A Day In Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley
If you want to enjoy Yellowstone National Park with less crowds and an incredibly high probability of seeing wildlife, spend at least one day exploring Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley and the nearby Beartooth Highway which has amazing mountain views and alpine hiking trails.
Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley has been called the “Serengeti of North America” due to the numerous herds of elk and bison, pronghorn antelope, big horn sheep, mountain goats, grizzly bears, and wolves. You are practically guaranteed to see wildlife here!
For a 5 day itinerary with day-by-day plans, see our blog Family Vacation In Yellowstone- A 5 Day Itinerary.
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What To See In Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley
You could easily spend several days in Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley. Wildlife watching, hiking, scenic drives, playing or fishing in Soda Butte Creek. It’s simply a beautiful area of Yellowstone.
Best Time To Visit Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley To View Wildlife
If you can, head out early to the Lamar Valley. Early morning (between 6am-10am) and evening hours are your best times to see wildlife, but it’s also largely a matter of luck.
If you rise early, you’ll have a much better chance of spotting wolves or grizzlies. However, you are pretty much guaranteed to see bison.
When we visited, we could hear the wolves howling and enjoyed watching a grizzly bear in the distance. Remember to bring your binoculars!
Pack snacks and head out early, just after sunrise, to hang out for an hour or so at one of the Lamar Valley pullouts. Look for one with cars already parked–it will indicate that the devoted wolf watchers are there and looking.
These avid wolf watchers are also fun to watch….Some of them will even share their spotting scope with you when they see something of interest.
The Best Wildlife Viewing Areas In Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley
You’ll find several turnouts along the Lamar Valley Road that provide goods spots to park, exit your car, and look for wildlife.
Good viewing areas begin roughly a mile east of Soda Butte Cone to the last turnout (Fishermans) before the Lamar Canyon.
The Slough Creek area is another good spot– from the Slough Creek Campground road entrance to the Yellowstone Picnic area.
We like to bring our camp chairs, some yummy snacks, and our binoculars and park at one of the pullouts for an hour or so. You can experience so much more when you get out of the car.
Easy Hikes in Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley
Trout Lake
If you are looking for a good family hike in the Lamar Valley, we really enjoyed this short, easy hike to Trout Lake. It starts out steep but don’t let that deter you as it gradually flattens out. Round trip is only 1.2 miles, so it’s a good one for even the younger kiddos.
Once we arrived, we enjoyed walking the footpath around the lake and spotting trout swimming in the clear water. If you want to fish, bring your rod but be sure to get a Yellowstone fishing permit, available at Visitor Centers or online at Recreation.gov.
Plan a couple of hours, so you can hang out for a while at the small 12 acre lake to enjoy the wildflowers and a picnic.
The trail starts from a small pullout about 1.5 miles south of Pebble Creek Campground on the Northeast Entrance Road.
Remember to pack your bear spray. There was plenty of bear scat on the ground when we were there!
Slough Creek Hike
Although you can hike this historic wagon trail for a longer distance, most make it a 4 mile roundtrip hike to a beautiful open meadow where you’ll find an old park service backcountry patrol cabin.
Slough Creek Trail is a less crowded trail with wildflowers during the summer, and it offers an excellent opportunity for wildlife watching. Be on the lookout for moose and bears. Like the Trout Lake Trail, it also has a steep start but levels out. Horses use this trail as well so watch your footing!
Bring binoculars, bear spray, and mosquito spray. It can be buggy!
To find the trailhead, take the dirt road toward Slough Creek Campground. Where the road bears left, park beside the vault toilet.
Yellowstone Picnic Area Hike
Note: Construction will continue at the Picnic Area through 2025.
This moderate hike has been recommended to me by my neighbor who works in Yellowstone. The Yellowstone River Picnic Area Trail follows the ridgeline with spectacular views of the Yellowstone River below you and views of the mountains of the Northern Range beyond.
During the summer, you’ll see wildflowers and it’s a good place to spot bighorn sheep.
Note: Although this trail is typically listed as a 3.7 roundtrip loop hike, it’s recommended to hike it as an out and back turning around whenever you’re ready or at the intersection of the Specimen Ridge Trail at 1.9 miles.
The out and back will avoid a return walk along the Northeast Entrance Road to the picnic area.
Restaurants in Silver Gate and Cooke City, Montana
There are not many dining options in Silver Gate, but the ones they have are indeed good. Cook dinner at your cabin, eat at the nearby Log Cabin Cafe in Silver Gate, or check out Miner’s Saloon in Cooke City for pizza. 208 Main St.
The pizza is really good, and apparently they cook a mean burger. We had the special for the day: Bahn Mi Sandwiches and they were terrific!
Driving The Beartooth Highway
If you are near Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley or staying in Silver Gate or Cooke City, you can’t miss the opportunity to drive along the 68 mile long Beartooth Highway (Highway 212), one of the most scenic, high elevation highways in the U.S.
There’s a good chance you’ll see remnants of winter’s snow at its highest point, which is always a thrill for those visiting from the flat land states!
The Beartooth Highway is absolutely gorgeous, and it’s not nearly as crowded as the loop roads in Yellowstone. Although not in the national park, it is certainly worthy of a visit and was one of the highlights of our trip.
You can stop at several pullouts to admire the views, drive over Beartooth Pass at an elevation of 10,947’, stop at the Top of the World Store for a commemorative souvenir or to grab a snack, and hike a multitude of trails if desired.
Clear here for a map of the Beartooth Highway.
Where To Stay When Visiting Yellowstone National Park’s Lamar Valley
Finding lodging close by (see lodging suggestions below) will allow you to enjoy early mornings watching wildlife in the Lamar Valley without waking up at a crazy early hour. You’ll also have the luxury of returning to the Lamar Valley at dusk to watch the wildlife.
If you want lodging details for all areas of the park, see our blog, Where To Stay In Yellowstone or learn more about each entrance to Yellowstone in Which Entrance To Yellowstone Is Best?
Where To Stay Near the Lamar Valley
Staying near the Northeast Entrance to Yellowstone in the tiny towns of Silver Gate or Cooke City, MT is the best place to stay when visiting Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley. Silver Gate is a 20 minute drive to Yellowstone’s scenic Lamar Valley and Cooke City is just five minutes further away.
You won’t find many amenities here, but the towns will have all you need. Inside the park, Roosevelt Lodge is the closest to the Lamar Valley- only 25 minutes away.
You’ll find plenty of cabin rentals in the Silver Gate and Cooke City area.
Silver Willows Sarva Cabin on 4 Acres by the Creek (where we stayed-sleeps 9) or their sister cabin “Ursa “ on the same property is another good option and sleeps 5.
One Mile to Northeast Entrance to Yellowstone Park in Silver Gate, Montana is a 1 bedroom cabin with 2 baths and sleeps 6 on a private one acre lot.
Note: If you can’t find lodging in Silver Gate or Roosevelt Lodge for this part of the itinerary, Gardiner, MT or inside Yellowstone at Canyon Village could work as well.
Best Breakfast in Silver Gate, Montana
Wake up and enjoy breakfast at your cabin or at the Log Cabin Cafe in Silver Gate. We really enjoyed this restaurant. It serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Be sure to check their website for current hours.
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