Best Time to See Mountain Lions in the US
January, March and February is the best time to see mountain lions in the United States. This is a national picture built from 10,388 verified iNaturalist observations across 27 states, showing when and where mountain lions are most active.
By Tim, founder of Easy Street Markets. I maintain the wildlife database and verify every animal and source myself.
10,388 verified observations of mountain lions in the US, recorded across 12 months of the year on iNaturalist.
When mountain lions are recorded in the US
Peak month
January
1,109 records (10.7% of the year)
| Month | Observations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Januarypeak | 1,109 | 10.7% |
| Februarypeak | 930 | 9% |
| Marchpeak | 987 | 9.5% |
| April | 929 | 8.9% |
| May | 877 | 8.4% |
| June | 786 | 7.6% |
| July | 698 | 6.7% |
| August | 713 | 6.9% |
| September | 720 | 6.9% |
| October | 868 | 8.4% |
| November | 855 | 8.2% |
| December | 916 | 8.8% |
Mountain Lions you are most likely to see
| Species | Verified observations |
|---|---|
| Mountain Lion | 9,918 |
Across the country, mountain lions sightings peak in January, when 1,109 of the 10,388 annual observations are logged, about 10.7% of the national total. Nationwide activity stays high through January, March and February.
The best states to see mountain lions by recorded sightings are California (5,664), Nebraska (895), Arizona (703), Oregon (513) and Washington (480). Each state page below breaks the year down month by month for that state.
The mountain lions you are most likely to encounter nationwide are Mountain Lion, the most-recorded species across all states combined.
Best states to see mountain lions
- mountain lions in California5,664 sightings, peak January
- mountain lions in Nebraska895 sightings, peak December
- mountain lions in Arizona703 sightings, peak December
- mountain lions in Oregon513 sightings, peak February
- mountain lions in Washington480 sightings, peak April
- mountain lions in Canada470 sightings, peak July
- mountain lions in Colorado413 sightings, peak March
- mountain lions in New Mexico232 sightings, peak January
- mountain lions in Florida217 sightings, peak January
- mountain lions in Utah199 sightings, peak May
- mountain lions in Montana162 sightings, peak January
- mountain lions in Nevada120 sightings, peak May
- mountain lions in Texas100 sightings, peak November
- mountain lions in Idaho91 sightings, peak November
- mountain lions in Wyoming72 sightings, peak January
Most-recorded mountain lions species nationwide
- Mountain Lion9,918 records
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see mountain lions in the US?+
January is the single best month nationwide, with the broader peak running through January, March and February, based on 10,388 verified observations across 27 states.
Which states are best for seeing mountain lions?+
By recorded sightings, the top states are California, Nebraska and Arizona. California leads with 5,664 verified observations.
How many mountain lions sightings are recorded in the US each year?+
About 10,388 verified mountain lions observations are logged on iNaturalist across 27 states with enough data to chart a seasonal pattern.
What kinds of mountain lions live in the US?+
The most-recorded species nationwide are Mountain Lion, based on all-time iNaturalist counts.