Trail Guides Yellowstone

A handful of Cottonwood trees were still holding their color along the Yellowstone River yesterday. #Montana #Trees #YellowstoneRiver #Cottonwoods

A new, small-ish one just finished up and headed to Settlers West Galleries in Tucson, AZ for their, “The Great American West,” opening November 21st. “Aplomb on the Range,” oil on linen, 24”x18”.

Grand Prismatic Spring Cooler autumn weather brings some dramatic changes to the geyser basins. #Yellowstone #NationalParks #HotSprings #GrandPrismaticSpring

Bridger Canyon A rainy morning in Bozeman but still a very dramatic sunrise from the top of Drinking Horse Mountain. #Sunrise #Bozeman #Montana

We're always treated to some of the most incredible scenery as we head to the park in the early morning. #Montana #BozemanPass #Sunrise #Highway

Early morning commute to Yellowstone through Paradise Valley. This time of the year the sunlight is magic. #Montana #Morning #ParadiseValley #Mountains

Sepulcher Mountain (9,646 ft.) is a tough but rewarding hike just to the east of Electric Peak. These beautiful autumn days add a level of clarity that was absent this summer due to the forest fires in the region. #Yellowstone #Hiking #Mountains #NationalParks

The long days of summer are coming to an end and it’s a great time to be in the park. The landscapes are tinted gold and the wildlife are preparing for another long Yellowstone winter. #Yellowstone #DayHiking #Bison #Wildlife #Hiking #Adventure #Wilderness #NationalParks

Rush hour traffic crossing the Lamar River. #YellowstoneNationalPark #Bison #Wildlife

Electric Peak - NW Yellowstone The light is changing with the seasons and it makes for some dramatic landscapes. #NationalParks #Yellowstone #Hiking #Landscapes #Clouds

Pebble Creek Trail Beautiful country right along the park’s northeast boundary. If you’re staying in Cooke City you can access the trail from the Warm Springs TH just inside the park. It’s a steep climb initially but the views are spectacular. #Yellowstone #Hiking #Mountains #NationalParks

Specimen Ridge Trail - NE Yellowstone I nice break in the weather on Saturday. #Yellowstone #Hiking #Clouds #Valley #NationalParks

Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center This is well worth the visit if you’re staying in West Yellowstone. Education and product testing are an important part of their programs. This bear kept at it and eventually he opened the “bear proof” can. I guess it’s back to the drawing board on that model.

Black Pool - West Thumb Geyser Basin This is such a beautiful thermal area and it sits right beside Yellowstone Lake. Its proximity to the lake adds to the overall atmosphere and scale of the landscape. #YellowstoneNationalPark #HotSprings #NationalParks #Lakes #Sky

The roadless rule in this country is under threat. Here is a link where you can take action. Our voices need to be heard. These are OUR public lands!

A day on the boardwalks in Yellowstone. It’s a very surreal experience standing next to Grand Prismatic Spring. This colorful hot spring is around 200-300 ft. in diameter and approximately 120 ft. deep. #Yellowstone #NationalParks #HotSprings #Steam #Colorful #Reflections

Mule deer near camp enjoying the bounty of summer. #Yellowstone #NationalParks #Wildlife #Backpacking #Deer #Wilderness

Lower Falls - 308 ft. This view never gets old. #Yellowstone #Waterfalls #Landscapes #Rivers #NationalParks #Rainbow

Yellowstone Wildflowers With all of the wildfires and smoke in the air sometimes you just have to change your perspective. The Indian Paintbrush was on full display a few days ago along the western edge of the park. #Yellowstone #Hiking #Backpacking #Wilderness #Wildflowers #Sky #NationalParks

Heart Lake - SE Yellowstone Sometimes you just need a little elbow room. The Heart Lake region along with the Snake River drainage has some pristine fly fishing and sees very little pressure. It's a place all your own. #Yellowstone #Backpacking #FlyFishing #Wilderness #Lakes #NationalParks

Chief Joseph Highway (CJH) - The big reveal Pilot Peak (left), also known as the "mini-Matterhorn" and Index Peak rise to over 11,000 ft. and can be found just east of Cooke City. It's an easy drive from the NE Entrance of Yellowstone along the CJH. #Wyoming #ScenicHighways #RoadTrips #Mountains

Electric Peak from the Fawn Pass Trail - East Side This is the best time for wildflowers and the park never disappoints. #Wildflowers #Yellowstone #NationalParks #Mountains #Hiking #Travel #Landscapes #Wilderness

Upper Slough Creek - YNP We couldn't figure out why this bull moose was in such a hurry. It felt like he knew we were on his turf and came by to check things out. #Yellowstone #Wildlife #Moose #Wilderness #Camping #Backpacking #SloughCreek

The Osprey Falls Trail, located near Bunsen Peak south of Mammoth will be temporarily closed for trail repairs from July 28th - Aug. 4th, 2026. The "Old Bunsen Peak Road" (Points A to B) will remain open. Only the spur trail descending to Osprey Falls will be closed during this timeframe.

Chief Joseph HWY A quiet stretch of road between the NE Entrance of Yellowstone and Cody, WY. #Wyoming #Roads #Travel #Summer #RoadTrips #ChiefJosephHighway

Just finished! “The Branch Managers,” oil, 24”x30”.

Upper Slough Creek A great backcountry campsite about 2 miles from the park’s northern boundary. Pack the fly rod and enjoy the quieter sections of this beautiful river.

It’s been a crazy summer for wildlife in Yellowstone. We ran into this cinnamon black bear just as we started up Blacktail Plateau Drive yesterday. This is a one-way road east of Mammoth and it’s a great early morning drive. #BlackBear #Yellowstone #Wildlife #NationalParks

New work headed to the Buffalo Bill Show at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, WY. “Billy The Kid,” oil, 30”x38”.

A rare moment. Was the moose having a bear encounter or was it the other way around? #Moose #BlackBear #Yellowstone #NationalParks #Wildlife

Lamar Valley - NE Yellowstone It's fascinating to watch animals from a distance while they go about their daily routine. #wildlife #yellowstonenationalpark #grizzlybears #bears #wilderness #lamarvalley #nationalparks #nature

Bison FOMO Despite their size bison are strong swimmers, incredibly agile (run 30 mph) and can jump as high as 5 ft. #YellowstoneNationalPark #Wildlife #Bison #YellowstoneRiver #HaydenValley #Rivers #NationalParks

A True Omnivore Grizzlies are known to eat more than 266 species of plants, insects, fish and mammals. The tiny army cutworm moth, which bears find on high elevation talus slopes, provides the highest number of calories—although not all bears utilize this food source. #GrizzlyBears #Yellowstone

Recently, Congress revoked Boundary Waters protections through the Congressional Review Act (CRA), greenlighting harmful mining in these pristine waters. 🗣️ #SpeakUp today: Say "No" to the CRA on Public Lands! act.americanrivers.org/page/96623/a...

Black Canyon - Knowles Falls The Yellowstone River Trail runs along the northern edge of the park, following this iconic river for about 20 miles. It’s a beautiful 3-4 day early spring outing.

Osprey Falls Dropping into Sheepeater Canyon—the second deepest in Yellowstone—takes you to the base of this beautiful 150' waterfall. This is a popular day hike that starts at the Bunsen Peak TH just south of Mammoth. #YellowstoneNationalPark #Waterfalls #Rivers #Wilderness #GardnerRiver

Over the last three weeks, on Thursday mornings, I was conducting an online wildlife painting workshop. Here is the finished demo painting I created during the workshop. "Barefoot In The Park," oil on linen, 14"x11".

Public lands are home to the wildlife that lives there year-round. We're the visitors. Treating that time in their habitat with respect; keeping distance, managing pets, and storing food is part of the deal.

I think we set a record last Saturday with a total of eight bear sightings-both black and grizzly-in a single day. These two grizzlies were the first along the road from Norris to Mammoth. #YellowstoneNationaPark #GrizzlyBear #Bears #NationalParks #Wildlife

NE Entrance Road - Yellowstone There's something about an empty road disappearing along the horizon that just begs you to keep going. #YellowstoneNationalPark #ScenicRoads #NationalParks #Mountains

Getting rid of that itchy winter coat! Wallowing is a common practice. Depending on the time of year it can serve different functions... remove fur and insects, or just provide a cool place to rest during the summer. #YellowstoneNationalPark #Bison #Wildlife #NationalParks #Spring #Yellowstone

Always an impressive sight. When Lewis & Clark crossed this country they estimated there were 30-60 million bison on the plains. Through market hunting there were only two dozen remaining in Yellowstone by 1902. Today we have around 4,900 in the park. #YellowstoneNationalPark #Wildlife #Bison

Hats Off to the Park Service This photo represents a small portion of the headwear recovered from the thermal areas by the park service during the summer. Anyone recognize your own hat? 😀 Keep those lids secured. lol. Photo credit in the alt text. #YellowstoneNationalPark #Yellowstone

Update: What's Open/Closed Near Old Faithful These areas are open to travel: Midway Geyser Basin Black Sand Basin Fairy Falls Trail to the Grand Prismatic Overlook All temporary closures are listed in the alt text. #YellowstoneNationalPark #HotSprings #GrandPrismaticSpring #NationalParks

Specimen Ridge Trail - NE YNP Still a little gray up there on Monday but beautiful nonetheless. Plenty of petrified wood fragments and 50 Mya petrified tree trunks uncovered by erosion. The park is always full of surprises. #YellowstoneNationalPark #Hiking #Wilderness #NationalParks #Landscapes

Hikers Injured by Bear(s) on the Mystic Falls Trail! There are temporary trail closures for locations north and west of Old Faithful. Be bear aware, make noise, always carry bear spray and if possible, travel in groups of 3 or more. Please visit the link for additional details.

This is great news! Veterans of the park service should be managing our National Parks.

Doug Peacock - Writer, Veteran, Filmmaker and Activist "Yellowstone, for me is the holy cradle of my wild values, learned through decades of camping alone." This is a great short film on the status of bears here in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) and what people can do to protect them.

Very occasionally, there's a glimmer of hope, some good developments coming out of Congress. This is definitely one of those sporadic signs that not all may be lost. #publiclands #protectpubliclands #wildlife #conservation

Electric Peak We're expecting another snowstorm here in Montana so this photo seems fitting. Electric is the highest mountain in the Gallatin Range at nearly 11,000 ft. This photo was taken a few years ago from the summit of Bunsen Peak. #YellowstoneNationalPark #NationalParks #Mountains #Hiking