Lamar Valley

What can I see and do in the Lamar Valley?

• View 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.
• Hike the Lamar Valley Trail
  A great way to see the valley up close and personal, hike the 5.3 mile Lamar Valley Trail. The trailhead is 4 miles east of the Lamar Ranger Station.
• Camp at Slough or Pebble Creek
  Located in a more remote area of the park, Slough and Pebble Campgrounds often have some of the last campsites available. Both offer sites on a first come first served basis. Find more info on Slough Creek Campground and Pebble Creek Campground.

Where is Lamar Valley?

Lamar Valley is located in the northeast section of the park between Tower Junction and the Northeast Entrance near Cooke City.

When can I visit Lamar Valley?

Lamar Valley is one of the few places in the park that you can easily visit year-round as the road remains open to vehicles between Gardiner (North Entrance) and Cooke City (Northeast Entrance). Note that the road east of Cooke City is closed during the winter months but you can still access the Lamar Valley by car in the winter if you enter the park from the North Entrance at Gardiner.

Other alternative locations that are OPEN in the Park, and offer excellent wildlife & wildflower viewing are Dunraven Pass (between Tower Junction and Canyon Village), the Hayden Valley along the Yellowstone River (between Fishing Bridge and Canyon Village) and the Gibbon Meadows (east of Gibbon Falls) along the Gibbon River.

• Lamar Valley has the highest concentration of grizzlies and wolves to view
• Located between Tower Junction and the Northeast Entrance, it’s easy to get here
• Fish for cutthroat and rainbow trout in the scenic Lamar River
• Spot some wolves, bison, moose or perhaps a bald eagle