Tour Sample Itinerary:

 

Day 1: Airport Pickup & Yellowstone Horizons B&B

A Yellowstone Horizons staff member greets you at Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport. We’ll gather your bags and head to the B&B. Because we are off the beaten path about 8 miles from town, we’ll gladly stop at the supermarket for your favorite foods, snacks and beverages. Use our fully appointed cottage kitchen to prepare your own meals, or have us recommend a great local eatery. If time allows due to an early arrival, we can explore beautiful downtown Bozeman, the world class Museum of the Rockies, or historic downtown Livingston. 

 

Day 2: Yellowstone National Park and The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Wake up and join us for fresh coffee and a great breakfast.*  We’ll go over the days’ itinerary and review maps and safety precautions before hitting the road! We’ll head south from Livingston, the original entrance to Yellowstone Park, through the beautiful Paradise Valley following the Yellowstone river. Arriving at the north entrance, we’ll stop at the historic Roosevelt Arch, the first entrance and the front door to Yellowstone, and arrive at Mammoth Hot Springs. Morning is the best time to view the geologic wonder of Mammoth. The sun hits Mammoths colorful, bubbling, steaming Pallete Spring, Canary Spring and the Liberty Cap for perfect, bright photographs. From Mammoth we’ll drive through the towering “Golden Gate”, a narrow passage that is the gateway to the interior of the park. We’ll head south through Swan Lake Flats, a high plateau where the towering peaks of the Gallatin Mountain Range are visible to the west. We’ll stop to see the Obsidian Cliff, a mountain made up of the black volcanic glass, as well as Roaring Mountain, a mysterious bald mountain named for its hissing, steaming, fumaroles. From the Norris/Canyon junction we’ll head towards the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, the focal point of the days tour. You can also choose the Tower Junction area and Dunraven Pass road to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. This winding road climbs from the Tower /Roosevelt junction towards Mt. Washburn, standing at 10,243 feet above sea level. Here, we may catch a rare glimpse of Bighorn Sheep. From these high alpine meadows the views are spectacular! On a clear day you can see the Grand Teton Mountains 75 miles to the south. The wildflowers that bloom in these high alpine meadows in summer are magnificent. Early July is usually the best time to see them.  Descending from the high peaks atop the Dunraven Pass near Mt. Washburn, we’ll drop down into the Canyon area. At the Canyon, we’ll stop for a great picnic lunch* before seeing some of the most breathtaking scenery in all North America. Stops in the Canyon will include both the Upper and Lower Falls, the lookout points along both the North and South Rims, Inspiration Point, Artist Point and the Canyon Village. We’ll make our way from the Canyon area towards West Yellowstone via the Norris Geyser Basin and Madison Junction. Along the Gibbon River we will stop to see incredible Gibbon Falls, a cascading giant, Beryl Springs, and sweeping views of the valley. Grizzly bears frequent the hills surrounding the Monument Geyser Basin. At Madison Junction, the Gibbon and Firehole rivers merge to form the beautiful Madison river. Mount Haynes and National Park Mountain tower above the Madison River where we can stop in turnouts to spot Elk and Bison who frequent the area. Look for Bald Eagles and Osprey perched in the trees above the river. Check into your hotel in West Yellowstone. Class of lodging will be discussed when booking. 

*ask us about vegetarian, vegan, gluten free meals or dietary restrictions. We’ll do our best to accommodate you. 

 

Day 3: Yellowstone National Park and Old Faithful and The Geyser Basins

After breakfast at your hotel in West Yellowstone, our guide will greet you and we’ll start on our tour of Yellowstone’s Geyser Basins and thermal features. From the Upper Geyser Basin, home to iconic Old Faithful Geyser and the geyser hill, you can experience many of Yellowstone’s stunning hot springs and geysers. Old Faithful erupts approx. every 90 minutes, so we’ll plan our sightseeing hikes around that event. Options include a hike to Castle Geyser, Grotto Geyser, Riverside Geyser and Morning Glory Pool. A short drive from Old Faithful, we’ll next head to the Biscuit and Black Sand Basins, home to some of the most beautiful hot springs and bubbling geysers in Yellowstone, the deep blue Sapphire Pool among them. Next is the Middle Geyser Basin, home to Grand Prismatic Spring, the colossal brightly colored hot spring is Yellowstone’s biggest. We can get an up close look along the boardwalk, or hike to see it from above (A new trail and designated overlook were opened to the public in 2018.) Grand Prismatic Spring is truly one of the world’s most magnificent wonders. The Lower Geyser Basin is where we’ll see all of Yellowstone’s representative thermal features in one place, geysers, hot springs, mud pots and fumaroles. The Fountain Paint Pots, Clepsydra Geyser, Silex Spring and The Red Spouter. On our way towards West Yellowstone, we will drive through the incredible Firehole Canyon with its high rocky cliffs and massive waterfall. From here we head towards the west entrance along the Madison river to West Yellowstone looking for Elk and Bison along the way. 

 

Day 4: Yellowstone National Park and Lamar Valley Wildlife Tour

On our way back to Livingston and the B&B, we’ll have most of the day to experience Yellowstone’s Northern Range and Lamar Valley, often called Serengeti of North America, The Lamar valley is home to vast herds of Bison, Grizzly Bear, Wolves, Pronghorn and Elk. We can spend the day spotting and photographing these magnificent wild creatures. After a long day of driving, arrive and relax at the B&B 

 

Day 5: Drop off at Bozeman Yellowstone Airport