Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park

Lamar Valley is located in the remote Northeast section of the park, offering visitors one of the best places in the park to view wildlife.

Getting Here

Lamar Valley is located in the northeast section of the park between Tower Junction and the Northeast Entrance near Cooke City. Note that the road east of Cooke City is closed during the winter months but you can still access the Lamar Valley by car if you enter the park from the North Entrance at Gardiner.

Viewing Wildlife

Keep your eyes peeled for grey wolves, elk, bison, osprey, bald eagles, antelope, moose, black bears and grizzlies. The best time to see wildlife is in the early morning or late evening. Lamar Valley has the largest concentration of grizzlies and wolves in the park, and with a little patience and a lot of luck, you may see one. Be sure to bring along a pair of binoculars or a spotting scope.

Fishing

The Lamar River is a well known mountain river stream for fishing cutthroat and rainbow trout. Because it is fed by snow melt, the best time to fish the Lamar River is after spring runoff in late June and July. You can easily access the river by parking along the road. Permits are required, but inexpensive, to fish in the national park.