Lamar Valley, in two words: pure magic. It’s a place that feels completely wild. A place where animals roam free and where beautiful sunrises and sunsets set the sky on fire. It is a place I’ve dreamed of visiting for years. I chose to stay in Montana because I knew it would be close to this special place. If you follow me on Instagram (@thewellwornshoes) you know how much I love Lamar Valley! I post at least one photo a week, and I was only there for two days! Keep reading for all of the tips, tricks, and animal sightings I experienced in Lamar Valley.
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What Is The ONE Place You CAN’T Skip At Yellowstone?
If you are interested in wildlife viewing, then you can’t do better than Lamar Valley! You can see every animal that calls Yellowstone home in this one location!
Did you know that Lamar Valley is known as America’s Serengeti? Well, it is! And it is without a doubt one of the best places in the world to watch wildlife. It feels wild. Mostly because it is a place where nature has been allowed to take over.
The Basics:
Where Is Lamar Valley?:
Lamar Valley is located closest to the park’s Northeast Entrance, but this entrance isn’t open year-round. If you are visiting during regular seasons, you enter through the Northeast Entrance near Cooke City, Montanan, and drive west on Northeast Entrance Road. It takes approx 10 miles before you are in Lamar Valley.
However, the North Entrance of Yellowstone is open year-round, gives you a chance to see the Roosevelt Arch, and is only about a 40 min drive through gorgeous Yellowstone.
How To Get To The Valley:
The closest entrances to Lamar Valley are the Northeast Entrance and the Northern Entrance. I entered through the Northern Entrance every day, and it was only about a 30 mins drive to Lamar Valley. Either way, you will need a vehicle to get to the valley.
Is Lamar Valley Worth It?:
Yes!! Many friends commented on my photos and videos of all the wildlife I saw. They said that they barely saw any wildlife on their trip to Yellowstone. I thought, how is that even possible? I saw hundreds of bison on my very first drive-through Yellowstone (in Lamar Valley). It turns out none of them had “made it” to Lamar Valley. It seems like a long drive, but it was my absolute favorite part of Yellowstone.
Camping Near In/Near The Valley:
Slough Creek Campground
- Slough Creek Campground Rd, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190
- (307) 344-7381
- Located in Lamar Valley, Slough Creek offers 16 sites along the namesake creek
- Make Reservations HERE
Pebble Creek Campground
- Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190
- (307) 344-7381
- 27 sites
- Pebble Creek Campground—elevation 6,900 feet (2103 m)—lies against the dramatic backdrop of the Absaroka Mountains near the park’s Northeast Entrance and offers a more isolated camping experience
- Make Reservations HERE
Hotels Near Lamar Valley:
Comfort Inn Yellowstone North
- 107 Hellroaring, Gardiner, MT 59030-7716
- (406) 848-7536
- Book HERE
Yellowstone Village Inn
- 1102 Scott St W, Gardiner, MT 59030
- (800) 228-8158
- Book HERE
Know Before You Go:
Cost:
- You will have to pay the Yellowstone entrance fee. You will need a park pass to visit Yellowstone.
- $35 for 7 days
- Or you can purchase America The Beautiful Pass for $80 and have unlimited access to all National Parks. You can buy your America The Beautiful Pass here.
More Know Before You Go:
- Lamar Valley is not on Grand Loop Road.
- Roughly 29 miles of road stretch through Lamar Valley.
- It is open year-round as well, and it’s where most photographers flock here in the winter when it’s easier to spot wolves.
- I didn’t know this until my trip last fall, but bison eyes do not glow in the dark as deer and elk do. So, if you are visiting a bison-heavy area (Lamar or Hayden Valley), make sure to leave before it gets completely dark. You will never see them.
- Lamar Valley is semi-dog friendly. What do I mean by semi? Well, you can have the pups in your car but please, keep the windows up (or just cracked). I’m sure you’ve seen the video of the husky who ran up to a bison and got gored (he was ok).
Check Out: Is Yellowstone National Park Dog Friendly?
Best Time Of Day To Visit Lamar Valley?:
It’s going to be an early wake-up or a late evening to see animals!
For wildlife viewing, it’s best to get to Lamar Valley at dawn or dusk when the animals are most active.
What Animals Can You See In Lamar Valley?:
- Wolves
- Elk
- Bison
- Grizzly Bears and Black Bears
- Bighorn Sheep
- Fox
- Deer
- Moose
- Pronghorn
- Also, watch out for bald eagles and osprey in the Lamar River.
Wildlife Safety Distances:
- Wolves & Bears – at least 100 yards
- Bison & Elk – at least 25 yards
- All other animals at Yellowstone – 25 yards
Tips For Spotting Wildlife:
- Animals are most active at dawn and dusk, particularly wolves.
- PLEASE remember that these are wild animals and that you should never (ever) approach OR feed them under any circumstances!
- Do NOT stop on the road unless you are in a bison jam, which is unavoidable. There are so many pullouts in Lamar Valley. See the photo below because bison jams are very real things. These guys move at their own pace, but Park Rangers will help nudge them along.
- No matter how calm the animals at Yellowstone may appear, they are wild animals and are unpredictable at best.
- Did you know that an adult male bison can weigh over 2,000 lbs and run up to speeds of 35 mph? That’s pretty much like being hit by a slow-moving car.
- If you spot wolves anywhere near developed areas, please alert a Park Ranger immediately.
What Do You Need To Bring To Lamar Valley?:
Binoculars –
Pack a great pair of binoculars, particularly if you want to spot wolves or bears you will most likely need binoculars. Don’t worry if you don’t have a great pair – many of the wolf spotters will let you look through their amazing gear to see wolves and bears. These are the binoculars that I have.
Spotting Scope –
I bought this spotting scope specifically to watch wolves in Lamar Valley. But to be completely honest it wasn’t even close to enough magnification. It’s a great little scope but these wolves were very far away. The nice thing is that most of the wolf spotters will let you look through their professional spotting scopes and incredible telephoto lenses. I got this spotting scope specifically for the trip.
Camera –
I am a big fan of Sony. I have a Sony a6000, Sony a7ii, and Sony a7rii and love them all!
Telephoto/Zoom Lens –
If you are into photography, make sure to pack a telephoto/zoom lens. Or you can do what I did and rent a ridiculous zoom lens. It was amazing to take pics of the wolf pack where you can actually see that they are wolves. This was with a 600x zoom.
*I rented a 200-600 Sony lens from Lensrental.com I have no affiliation with Lens Rental but they were great when my plans ended up changing last minute and I needed the lens sent to a different shipping location.
If you don’t have access to binoculars or a spotting scope of your own you can rent them at Optics Yellowstone. I have no affiliation with this place.
Even More Tips:
- Lamar Valley will probably be a decent drive from where you stay in Yellowstone. But, trust me when I say it is worth an early waking-up call and a long drive.
- Plan to spend at least a few hours in Lamar. I highly recommend longer if you have the time.
- I had 3 days in Yellowstone and made sure to visit Lamar once every single day.
Lamar Valley vs Hayden Valley:
Both valleys are the best place to spot wildlife within the park. The plus for Hayden is that it’s more centrally located to the rest of the park’s bigger attractions (Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic). If you want to spot bison and don’t want to drive to Lamar Valley, then Hayden Valley is a great option.
Check Out: Yellowstone National Park Bucketlist
Honest Opinion: Both are beautiful, and you can see wildlife in both. While Hayden Valley is the obvious choice for most visitors at Yellowstone because of its more central location, I just wasn’t a huge fan. I saw a few bison and a trumpeter swan in Hayden. Compared to the hundreds of bison, I saw 2 wolf packs, moose, elk, pronghorn, grizzly bear, and coyotes in Lamar Valley. Lamar was the clear winner for me, but in my research, Hayden seemed to be the winner for many people before the trip.
8 Reasons To Visit Lamar Valley
1. Sunrises Are Magical –
Sunrise in Lamar Valley is the stuff of dreams (or my dreams anyway). Imagine bison roaming freely (most likely right in front of your car) as the sun starts to pop up over the mountains. This is a really active time for all of the wildlife, and I highly recommend taking in a sunrise in the valley. During my sunrise trip to Lamar, I saw hundreds of bison and watched a wolf pack play in the sage.
Check Out: One Day At Yellowstone National Park
2. The Wolves –
Lamar Valley is the best place to spot wolves in the park. And let me just tell you, my wolf-obsessed little girl heart loved seeing wolves in the wild. It was an experience I will never forget, and one that you won’t soon forget if you visit Lamar. *wolf sightings are not a guarantee, and I was told that I was lucky to spot so many during my first trip to Yellowstone.
Honestly, this is MY number 1! If you know me or have followed me on Instagram (@thewellwornshoes), you know that I am absolutely obsessed with wolves and have been since I was a kid. And last year for the first time I got to see them in the wild. I cried, twice.
Lamar Valley is home to the famous Junction Butte and Lamar Canyon wolf packs.
Tip: You will know when wolves are in the valley because you will see large numbers of people with gigantic spotting scopes and telephoto lenses. If you see this – PULL OVER!
My Wolf Sighting Experience:
I saw 27+ wolves in two visits to Lamar Valley. The first was a sunset drive through Lamar Valley. These wolves were further off the road, it was a fairly warm September evening, and they were playing and lounging in the grass. It was amazing to spot wolves for the first time, and some very kind wolf spotters let me peek into their scopes so I could get a better look.
The wolf spotters are awesome in general, they will call out where the wolves are and how many they are seeing. They will also let you know if there are any “famous” wolves in the pack, and if they know which pack you are watching they will tell you that too.
But my favorite wolf experience was at sunrise. This was a pack of 27 wolves, it was incredible to watch them interact for at least an hour on a chilly September morning. It made me cry. I took a million photos, but even with 600x zoom they aren’t super close. The positive is that you can tell they are wolves in the photos!
I was told by many people (Park Rangers included) that I was incredibly lucky to spot so many wolves on my first visit to Yellowstone. Trust me, I felt lucky! But the wolf is my spirit animal, so maybe it wasn’t just luck?
I highly recommend reading these books if you are interested in the Wolves of Yellowstone. American Wolf is one of my favorite books of all time! Wolves are complex animals, and their stories deserve to be told.
3. View Hundreds Of Bison Roaming –
Yellowstone is home to around 5,000 bison, and Lamar Valley is where you can spot them! You may also see bison when you are driving anywhere in Yellowstone, but I am not being dramatic when I say I saw hundreds of bison in Lamar Valley.
Did you know – it is estimated that 30 million bison were wandering the plains when Columbus landed on the eastern shores (don’t even get me started on Columbus)?
These incredible behemoths are so iconic that they became a national symbol of pride.
Sadly, by the late 1800s bison were almost entirely driven to extinction with less than 1,000 remaining in the wild.
Check Out: The First-Timers Guide To Yellowstone National Park
4. Lamar Valley Is Stunningly Beautiful –
Even if you take all of the wildlife out of the equation, Lamar Valley is incredibly beautiful. This verdant valley has been home to wildlife following the Lamar River for centuries. This area also has some of the oldest rocks in Yellowstone.
There are two small and primitive campgrounds if you want to see Slough Creek and Pebble Creek, and they are ideal if you are wanting to get to Lamar quickly in the morning.
5. Lamar Valley Will Force You To Slow Down –
Bison jams are a very real thing in Lamar Valley, and they happen often. While these sometimes come in the form of stampedes, more often than not, it’s just a whole herd of bison moseying across the road. But don’t worry if they take too long and cause too much of a traffic jam, the Park Rangers will start moving them along.
Sometimes the best course of action in Lamar Valley is to set up in a beautiful spot and wait for the wildlife to roam. This often happens with wolf spotters. They know the usual hot spots and just set up and wait.
It’s an unbelievable experience seeing all of these animals roaming free in such a beautiful place. It’s very otherworldly. And it’s something you should really slow down and take time to enjoy.
6. Keep An Eye Out For Pronghorn –
If you’ve driven through Wyoming, chances are you’ve seen some pronghorn. There are about 500(ish) pronghorns in Yellowstone National Park. They tend to hang out in the park’s Northern section, and Lamar Valley is one of the most common places to spot them.
Fun Fact: Did you know that the pronghorn is the fastest North American land mammal? Well, it is! These little guys can reach speeds up to 60 mph.
7. Watch Out For Grizzly Bears and Moose –
Lamar Valley is home to the Yellowstone “big 5” and is a great place to spot moose and grizzly. I was lucky enough to see ALL of the animals in Lamar Valley. But these two were the most elusive during my visit. I found out that the day before my first trip into the valley, there was an elk kill by the road, and both wolves and grizzlies were partaking. I was so bummed I missed it.
I saw the grizzly on my last trip to Lamar at sunrise. It was incredibly far away. I did snap a few photos, and you can tell it’s a bear. I’m hoping to see some a bit closer on my next trip.
I saw the moose (female) the same morning but away from the rest of the action. She was hanging out in a marshy area closer to the Northeast Entrance (I came in through the North Entrance, so I drove in the opposite direction of most people visiting the valley).
8. Sunsets Are Otherworldly –
Sunsets in Lamar Valley are out of this world. If you’ve read any of my other content or follow me on Instagram (@thewellwornshoes), you know I love a good sunrise and sunset.
Just imagine the sun casting its orange and pink glow on the Lamar River and all of the bison traveling through the valley. You can hear the males grunting as you drive at a snail’s pace so that you don’t miss a thing.
Sunset in Lamar Valley is an experience in and of itself. It’s amazing. And it’s something that you shouldn’t miss.
Lamar Valley is a special place. It feels ancient, wild, almost primal, and that is a feat in this modern world. I absolutely loved visiting Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park. It was my favorite part of my trip, hands down. I’m telling you, it’s worth the early wake-up or late night, and you won’t regret trekking out! I promise you won’t regret a sunrise or sunset trip to Lamar. Have you been to Lamar Valley? What did you think?
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