hiking the Specimen Ridge trail in Yellowstone NP
Specimen Ridge trail is where you will find antelope and bison in Yellowstone NP. This would be the second time I hiked this trail and I was a bit tired from other hikes so I decided to make it stroll and not go for distance.
About a week before I arrived at Yellowstone, the spur trail to the Agate Creek trail was closed due to the presence of a carcass. But that was not part of my plan to go there anyway. The closure was lifted as I was arriving in Montana.
The trail has its own parking lot, which is about a mile from the Yellowstone Picnic Area parking lot. You have to get up on the ridge, so you will get up on a steep trail that is shared by bison, so keep an eye for markers so you are on the right trail and not a bison trail. I encountered a few critters on the trail, which made the distance that I planned a lot shorter, but more enjoyable.
There is (see below image) a small forested area and beyond it a large valley that is appealing me to explore off trail. I always thought that wolves would use those trees as a midday refuge so I kept using my monocular to survey the area.
Well, no wolves, but I did find this family just frolicking in the area.
I also saw a large herd of bison in that valley in the distance, but still way away.
I think I went to mile six and decided that I wanted to spend time looking at the antelope and checking on the bison. Yes, that is how I hike now: I decide a route and a turnaround place; but the hike and what interests me will decide what I actually hike. For the antelopes I climbed a small hill that overlooked them without me disturbing them.
They would sit down, then one would get up and move and graze and the rest would eventually follow them.
Below you can see that one of them found me, but the distance was far enough that there were not bothered at all. Tip: you will never think you are watching an animal without the animal knowing you are there.
After 30 minutes, I decided to move on and checkout the bison herd. And I was pleasantly surprise that the herd was moving in my direction. They reached a small creek and started grazing next to it.
And what is a bison herd without one of them on the ground raising a cloud of dirt all over himself ?
I can’t say enough about always looking around and these videos below prove it. I am already coming back to the trailhead, went down the hill that reached the ridge and from the corner of my eye you get a quick glimpse of the Yellowstone River. Well, I noticed some large rocks in the middle of the river, turns out it was an elk and his harem.
Final thoughts: I think that Specimen Ridge is a better experience if you decide at around mile five to take a right and explore that valley when I saw the bison. My one complain was that you are not on the ridge close enough to see the Lamar Valley below, you have to climb some hills to see it and then, which hill to climb ? You don’t know if you will have a good view until you spend the effort to go up the hill.