Photo Safari in Yellowstone National Park
Tour Map
Daily Itinerary
May 18: Bozeman to Yellowstone National Park
Meet your guides in Bozeman this morning and head to Yellowstone National Park. We travel south through the Gallatin Canyon, stopping along the way at the marvelous geyser basins of Old Faithful. Today’s wildlife highlights may include bald eagles, osprey, bison, mule deer, white-tailed deer, and great blue herons. After dinner we enjoy some evening wildlife watching in Hayden Valley. Lake Hotel (D)
MAY 19: Yellowstone National Park
We explore the Hayden Valley in the early morning light to look for elk, bison, moose, grizzly bears, black bears, and harlequin ducks along the Yellowstone River. After a picnic lunch drive past steaming fumaroles and bubbling mudpots en route to the breathtaking Grand Canyon of the
Yellowstone, with its spectacular waterfalls. The colorful canyon walls are iridescent in the afternoon light. Lake Hotel (B,L,D)
MAY 20: Yellowstone National Park
After a quick breakfast, we’re off to the Lamar Valley, our most likely place to spot wolves. Bison, elk, coyotes, fox, river otters, sandhill cranes, bears, big horn sheep, and osprey call this quiet corner of Yellowstone home, earning it the title of the American Serengeti. We get some down time this afternoon at our motel in the small mountain town of Cooke City. After an early dinner, return to the Lamar Valley. Wildlife is quite active and most visible at dawn and dusk. Alpine Motel (B,L,D)
MAY 21: Yellowstone National Park
It is back to the Lamar this morning, to see what we might see. Short hikes take us to prime viewing spots. Learn about the complex network of species and how they interact from our experienced naturalists. Midday we head back to Cooke for lunch and an afternoon session with wildlife photographer Dan Hartman, a distinguished Yellowstone photographer. Alpine Motel (B,L,D)
MAY 22: Yellowstone National Park to Chico Hot Springs
We squeeze one last wildlife-viewing morning from the Lamar, then it’s on to Mammoth for a walk around the mineral terraces. Scan for fleet-footed pronghorn antelope as we leave Yellowstone. By mid-afternoon, we get to Chico Hot Springs Resort, where we have a chance to relax in the hot pools, have a hike, or get a massage before a fabulous farewell dinner. Chico Hot Springs Resort (B,L,D)
MAY 23: Chico Hot Springs to Bozeman
Enjoy a wonderful farewell breakfast with your traveling companions and head back to Bozeman to catch flights home, or ask about a customized trip to Grand Teton National Park for a scenic raft float, hiking, and the majestic Tetons. (B)
Special Tour Notes
Plan to fly to Bozeman the day prior to be ready for the morning departure.
The itinerary for the days in the park may vary based on weather conditions and wildlife behavior.
Participants are advised to bring their own photography equipment, including digital camera, tripod, and laptop.
Yellowstone weather in May is unpredictable and you should be prepared for comfortable warm weather as well as potential late season snowstorms.
This tour will travel in elevations ranging from 5,000 to 8,000 feet.
