Roadside Wonders
Referred to as America's Serengeti, Lamar Valley is teeming with wildlife in the summer months. This valley is a beatuiful expanse of open space where the Lamar River flows freely and is accompanied by impressive mountain peaks in the distance. Large herds of bison and elk roam here, grazing on the nutritious plants that are available after long harsh winters. Coyotes, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, bears, and wolves are often spotted in this area as well. On just about any day in the summer, you will see visitors with their spotting scopes on the side of the road watching the wolves off in the distance. Once home to the famous Druid Peak wolf pack, Lamar Valley is the venue for constant territorial battles between the wolf packs of the Northern Range, who fight for or defend this area and the right to hunt the abundant prey which makes Lamar Valley such an attractive habitat for wolves.
Although you will see other vehicles and people out here, this is one of the least traveled roads in the park and is far less crowded than the pavement of the Grand Loop Road around the rest of the park. Two campgrounds are located on the Northeast Entrance Road within a short distance of Lamar Valley; Slough Creek Campground and Pebble Creek Campground. Several pullouts along the road through Lamar Valley will provide many different vantage points and opportunities to get out of the car and peek through your binoculars or spotting scope, and scan the sagebrush-covered valley for wolves and bears. Although there is a chance that you may see a wolf or bear here at any time of day, the best opportunities for seeing them are at dawn and dusk when the sun is not as hot and the animals are more active. |