Itinerary
Winter Wildlife of Grand Teton and Yellowstone Multi Day.
6 Day Expedition into the Winter Wonderland of Yellowstone
Day 1: Grand Teton National Park, the National Elk Refuge and National Museum of Wildlife Art
We begin our Winter Adventure with a sunrise wildlife tour at 7am in our heated safari style vehicles. We’ll catch first light on the Tetons as we explore the southern part of the National Park in search of concentrated moose herds, mule deer, eagles, and wolves. We’ll seek out bighorn sheep atop rugged cliffs on the National Elk Refuge, and look for trumpeter swans and other waterfowl in the waters of Flat Creek. After a scenic lunch overlooking the Refuge and a tour of the National Museum of Wildlife Art we’ll board a horse drawn sleigh for an up close look at the wintering elk elk herd which numbers in the thousands!
Lodging - Anvil Hotel or Similar
Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner tonight at your leisure in Jackson, WY.Day 2: Sunrise in Grand Teton, Snowcoach into Yellowstone and the Old Faithful Area
Today begins with sunrise in Grand Teton National Park, as we head north to Yellowstone’s South Entrance. We enter the snow covered roads of the world’s first National Park in a snowcoach, traveling up the Lewis River Canyon and past Yellowstone Lake on our way to the Old Faithful Snowlodge. Enjoy the afternoon exploring the Upper Geyser Basin on foot, cross country skis, or snowshoes. Tonight: warm up with a hot apple cider next to the fire at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge.
Lodging - Old Faithful Snowlodge
Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerDay 3 Snowcoach Tour of the Madison River, and Geyser Basins
Our private Snowcoach tour takes us to wildlife rich habitat along the Madison River, where we may encounter elk, bison on the road, waterfowl, coyotes, or even an elusive bobcat! Wolves are sometimes found in the interior of Yellowstone and we will be monitoring recent sightings to maximize our chances of viewing these apex carnivores who were successfully reintroduced to Yellowstone in 1995. After a field lunch at a warming hut we’ll continue our exploration of the Parks Snowy interior including visits to steamy geyser basins and an optional snowshoe adventure to Grand Prismatic Spring, the largest thermal feature in the park! Tonight: enjoy free ice skating or a starry night time eruption (weather dependent) of Old Faithful, just a few minutes walk from the lodge.
Lodging - Old Faithful Snowlodge
Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerDay 4 Private SnowCoach Tour of Canyon Area to Mammoth
After a warm breakfast we board a snowcoach headed north to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. We’ll look for river otters in the Yellowstone River before encountering the dramatic Upper (108 feet) and Lower (306 feet) Falls and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Weather depending we may embark into the snow covered Hayden Valley, searching for winter wildlife before turning towards the Mammoth Hotsprings area of Yellowstone and our lodging at the historic Mammoth Hotel. These dynamic thermal features, comprised of calcium carbonate deposits known as Travertine, form at the rate of several inches a year.
Lodging - Mammoth Hotel or Similar
Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner at your leisure at the Mammoth Dining Room.Day 5 Winter Wildlife of Yellowstone’s Northern Range and a Private Yellowstone Wolf Presentation.
We rise early for a full day of wildlife watching in Yellowstone’s Northern Range! Winter is one of the best times of year to look for wolves in Yellowstone, which will be the focus of part of today’s tour. We’ll also enjoy views of Yellowstone’s diverse wildlife, including the largest remaining wild herd of American Bison, our National Mammal. After lunch in Cooke City, we return to the Park, stopping to glass for moose along Soda Butte Creek and bighorn sheep and mountain goats high atop peaks in the Absaroka Mountains. Wolf Activity peaks at dawn and dusk so we will head back out to the park for an evening safari before heading back to Mammoth. Our tour today also includes a midday or evening presentation by a Yellowstone Wolf Biologist.
Lodging - Mammoth Hotel or Similar
Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerDay 6 Yellowstone’s Northern Range, Wildlife of the Paradise Valley and Bozeman, MT
Our final day starts early as we continue our search for Yellowstone’s winter wildlife. As an Apex predator, wolves provide a bounty for scavengers like golden and bald eagles, ravens, magpies coyotes, foxes, and even small mustelids such as ermine and martin. The cascades of Undine and Wraith Falls await us after our morning safari. In the afternoon we’ll return to Bozeman via the Paradise Valley, stopping to observe eagles, herds of pronghorn, bighorn sheep, elk and other wildlife. Enjoy a farewell dinner with your guide, including a presentation by our conservation partners the Greater Yellowstone Coalition.
Lodging - Element Hotel or Similar
Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
