Yosemite National Park
🇺🇸 United States
Sierra Nevada, United States 548 spp. recorded
Yosemite Valley is a flat meadow floor between granite walls, and that floor is where the animals are. Mule deer graze it on eight visits in ten and California ground squirrels are on every rock; black bears work the oaks and the campgrounds on more than half of visits.
37.859° N 119.553° W
🦜 Nature
294 Species sighted
110,732 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Jun Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
🌙 Most active after dark
+ 325 more species with insufficient data
Recent sightings in Yosemite National Park
LIVEiNaturalistSounds of Yosemite National Park
Afternoon soundscape1:45
United States · 2023
© VIKTOR · XC856039 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Sighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
24Jan
25Feb
29Mar
36Apr
47May
52Jun
52Jul
46Aug
38Sep
33Oct
27Nov
26Dec
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
-
Ackerson Meadow
Daily sight. prob.vs avg -
37.865° N, 119.540° W
Daily sight. prob.vs avg -
Mariposa Grove
Daily sight. prob.vs avg -
Yosemite Village
-
Vernal Falls Trail
Daily sight. prob.vs avg
🏕️ Experience
Essentials
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
0.0 Good
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
Very goodHow rich is the wildlife?
4.3
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 347
🐒 Mammals 138
🦎 Reptiles 35
🐸 Amphibians 28
548 Total Species
828 Global average across 316 parks
17 Threatened 32 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
3.0
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
67% 📊
Coverage (133 species at ≥5% of 548 in the inventory)
24% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (9 bird, 2 mammal, 1 reptile)
54% 🔭
Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)
82 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
4 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
21 🏕️
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
2.8
Climate Harsh Low
Entrance Paid Low
Tourism High Low
Trails Hard Low
World Heritage Yes Bonus
What visitors say
When we were making our way around a switchback, Curtis thought he saw something moving behind the trees above us, and sure enough, it was a bobcat!
We secretly hoped to see another bear – unfortunately without success.
I had never seen a coyote in the wild, and it was just such a magical moment.
As the evening light started changing I spotted several deer and a few prairie dogs like the one in the picture.
Before you go
What animals can you see in Yosemite National Park?
548 species
Yosemite National Park has 548 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Dark-eyed Junco (about 80%), Steller's Jay (about 80%), Common Raven (about 80%), California Ground Squirrel (about 70%) and American Robin (about 70%). Among reptiles, the most-seen is Western Fence Lizard (about 50%); among amphibians, Pacific chorus frog (about 50%).
When is the best time to visit Yosemite National Park for wildlife?
March to November
In those months the park's 12 most-seen species average about 70% on a given day, against about 50% in January.
Can you see an American Black Bear in Yosemite National Park?
Yes
About 50% of wildlife watchers report an American Black Bear sighting in Yosemite National Park on a given day, based on 505 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is October (about 70%).
Can you see a Mule Deer in Yosemite National Park?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Mule Deer sighting in Yosemite National Park on a given day, based on 5,287 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is September to November (about 80%).
Can you see a Yellow-bellied Marmot in Yosemite National Park?
Yes
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-bellied Marmot sighting in Yosemite National Park on a given day, based on 512 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is July (about 70%).
Can you see a Sierra Newt in Yosemite National Park?
Yes
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Sierra Newt sighting in Yosemite National Park on a given day, based on 123 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is March (about 50%).
Where in Yosemite National Park is wildlife easiest to see?
Around Ackerson Meadow
The richest sighting zone is around Ackerson Meadow, followed by Mariposa Grove, ranked by how many of the park's headline animals visitors can expect to see in each. See the zones on the map.
Is Yosemite National Park good for wildlife watching?
3.4 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, Yosemite National Park rates 3.4/5: 214th of 316 parks worldwide and 33rd in North America. 27 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
