National Parks Family Journey: Yellowstone and Grand Teton

Arrive in time to meet your fellow travelers for a welcome gathering this evening. Your arrival transfer is included.

Included Experiences

• Arrival Transfer: You will be transferred from the airport to your start hotel.
• Arrival Day and Welcome Meeting: The adventure begins tonight. Feel free to explore before your welcome meeting, but make sure you’re back in time to meet the group. Check for the meeting time on the welcome note at the hotel. After introductions, your Expedition Leader will review the details of your tour. Please note that normal check-in times apply at our start hotels, but you can usually store your luggage for the day if you arrive early.

Spend the day exploring the spectacular peaks and valleys of Grand Teton National Park, beginning in the Moose historic district, where early log-cabin homesteads help tell the stories of the bold fur trappers, mountain men, and female entrepreneurs who settled the region. At the park's Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center, young travelers begin their junior ranger journey. Later, grab an oar for a rafting expedition down the Snake River. As you gently float along, spot mule deer, pronghorn, elk, and moose in the surrounding woodlands and meadows. Enjoy a delicious lunch after your river adventure.

Included Experiences

• Grand Teton Scenic River Float: Enjoy a 16km (10 mile) guided scenic raft trip on the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park. Learn from local guides about the history of the region, as well as the plant and wildlife against a backdrop of majestic peaks. Keep your eyes peeled for moose, bald eagles, osprey, bears, beavers, and more.

Board a boat for the ride across Jenny Lake; then set out on a hike in Cascade Canyon—carved by retreating glaciers some 15,000 years ago—and continue to Hidden Falls, plummeting almost a hundred feet into the gorge. This afternoon, opt for a hike around Jackson Lake. Young explorers will also have the opportunity to complete their junior ranger activities and claim their Grand Teton badge!

Included Experiences

• Jenny Lake and Cascade Canyon Hike: Choose to take the shuttle boat across Jenny Lake to begin the hike towards Cascade Canyon to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. (Round trip Length: 2.2 Miles, Total Elevation Gain: 450 Feet)
• Free Time: Enjoy free time to explore Grand Teton National Park. Stick to Jackson Lake to canoe, kayak, or swim. Opt to hit another trail on a hike or horseback ride.

Optional Experiences

• Swim or Hike around Jenny Lake: Grab a swimsuit or your shoes, or both and set off in the peaceful setting of the Tetons. Swim in the clear waters of Jenny Lake or hike around the shore, or a combination of the two.

On a morning drive, we’ll cross the Continental Divide and travel into the vast caldera of the Yellowstone supervolcano—a volcano capable of a massive eruptions, which Yellowstone has experienced three times in just over two million years. View wisps of steam rising from geothermal hotspots throughout the park—home to about half of the world’s geysers. Visit the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center to begin a new junior ranger journey, and gather to watch the famed geyser erupt on the clock. Stroll boardwalks winding between the bubbling and gurgling hot springs and geysers of the Upper Geyser Basin.

Included Experiences

• Yellowstone National Park Visit: Make several stops throughout the day. Today the journey is the destination. Cross the Continental Divide and get a taste of just some of the 10,000+ hydrothermal features, 500+ active geysers (more than half the world's geysers), and almost 300 waterfalls. Stay on the lookout for the 67 species of mammals and 285 species of birds that call this place home.

Venture out in search of astonishing geological activity and amazing creatures in the Yellowstone wilderness—established as the world’s first national park in 1872. Hike in the spectacular Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and see the rushing river and falls; then in the lush Hayden Valley, marvel at the bubbling Mud Volcano and the turbulent waters of the acidic Sulphur Caldron. Further your discoveries at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center where you will encounter bear habitats, gray wolves, river otters, and have the opportunity to observe, understand and ultimately appreciate these magnificent animals. You’ll also have the chance to explore the historic town of Mammoth Hot Springs, home to Yellowstone National Park headquarters; and stop at Roosevelt Lodge, once a tent camp for trappers and explorers. Set out on safari through the sweeping Lamar Valley—known as the “Serengeti of North America” for its high concentration of wildlife, including bison, elk, and elusive wolves and grizzly bears.

Included Experiences

• Wolf and Grizzly Center Visit: Enjoy a visit to the Wolf and Grizzly Center and have an opportunity to observe, understand and ultimately appreciate grizzly bears and gray wolves serving as ambassadors for their wild counterparts. All the animals seen at the Center are unable to survive in the wild. See exhibits like, the Banks of the Yellowstone River Otter, The Raptors, and The Naturalist Cabin with exceptional views of wolves and Bears. Naturalists will be available throughout the facility to answer any questions you might have during our 1.5 hour visit.
• Yellowstone National Park Visit: Make several stops throughout the day. Today the journey is the destination. Geysers, waterfalls, wildlife, and scenic beauty are around every corner just waiting to be explored. In fact, Yellowstone National Park is a super volcano with the world’s largest active geyser field, boasting more than 10,000 geysers. The Park is also home to more wild animals than almost anywhere else in the U.S., including roaming bison, gray wolves, elk, black bears, and, of course, the famous grizzly bear. Spend the day discovering the impressive natural phenomenons within the park.

Enjoy a final day exploring one of America’s most beloved national parks. Descend a wooden boardwalk into the vast Norris Geyser Basin, dotted with colorful pools and steaming fumaroles and peer into the spectacular rainbow-hued Grand Prismatic Spring, where thermophilic bacteria generate incredible shades of yellow, blue, and red. Then stop by the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center for lunch, where young travelers can claim a Yellowstone junior ranger badge.

Included Experiences

• Yellowstone Final Highlights: Take in any remaining highlights of Yellowstone National Park. Continue to stay on the lookout for the wildlife that calls this place home.

Head back to Jackson early this morning where tour ends in downtown Jackson.