8:00am We meet at our hostel, Salt Lake City UT. At the end of this trip we have some time to explore this city, so we hit the road early and start our journey North towards Yellowstone National Park. Today will be our biggest distance traveling in the van which will get us to the perfect location to explore Yellowstone. Expect a total drive time of 5.5 hours through beautiful Utah, Idaho and eventually Montana. We will have lunch in Idaho Falls where we will also stop at a big grocery store where we will get our food for the first few days of the trip. Our next stop will be at Mesa Falls where we can stretch our legs on a nature trail before arriving at camp. After getting camp set, we will visit Hebgen Lake before a camp dinner. Tonight you guide will go over our plan for tomorrow, where we will spend our time, and what to expect for our first big day in the Park.
*Camping night, dinner included
After a camp breakfast, and packing our lunch for the day, we will head into Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone is Americas first National park established way back in 1872. It is a very expansive park largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho. It spans an area of 3,468.4 sq mi (8,983 km2), comprising lakes, canyons, rivers, and mountain ranges. The Park sits on top of a dormant volcano and is home to more geysers and hot springs than any other place on earth. We will spend all day in the park, making frequent stops on our way to the “Grand Canyon of Yellowstone”. Here we will spend time hiking to some incredible viewpoints, walking the rim trails, and getting to see upper and lower Yellowstone Falls from multiple vantage points. We will also make sure to hike the amazing Red Rock Point trail. This trail gives you some of the best views of the Lower Falls, the most spectacular waterfall in the Park. Twice the height of Niagara Falls, the Lower Falls are guaranteed to take your breath away. Later in the day we will continue to the Mud Volcano Area. Early explorers to Yellowstone described these features as a “most repulsive and terrifying site.” The Mud Volcano area has many mud pots and hillsides strewn with trees cooked by steam. The hydrothermal features here are some of the most acidic in the park. We will walk the 1/2 mile Mud volcano trail and see the Churning cauldron, Sour lake, and Dragon’s mouth spring.
*Camping night, breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Today will be another big day in Yellowstone. First we will make the 1.5 hr drive to the Mammoth Hot Springs area of the Park. Here we will Walk on boardwalks above the steaming hydrothermal features. This area is also home to the Boiling River, one of the few places in the park where we used to be able to swim in natural hot springs along the Gardner river. Unfortunately, in 2022 there was an extreme flood which damaged the site, and it is still unknown when/if they will allow swimming in the summer of 24’ If they do, we will take advantage of the opportunity. Next we will travel to the Norris Geyser Basin area. Here there is a series of trails through the geyser basin which are a combination of boardwalks, paved, and unpaved paths. We expect to walk close to 3 miles here to see all the amazing features that make up this highly active Hydrothermal area. Before heading back to camp, we will visit Firehole Canyon and Firehole Falls, and even have the opportunity to go for a swim in the Firehole river (or at the very least, just get your feet wet!)
*Camping night, breakfast, lunch and dinner included
We pack up camp after breakfast this morning, and hit the road back into Yellowstone. We will be traveling through a new section of the park which will eventually lead us out the south entrance of the Park and into Grand Teton National Park by the afternoon. We will get to walk the Fountain Paint Pot trail named for the reds, yellows and browns of the mud in this area. We will also get to see the famous Grand Prismatic Spring and Excelsior Geyser Crater today. Depending on the group we will have a few different walk/hiking options in this area. Our next stop will be the Upper geyser basin, home to one of the most famous geysers in the World, Old Faithful which erupts every 60-90 minutes. There is an incredible network of walking trails around the 17 main geysers here, so depending on what time we arrive, you will have free time to walk, explore the visitor center, or just relax and enjoy the amazing views. After getting to see Old Faithful erupt, we will continue to the West Thumb area of Yellowstone Lake. Here we get to walk the West Thumb geyser trail, and see more amazing hydrothermal features like Black Pool (which is ironically one of Yellowstone’s most beautiful and intensely blue pools!). Our next stop for the day will be at Jackson Lake inside Grand Teton National Park before continuing to our new camp spot.
*Camping night, breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Today we get to spend the day at a more relaxed pace, as the driving distances in Grand Teton NP are not as far. The park has so many amazing hiking trails, and lakes, your guide will talk with the group about how everyone would like to spend the day. It is possible for the group to split up if some would like to hike more or less depending on everyone’s interests. The park has an optional boat shuttle service on Jenny Lake, so it’s possible to take a boat as a quick easy way to access Hidden Falls and inspiration point hiking trails. This also gives you a very beautiful and unique view of the Teton Mountains. In the afternoon you will regroup with your guide and head into the famous town of Jackson WY. Here you will have free time to explore. Tonight you get a break from camp food and you will buy yourself dinner at one of the many restaurants close to the famous Jackson Town Square.
*Camping night, breakfast, lunch only
This morning we must pack up camp for the final time and make the long drive back to Salt Lake City which is about 4.5 hours driving in total. We will break up our drive with a mid-day break at Lava Hotspring’s in Idaho, so keep your bathing suit handy. We will have access to their five outdoor rock bottom pools that range from 102˚ to 112˚ These all natural hot springs have no chemicals, no sulfur, no odor and are a great way to finish off the week with our tired legs. After a good long soak, we finish our drive back to Salt lake city and check into our hostel. This evening we will visit Temple Square which is the most popular visitor attraction in Utah, with over 5 million annual visitors. Temple Square occupies a 10-acre city block surrounded by a 15-foot wall on all sides; it includes two visitors centers, the Salt Lake Temple, Salt Lake Tabernacle, Assembly Hall chapel, and impressive gardens. Tonight your guide will arrange a farewell dinner with the group depending on everyone’s budget.
*Hostel night, breakfast, lunch
There are no activities planned today. The tour is officially over at 8am…but you can stay at the hostel until check-out time at 11am. If you need, you can have the hostel hold your luggage while you spend more time exploring Salt Lake City. We recommend you get a flight home sometime this afternoon.
*No meals today
Before you book, please know:
You must have an email address in order to book a tour.
Your plane flight is not included.
Once you pick a trip, fill out the form and we will respond within 1 day or sooner If your trip is a Guaranteed Departure you will get a big information packet with all the tour and payment information via email.
If you are one of the first 5 people to sign up, we will save you a seat, and you don’t need to pay anything now. Once we have 6 people, we guarantee the trip and we’ll send your information packet. If you change your mind after receiving the packet, no problem...please let us know :-)