My wife and I were in Lamar Valley just after a snow storm in 2020. We saw a pair of wolves about 100 yards from the road. We know we were extremely lucky to have seen them and count it as one of many Yellowstone highlights
Hi Matt- Your inclusion of the history of locations, events, and people is very interesting and valuable to us. Thank you so much for your wonderful input. That’s why I consider your channel as the best travel channel around.
I wouldn't limit it to the lower 48, the Lamar Valley is one of if not the best place to see megafauna in all of North America. As a comparison, let's consider another popular wildlife destination, Denali National Park in Alaska and look at the two parks respective estimated densities of some charismatic megafauna. *Grizzly Bear* : 84 per 1,000 km2 in Yellowstone; 27 per 1,000 km2 in Denali north of the Alaskan Range (so not including the inhospitable high-alpine sections of the park). *Grey Wolves* : 10.6 per 1,000 km2 in Yellowstone; 2.9 per 1,000 km2 in Denali *Caribou* : Not found in Yellowstone; ~200 per 1,000 km2 in Denali north of the Alaska Range *Bison* : 612 per 1,000 km2 in Yellowstone, Not found in Denali. *Moose* : Likely below 20 per 1,000 km2 in Yellowstone (though they are more common in Grand Teton); 180 per 1,000 km2 in Denali north of the Alaska Range *Elk* : 1,100 - 2,200 per 1,000 km2 in Yellowstone (in summer); Not found in Denali *Dall Sheep* : Not found in Yellowstone; 232 per 1,000 km2 in Denali north of the Alaska Range. In totality, large mammals are found greater concentrations in Yellowstone than they are in Denali, and I would wager anywhere else in North America, (though the Western Artic Caribou herd may surpass it, depending on how you measure its range), and the Lamar Valley is an area of particular abundance within Yellowstone.
What an amazing video. I will be using some of the information in this video for upcoming videos on my channel. I'll make sure to give this channel and this video credit in the descriptions!
Not to detract from the Lamar Valley but the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge claimed the title America’s Serengeti many years ago. With caribou, moose, musk ox, polar bears, brown bears, black bears, Dall sheep, wolves, Arctic fox, lynx, beavers, wolverines, 36 species of fish and over 200 species of birds, the refuge rightly claims that title.
Is Lamar Valley open to the east of Tower Roosevelt this year (2022)? I know the Northeast entrance is closed, but do you know how far you can go east from Tower Roosevelt? Thanks!
Visiting from the UK end of September this year. Have changed lodgings from Gardiner to Canyon lodge as we're only in the park for 3 nights. Is this a good move?
So glad to hear! You’ll have a great time. FYI, I just wrote an article about canyon village if you want to check it out wereintherockies.com/canyon-village-yellowstone/
Bringing in monster sized wolves from Canada to simply have wolves for the tourists was the biggest mistake biologists have ever made. The biggest question these days is "what are the wolves going to devour when they have eaten all the elk'' ?
@@WereintheRockies Our plan was to enter through the north eastern entrance from Cooke City, but that will have to be another time. Today we are in Gilette, Wy and tomorrow we will go to Green River, Wy to visit friends. From there we will go on a visit to Browns Park (Browns Hole) in north eastern Utah.
When we were in Lamar Valley, we found that the wolf watchers were very generous in letting us look through their spotting scopes.
We had the same experience! They were very nice and would show us where the animals are :)
@@ibeeibee7830 Yes, wolf-watching turned out to be a much more communal experience than I'd expected.
that's awesome!
My parents lived in Nome in 1946. A fifty dollar bounty on wolves meant they’d see dead wolves hanging by their hind legs outside the post office.
That’d true!!!!
My wife and I were in Lamar Valley just after a snow storm in 2020. We saw a pair of wolves about 100 yards from the road. We know we were extremely lucky to have seen them and count it as one of many Yellowstone highlights
What great luck!
Thank you for your videos once again. Glad to see the park is open again!
Our pleasure!
Hi Matt-
Your inclusion of the history of locations, events, and people is very interesting and valuable to us. Thank you so much for your wonderful input. That’s why I consider your channel as the best travel channel around.
Gregg, thanks so much!! Very happy to hear. :)
I wouldn't limit it to the lower 48, the Lamar Valley is one of if not the best place to see megafauna in all of North America. As a comparison, let's consider another popular wildlife destination, Denali National Park in Alaska and look at the two parks respective estimated densities of some charismatic megafauna.
*Grizzly Bear* : 84 per 1,000 km2 in Yellowstone; 27 per 1,000 km2 in Denali north of the Alaskan Range (so not including the inhospitable high-alpine sections of the park).
*Grey Wolves* : 10.6 per 1,000 km2 in Yellowstone; 2.9 per 1,000 km2 in Denali
*Caribou* : Not found in Yellowstone; ~200 per 1,000 km2 in Denali north of the Alaska Range
*Bison* : 612 per 1,000 km2 in Yellowstone, Not found in Denali.
*Moose* : Likely below 20 per 1,000 km2 in Yellowstone (though they are more common in Grand Teton); 180 per 1,000 km2 in Denali north of the Alaska Range
*Elk* : 1,100 - 2,200 per 1,000 km2 in Yellowstone (in summer); Not found in Denali
*Dall Sheep* : Not found in Yellowstone; 232 per 1,000 km2 in Denali north of the Alaska Range.
In totality, large mammals are found greater concentrations in Yellowstone than they are in Denali, and I would wager anywhere else in North America, (though the Western Artic Caribou herd may surpass it, depending on how you measure its range), and the Lamar Valley is an area of particular abundance within Yellowstone.
Thanks for watching and for sharing!
Great video.
Spent 2 days here last year. It's magnificent.
Thanks!
What an amazing video. I will be using some of the information in this video for upcoming videos on my channel. I'll make sure to give this channel and this video credit in the descriptions!
Best of luck on your channel
@@WereintheRockies thank you 🙏
It's crazy how elusive Cougars are in the park. They are like silent assassins lol
Cougars are elusive everywhere.
some really incredible views here
How big is Lamar Valley in square miles (I'm doing a project on it)? I can't find a source that gives me a straight answer?
I'm sorry but I do not have that information either. Good luck!
Not to detract from the Lamar Valley but the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge claimed the title America’s Serengeti many years ago. With caribou, moose, musk ox, polar bears, brown bears, black bears, Dall sheep, wolves, Arctic fox, lynx, beavers, wolverines, 36 species of fish and over 200 species of birds, the refuge rightly claims that title.
Awesome
Good Stuff Yup
Most Native America Tribes called the buffalo, Tatanka!
How long is the drive from West Yellowstone to Lamar Valley?
Without traffic or bison jams, you're looking about 1h30m -1h45m to get to the beginning of it.
@@WereintheRockies thank you. We're visiting on memorial day weekend this year.
Is Lamar Valley open to the east of Tower Roosevelt this year (2022)? I know the Northeast entrance is closed, but do you know how far you can go east from Tower Roosevelt? Thanks!
Always check this site www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/parkroads.htm. It appears it’s closed at tower. No further
@@WereintheRockies thank you!
Visiting from the UK end of September this year. Have changed lodgings from Gardiner to Canyon lodge as we're only in the park for 3 nights. Is this a good move?
Definitely! Perfect spot for three nights
@@WereintheRockies awesome! Your guide is invaluable 🤗
So glad to hear! You’ll have a great time. FYI, I just wrote an article about canyon village if you want to check it out
wereintherockies.com/canyon-village-yellowstone/
The Serengeti: "Africa's Lamar Valley"
Bringing in monster sized wolves from Canada to simply have wolves for the tourists was the biggest mistake biologists have ever made. The biggest question these days is "what are the wolves going to devour when they have eaten all the elk'' ?
Too bad we had to cancel our visit this year. Saw wolves and grizzly bear back in 2013.
That's too bad. The flooding was very unfortunate but we're happy both loops of Yellowstone are back open.
@@WereintheRockies Our plan was to enter through the north eastern entrance from Cooke City, but that will have to be another time. Today we are in Gilette, Wy and tomorrow we will go to Green River, Wy to visit friends. From there we will go on a visit to Browns Park (Browns Hole) in north eastern Utah.
@@wncjan Browns Park! Butch Cassidy’s hideout. My parents just got back from there
@@WereintheRockies And home of the Bassett sisters 😎
Bison vs Buffalo? Nothing here to argue about. It’s a choice of literacy and intelligence over….. well, I’m sure the answer is simple and obvious. 😊👍
It's not a choice. It's just american ego at work. Americans are just insistent on using different and confusing terms.