Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park

The Lamar Valley owes its broad, open floor to the glaciers that once filled this part of Yellowstone. As the ice advanced and retreated, it carved out a wide, flat bottomed valley and left behind rounded hills and scattered boulders dropped by the melting glaciers. The Lamar River now winds across the valley floor, feeding the grasslands that support so much life.

That open grassland is the key to the valley's wildlife. Unlike the forested plateaus that cover much of the park, Lamar is a sweep of sage and grass where animals gather in the open and can be watched from a distance, making it a natural theater for the drama of predator and prey.

Wolves were absent from Yellowstone for much of the twentieth century after being hunted out of the region. In the mid 1990s they were reintroduced to the park, and the Lamar Valley became a center of that effort and of the research that followed. The valley's open terrain made it possible to observe the packs closely, and it remains one of the best places on Earth to see wild wolves.

The wolves reshaped the valley in ways scientists are still studying, influencing the movements of elk and, in turn, the health of streamside willows and the animals that depend on them. Watching a pack move across the hills at dawn is a reminder that this is a working wild ecosystem, not a static scene.

Wolves get much of the attention, but the Lamar Valley is rich with wildlife of every kind. Some of Yellowstone's largest bison herds range across the valley, and it is common to be stopped on the road as hundreds of animals amble across. Grizzly and black bears feed on the slopes, pronghorn and elk graze the flats, and coyotes, foxes, badgers, and raptors round out the cast.

The mix changes through the year, from the calving and courtship of spring to the bugling elk of autumn. Because so much of the valley is open and visible, patient watchers with binoculars can often see several species in a single morning.

Wildlife watching in the Lamar Valley has grown into something of a culture. On many mornings the pullouts fill with regulars, guides, and researchers, their spotting scopes trained on distant hillsides, and newcomers are often welcomed with a look through a scope and a quiet word about what is happening across the valley.

That shared attention is part of the experience. Standing at a pullout in the cold air, watching a far off pack or a bear on a hillside alongside a line of strangers, is a distinctly Lamar way to spend a morning, and it draws people back year after year.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

The Lamar Valley, in the northeastern part of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, is a broad, beautiful river valley renowned as one of the best places in the world to watch wildlife, often called America's Serengeti. The wide, grassy valley, framed by mountains and cut by the Lamar River, is home to large herds of bison, along with elk, pronghorn, bears, and, most famously, gray wolves, making it a premier destination for wildlife watching. Wolf reintroduction to Yellowstone centered on this area, and wolf watchers gather here. With its abundant wildlife and stunning scenery, the Lamar Valley offers some of the finest wildlife viewing in North America in Yellowstone National Park.

The Lamar Valley is famous for its abundant wildlife, including large herds of bison that often graze near and even cross the road, elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, and predators such as gray wolves, grizzly and black bears, coyotes, and foxes. It is especially renowned as one of the best places anywhere to spot wild wolves, with dedicated wolf watchers gathering with spotting scopes. Bald eagles and other birds are also present. The valley's open terrain makes wildlife easier to spot. Bringing binoculars or a spotting scope greatly enhances the experience of watching the remarkable wildlife of the Lamar Valley.

Never approach or feed wildlife, keeping a safe distance from bison, bears, wolves, and other animals, as bison are especially dangerous and injure people who get too close, and bears require carrying bear spray and knowing how to use it. Watch wildlife from your vehicle or from a safe distance with binoculars, and never get between animals or approach for photos. Be cautious of bison on the road. Follow all park rules. Keeping a safe distance from all wildlife and using binoculars or scopes for viewing ensures a safe experience in the Lamar Valley.

Dawn and dusk are the prime times for wildlife viewing, especially for spotting wolves and other predators, which are most active in the low light of early morning and evening. Spring and early summer bring newborn animals and active wildlife, while fall brings the rut and, again, active predators. Winter offers a stark beauty and wolf watching, though access is more limited. For the best wildlife viewing, especially wolves, arrive at dawn or stay until dusk, and visit in spring, early summer, or fall, bringing a spotting scope, in the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone National Park.

The Lamar Valley is in the northeastern part of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, near the park's northeast entrance, the gateway towns of Cooke City and Silver Gate in Montana, the Tower-Roosevelt area, and within reach of the park's other wonders and the Beartooth Highway to the northeast. That makes the Lamar Valley a premier wildlife-viewing stop to combine with the other attractions of Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding gateway areas on a visit to Wyoming.