Day 1

You meet your guides and group in Bozeman, in southwest Montana, established in the mid-19th century as an offshoot of the Oregon Trail. You soon set out in your van(s) on the scenic, 2-hour drive to the town of West Yellowstone, Montana. Following the Gallatin River south, your first steps in Yellowstone National Park are in its beautifully remote northern section, along a flat, easy trail paralleling the meandering Bacon Rind Creek through a verdant valley surrounded by high mountain peaks. Entering hushed stands of pines and fir, you emerge in the valley opening up to the Gallatin River. A short climb culminates at a meadow, habitat for moose, elk, and deer, and a perfect spot for a picnic lunch before returning on the same trail.

By late afternoon you reach your home for the next three nights, a guest ranch just outside the west entrance of Yellowstone Park near West Yellowstone, the mountain town at over 6,666 feet. Situated on two hundred acres on the South Fork of the Madison River, you can unwind in plush Western-style comfort, surrounded by breathtaking views. You may enjoy a cocktail by the fire in the ranch’s Great Room before proceeding to a dinner in its fine dining room and grill.
Bar N Ranch, West Yellowstone

Day 2

After a hearty ranch breakfast, you set off to Yellowstone’s backcountry, to experience the quiet grandeur of 200-foot Fairy Falls and the beauty of Imperial Geyser. Fully deserving of its many superlatives, Yellowstone is the world’s first national park, established in 1872 by President Ulysses S. Grant and also a UNESCO World Heritage site. With over 2,200,000 acres of forests, lakes, rivers, and canyons, it is especially known for its geothermal activity and contains half of the world’s total geothermal features—geysers, hot springs, steaming fumaroles, and bubbling mud pots. Today’s route traverses several miles of large meadows, then passes near remote geysers and thermal hot springs, a lake, and potentially groups of grazing bison and elk. Bison are used to human activity, so they are much less surprised than you are by the close proximity. After reaching rushing Fairy Falls, you branch off to Imperial Geyser, a deep blue thermal pool surrounded by a fragile crust of minerals that takes hundreds of years to establish, so it’s important to tread carefully here. Your guides find a perfect spot for a picnic lunch, before circling back to the van(s).

Returning to your ranch, there is time to unwind in your spacious room and perhaps in the outdoor hot-tub (or in your room’s jetted spa tub). You gather again for dinner in the ranch’s dining room where you may enjoy a steak grilled to perfection, accompanied by a Cabernet from the extensive wine list.
Bar N Ranch, West Yellowstone

Day 3

This morning after a made-to-order breakfast, you return to Yellowstone to further learn about geothermal activity by visiting Old Faithful, the park’s largest and best-known geyser, as well as the geysers on the Firehole River. Not the tallest in the park (that is Steamboat Geyser), Old Faithful, as its name implies, is famous for the regularity and frequency of its 100- to 185-foot eruptions. The geysers of the Upper Geyser Basin represent the largest concentrations of geysers on the planet.
Bar N Ranch, West Yellowstone

Day 4

In addition to a spectacular walk along the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, today is a transfer day as you move from the guest ranch in Montana to the heart of the national park in Wyoming. The walk begins by taking you through lush forests and blooming meadows before arriving at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. This 1,200-foot-deep chasm reflects the bright red, yellow, and orange colors of volcanic rhyolite, hydrothermally altered and cooled some 600,000 years ago. In fact, the name Yellowstone is thought to come from a translation of native Minnetaree “Rock Yellow River” by 18th-century French trappers as “roche jaune,” and by later American trappers into English. Approximately 24 miles in length in total, you take a trail along the canyon’s rim above the rushing Yellowstone River and surrounding scenery.

The route continues on to a lunch spot overlooking the spectacular Hayden Valley, famous for its congregations of big game. This valley, actually an old lake bed formed by glaciers in the last ice age, is home to swans, blue herons, Canada geese, elk, deer, bison, and occasionally, grizzly and black bear. Concluding the walk, you drive to and check in to your historic 19th-century hotel on the shore of Lake Yellowstone. The largest body of water in the park, it is also the largest freshwater lake in the US at an elevation of over 7,000 feet. The lake itself is centered over the Yellowstone Caldera, the supervolcano that is actually considered active in geological terms, having erupted in the last two million years, and the source of the region’s geothermal activity.

Time permitting upon arrival at the hotel, you may stroll out on one of the many trails leading from the backdoor of the lodge or choose to relax in this beautiful lakeview setting. Dinner this evening is in the hotel’s dining room, choosing from varied and creative menu items such as blackened Wild Alaska salmon, polenta stuffed quail, bison tenderloin, and other grilled or vegetarian options.
Lake Yellowstone Hotel, Yellowstone National Park

Day 5

An ample breakfast fuels you for the spectacular walk to the summit of Mt. Washburn—presiding at 10,264 feet over the entire Greater Yellowstone ecosystem, with views extending to the Grand Tetons, 75 miles to the south. Part of the Washburn Range, one of two mountain ranges entirely located within the national park, the peak was named in honor of the 19th-century expedition leader, Henry Washburn. Both a stagecoach and a wagon road in the past, the wide trail provides clear views of seven different mountain ranges, including the Beartooth, Absaroka, and the snow-capped Spanish Peaks. In July and August, the slopes are awash in blossoming wildflowers and grasses, a colorful palette of lupine, asters, buttercups, alpine harebell, forget-me-nots, and light-green, silvery sage. Reaching the rocky summit, your efforts are rewarded with spectacular views and a welcome picnic lunch. You descend by the same wide trail, returning by late afternoon to your grand lakeside hotel to relax before dinner. This evening you enjoy a final feast in your hotel’s elegant dining room, celebrating the day’s hike, and your adventures in one of America’s classic national parks.
Lake Yellowstone Hotel, Yellowstone National Park

Day 6

Leaving Yellowstone National Park this morning, you depart for Bozeman, Montana, exiting the park through its North Entrance. Following the Yellowstone River through Paradise Valley, you make a stop en route for one final walk among the Mammoth Terraces. The uniquely colorful and steamy tiers for which this area is named represent an incredible natural process—underground magma heats groundwater that flows through limestone as it rises to the earth’s surface. The limestone is then re-deposited as travertine, stacked up as terraces that are brilliantly colored by bacteria thriving in the hot water. It is common to see elk, who are attracted to these salty steamy terraces. And after this easy walk, you continue on the approximate 2-hour drive to Bozeman, saying good-bye either at the Bozeman Airport or downtown Bozeman.

Itinerary Changes

Please bear in mind that this is a typical itinerary, and the actual activities, sites, and accommodations may vary due to season, special events, weather, or transportation schedules. We reserve the right to alter the itinerary since tour arrangements are made up to a year in advance, and unforeseen circumstances that mandate change may arise. Itinerary changes are made to improve the tour and your experience.

Nights 1, 2 & 3

Bar N Ranch
West Yellowstone, Montana

Located just 6 miles from the Yellowstone National Park entrance, this rustic yet elegant ranch on 200 acres offers spectacular vistas of mountains and rivers, a grand three-sided fireplace in the Great Room, spacious rooms, as well as an outdoor heated pool and hot tub.

Nights 4 & 5

Lake Yellowstone Hotel
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Listed on the Register of Historic Places, this classic hotel dating from 1891 is set on the shores of beautiful Lake Yellowstone and surrounded by a network of walking and hiking trails. It has been restored to its 1920s grand style in its guest rooms, lake view “Sun Room,” and dining room, and reflects its peaceful natural surroundings.

Please note that this is a sample hotel itinerary for this tour. While these exact hotels are featured on most departures, we occasionally reserve other hotels of similar style and quality. If you are currently booked on a Country Walkers adventure, a hotel itinerary has been sent to you for your exact departure date. Please call Country Walkers at 800.464.9255 if you have any questions about the exact hotels selected for any of our tours.

Dave Akers

Dave has worked as a year-round guide in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons for the past 15 years. Prior to living in Montana for 30 years, Dave grew up near the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. In addition to guiding he enjoys his family, hiking, biking, kayaking, fishing, and most outdoor activities.

Brenda Goltz

Brenda has lived and guided in Yellowstone National Park for the past 10 years. A dedicated environmentalist and educator, Brenda loves sharing her passion for the area with Country Walkers guests. Brenda is also an active volunteer assisting with wetland and habitat restoration projects and a graduate of NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School). In her free time Brenda guides ski trips, teaches yoga and coaches youth in nordic skiing.

Scott Carsley

Scott has a deep passion for the outdoors and our natural surroundings. As owner of Yellowstone Alpen Guides for over twenty five years, he has guided, recruited, and trained guides for both our Montana Yellowstone and Family Yellowstone tours. With a degree in geology, Scott understands the intricacies of Yellowstone’s diverse geological make up, and imparts, and generously shares his knowledge with guests on our tours.