Seeking Out Bison in Yellowstone National Park: A Photo Essay

When my husband and I arrived in Yellowstone National Park I had two primary objectives: 1. See Old Faithful erupt and 2. See bison for the first time in person.

Old Faithful was a given. We set aside time for the next morning to head to the iconic geyser with the sole purpose of waiting as long as necessary to watch it put on its show. From previous experience with failed attempts to see bison at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, we were aware that a wildlife sighting was going to take more work to achieve, and we knew it was up to us to seek it out.

The day was already quickly passing and we were prepared to set to camp at Lewis Lake Campground for the night. With a quick search of popular bison locations, we headed North from Lewis Lake the Grand Loop Road to make our way to Hayden Valley.

The drive north was in itself a joy to behold. As we traced the water’s edge of Yellowstone Lake’s West Thumb, choppy waters coming from across the horizon, the excitement of setting out on a new adventure built high anticipation for what we hoped to find.

In our pursuit of bison, a slowing of traffic built our anticipation along the drive. As we approached we were presented with, not bison, but a beautiful elk just on the side of the road. The vibrancy of the forest coloring reflecting off it's brown hide as it stared at the passing cars while trying to eat.

Uncertain of how prevalent or easy bison sightings would be, when we’d reach an open meadow, I’d pull into the nearest turnout on the side of the road. There, we’d step out and scan the horizon for bison. Though the first turnout was nothing short of a stunning landscape, the only wildlife on display was a small group of geese.

Continuing our drive through the winding tree-lined roads, hyper aware of any movement in my peripheral vision, the search for bison continued. As I drove around a curve in the road, the road’s embankment rose into a slight hill, for the briefest of moments, making an appearance between the trees just above eye level was a single bison. The brief sight of him as we drove past was enough to send my heart rate racing and spike my adrenaline. We saw a bison! Unknowing if we’d see any others on this wildlife search, we celebrated our sighting as we continued our drive. Sharing a high five and our shared joy that we saw a bison!

Approaching another open field we saw, a large shadow isolated within the grass. With a switch of its tail, we realized it was another bison! With nothing more than a single car stopped ahead, I pulled over in a nearby turnout to join them in the viewing.

For the next 20 minutes, we stood mesmerized, watching the bison go about his business walking through the field at a leisurely pace.

Thankful for a new zoom lens and a pair of binoculars left in the truck, we watched in awe at the sheer size of the animal even from the distance we had between us. Every detail of its hide, horns and the weight of its steps incredible to witness with each passing minute.

Letting our gaze shift from the bison that had caught our attention to scan the remaining field, a second bison came into view.

Walking from the other side of the field we watched as he made his way along the river bank, plopping himself into the dirt and rolling around like an awkward oversized dog before standing up and continuing on his way.

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Walking into the field amongst a flock of geese, unbothered by the animal's presence, the mingling wildlife were a stark contrast of size.

I could have easily stayed parked there for hours, content as all be watching these two giant animals move about leisurely through the grass. Instead, we returned to the truck to continue our drive north to Hayden Valley with excitement for what other sightings the road ahead may present.

With each open field, it wasn’t long before we soon we discovered the tell for bison sighting; watch for slowed cars. Where traffic backs up, wildlife sightings are soon to accompany.

As we approached another open field, another solo bison walked in the distance and another chance to park in a turnout with the perfect distance to watch in complete awe, as though we hadn’t just witnessed two of the same animals a mere few minutes earlier.

Watching him move across the landscape until a sudden plume of dust veiled the bison, hiding him from sight as he tossed and rolled in the dirt. It was like witnessing pure power with a sudden break for comic relief.

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With the sun dipping lower, we knew we needed to head back to Lewis Lake Campground soon, but we decided to push just a little further down the open valley for one last look. The short added distance rewarded us beyond expectations. Lining the hills in the distance, a heard of bison filled the landscape and with all the best luck on our side, an open parking spot overlooked the vantage point.

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Parked and standing at the front of the truck, we stood watching the group graze. Young bison running around while larger bison spontaneously broke up the serenity of the herd by throwing themselves to the ground to roll in dirt. The personalities were on full display and we just stood there witnessing it all unfold in front of us.

Even as we finally turned back toward camp, the one off sightings continued. For the entirety of the drive back to the campground I was riding the high of the excitement. Every final, fleeting glimpse of bison along the road south brought that rush of adrenaline right back.

As incredible as our first evening in Hayden Valley had been, our bison sightings didn't end there. The very next day gifted us an entirely different perspective as a lone bison made his way across the river. Standing along the a turnout on the road, we watched in fascination as his relatively small legs aggressively kicked up heavy sprays of water with every step, pushing his massive body across the current.

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Reflecting on our days spent in the park, I still smile with excitement. From our very first fleeting glimpse between the trees to watching a herd on the hills and a lone traveler wading through the water, our search for Yellowstone’s iconic bison exceeded every expectation and with that, the bucket list item was complete.

(*all photos in this post were taken by Nikki Emord and Jason Emord)