First Grizzly Sightings of the Year for Yellowstone Day Tours
- Yellowstone Day Tours
- Nov 13, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 27
As the ski lifts are still spinning off in the distance at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, the folks coming along for the last few weeks of our Winter Wildlife Tours are the first to get a taste of Spring. While the snow is still abundant, the sun is shining, jackets are optional, and viewing the local wildlife is coming into full swing. Even the first Grizzly bears are coming out a bit early to enjoy the weather.
Our evening Jackson Hole wildlife tour throughout the National Elk Refuge and Grand Teton National Park on 04/11/2024 turned out to be quite the show. In just the first couple of hours, we had seen countless numbers of moose, elk, bighorn sheep, bison, and mule deer. An array of different species of birds abounds; we counted four bald eagles during our tour. And finally, with rumors around the valley of waking bears, we had our first grizzly sighting of the year. Thought to be Grizzly 926, the granddaughter of the ever-famous Grizzly 399, was seen on a walk with her newfound mate. An intimate experience, we were able to spend 30 minutes viewing these beautiful bears. Capped off with an incredible sunset and a few more moose and elk sightings on our drive back to Jackson, WY, we couldn’t have asked for a better “winter” tour.
When Can We Expect Our First Grizzly Sighting of the Year?
Grizzly bears in the Tetons and throughout the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem typically start emerging from hibernation sometime in March. The males awake earliest, with the females and cubs typically coming out towards the end of April and early May. We don’t expect consistent sightings until the very end of April and early May - making our experience on the 11th mighty special and hopefully a precursor to lots of bear activity this spring.
For the best opportunity to see our abundant wildlife in Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park
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