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This tour runs every day from the end of May through the end of September.  You can fly into Salt Lake the day of the tour if you choose, and catch a ride straight up to West Yellowstone.  If you prefer, you can also fly in the day before, take a look at Salt Lake City, and then leave for Yellowstone the next day.   In addition to the airport, we pick up at all downtown Salt Lake hotels, and can get you a good rate at some of them.  Details of the hotels with which we are working can be found here.

322 miles

515 kilometres

5 1/4 to 5 3/4 hours

There may be times when a portion of the trip is handled by a sub contractor, necessitating a seamless change of vehicles in Rexburg.

For the purposes of this itinerary, we'll assume that you do the lower loop first.   This is the area that comprises most of the thermal features that are to be seen in Yellowstone, including, of course, Old Faithful! 

From West Yellowstone we'll follow the Madison River to Madison Junction, where we'll turn right, or south.  Depending on the time of the year, this area is often teeming with wildlife.  With any luck you will see bison, elk deer, Trumpeter Swans and other animals and birds.  A special treat in the spring is the baby bison calves.

After Madison Junction the tour turns down Firehole Canyon Drive, a side road that follows the Firehole River.  The Firehole River runs through the thermal areas of Yellowstone northward, to join the Gibbon River and form the Madison River.  The Firehole is world famous amongst anglers for its pristine beauty and selection of brown, brook and rainbow trout.  The road takes guests past 800 foot thick lava flows.  Firehole Falls is a 40 foot waterfall.  There is an unstaffed swimming hole here.

The first main thermal area we will be visiting is the Lower Geyser Basin, and Fountain Paint Pots.  There is a boardwalk system running around and through the Fountain Paint Pots area, and it is a great place to go for a stroll, if the bison haven't got there first!  Apart from the paint pots, there is also a selection of other thermal features in the area, including a number of geysers, one or other of which almost always seems to be erupting.

The next stop is the Midway Geyser Basin, home to two of the largest hot springs to be found anywhere in the world, as well as Excelsior Geyser, now dormant, but discharging thousands of gallons of water every minute.           

It is a short drive to the Upper Geyser Basin, home of Old Faithful, the world's best known and most reliable gusher. There is also so much more to the area than just Old Faithful.  Old Faithful Inn, a wonderful old building - recently renovated - is located there - and a system of boardwalks will take you around the various other geysers in the area.  We provide a sack lunch today, and you may like to enjoy it at Old Faithful.

The road from Old Faithful passes over the Continental Divide twice, on its way to West Thumb, a geyser basin right on the shores of the incredibly blue Yellowstone Lake.

Yellowstone Lake is off to the east as we make the trip up to Fishing Bridge.  From there we head through the Hayden Valley, following the Yellowstone River, up to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.                                               HOME

The Hayden Valley is known for its wildlife, particularly large herds of bison at certain times of the year. It is also an excellent location to look for grizzly bears, especially in the spring and early summer when they may be preying on newborn bison and elk cubs.   There will also be the opportunity to view the Mud Volcano and Sulphur Caldron areas.

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is an unexpected treat amongst the thermal wonders.  The Yellowstone River has carved an impressive canyon through the rocks, over which two falls drop.  The Lower Falls is over twice the size of Niagara Falls!  It is in this area that you can catch a glimpse of the yellowish tinge to the rocks, from which the Yellowstone River got its name, but at a different location.  We'll check out the canyon and falls from a number of different locations.  You get so close to the Upper Falls that you almost feel like you can reach out and touch the thundering water.  Don't!

Most of our tours of the Lower Yellowstone Loop do not take in the Norris Geyser Basin.  Norris is generally done on our Upper Yellowstone Loop tour.   If, however, we have a group of people who will not have the opportunity to see it, and if there is still time after a fairly long day, we will try and squeeze it in. 

Although not as well known as the other geyser basins, Norris is the most thermally active part of Yellowstone.  It is divided into two separate areas:  Porcelain Basin and Back Basin.  You will have the opportunity to stroll around both, enjoying the pristine beauty.  Back Basin is home to Steamboat Geyser, the highest geyser in the world.

It is now time to go back to West Yellowstone.                                       HOME

Today we'll be doing the Upper Loop of Yellowstone.  This will be a full and fun day  The route we take will depend on possible road closures in the park, but it will be something like the following.

There is going to be a lot to see and do. We'll head out of West Yellowstone towards Madison Junction, where the Madison, Gibbon and Firehole Rivers meet.  Turning left (north) we'll make for Norris Geyser Basin.  Along the way we'll stop briefly at Gibbon Falls.

Although not as well known as the other geyser basins, Norris is the most thermally active part of Yellowstone.  It is divided into two separate areas:  Porcelain Basin and Back Basin.  You will have the opportunity to stroll around both, enjoying the pristine beauty.  Back Basin is home to Steamboat Geyser, the highest geyser in the world. 

Steamboat's eruptions are sporadic, with, at times, many years between eruptions.  When it does erupt, water can shoot up more than 300 feet (90 metres).  For hours following its rare, three to 40 minute, major eruptions, Steamboat thunders with powerful jets of steam.  Full eruptions are entirely unpredictable, and there are more common minor eruptions with water being ejected in frequent bursts of 10 to 40 feet.

The next stop is Mammoth Hot Springs, headquarters of the park, and home to a fascinating array of weird rock shapes, bright colors and sizzling hot springs. Elk are generally plentiful in this area, wandering around the old park buildings, and, if you're lucky, you might even see a whole herd.  

You can stroll down the ever changing terraces at Mammoth, admiring the travertine creations and hot springs.  Your guide will be waiting at the bottom with a sack lunch, picnic or barbeque.

Everyone wants to see a bear in the wild at Yellowstone, and the trip from Mammoth to Tower Falls is one of the best places to do so. The spring can be a great time to go looking for bears, as you have the opportunity of seeing mothers with their new born cubs.  Tower Falls is an impressive water fall.   Time permitting, we may also take a trip from Tower towards the northeast entrance of the park, through the Lamar Valley.  This is one of the locations in which wolves may be found.

Assuming that it is open, the road from Tower Falls to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone towers up into the sky as it crosses the Dunraven Pass at almost 9000 feet.   We then drop down to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.   Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is normally visited on our Lower Yellowstone Loop tour, and not this tour.  Depending on the number of people on this tour who have not seen it, and how late it is, we may take the opportunity of checking out the area.

The Yellowstone River has carved an impressive canyon through the rocks, over which two falls drop.  The Lower Falls is over twice the size of Niagara Falls!  It is in this area that you can catch a glimpse of the yellowish tinge to the rocks, from which the Yellowstone River got its name, but at a different location.  We'll check out the canyon and falls from a number of different locations.  You get so close to the Upper Falls that you almost feel like you can reach out and touch the thundering water.  Don't!

If there is time, other areas along the route that we may visit include Obsidian Cliff, Virginia Cascade and Undine Falls.

After a long, fun-filled day, it is time to return to West Yellowstone.             TOP

In and around Yellowstone

On most days you have a choice of of the following:
A full day fly fishing
Choosing two of the following activities, and doing one in the morning and the other in the afternoon:  horseback riding, river rafting and fly fishing.

Whatever you decide to do, our driver will take you to the activity location, and then pick you up again afterwards. 

Horseback riding generally takes place in the forests, fields and mountains just outside Yellowstone.  No experience is necessary, as experienced guides lead you through beautiful scenery, with the possibility of seeing wildlife an added bonus.

We go river rafting on the Gallatin or Yellowstone Rivers.  Just about everyone can go on these rafting trips, which combine rapids with flat water floating.  The rivers flow a lot faster in the spring than they do in the summer, with all the snow melt boosting the water level and volume.

The Yellowstone region is home to some of the best fly fishing anywhere in the world.  Native cutthroats, rainbow and brown trout are all to be found in the nearby waters.  Expert outfitters will provide you with all the equipment you need, including waders, and take you to where the fish are biting.  Once there, you'll be shown the intricacies of fly fishing!  The price of the fly fishing will vary depending on the number of people who want to go on that particular day.  Please contact us for additional information.

You may also like to add an extra day onto your tour, and see Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park.  Details can be found here.

West Yellowstone to Salt Lake City.

515 kilometres

5 1/4 hours to 5 3/4 hours

Return to Salt Lake City, and end the tour.  If you are taking one of our Grand Canyon and more tours, we will pick you up at your Salt Lake hotel the next morning.  Thanks for joining us!

If this tour is not to your liking, please consider one of our other Yellowstone tours.  Details can be seen here.