Wildlife at Yellowstone Captures Teen’s and Tween’s Attention

     Wherever you go in Yellowstone you are surrounded by wildlife.  Yellowstone is a year round home to over 3,000 bison (aka buffalo) and houses as many as 30,000 elk in the summer although their numbers drop off some in the winter.  We never saw the more elusive bears or wolves, but no matter how many times we chanced upon the buffalo and elk we had to stop and admire them.

Buffalo are frequently seen in Yellowstone

      During the summer, the buffalo are most likely to hang out in the Hayden and Lamar Valleys, but as the weather cools in late August some will make their way up to the geyser areas where conditions are warmer in during Yellowstone’s long winter.  On our visit we saw some of the first arrivals in the Old Faithful area.   Park staff rush to keep spectators at a safe distance but the buffalo are show stoppers and they always have the right of way.

Buffalo arriving at his winter home near the Old Faithful Inn

     Elk tend to stay in the Northern areas of the park. They particularly like the lush green grass parade grounds maintained around Fort Yellowstone and the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel.   It is common to see them on the lawn when you look out your window first thing in the morning.

Elk at rest near the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel

     The fact that you can never predict when or where you will the majestic animals of Yellowstone lends an ongoing sense of wonder to the trip.  We saw many other animals while we were in the park, including a wiley coyote, eagles and more.

A lone coyote stops for a drink at Yellowstone

     This is another in our ongoing series about our Top 10 Activities for families on vacation at Yellowstone with teens and tweens. 

     If you like travel photos, you might be interested to know that we submitted this post to the DeliciousBaby Photo Friday listing where you can see lots of other great travel pictures.