After breakfast, drive from Jackson to Yellowstone National Park for a naturally inspiring stay in the heart of a thermal wonderland, entering through the South Entrance and continuing to Grant Village and along the western shore of Yellowstone Lake. Walking and hiking are must-do activities on Yellowstone vacations, so get set for zoomed-in outdoor adventures inside America’s first national park.
Following lunch at the historic Lake Hotel, you can stretch your legs alongside the tranquil lake before heading out to behold the otherworldly sights and smells of the park’s geothermal wonders. Continue exploring through the beautiful Hayden Valley, and arrive late afternoon at the historic (and recently renovated) Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel for a two-night inside-the-park stay; have dinner at your leisure at the hotel this evening. Stay Two Nights: Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Cabins (B/L/D)
Meet nature on her terms today as you discover more of Yellowstone's wonders firsthand. Depart your hotel this morning and head east through the Blacktail Deer Plateau and the Tower Junction area. Next, you'll embark on a wildlife safari in Yellowstone's Lamar Valley and the Northern Range; keep a keen lookout for a peek into the world of local residents – namely bears and wolves. A naturalist guide serves as your safari tracker as you hunt for signs of elk and charismatic carnivores – we’re talking grizzlies and gray wolves here – who may have only recently crossed the path.
After a midday stop in the isolated village of Cooke City, visit with Dan Hartman, a local wildlife photographer at his log cabin in the woods – learning about his craft and the complexities of getting ‘the shot’. Then continue your drive back through the Yellowstone wilderness, learning about the habits and habitats of the park’s residents, before heading back to your hotel; have dinner at your leisure at the hotel tonight. (B/D)
So much of experiencing Yellowstone National Park requires a close-up look at the wild world, and you'll do a lot of that today. Lesser known than its world-famous rival of a similar name, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is one for the record books – and photo album! The best way to appreciate its grandeur and diversity is on foot. Your hike along its trails this morning will reveal the immensity of the canyon and the river below as you stop at various viewpoints, taking you to the brink of the Upper Falls; discussions about conservation, ecology and wildlife enrich your explorations. Journey next to Uncle Tom’s Viewpoint, where you'll walk to Artist Point.
After a picnic lunch, continue your travels along the Firehole River to the Fountain Paint Pot, then on to famous Old Faithful Geyser and the Upper Geyser Basin, arriving at Old Faithful Snow Lodge for a two-night stay. Dine tonight at your leisure in the Snow Lodge... to cap a perfect day in Yellowstone. Stay Two Nights: Old Faithful Snow Lodge (B/L/D)
Wild and wonderful, Yellowstone is all about nature at her most passionate. She smolders with hot springs, steaming geysers, fumaroles and gurgling mud pots. She’s dressed in majestic mountains, lodgepole forests, trout-spawning streams, rushing waterfalls, green rivers, yawning canyons and rocks exquisitely sculpted with an imaginative hand. She challenges with trails and thrills with animals, like bison, bears and wolves. Today begins with a morning walk with a naturalist guide among the marvels of the Lower Geyser Basin to take in the sights, smells and sounds of this amazing area.
From then on, the rest of your day is free to explore the nation's first national park – and the embodiment of "America's Best Idea" – as you wish. You may want to make it a point to watch Old Faithful erupt (like clockwork), or listen to a presentation by a park ranger. After a talk by a historian early this evening, have dinner tonight next door to your lodge at the Old Faithful Inn, a true historic landmark built of lodgepole pine in 1904. (B/D)
Memories of Yellowstone loom large as you leave it behind for a journey south to Grand Teton National Park, a showcase of picture-perfect snow-covered mountains the way you might have imagined they would look. The youngest mountain range in the Rockies, the Tetons tower above Jackson Hole with craggy peaks, rugged canyons and glacial lakes... undulating valleys, carpeted by sagebrush, cottonwood and aspens... rivers and ponds that provide homes for beaver, coyotes, moose, swans, eagles and more... and flat floors that invite bison and pronghorn to hoof it. Explore Jenny Lake, the “Three Sisters” and Mount Moran.
After lunch, a leisurely, guided bicycle ride along the new Teton Mountain Trail increases your appreciation of the history and scenic splendor of Grand Teton National Park; watch for bison, pronghorn and other wildlife as you marvel at the grandeur around you. Arriving late afternoon at Jackson Lake Lodge allows you to take in vistas of the Tetons at dusk, from the 60-foot picture windows in the upper lobby... and the views you'll enjoy during dinner at the Lodge are pretty spectacular, too! Stay Two Nights: Jackson Lake Lodge (B/L/D)
There are currently no departures available on this trip. Either it's the end of the season and new departures will be released shortly, or this itinerary has been changed and will no longer continue. Feel free to contact us for information about when next seasons dates will be released or click here to view the general release dates for all destinations.
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