Large herds of Bison roam all over Yellowstone Park!
Nothing cuter than Bison calf.
Pronghorn Antelope can
sometimes be seen in one of the meadows along
the Old Gardiner Road. This is a one-lane dirt road that runs from
Mammoth Hot Springs to the North Entrance, and it is not open all the
time, but it is a good scenic drive if you have a truck or a 4-wheel
drive vehicle.
These adult Big Horns were
spotted along the road to Tower Junction
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Seeing this Moose made one of
our guests very happy. These animals are
reclusive and normally stay out of sight. Many people spend lots of
time in Yellowstone Park and never get to see
a Moose with her calf. What a great shot!
Keep a sharp lookout for
Mountain Goats as you drive between the North
Entrance and Mammoth Hot Springs on your daily trip to Yellowstone from
the RV Park. This is a protected management area for the Goats and the
Big Horn Sheep and you may spot one in the hills along the road.
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You could see some White Tail
Deer near or even IN the RV Park. One of the guests saw this doe with
her twins just across the river and
we believe this was her mate up in the brush. Even though they are
captivating gentle animals they can also be quite
dangerous, especially since they seem to revel in darting across the
highway from dusk until dawn when they are especially hard to see!
The sight of a magnificent bull
Elk like this one is not uncommon,
especially in the fall when they gather in the Mammoth Hot Springs area
during rutting season. You can sometimes hear the sound that the
antlers make when the males engage in combat while rounding up their
harems. These animals shed their antlers each year, so if you are here
in the spring, you will see them with smaller antlers still covered in
"velvet."
We could hardly believe it when
we saw this herd of Elk enjoying the
warmth of one of the hot springs in Mammoth early in the morning.
You're not allowed to walk on the thermal features (nor is it safe to
do so!), but we guess nobody told the elk.
In May an Elk calf is spotted
and not much bigger than a German Shepard. And when you see an Elk "in
velvet" in early June you can't imagine the size of their rack in the
Fall!
Beavers are shy creatures so
more often than not you only see their
dams as evidence that they are around, but sometimes one will stick
it's head out for a leisurely swim on the surface.
This Coyote was on the prowl for prairie dogs near Blacktail Meadow.
It's a rare thrill to see a
Wolf anytime in Yellowstone, so imagine what a thrill it was to see
this puppies playing like no one was watching!
Mama Black Bear was spotted
playing with her cub across the valley from
the Petrified Tree exhibit. We spent some time just watching this
Mother frolick with her cub
around this fallen tree among the wildflowers.
...
A few visitors are lucky enough
to catch a glimpse of the solitary (and
dangerous) Grizzly Bear in the wild. One spring we happened upon a Mama
Grizzly Bear with two cubs which had created a terrific traffic jam! My
camera has a good telephoto lens, so I was able to "safely" get this
picture from inside the car, but many people were out of their vehicles
running around with their cameras AND their children. Luckily nobody
was hurt, either by the traffic or the Mama bear! Grizzly Bears are
VERY dangerous animals so please don't risk your life trying to get
"just a little closer" for a "better picture". The bear will have to be
destroyed if it does attack someone.
Mama Griz, cubs and wildflowers.
And a well-groomed Black Bear.
You might spot a
Bald Eagle
flying along the Yellowstone River,
surveying the territory from the top of a tree, or soaring on the
thermals in Yellowstone Park. If you are lucky enough to see one of
these majestic birds, it will be a sight that you will never forget!
We often see Osprey, also known as the Fishing Bird, flying along the
Yellowstone River looking for lunch!
White Pelicans and Sandhill
Cranes summer here in Paradise Valley. And like some of our guests they
migrate south to Coastal Texas for the winter.
Sometimes the wildlife comes to
us. This Great Horned Owl raised 2 chicks here at yellowstone's Edge.
One of our guests happened upon
this family of Swans near the Emigrant
bridge over the Yellowstone River...
Just a few miles from the RV Park!
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