4-DAY YELLOWSTONE

While some tour operations may claim you will see the entire Yellowstone Park in two days, only one percent of the Park may be seen from the roads during that time., perhaps 520 miles over the course of two days. Two days may allow one to circumnavigate the inside upper and lower loop of continuous driving and stopping, but to get a feel for the 20 million-acre Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem which showcases the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks with a combined total of 2.5 million acres, it takes a  4-day trip to do it justice. This trip encompasses everything from a full-day and a two-day tour, and much more without time constraints. You know, you’re on vacation! 

This allows one to experience all of Yellowstone Park north to south and east to west and takes in both the 944,000-acre Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, a drive over the magnificent 11,000-foot Beartooth Pass and dropping down into the picturesque town of Red Lodge, Montana. We continue along through a substantial portion of both the Custer-Gallatin and Shoshone National Forest in route to the Cowboy culture capital of the world Cody, Wyoming. Up for a rodeo? 

The real difference? Time, of course; one will have more options to take in more stops at a pace that simply can not be accomplished on a trip that requires 12-hour days. Fortunately, these are a bit shorter. If you are only going to do this once in your lifetime, or never plan to go back with the need of a guide, or simply just want to take advantage of 50 years of experience in the area both in and very near the proximity of the national parks, this is how to do it: visiting the highlights of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. 

Itinerary

Day 1 

Entering Yellowstone from the South Entrance, we drive up the Lewis River Canyon, passing Lewis Falls, Lewis Lake, West Thumb and on to Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic  Hot Spring and Excelsior Geyser Crater, and  the Lower Geyser Basin, stopping for a picnic lunch in Firehole River Canyon.  We will pass  through the Golden Gate, and descend to Mammoth Hot Springs, eventually exiting the park at Gardiner, through the North Entrance, and dropping down the Yellowstone River to Chico Hot Springs,  dating back to 1900, arguably the most interesting stop in Montana. Chico is one of the finest kitchens in the State, and the springs are chemical-fee, as they change the water every night.

Day 2

Reentering the park, headed for Lamar Valley, the Serengeti of North America, eventually exiting the park at the Northwest entrance into Cooke City, and passing over Beartooth Pass , considered by many  the most spectacular drive in North America arriving in Red Lodge, Montana to overnight at the Pollard Hotel, dating back to 1890,  dining at the Piccola Cucina Ox Pasture- hands down the best Italian restaurant in the state.  Perhaps you have dined with them in New York...

Day3

We retrace our steps back over the 11,000-foot highway that transects the Absarorka-Beartooth Wilderness, a 994,000 acre Wilderness at the north end of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem adjacent to Yellowstone, and drive the spectacular Sunlight basin highway in route to Cody, Wyoming, considered by most to be the Cowboy Capital of the Universe, if not Wyoming as a whole. We will eventually find ourselves in Cody with the hope of having a few moments to explore 3 great museums, or take in the famous dinner show next to the rodeo grounds, and that nightly rodeo as well. 

Day4

After some well-deserved rest, we head west back towards the East Entrance to the Yellowstone National Park at Pahaska Teepee, Bill Cody's haunt, then another 50 miles of stellar views driving up the North Fork of the Shoshone River, into the park and along the north end of Yellowstone Lake, and on to the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River.  Finally, it is time to head south, passing along Yellowstone Lake and Hayden Valley, through Grand Teton National Park back to Jackson, Wyoming.

This is the most comprehensive trip in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem taking in highlights from both parks as well, a one -in-a-lifetime kind of adventure- and, if you have one trip/tour/adventure here in your lifetime, I can't recommend enough!

COST: $1,395/day. Pricing is based on a private tour for up to 5 guests, with additional guests up to 8 persons at $115 each/day.

Begin

• 6:30 a.m to 7:30 a.m. from West Yellowstone (note: earlier start time maximizes wolf opportunities)
• 7:30 a.m. from Jackson, Wyoming or Teton Village, Wyoming

End

• 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (approximately) return to hotel

Arrangements for the night’s accommodations can be made at the discretion of the guest, or you may request help with this at the time of your booking. All dinner reservations are advisable to play it safe! 

• Warm clothing (in layers)   
• Hat and/or Sunglasses   
• Swimwear,  Towel  
• Rain Jacket  
• Camera

We loved our 2-day tour with Greg and were very happy that we did it. Our van was very comfortable and clean. We had about 9 people on our tour (3 of them kids). We got picked up from Jackson at 730am then started our journey to Yellowstone.  We stopped at this wonderful photo opp of the Grand Tetons before we got to Yellowstone. It is nice to have someone else worry about timing, logistics, etc. and being able to discover things we didn’t even research.  We were able to get to everything before all the crowds arrived which is a huge benefit and made all the difference in my opinion. We saw all the highlights of Yellowstone and Greg shared a lot, answered a lot of our questions, and took photos for everyone! We got to stay in a Conestoga wagon in Chico that was arranged last minute by the tour company (I wasn't able to get a reservation in Chico myself) which was my favorite thing we did. We got to Chico around 430/5p and ate at the pool grill (amazing chicken wings) and soaked in the hot springs. The second day we left around 730am and grabbed breakfast from a cool bakery (the hotel started breakfast too late since it was a Sunday) and headed to the valleys. There were times when we saw wildlife like bison and Greg would say, "Let's wait; we will get a better view," and boy was he right! We came upon hundreds of Bison in Hayden valley crossing the street and so close. I am so glad he didn't waste time at the other spots where the bison were so far away.  I also enjoyed the stops at the different lodges in the park (Yellowstone Lake lodge, Jackson Lake lodge, Old Faithful lodge).  Also buy the Yellowstone souvenirs in these lodges; we didn't and regretted it because we didn't find Yellowstone souvenirs elsewhere.  I also enjoyed the fresh lunch - it was make-your-own sandwiches and fresh fruit (apples, grapes), mustard and mayo, chips, ham and turkey, cheese, avocado, tomatoes, red onion, and cookies, and water and la croix were provided. I appreciated this because I am picky and could make my sandwich how I liked and also for my young son who is also picky.  We were very happy with this tour and loved having someone walk us to the main spots so we didn't waste time. Greg was very knowledgeable and I respected that he was an avid learner. He would write down questions he didn't have answers to for future tours. He was also very kind and funny and took photos for everyone. Everyone on the trip got along so well. I was worried that 2 days was not enough but I think it was the perfect amount of time and we saw everything except wolves.  (Yellowstone Two-Day Tour, September 2019)

All our tours are both private and modifiable. Sign of the times!  We are eager to make your experience memorable, and that means connecting you to as many features as possible that are aligned with your area of interest.  Would you like to hear about some of the options?  Talking through the alternatives in advance is the best way to ensure you will be happy with your choice to explore the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem with Greater Yellowstone Adventures.  Let's talk!  307-690-6374