Where to See Rocky Mountain Five: 5 Parks Ranked by Real Odds

Q: Where is the best place to see Rocky Mountain Five?

Jasper National Park. In Jasper National Park, Canada, the chance of seeing all 5 (elk, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, moose and pika) on the same day is about 10%, the highest of the 5 parks where all of them live, and over a three-day visit it rises to about 60%. Next come Glacier National Park (under 5% a day), Yellowstone National Park (under 5% a day) and Banff National Park (under 5% a day). It multiplies each animal's daily chance, as if they were independent, so read it as a rough guide.

Q: Which of Rocky Mountain Five is hardest to see?

Pika. In Jasper National Park, the best park for Rocky Mountain Five, about about 40% of wildlife watchers report the pika on a given day, against about 90% for the elk. The hardest one decides how many days you need.

Q: How do you complete Rocky Mountain Five on Wallace's Line?

Mark them as seen. Tick ✓ Seen on each animal's card, add your trips, or link your iNaturalist account. Your passport counts Rocky Mountain Five three ways: anywhere in the world, all in one park, and all in a single trip.

The checklist: 5 animals

LC

Cervus canadensis

Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely

LC

Ovis canadensis

Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely

LC

Oreamnos americanus

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

LC

Alces americanus

Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely

LC

Ochotona princeps

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Where to go

Chance of seeing in

Month by month at Jasper National Park

<5%

Jan

<5%

Feb

<5%

Mar

<5%

Apr

~40%

May

~50%

Jun

~50%

Jul

~70%

Aug

~60%

Sep

~50%

Oct

<5%

Nov

<5%

Dec

Time of day

Where they are recorded most Parks with some of them Cities with some of them

Parks

#	Park	Country	Animals	All 5 in 3 days
1	Jasper National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	5 of 5	~60%
	Elk (wapiti)			>90%
	Bighorn Sheep			>90%
	Mountain Goat			~80%
	Moose			~90%
	American Pika			~80%
2	Yellowstone National Park	🇺🇸 United States	5 of 5	~20%
	Elk (wapiti)			>90%
	Bighorn Sheep			~80%
	Mountain Goat			~60%
	Moose			~80%
	American Pika			~50%
3	Banff National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	5 of 5	~20%
	Elk (wapiti)			>90%
	Bighorn Sheep			>90%
	Mountain Goat			~50%
	Moose			~40%
	American Pika			~80%
4	Glacier National Park	🇺🇸 United States	5 of 5	~20%
	Elk (wapiti)			~30%
	Bighorn Sheep			>90%
	Mountain Goat			>90%
	Moose			~90%
	American Pika			~50%
5	Rocky Mountain National Park	🇺🇸 United States	5 of 5	~10%
	Elk (wapiti)			>90%
	Bighorn Sheep			~70%
	Mountain Goat			~20%
	Moose			>90%
	American Pika			~90%
6	Grand Teton National Park	🇺🇸 United States	4 of 5	Missing: Mountain goat
	Elk (wapiti)			>90%
	Bighorn Sheep			~50%
	Moose			>90%
	American Pika			~90%
7	Great Bear Rainforest	🇨🇦 Canada	3 of 5	Missing: Bighorn sheep, Pika
	Elk (wapiti)			~30%
	Mountain Goat			~30%
	Moose			~20%
8	Elk Island National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	2 of 5	Missing: Bighorn sheep, Mountain goat, Pika
	Elk (wapiti)			>90%
	Moose			~90%
9	Grand Canyon National Park	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 5	Missing: Mountain goat, Moose, Pika
	Elk (wapiti)			>90%
	Bighorn Sheep			~90%
10	Zion National Park	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 5	Missing: Mountain goat, Moose, Pika
	Elk (wapiti)			~20%
	Bighorn Sheep			>90%
11	Kenai Fjords National Park	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 5	Missing: Elk, Bighorn sheep, Pika
	Mountain Goat			~80%
	Moose			~80%
12	Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 5	Missing: Elk, Mountain goat, Moose
	Bighorn Sheep			~40%
	American Pika			~90%
13	Riding Mountain National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	2 of 5	Missing: Bighorn sheep, Mountain goat, Pika
	Elk (wapiti)			~30%
	Moose			~70%
14	Redwood National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 5	Missing: Bighorn sheep, Mountain goat, Moose, Pika
	Elk (wapiti)			>90%
15	Badlands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 5	Missing: Elk, Mountain goat, Moose, Pika
	Bighorn Sheep			>90%
16	Denali National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 5	Missing: Elk, Bighorn sheep, Mountain goat, Pika
	Moose			>90%
17	Isle Royale National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 5	Missing: Elk, Bighorn sheep, Mountain goat, Pika
	Moose			>90%
18	Nahanni National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	1 of 5	Missing: Elk, Bighorn sheep, Mountain goat, Pika
	Moose			>90%
19	Great Smoky Mountains National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 5	Missing: Bighorn sheep, Mountain goat, Moose, Pika
	Elk (wapiti)			>90%
20	Cape Breton Highlands National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	1 of 5	Missing: Elk, Bighorn sheep, Mountain goat, Pika
	Moose			~90%
21	Gros Morne National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	1 of 5	Missing: Elk, Bighorn sheep, Mountain goat, Pika
	Moose			~90%
22	Death Valley National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 5	Missing: Elk, Mountain goat, Moose, Pika
	Bighorn Sheep			~90%
23	Wrangell-St. Elias National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 5	Missing: Elk, Bighorn sheep, Mountain goat, Pika
	Moose			~90%
24	Kluane National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	1 of 5	Missing: Elk, Bighorn sheep, Mountain goat, Pika
	Moose			~90%
25	Wood Buffalo National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	1 of 5	Missing: Elk, Bighorn sheep, Mountain goat, Pika
	Moose			~80%
26	Olympic National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 5	Missing: Bighorn sheep, Mountain goat, Moose, Pika
	Elk (wapiti)			~80%
27	Katmai National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 5	Missing: Elk, Bighorn sheep, Mountain goat, Pika
	Moose			~70%
28	Yosemite National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 5	Missing: Elk, Bighorn sheep, Mountain goat, Moose
	American Pika			~70%
29	Joshua Tree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 5	Missing: Elk, Mountain goat, Moose, Pika
	Bighorn Sheep			~70%
30	Bahía de Loreto National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	1 of 5	Missing: Elk, Mountain goat, Moose, Pika
	Bighorn Sheep			~60%
31	Pacific Rim National Park Reserve	🇨🇦 Canada	1 of 5	Missing: Bighorn sheep, Mountain goat, Moose, Pika
	Elk (wapiti)			~50%
32	Big Bend National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 5	Missing: Bighorn sheep, Mountain goat, Moose, Pika
	Elk (wapiti)			~20%
33	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 5	Missing: Elk, Bighorn sheep, Mountain goat, Pika
	Moose			~20%

Cities

#	City	Country	Animals	All 5 in 3 days
1	Anchorage	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 5	Missing: Elk, Bighorn sheep, Mountain goat, Pika
	Moose			>90%
2	Calgary	🇨🇦 Canada	1 of 5	Missing: Elk, Bighorn sheep, Mountain goat, Pika
	Moose			~30%
3	Edmonton	🇨🇦 Canada	1 of 5	Missing: Elk, Bighorn sheep, Mountain goat, Pika
	Moose			~20%

Zoos & centres

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	Bear Country USA	🇺🇸 United States	3 of 5 in captivity
2	Bearizona	🇺🇸 United States	3 of 5 in captivity
3	British Columbia Wildlife Park	🇨🇦 Canada	3 of 5 in captivity
4	Greater Vancouver Zoo	🇨🇦 Canada	3 of 5 in captivity
5	Northwest Trek Wildlife Park	🇺🇸 United States	3 of 5 in captivity
6	Parc Omega	🇨🇦 Canada	3 of 5 in captivity
7	Zoo sauvage Saint-Félicien	🇨🇦 Canada	3 of 5 in captivity
8	Denver Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 5 in captivity
9	Tierpark Berlin	🇩🇪 Germany	2 of 5 in captivity
10	Zoo Pilsen	🇨🇿 Czechia	2 of 5 in captivity
11	Calgary Zoo	🇨🇦 Canada	2 of 5 in captivity
12	Chapultepec Zoo	🇲🇽 Mexico	2 of 5 in captivity
13	Ecological Center of Sonora	🇲🇽 Mexico	2 of 5 in captivity
14	Elmwood Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 5 in captivity
15	Forestry Farm Park and Zoo	🇨🇦 Canada	2 of 5 in captivity
16	Lüneburg Heath Wildlife Park	🇩🇪 Germany	2 of 5 in captivity
17	Novosibirsk Zoo	🇷🇺 Russia	2 of 5 in captivity
18	Shubenacadie Wildlife Park	🇨🇦 Canada	2 of 5 in captivity
19	Woodland Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 5 in captivity
20	Yellowstone Bear World	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 5 in captivity

Show all 20 Show fewer

Before you go

Where is the best place to see Rocky Mountain Five?

Jasper National Park

In Jasper National Park, Canada, the chance of seeing all 5 (elk, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, moose and pika) on the same day is about 10%, the highest of the 5 parks where all of them live, and over a three-day visit it rises to about 60%. Next come Glacier National Park (under 5% a day), Yellowstone National Park (under 5% a day) and Banff National Park (under 5% a day). It multiplies each animal's daily chance, as if they were independent, so read it as a rough guide.

Which of Rocky Mountain Five is hardest to see?

Pika

In Jasper National Park, the best park for Rocky Mountain Five, about about 40% of wildlife watchers report the pika on a given day, against about 90% for the elk. The hardest one decides how many days you need.

How do you complete Rocky Mountain Five on Wallace's Line?

Mark them as seen

Tick ✓ Seen on each animal's card, add your trips, or link your iNaturalist account. Your passport counts Rocky Mountain Five three ways: anywhere in the world, all in one park, and all in a single trip.

← All challenges

Rocky Mountain Five

The checklist: 5 animals

Elk (wapiti)

Bighorn Sheep

Mountain Goat

Moose

American Pika

Where to go

Month by month at Jasper National Park

Month by month at Jasper National Park

Month by month at Jasper National Park

Month by month at Jasper National Park

Month by month at Jasper National Park

Month by month at Jasper National Park

Time of day

Parks

Cities

Zoos & centres

Before you go

Where is the best place to see Rocky Mountain Five?

Which of Rocky Mountain Five is hardest to see?

How do you complete Rocky Mountain Five on Wallace's Line?