Day 1: Jackson, Wyoming and Grand Teton National Park
Arrive in Bozeman, Montana. EAC guides will meet you at the airport and load the vans for the trip to the Tetons (about a four-hour drive). You will be awestruck by your first look at the magnificent Teton Mountain Range! Several stops will be made on the way to Jackson to look for moose, bald eagles and beaver. You will stay in the historic town of Jackson, WY. Jackson is a lively cowboy town with raised wooden sidewalks and abundant shops and art galleries. You will have the option of shopping or just relaxing in the town square. Enjoy dinner at one of Jackson’s best restaurants and later watch a spectacular sunset behind the backdrop of the Grand Tetons. Welcome to the West and what an ending to a perfect day!
Overnight: Ranch Inn, Jackson, Wyoming (D) Day 2: Grand Teton National Park & National Elk Refuge
After a hearty breakfast, you will visit the National Elk Refuge north of Jackson and enjoy a presentation from a USFWS representative about the refuge. The refuge contains nearly 25,000 acres of prime grassland and supports a winter herd of between 7,500 and 12,000 elk. On the nearby ponds, you’ll view a variety of waterfowl, and possibly the endangered and exquisite trumpeter swan. Later, traveling north into Yellowstone and along the Lewis River, you’ll witness one of the premier examples of fire ecology and burn mosaics in the region. You will enjoy the beauty of Lewis Lake and the cool mist of Lewis Falls during one of many stops. Then, continue in the afternoon to the Old Faithful region and the Upper Geyser Basin. Stay at the Old Faithful Inn, a turn-of-the-century inn that bears testimony to the determination and ingenuity to the workers who built it, staking claim as the tallest log structure in America. Relax on the rooftop porch of the Inn and watch Old Faithful “faithfully” erupt, or take a hike to the Firehole River, Biscuit and Black Sand Basins. After a delicious dinner in the dining room, you’ll again witness the magnificent geyser’s eruption framed by a Yellowstone sunset. An evening program on the orientation to the geyser basins is planned.
Overnight: Old Faithful Inn or similar. (B,L,D) Day 3: Old Faithful & Yellowstone National Park
After breakfast, an interpretive hike will taken around Old Faithful and the upper geyser basin (easy two-mile boardwalk), home to the largest concentration of geysers in the world! From Old Faithful, you will travel along the lower and midway geyser basins to the junction of the Gibbon, Firehole and Madison Rivers, in the shadow of National Park Mountain. Here, there will be time for a picnic in the same location where the early explorers met to discuss preserving Yellowstone as place for all people to enjoy. This is truly a historic location!
Overnight: Old Faithful Inn or similar (B,L,D) Day 4: Grizzly Bears, Yellowstone Lake & Hayden Valley
After breakfast, depart from Old Faithful to Yellowstone Lake - the largest alpine lake in the U.S. There will be an easy hike to the lake’s shore, guaranteed to be an excellent birding opportunity. Traveling over Sylvan Pass and through the heart of the massive Absaroka mountain range, you will get a feeling for this true wilderness area. Highlights of the day include: roving for grizzly bears, viewing the most remote region in the lower 48, dinner in the Lake Hotel dining room and relaxing in a spectacular setting!
Overnight: Lake Hotel Cabins (B,L,D) Day 5: Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone & Mammoth Hot Springs
Today you will depart the Lake region through Hayden valley to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. The various colors of the canyon’s edge glow in the morning sunlight. Take the opportunity to view the powerful lower and upper falls of the canyon and a hike along the canyon’s rim will be offered. You will visit the Canyon visitor center where a wonderful bison display is exhibited. After a bountiful picnic lunch and a birding stop at Swan Lake Flats, you will make your way to Mammoth Hot Springs. The colorful travertine terraces of Mammoth are a must-see where one can witness Yellowstone’s ever-changing nature, visit the Visitor’s Center and the site of Fort Yellowstone or just relax and enjoy the surroundings. Mammoth Hot Springs was the original headquarters of Yellowstone and continues that duty today. After dinner, you will enjoy an evening presentation on the reintroduction of the gray wolves to the Yellowstone Ecosystem, by renowned wildlife tracker and carnivore ecologist, Dr. Jim Halfpenny.
Overnight: Mammoth Hot Springs Cabins (B,L,D) Day 6: Lamar Valley and Wolves
For the early risers, you will leave before sunrise and drive to Lamar Valley in search of the gray wolf. Wolves, grizzly and black bears, bison, elk, fox, river otters, antelope, coyotes and numerous birds of prey may be seen this day. The Lamar Valley is home to the Druid Peak pack and its divided members. The day will be spent enjoying this exquisite area and, with a bit of luck, observing wolf activity. You will enjoy a picnic in the field or lunch in Cooke City, MT. Dr. Jim Halfpenny, will join the group to offer his expertise on wildlife behavior and predator/prey interactions.
Overnight: Mammoth Hot Springs Cabins (B,L,D) Day 7: Travel the Lewis and Clark Trail to Glacier National Park
Today you’ll travel (about an eight-hour drive) to the Bitterroot Mountains and the Flathead Valley. The journey will take you past many historic points of interest including, the Lewis and Clark Trail, the Missouri River Headwaters and the Rocky Mountain Front. You will view the Swan Valley National Wildlife Refuge in the beautiful Swan Valley near Flathead Lake. Then travel to the east side of Glacier National Park to your accommodations for the evening.
Overnight: Many Glacier, Glacier National Park (B,L,D) Day 8: Lakes, Glaciers and Wildlife
This morning, you will board a naturalist-led boat and travel across the glacial-fed waters of Lake Sherburn to the trailhead of Grinnell Lake. This easy hike, along a meandering stream, will take you through prime wildlife habitat filled with animal sign and lush vegetation. Enjoy a picnic lunch on the shores of the sparkling blue waters of Grinnell Lake as you search the surrounding mountains for grizzly and black bears, mountain goats and bighorn sheep. In the evening, you will travel to Sunset Point for priceless views of this classic U-shaped landscape.
Overnight: Many Glacier, Glacier National Park (B,L,D) Day 9: Mountain Goats and the “Going to the Sun Road”
At Many Glacier, the group will board the historic “Red Buses” to travel through Glacier National Park on “The Going to the Sun Road”, a highway described by Charles Kuralt as being “...the most beautiful highway in North America.” Undeniably one of the most scenic travel routes in the U.S., you will look for sheer-footed mountain goats, grizzly bears and other wildlife along the way. Bring plenty of film, for the scenery here is some of the most breathtaking of the trip! This day’s travel will end at the spectacular Lake McDonald Lodge on the shores of Lake McDonald.
Overnight: Village Inn, Glacier National Park (B,L,D) Day 10: Lake McDonald & Fairmont Hot Springs
After a late breakfast, take some time for final shopping and photo opportunities on the shores of Lake McDonald before heading to Opportunity, MT (about a five-hour drive). Your travels will take you through the beautiful Swan Valley, around the shoreline of sparkling Flathead Lake and will follow part of the historic Lewis and Clark Trail. After arriving at Fairmont, you may enjoy a soak in the natural thermal-fed waters, a round of golf or just relax. Farewell social and dinner. Overnight: Fairmont Hot Springs, Opportunity, MT (B,L,D). Day 11: Opportunity to Bozeman, Montana
After breakfast, head for Bozeman and the airport, about a 1.5-hour drive. (B) |
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