guided tours in yellowstone

Can you recommend a guided tour operator in Yellowstone...either full day or half day...some tour that you couldn%26#39;t get as much out of it on your own...like animal viewing, etc. Thanks, Joe

guided tours in yellowstone

People stop where animals are sighted. You won%26#39;t miss these cars. Pull over off to the side, inquire what they are seeing and where. Or, whenever you see people with spotting scopes; they will see even more. Your own car, if you have one, provides much more flexibility to stop and go as you choose. Sometimes it is hard to pull away from a scene, as the wildlife moves, e.g., bison cresting a hill, crossing the road, going to the next valley and river. Bring binoculars.

guided tours in yellowstone

You don%26#39;t really need a guide and the other advice will let you see a lot of wildlife. To answer your question, though, we went with Yellowstone Yearround Adventures out of Gardiner last year. I just wanted to do something different. We had a good time and learned more than we would have otherwise. Glad I used a guide once but probably wouldn%26#39;t again.

You will see a range of opinions on these forums about guided tours. If you like to research and plan ahead, look at maps and decide routes, and have adequate time, you may want to just do it all on your own. Especially, if you have already been to Yellowstone.

However, if you have not been to Yellowstone before, it is large and can be a little overwhelming. We are seeing more people who sign up for a tour, especially on one of the first days they are here. Other people simply do not want to drive themselves.

The tour driver does all the driving, tells you the best places to see wildlife, information %26amp; history on the Park, etc. It takes a lot of pressure off you to drive and entertain your family at the same time while trying to read a map and figure out where to go next. Then, while on the tour, see what places you want to go back and experience more. (Take the Park Service%26#39;s newspaper which has a general map and their Summer Programs with you.) Then, if you want to spend more time exploring an area make a note on your map and also see if there are any ranger programs at that time.

My favorite tours are those that are focused on wildlife and cover longer distances (like Hayden Valley or Lamar Valley) versus the geyser areas around Old Faithful. I think you can drive to the geysers areas, but I like taking a tour that takes you farther into areas of the Park they are not as well known or those areas where they know the animals and best photo shots are.

Authorized Yellowstone tour companies (like the one that you are talking about) use drivers that are also guides. These guides are usually local people who have a real interest and passion for Yellowstone Park. Many have spent years going into Yellowstone Park and know the best places to see wildlife, understand and teach you about the unique history and geology of this area.

We live right next to the park and always plan one-two trips a year specifically with a guide - one that knows the geology and history, has had their own unique experiences from daily trips into the Park, knows back country trails, or about the latest wolf updates. Without going on a guided trip, I could not have found the old foundations for the Canyon Hotel or the Old Fountain Hotel by ourselves; or learned where the only naturally seeded apple tree in Yellowstone grows.

There are several sources for more information about authorized guides - on the West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce site (www.destinationyellowstone.com), the Yellowstone Park site (www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/services.htm), or the company that also handles lodging in the park (www.travelyellowstone.com).

Thanks for the advice. This is our first trip to this area. We(2 senior couples in pretty good shape)are going from Sept 5-7...in Grant and then taking a trip to Cody and up to Red Lodge...then back to Lake Yellowstone(cabins)Sept 10-11. Then on to Grand Teton staying Sept 12-14 near Jackson. If you have any advice on WHAT NOT TO MISS, trails, easy to moderate hikes, etc. please advise. Thanks, Joe

Some of our favorite hikes are to Fairy Falls (off Fountain Flats Drive in Yellowstone); the back side of Jenny Lake (take the ferry over); behind the Yellowstone Picnic area (Lamar Valley).

yellowstonefan, I am planning a trip for six adults in early September and we will be in YNP for two nights staying at Canyon Lodge, do you have a particular company you like to use for guided tours? We too like to take a guided tour and then go back on our own to areas we especially liked. thanks

Yellowstone just recently started the Historic Yellow buses for tours. That may be a fun way to see the park. Maybe a tour one day, then drive yourself another day.

travelyellowstone.com/Old-Yellow-Bus-Tours-2…