (this is a Spotted Sandpiper and a Wilson's Phalarope) ...

Songbirds (this is a White-crowned Sparrow)

So, after two days in Grand Teton ...

Nice place to be

... including a brief drive up to Yellowstone while still staying in Teton … 

... Where we did see a Bear (this is Quill; we saw him again later)

... we moved on to Yellowstone, where our luck improved. Somewhat.

Trip dates: June 6-12, 2025