Here is our group backpacking schedule for 2023. We have some great treks lined up for this year, all of them with limited availability.
05/14 & 05/15: Blacktail Creek, easy. This is a weekend overnight trip that is a good one for the whole family. There are lots of great views and wildlife on this early season trek. 3 miles per day. $650 per person 16 and older; $450 per child 15 and under. Up to 8 people
05/22 through 05/27: The Black Canyon of the Yellowstone. Moderate. On this trek we are taking it easy and keeping the mileage at 4 to 6 miles per day. This trek will travel through some excellent wildlife habitat and has great views the entire way. $2200 per adult 16 and over; $1700 for kids 15 and under. Up to 5 people.
06/15 through 06/18: Slough Creek, moderate. This trek will take us to the heart of the Slough Creek Valley. This is prime wildlife habitat, and has wide open views. This is a great trip for families or for those who want to fish in the backcountry. 5 to 7 miles per day. $1400 per person for 16 and over; $1100 per person 15 and under. Up to 7 people.
07/17 through 07/22: Joseph’s Coat/ Wapiti Lake. moderate to strenuous. This trek will take us into the heart of Yellowstone. This trek also requires some off trail navigating as we head to campsite off of the trail system. There are backcountry lakes and geyser basins along the way, not to mention wildlife. The mileage is 6 to 13 miles per day. $2300 per adult `15 and over; $1700 per person 15 and under. Up to 5 people.
08/08 through 08/15: The Bechler Family trek: This trip is easy to moderate and a great one for kids ages 8 and up. There are 9 backcountry waterfalls and 3 backcountry thermal areas along the way, and 2 legal hot spring soaks. This 7 day trek includes 2 layover days at a couple of the most incredible spots in Yellowstone’s Backcountry. The mileage is 0 to 8.5 miles per day, most of this trip is down hill or level, with only 4 miles of moderate uphill travel. Rates are $2300 per adult 16 and over; $1700 per child 15 and under. This trek allows up to 5 people.
09/03 through 09/08: The Bechler Fall trek. This is the same as the family trek, with a few more miles per day and 1 layover day instead of 2. The mileage is 1 to 8.5 miles per day. Up to 5 people per trek (2 spots left).
10/01 through 10/03: Dunanda Falls. This trek is 8.5 miles on the first and last day, with a layover day on day 2. The terrain is easy, and this trek will take us to Dunanda Falls, site of the last night of the previous 2 Bechler trips. There are 2 large waterfalls, a great view of the Teton Mountain Range, and one of the best legal hot spring soaks in the park. $900 per adult 16 and over; $600 per child 15 and under. 0 to 8.5 miles per day. Up to 10 people on this trek, with 8 spots remaining.
Why 5 Million People Visit Yellowstone Park Annually
Yellowstone Park has a wide variety of attractions that draw a lot of visitors. There are geysers, hot springs, a grand canyon, forests, and more, and our Yellowstone tour guides are here to help you find the best!
Old Faithful
Located in the Upper Geyser Basin, Old Faithful is the largest concentration of geysers and hot springs in the world. It’s also the park’s number one attraction and is a great reason to visit Yellowstone. Currently, Old Faithful erupts 20 times a day. Eruptions can be predicted within about a 10 minute variation based on prior eruption length and water discharge.
Mammoth Hot Springs
Mammoth Hot Springs is one of the many unique reasons why 5 million people visit Yellowstone Park annually. The travertine terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs have formed over thousands of years as hot water laden with calcium carbonate flows over them. Over two tons of carbonate are deposited in Mammoth every day! Additionally, Mammoth is both a town and a geological formation, providing a wealth of amenities including history, lodging, and restaurants. Mammoth is also a great place to see wildlife. You can often spot elk grazing in the area and in the fall, you can even witness the rut.
South Rim Trail – Artist Point
If you want to see one of the most awe-inspiring views in the park, head out on the South Rim Trail to Artist Point. It’s a great option for a Yellowstone vacation package. If the weather’s good, you may even be able to see a rainbow over the Lower Falls from Artist Point! During the summer, this hike gets extremely busy so it’s best to try and get up early to beat the crowds. The trail begins at Chittenden Bridge and ends at Artist Point. It’s a 1.9-mile round-trip.
Wildlife
Yellowstone Park is home to a unique mix of geothermal features and wildlife. It holds half of the world’s geysers, mud pots, hot springs and steaming fumaroles. The park also boasts a variety of grizzly bears, wolves, coyotes, elk and bison. Visitors can catch a glimpse of these magnificent creatures while traveling through the park, and some animals are easier to see than others.
Mud Volcano
Mud volcanoes occur where layers of water-saturated clay rocks in the Earth’s interior are under pressure from above, driven upward by nearby gas. They are usually small, just a few inches or meters tall. The mud volcano in Yellowstone Park is unique because it has enough acidity to destroy stone, creating bubbling mud pools and spitting hot springs. This area also has one of the most powerful odors in all of Yellowstone, thanks to hydrogen sulfide gas that escapes from the ground here atop a resurgent dome within the magma chamber of the Yellowstone Caldera. Contact us to start planning your next adventure now!
Things To Know And See Your First Time At Yellowstone
The park is a very popular tourist destination and can get very busy, especially during the spring and fall months. During these times, it is very important to take your time and enjoy the scenery. If you’re planning your first time at Yellowstone, there are a few things you should know. These tips will ensure your trip is both safe and fun.
The Grand Prismatic Spring
The Grand Prismatic Spring is the most famous hot spring in Yellowstone, and it’s one of the park’s most popular attractions. At 370 feet in diameter, it’s bigger than a football field and the third-largest spring on Earth. The water is incredibly hot (it’s up to 189 degrees Fahrenheit) and bubbles up in a circle around the center of the spring. The ring of hot water gradually cools as it spreads out across the spring’s massive surface, creating bands of distinct temperatures around each side. These colors are the result of billions of microbes and minerals in the water, as well as sunlight being scattered by mineral particles. The bacteria thrive in the warmer waters and create a rainbow of vibrant colors, with dazzling bright yellows, fierce oranges and deep reds only appearing near the edges of the spring. You can see this incredible rainbow from the boardwalk in the Midway Geyser Basin, but it’s worth a short hike up to the overlook for an even better view. The trail starts at Fairy Falls and climbs 105 feet above Midway Lake.
Old Faithful
If you’re visiting Yellowstone for the first time, then Old Faithful is likely at the top of your to-do list. But, with so many visitors coming to see the world-famous geyser every year, getting the best view can be tough. However, there are a few things you can do to ensure you have a memorable eruption viewing experience. As a rule, it’s best to visit in the shoulder seasons (September or October) when crowds are less likely. Also, avoid times between noon and 6 p.m. when bus tours and visitors are expected to arrive, if you’d like a more intimate experience with the erupting geyser all to yourself. Another thing that’s often overlooked when visiting Yellowstone is the wildlife that lives around and on top of the geyser. Thousands of animals (including bison, elk, mule deer, pronghorn antelope and even birds) call Yellowstone home.
Yellowstone Lake
There are a lot of things to know and see when visiting Yellowstone for the first time. It’s important to understand the basics and plan ahead to make the most of your trip! One of the most popular activities at Yellowstone is exploring the 136-square-mile Yellowstone Lake. It’s the largest high-elevation lake in North America and is home to many thermal features. It’s also a great place to get out of the crowds and view more wildlife. There are a variety of options for boat tours, fishing, and kayaking on the lake. It’s also important to remember that Yellowstone is constantly changing. This means that you won’t be seeing the same thermal features you saw last year!
The Mammoth Hot Springs
Mammoth Hot Springs, one of Yellowstone’s most stunning attractions, is a geothermal site known for its travertine terraces. They are unlike any other thermal feature in the park. These unique formations are a result of a geothermal system that is connected to an ancient volcano. The Mammoth Hot Springs are made up of limestone, a type of rock that is more soft than other types of rock. The water that comes out of the Mammoth Hot Springs is heated by a partially molten magma chamber deep underground, which radiates heat to the earth’s surface. A few springs in the Mammoth Hot Springs area are active. The Liberty Cap, a 37-foot-high cone that’s unique to the Mammoth Hot Springs, is a spectacular sight. And if you are going to visit Mammoth Hot Springs, make sure you stop by the Lower Terrace boardwalk. This trail connects a number of the most spectacular Mammoth Hot Springs, including New Highland Terrace, Prospect Terrace, Orange Spring Mound, Snow Pond, Bath Lake, White Elephant Back Terrace and Angel Terrace.
When you visit Yellowstone in spring, it’s a great time to see a lot of wildlife that’s ready to get out into the fresh air. And of course, no trip to Yellowstone is complete without watching a geyser erupt, and Old Faithful is one of the most popular ones. But there are plenty of other unique things to do in the park that will make your trip more memorable.
1. Go For A Quiet Walk
A quiet walk in Yellowstone is the perfect way to unwind and soak in the natural wonders of the park. The park’s trails are full of hidden gems from bubbling mud pots to exploding geysers and roaring waterfalls. A walk along a boardwalk loop is a great way to see the colorful hot springs in the park. But it can also be a bit crowded, especially in the summer. If you’re looking for a quieter alternative, consider the Beaver Ponds Trail. This 5-mile loop will take you through sagebrush, forest stands and beaver ponds.
2. The Scenic Drive
If you’re short on time, a scenic drive is the perfect option for seeing Yellowstone Park. It will give you a chance to see most of the major attractions in just one day. Probably the most famous landmark in Yellowstone is the Grand Prismatic Spring, which you can see in lots of postcards. While it’s impossible to see the same rainbow of colors in real life, you will still be blown away by the size and uniqueness of this famous landmark! It’s also one of the best places in the park to see wildlife. You’ll often see grizzly bears, gray wolves, bison, and elk.
3. Watch A Geyser
If you’re a nature buff, you’ll want to take some time to watch a geyser at Yellowstone Park. The area is home to hundreds of these hydrothermal features, a result of the huge volcano under the park’s surface. What makes geysers so interesting is that they erupt when water escaping from cracks in the Earth’s crust pools up with groundwater and super-heats, forcing it to spew out of a vent. That’s why they are a popular attraction for scientists. While Old Faithful is Yellowstone’s most famous geyser, there are many other hydrothermal features that you can see from the park’s boardwalks and paved trails. The park even predicts eruption times for some of these features, so be sure to keep an eye out for them!
4. Hiking
A great way to get some exercise and see some of the most impressive scenery in Yellowstone Park is by taking a hike. The park has hundreds of hiking trails, so you can find something for everyone. Spring is the best time of year to hike, as temperatures are still quite cool and there isn’t much snow on the ground. Fall is also a good time to hike, but be sure to check the weather forecast before heading out! For a scenic and relatively short hike, try the Storm Point Trail near Yellowstone Lake. It’s a popular trail that leads to an overlook of the Grand Prismatic Spring and Excelsior Geyser, which is one of the most-photographed thermal features in Yellowstone.
5. Visit A Hot Spring
Springtime is the best time to visit some of Yellowstone’s stunning hydrothermal features, such as geysers and hot springs. The fewer crowds mean that you’ll get an even closer look at these incredible natural wonders. The water that makes up these springs is heated by magma deep beneath the Earth’s surface, and it flows upward to the surface through cracks or faults in the ground. This creates underground pressure that forces the water to rise to the surface faster than it would normally. While visiting these hot springs, be sure to keep in mind that it’s illegal and dangerous to enter them. Some people don’t realize this, and they’ve accidentally stepped into a hot spring or geyser and suffered burns.
Spring and summer are the best times to see wildflowers in Yellowstone National Park. With more than 3,000 different species, the color explosions are spectacular and a treat for nature lovers!
Best Times To See Wildflowers
From the rainbow-hued hot springs and multi-hued Canyon walls, Yellowstone National Park offers a stunning display of colors year-round. Wildflowers season is a spectacular time to visit Yellowstone National Park. The colorful patchwork of flowers, from the first pasque flower in April to the last aster in September, makes this one of the most dynamic times to experience the Park. However, summer is at its most colorful when wildflowers burst forth in abundance. So, if you’re looking to see a wide range of flowers, late June through mid-July is the peak season.
Rabbitfoot Crazyweed
Rabbitfoot crazyweed is a vibrant purple flower that typically grows in sagebrush meadows and valleys to lower montane. It is commonly seen from April to June. It is a perennial forb that arises from a three to 16 inch deep woody taproot. Its bright rose-purple, pealike flowers form dense racemes borne at the ends of leafless stalks. Its leaves are pinnately divided into paired lanceolate leaflets.
Harebell
Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia) is a delicate beauty with small blue-violet bell-shaped flowers that nod from the tips of slender stems. It blooms in spurts from summer to fall. Commonly known as “bluebells,” Harebell is associated with Scotland but can be found in a variety of habitats. It is often self-seeding, especially in rocky soils and crevices.
Indian Paintbrush
The genus Castilleja, also known as Indian paintbrush or prairie-fire, is found in many colors throughout the western U.S. Often described as flowering clusters that resemble a paintbrush dipped in paint, these brightly colored flowers are best seen during June and July. These flowers grow in grasslands and dry sagebrush prairies, and also are abundant in ponderosa pine forests. You’ll likely see them in late spring through early summer, especially around the rims of Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park.
Monkey Flower
Monkey Flower Mimulus guttatus blooms in June and July near thermal areas, streambeds and Yellowstone Lake. These flowers are brightly colored and attract insect pollinators. There are many types of wildflowers that can be seen in Yellowstone National Park, but Lewis’ monkeyflower is one of the most common species in the area. It’s a monoecious plant that produces a bright yellow petal together with orange spots that attract insect pollinators.
