Hiking 40 Miles ALONE in Yellowstone National Park | Backpacking the Lamar Valley
Hiking 40 Miles ALONE in Yellowstone National Park | Backpacking the Lamar Valley
In this video, I explore the Majestic Lamar Valley: A Solo Backpacking Adventure in Yellowstone National Park!
This was a breathtaking 40 mile solo backpacking journey through the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park. Venture with me up the Lamar River Trail, over the spectacular Mist Creek Pass, and down through the vast and pristine Pelican Valley – a paradise for wildlife enthusiasts and adventure seekers alike.
Why Lamar Valley is a Must-Visit in 2025:
The Lamar is not your typical hiking destination. It’s often referred to as the “Serengeti of North America” due to its incredible biodiversity and stunning landscapes. It’s a stunning experience to be hiking through wide open spaces where grizzlies, wolves, bison, elk, pronghorn, moose, bighorn sheep, and even mountain lions roam freely. This unique ecosystem offers some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities you can find anywhere on the planet! Seeing these majestic creatures to the backdrop of picturesque vistas, beautiful golden meadows, and crystal-clear rivers is always an amazing experience. Join me as I share my thoughts on solo hiking, the challenges I faced, and the unforgettable moments that made this trip one of the best experiences of my life.
If you’re interested in planning your own adventure, feel free to let me know and id be happy to share insights on planning, including essential gear of what to bring and what NOT to bring, preparation tips, and safety protocols for solo travel.
Highlights of the trip:
Day 1 – Kicking off the journey through the heart of the Lamar Valley surrounded by herds of wildlife.
Day 2 – Hiking the length of the Lamar River Trail and running into fresh Grizzly scat on the trail.
Day 3 – Ascending Mist Creek Pass and the transition from meadows to mountains to forests
Day 4 – Hiking the Pelican Valley with expansive views and non stop wildlife encounters. One of my favorite days of hiking ever.
What’s more than a hiking vlog is the opportunity to witness raw, untamed energy of America’s greatest national park. Whether you’re an avid backpacker, a wildlife photographer, or just someone who loves nature, the Lamar Valley is the definition of “adventure”.
https://www.instagram.com/mikeswanders/
Once again, thank you to people like Joey Coconato of “@MyOwnFrontier and @kraigadams and @OutdoorBoys for all their inspiration.
Music by “Epidemic Sound”
Nice solo trip out there. Bison are fun to watch
Beautiful video – thank you.
should have put the beer in the stream for an hour or so before drinking it. 🙂
@18:10 was that a Bigfoot print 🧐
Great video of a fantastic hike & camp.
Thank you from an American in eastern Germany.
👏🏻
Amazing video! I won’t be backpacking but I will be car camping in several areas of Yellowstone. Lamar Valley included❤️😍
Thanks for sharing your experience! It gets me so hype for my trip
What a great adventure! And you were blessed with great weather as well! Nicely done!
‘The key to happiness is nature’. Well said.
Great video.
Wildest place in America though… Alaska is like 👀
You are brave, huge nads. I would not even think of attempting that without being armed. With a tank lol. God bless you and be safe! 🤔
Bears practice leave no trace of you.
What an absolutely beautiful hike.
Far too much talking.
Such amazing views! You can feel the remoteness and wilderness throughout the video for sure!
I feel you when you sat on that tree with the bear spray ready. Just camped in Yellowstone overnight last week and felt the same. Epic hike man
Wouldn’t recommend this hike in the off season when food supply for the animals becomes scarce !
Been all over Yellowstone over the years living near there. There are places still that you can see no one else for months if you wished it. South of the Lake Yellowstone in the Heart Lake basin are some stunning areas to hike or canoe and one of my favorite sections for solitude.
I can’t even count how many times I’ve visited; but for a real treat, at night, on a cloudless and moonless night, you will behold a breathtaking view of the Milky way.
Just found your channel today! Great job on this hike! I enjoyed watching it so much. My husband and I vacationed there just two years ago. What majestic beauty.
Great video! Im doing this trail in August. Can’t wait!!
so a backcountry permit is required?
Glad you survived. Thanks for the adventure.
Great video. How easy is it to hitch a ride back to the trailhead? How long did this adventure take? Like total days from start to finish?
Mike definitely enjoying the hike and video. I am glad you got to see the Grizzlies far away on the ridge. I never imagined that the Bison traveled about on the hiking trails. Stay safe out there.
Beautiful country. Don ‘t know how you achieved a wink of sleep though! Very brave. I have anxiety just watching!
Thx for sharing. Lived in Tower summer of ‘93 then W Yellowstone 93 94. Lots of adventures, Washburn, cycled Tower to Lake, Avalanche Peak, Heart Lake and Mt. Sheridan, and Painbrush Divide in GT. Too nervous to do thoughrofare or Pelican Valley, lol. Great production thanks again. Yes nature brings us back home.
Magnifique région !
Theres definitely something about solo backpacking that puts you on edge.
Exactly what I want to do and where I want to be❤❤❤! Enjoyed every minute of this. Nothing calmer than hearing feet walking on a trail!!❤❤❤
35:45 unbelievable how silent a massive heavy animal can be
Only where you can find buffalo is a real wilderness. Everything else ist not wilderness anymore!
Beautiful video. I have a question why you didn’t ice up your beer and water in the river ?
That sunset at 21:45 is stunning
natures cologne is the best scent , far better than anything out of a bottle or can , amazing film Mike cool scenery and wildlife , love the bison beautiful animals
I may have missed it, but any chance you have the info regarding your pack out in this video? Gear you took, kind of pack and the like? I know this video was close to a year ago.
Nice job, great trip.
Just an FYI: I’ve hiked Yellowstone many times over many years, and will probably go there again this summer. I don’t make noise and I often hike alone. Check out Stan Mills Yellowstone videos.
Great hike and great places. Can you tell me what camera you used to film this?
I saw a huge pile of bear scat in Yellowstone one time and there was a chewed up can of bear spray in the pile 😂
I’ve been to 40 countries in Africa, Asia North America, South America, and Europe, and about three years ago I went to Yellowstone for the first time and I was blown away by how gorgeous it is. It is hands down the most beautiful landscape I’ve ever experienced.
Great fun to watch this,, many thanks. Been hiking around Scotland / England and Germany, nice to see what the ‘the other side’ looks like. (we don’t have any bears!)
There’s Bigfoot
Just happily found your channel!! This was a very beautiful and moving video. We spent the spring and summer of 2018 in Yellowstone and Lamar Valley was a favorite place. You showed it to us in a lot more depth…thank you! I just subscribed and look forward to seeing future videos!
Well it was really very serious mistake to follow toward prints of bear☝️one day it can be finished fail
Peace and wildlife Awesome Great job God Bless
Nice!
I saw Lamar Valley for the first time last year and just fell in love. Thank you so much for bringing us farther into Lamar.
Late coming accross this video but I’m glad I did, a no nonsense solo trip with great shots of the landscape and your hike itself. I am from Ontario Canada so we have no shortage of great outdoor parks and wilderness, which I continue to explore. There’s something about Yellowstone though, I need to visist at least once in my life. Maybe not to do what you’re doing as my first trip, but just to experience the diversity of ecosystems there and get accustomed to the wildlife. One bucket list animal I’d love to see is a mountain lion, and when I watch you walk through some of those forested areas I can imagine how on edge I’d be coming face to face with one (which may be too late at that point considering they like to ambush!). But even your encounter with that bison is incredible, such a beautiful animal just doing its thing. Thank you for the video!
Enjoyed this video!! Well done!!
I have never been to North America. But in the Serengeti. When the herds of wildebeest, thousands or tens of thousends having a stempede and the earth trembels and you hear the lion nearby roaring and you are alone in your little tent in the night, you have this feeling of Awe. That is how America must have been hardly more than 150 years ago. Let`s make us America wild again!
Love the video. Love your attitude.