Mountain Lion

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Mountain Lion in Yosemite National Park?

About 5% of wildlife watchers report a Mountain Lion sighting in Yosemite National Park, based on 6 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Q: When is the best time to see Mountain Lion in Yosemite National Park?

November has the highest sighting rate for Mountain Lion in Yosemite National Park in our monthly data.

Puma concolor

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

5–10% · Rare

overall probability at Yosemite National Park

6 Verified records at Yosemite National Park

November Best month highest sighting rate

☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The cougar ( KOO-gər; Puma concolor), also called puma, mountain lion, catamount, and panther, is a large feline native to the Americas. It inhabits North, Central and South America, making it the most widely distributed wild, terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere, and one of the most widespread in the world. Its range spans Yukon, British Columbia and Alberta in Canada, the Rocky Mountains and areas in the western United States. Further south, its range extends through Mexico to the Amazon rainforest and the southern Andes Mountains in Patagonia. It is an adaptable generalist species, occurring in most American habitat types. It prefers habitats with dense underbrush and rocky areas for stalking but also lives in open areas. Wikipedia →

5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Mountain Lion sighting in Yosemite National Park, based on 6 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Yosemite National Park

Lynx rufus

Ursus americanus

Urocyon cinereoargenteus

Canis latrans

Mephitis mephitis

Procyon lotor

Martes caurina

Bassariscus astutus

Lontra canadensis

Spilogale gracilis

Mustela erminea

Taxidea taxus

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

📅 Monthly Probability

Jan

5–10

Feb

5–10

Mar

5–10

Apr

May

Jun

5–10

Jul

5–10

Aug

Sep

Oct

10–20

Nov

Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Probability
1	Torres del Paine National Park	🇨🇱 Chile	60–70%
2	El Impenetrable National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	20–30%
3	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	10–20%
4	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	10–20%
5	Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks	🇺🇸 United States	10–20%
6	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	10–20%
7	Tambopata National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	10–20%
8	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	5–10%
9	Zion National Park	🇺🇸 United States	5–10%
10	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	5–10%
11	Yasuní National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	5–10%
12	Grand Teton National Park	🇺🇸 United States	5–10%
13	Big Bend National Park	🇺🇸 United States	5–10%
14	Pacific Rim National Park Reserve	🇨🇦 Canada	5–10%
15	Death Valley National Park	🇺🇸 United States	5–10%
16	Olympic National Park	🇺🇸 United States	5–10%
17	Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve	🇪🇨 Ecuador	5–10%
18	Iguaçu National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	5–10%
19	Banff National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	5–10%
20	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	5–10%
21	Redwood National Park	🇺🇸 United States	5–10%
22	Iguazú National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	5–10%
23	Yosemite National Park	🇺🇸 United States	5–10%
24	Glacier National Park	🇺🇸 United States	5–10%
25	Joshua Tree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
26	Manu National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	<5%
27	Cumbres de Monterrey National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
28	Great Bear Rainforest	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
29	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
30	Serra dos Órgãos National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
31	Emas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
32	Serra da Canastra National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
33	El Triunfo	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
34	Amboró National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	Insufficient data
35	Guadalupe Mountains National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
36	Madidi National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	Insufficient data
37	Chingaza National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
38	Chapada Diamantina National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
39	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
40	Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park	🇨🇱 Chile	Insufficient data
41	Rocky Mountain National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
42	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	Insufficient data
43	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
44	Volcán Barú National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
45	Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
46	Nahuel Huapi National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	Insufficient data
47	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
48	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
49	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
50	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
51	Yellowstone National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
52	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
53	Badlands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
54	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
55	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
56	Bahía de Loreto National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
57	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
58	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
59	Grand Canyon National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
60	Jasper National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	Insufficient data
61	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
62	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
63	Los Nevados National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
64	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
65	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
66	Channel Islands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
67	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Mountain Lion in Yosemite National Park?

About 5% of wildlife watchers report a Mountain Lion sighting in Yosemite National Park, based on 6 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Mountain Lion in Yosemite National Park?

November has the highest sighting rate for Mountain Lion in Yosemite National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Yosemite National Park

Mountain Lion

Closest Relatives at Yosemite National Park

Bobcat

American Black Bear

Gray Fox

Coyote

Striped Skunk

Common Raccoon

Coastal Marten

Ringtail

Northern River Otter

Western Spotted Skunk

Stoat

American Badger

📅 Monthly Probability

☀️ When They're Spotted

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Quick answers