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State guide

When to catch Wyomingthrough the year

We follow 3 places in Wyoming for wildflowers, winter wildlife, spring waterfalls and fall foliage: fall at Yellowstone, winter at National Elk Refuge and spring at Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Each timing below is the place's own source, in its words; none is a forecast.

When are you going?

Fall in Wyoming

Places in Wyoming

Pin color: each place's season now or next
  • Spring
  • Fall
  • Winter
Places on this map, as a list
Map: approximate positions; state lines US Census.

Planning a Wyoming trip

Everything here from each place's own sources

Towns to stay in

Nearest place we follow, straight-line miles.

Current park alerts (NPS)

Browse by season and event

Questions people ask

When do Grand Teton's wildflowers bloom?

Usually May through September. Jackson Hole has only about 60 frost-free days in a row each year, so the flowers in charge change quickly from week to week.Source: National Park Service, Grand Teton Wildflowers ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Which flowers grow where at Grand Teton?

Skyrocket gilia, larkspur and paintbrush in the sagebrush valley; fireweed, columbine, monkshood and the rare calypso orchid in moist forests; tiny ground-hugging moss campion, alpine forget-me-not and sky pilot up in the alpine zone.Source: National Park Service, Grand Teton Wildflowers ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Is there a fee, and what are the hours at National Elk Refuge?

There is no fee to visit the refuge. It is open year-round from sunrise to sunset; the visitor center is open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Elk Refuge: Visit Us ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Can I walk the refuge pathway in winter at National Elk Refuge?

No. The paved pathway is open May 1 to October 31 and closed the rest of the year to protect migrating and wintering wildlife. Dogs are never allowed on it.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Elk Refuge: Visit Us ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Where can I see the Lower Falls at Yellowstone?

From the North Rim at Lookout Point, Red Rock Point, Inspiration Point and the Brink of the Lower Falls; from the South Rim at Artist Point and a few places along the South Rim Trail.Source: National Park Service, Yellowstone: Canyon Village and the Grand Canyon ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Can I see the Upper and Lower Falls at the same time at Yellowstone?

No. The canyon bends between them, so there is no spot where both are in view. The walkways at Lookout Point and the Brink of the Lower Falls lead to views of each fall, just not from the same place.Source: National Park Service, Yellowstone: Canyon Village and the Grand Canyon ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Plan a Wyoming trip for your dates →Alerts for Wyoming

Nearby state guides: Idaho · Montana · Utah · South Dakota

Wyoming in pictures

Illustrative photos, not current conditions
Elk on the National Elk Refuge in winter
Elk in winter on the National Elk Refuge (date not given).. Photo: Kari Cieszkiewicz/USFWS · public domain · resized
A tall waterfall at the head of a deep canyon with pale yellow rock walls, a river winding below and forest along both rims
The Lower Falls of the Yellowstone, photographed by the Park Service on June 15, 2015. Photo: NPS / Jim Peaco · public domain · resized
Bison grazing among sagebrush
Bison grazing in Lamar Valley, Yellowstone, in the fall (year not given). Photo: NPS / Brett Raeburn · public domain · resized

How we know

Every timing on this page, from these pages; checked Sep 28