Yosemite National Park
Central Sierra Nevada · near Yosemite Valley / Mariposa · Sierra Nevada / Yosemite
Wildlife Watching
At a glance
- Best season
- Spring–fall for meadows & high country; bears active spring–autumn
- Open year round
- Yes
What is here
- Wildlife
- land-mammals · birds
- Species
- Black bears, mule deer, yellow-bellied marmots, coyotes, Steller's jays, great gray owls (rare)
- Amenities
- Black bears & mule deer · Meadow & high-country viewing · Marmots & pikas up high · Ranger programs
- Best for
- Classic Sierra wildlife in a scenic icon
- Features
- Black bears in the meadows · Mule deer & coyotes · Marmots in the high country · Sierra birds & owls
Worth knowing
- Hazards
- Bears are wild — store food, never approach · Give all wildlife wide berth · Crowds & traffic in the valley · Altitude & weather in high country
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Wildlife Watching detail
- Viewing
- trail
- Effort
- easy
- Habitat
- mountain
- Sighting
- 4
- Viewing notes
- Iconic Sierra wildlife in a granite wonderland — mule deer and black bears in the valley meadows, marmots and pikas in the high country, and Sierra birds throughout
- Intl tip
- Famous scenery plus rewarding, accessible Sierra wildlife. Valley meadows hold mule deer at dawn/dusk, coyotes, and black bears (foraging spring–fall); the high country around Tuolumne Meadows and Tioga Road adds marmots, pikas, and alpine birds, with forests full of jays, woodpeckers, and rare great gray owls. Easy viewing from boardwalks, pullouts, and gentle trails — great for families. Essential rules: never approach or feed wildlife, store all food (bears investigate cars/coolers), give wide berth. Expect valley crowds and traffic.
The guide
Yosemite National Park pairs some of the most famous scenery on Earth with rewarding, accessible Sierra wildlife watching. In t…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Yosemite National Park — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 37.75, -119.6