Wildlife, Peace, and Quiet
Trip Type: Small Group Adventure
Territory: North America
Region: Rocky Mountains
Trip Price: From $6,395
Single Supplement: $1,475
On-Trip Airfare: $0
Duration: 7 days/6 nights
Trip Begins/Ends: Bozeman, Montana / Bozeman, Montana
Minimum Travelers: 2 travelers
Maximum Travelers: 16 travelers
Pricing detailed for this Small Group Adventure is based upon double occupancy. Additional charges for single travelers and any on-trip airfare required for the trip apply. A booking deposit is required to reserve your space. Small Group Adventure pricing includes all lodging, meals (unless otherwise noted), activities, baggage handling, transportation, and guide service. Not included are travel costs to/from gateway cities, guide gratuities, and personal incidentals including, but not limited to, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, alcoholic beverages, and laundry service. Travel with Off the Beaten Path requires agreement to our standard Terms & Conditions.
No Sweat - 1-2 miles of walking or hiking per day, plus easy activities
Nice & Active – 3-6 miles of hiking or walking per day, plus physically active exploration
High Five! – 5-10 miles of hiking per day, plus possible peak bagging or other action-oriented fun
Outdoors for up to 4 hours each day in winter temperatures at elevations ranging from 5,000 to 7,500 feet. Daily walking on boardwalks and pathways in snowy and possibly slippery conditions. Activities include walks between .5 and 3 miles per day, optional cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
Most all of our Small Group Adventures can be made private to just your traveling troupe. Just give us a call at (800) 445-2995 and tell us that you would like to “make it private”!
Generally, there are two ways to make a small group adventure private. First, you could capture one of our published departure dates for just your group. In order to achieve this, we have to have sufficient space available to create a separate private trip. Second, we could take the details of this itinerary and fashion it for just your group on dates of your choosing. For this, too, we just need to review your interest, group size, and preferred timing in order to create the trip.
In all cases, the process begins with a phone call so give us a ring at (800) 445-2995 and after just a few minutes gathering information, we can set to the task of making your trip a reality!
Arrive to Bozeman and head to fine accommodations in the heart of downtown, just one block from Bozeman’s thriving Main Street. Later this afternoon, meet your guide and fellow travelers for a friendly welcome dinner.
After breakfast, we travel south along the Yellowstone River through breathtaking mountain scenery to Mammoth, just inside Yellowstone’s North Entrance. We’ll explore the steaming, limestone terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs and visit the Albright Visitor Center to learn about the amazing history of America’s first national park. Photo opportunities abound as elk and bison may be wandering along the terraces and among the buildings. If you’re feeling adventurous, try exploring the Upper Terrace on a short trek through trees and around giant boulders to steamy hot springs.
Today’s focus is Yellowstone’s magnificent wildlife. We’ll be in the Lamar Valley (sometimes called the “American Serengeti”) this morning to see bison and elk and to scan the hillsides for the secretive gray wolves. An amazing number of animals occupy the Lamar Valley, and the wildlife viewing can be incredible. Wolves, coyotes, bighorn sheep, eagles, and vast herds of bison and elk all call this valley home in the winter. You’ll watch through binoculars and spotting scopes as your expert naturalist guide shares stories about the reintroduction of the wolves in the 1990s. Your guide will also help you hone your tracking skills and teach you to identify wildlife tracks. Heading toward the small mountain town of Cooke City, we‘ll stop in the even tinier burg of Silver Gate to visit the home and studio of accomplished wildlife photographer Dan Hartman. After a hot lunch in “Cooke” (as the locals call it), we’ll drive back to Mammoth Hot Springs, watching for moose and bighorn sheep.
We’ll take the scenic route by snowcoach to the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, possibly sharing the road with wandering bison. We stop at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone to marvel at the massive, frozen waterfalls, then shift our focus to wildlife as we continue on to Old Faithful. We’ll arrive at Old Faithful Snow Lodge in time to freshen up and enjoy dinner. Afterward, we can walk out across the boardwalks and catch the rumbling, hissing eruption of Old Faithful, which is every bit as active in winter as in summer—and far more dramatic when the hot water hits the cold air.
The morning holds an amazing walking exploration through the Upper Geyser Basin. In an area of about two square miles, the Upper Geyser Basin contains the largest concentration of these spouting thermal features in the world—nearly one-quarter of the Earth’s geysers. Along with Old Faithful, you’ll also see Grand Geyser, the largest regularly erupting geyser in the world. You’ll fortify yourself with a hot lunch in the lodge and then choose from a variety of active and nonactive options. If you like, you may head back out with the guide to continue exploring the surrounding forested trails. Traveling across the quiet, sparkling snow this way is magical. Bundle up tonight and walk outside to look at the gorgeous night sky, full of stars.
We’ll board the snowcoach this morning for a trip past Fountain Paint Pots and along the Firehole Canyon Drive. From there, leave the park through either the West Entrance for a night at a classic guest ranch or the North Entrance with a night at a historic hot springs resort. Whichever direction this day takes you, your final evening in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem will feature a wonderful farewell dinner and celebration of unforgettable experiences and new friends.
Return to Bozeman with visions of snow crystals dancing in your heads.
Centrally located in Downtown Bozeman and just a block off bustling Main Street, Kimpton Armory Hotel is a brief walk from charming boutiques, independent coffee shops, galleries and a lively bar and restaurant scene. Of course, if you’re looking to venture a bit farther afield, iconic outdoor destinations like Yellowstone National Park, renowned skiing hubs like Big Sky or Bridger Bowl and fly-fishing hot spots including the Madison and Gallatin Rivers are all a relatively short drive from the hotel.And when you return from your adventures, whether they’re down the street or deep in the wilderness, you’ll find Kimpton Armory Hotel is the perfect home base to relax, recharge and make the most of your stay in the great American West.
Located near the north entrance into Yellowstone Park, Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel & Cabins is the perfect home base for all things Yellowstone! Accommodation options vary from standard hotel rooms, suites and cabins.
Situated near Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin, Old Faithful Snow Lodge make a wonderful base for exploration. The lodge is one of Yellowstone’s newer accommodations and a beautiful example of classic 'parkitecture', with its heavy timber accents, exterior log columns, and cedar shingle roof.
The 320 Ranch sits nestled at the foot of the Gallatin Mountains with the Gallatin River flowing by, just five miles from the northwest corner of Yellowstone National Park. The ranch was homesteaded in 1898, and has been a working ranch since 1905, where cattle and horses were raised. The ranch offers a variety of cabin accommodations, each decorated in western style with a television, telephone, coffee maker, hair dryer, iron, and ironing board. Onsite, you’ll find a dining facility, bar, gift shop, small game room, outdoor hot tub, and coin operated laundry.
Chico Hot Springs Resort is without a doubt one of the most well-known and all-time favorite Montana hideaways. The Victorian Chico Warm Springs Hotel, built of wooden siding typical of the era, opened in 1900 with a grand celebratory ball. Within the next two years, the resort doubled in size, and over the past century has continued to grow in both popularity and size, all the while retaining its appealing casual, friendly, and intimate atmosphere.
Newly built in 2018, the Sage Lodge is an inspiring destination for anglers and outdoor enthusiasts alike looking to relax away from their quick moving, daily routine. Located along the banks of the Yellowstone River in the breathtaking Paradise Valley, the lodge reflects the rugged Montana landscape while welcoming guests with the distinctive Montana hospitality. Within a 35 minute drive, you will find yourself at the northern entrance of Yellowstone National Park and the unique terrain and wildlife that call the area home. On site guests will find a full-service luxury spa, wood-fired grill and bar with indoor and outdoor seating areas and endless fishing opportunities right from your room.
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