Acadia National Park Local Blogs

If you have kids, love animals, enjoy viewing wildlife, or naturally seek out new experiences, take the opportunity to travel to a National Park near you. The following parks offer great opportunities for viewing wildlife that is unique to the local area and ecosystem. Remember to never approach or feed wildlife.

Acadia National Park: It might surprise you that Acadia National Park is a wonderful place to watch for whales and puffins. Either from the shores or on a boat, heading out for a day on the water provides the best opportunity for spotting these spectacular mammals. Acadia is also a very well known environment for bird watching. Make sure to bring a pair of binoculars.

Glacier National Park: You should easily spot mountain goats and bighorn sheep scaling unimaginable cliff sides, bison and elk roaming open valleys by the herd, as well as moose hanging out in marshlands. Both black and grizzly bears call Glacier National Park home and although less common, can be spotted in backcountry areas or from a hiking trail. It’s a good idea to carry bear spray if you are heading out on a hike and remember to never approach or feed wildlife.

Grand Teton National Park & Yellowstone National Park: From the National Elk Refuge, at the southern end of the Grand Teton National Park, to the northern border of Yellowstone, your chance of seeing wildlife is close to being guaranteed. From the main park roads you will frequently spot elk, antelope and bison grazing the wide valleys, moose standing knee deep in ponds or streams, and bald eagles keeping watch from a tree. Other critters like black and grizzly bears, wolves, big horn sheep, and coyotes may call the Grand Tetons home but tend to keep their presence hidden.

Rocky Mountain National Park: Probably one of the best places for viewing large elk and bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain National Park is home to a number of mammal species. You might have to look hard for black bears and mountain lions, but keep your eyes peeled for marmots, beavers, moose, coyotes, mule deer, and snowshoe hares.

Yosemite National Park: With over 200 bird species, Yosemite is actually a great place for bird watching. Small mammals like foxes and bobcats also call the area home, but the most common mammal that visitors encounter is the black bear. Unfortunately black bears have learned to associate humans with food . . . just think of the old cartoon of Yogi Bear stealing camper’s picnic baskets. Never approach or feed a black bear and as the National Park Service likes to say “A fed bear is a dead bear.”