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(USA) 406 646 1118 x 12 • Email •
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Tour scheduled to run on blue dates.
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Salt Lake City To Yellowstone And Grand Teton Five Day Tour
Itinerary
Day 1 - Salt Lake City to West Yellowstone - Between 5.25 hours and 6.75 hours
Map | You will take a shuttle through northern Utah, into Idaho, and eventually Montana, before arriving in West Yellowstone. There are stops at several towns along the way. The vehicle is generally a mini bus.
Please note that today is an unescorted part of the tour. What this means is that although you obviously have a bus driver with you at all times, there is no tour guide providing a running commentary the way there is when you are in Yellowstone. |
| | When you reach West Yellowstone, you will be taken to Yellowstone Motel, where you will be staying. After checking in you can explore the town, take a walk through the forest into Yellowstone, go to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center (a must see) or check out a movie at the IMAX. |
Day 2
| | A sack lunch is provided today, which your guide will give you. |
Day 2 - Yellowstone lower loop tour - About 8 hours
Map | The roads running through Yellowstone make up a massive figure of eight. The lower loop of the figure of eight comprises most of the thermal features that are to be seen in Yellowstone, including, of course, Old Faithful!
From West Yellowstone we'll follow the Madison River to Madison Junction. At Madison Junction we will turn right, or south, and travel along the Firehole River which runs through Yellowstone's thermal areas. The Firehole is famous amongst anglers for its pristine beauty and selection of brown, brook and rainbow trout. Depending on the time of the year, this area is often teeming with wildlife. With any luck you will see bison, elk, Trumpeter Swans and other animals and birds. A special treat in the spring is the baby bison calves. |
Map | The first main thermal area we will be visiting is the Lower Geyser Basin, and Fountain Paint Pots. There is a boardwalk system running around and through the Fountain Paint Pots area, and it is a great place to go for a stroll, if the bison haven't got there first! Apart from the paint pots, there is also a selection of other thermal features in the area, including a number of geysers, one or other of which almost always seems to be erupting. |
| | The next stop is the Midway Geyser Basin, home to Grand Prismatic Spring - one of the largest anywhere in the world - as well as Excelsior Geyser, now dormant, but discharging thousands of gallons of water every minute. |
Map | It is a short drive to the Upper Geyser Basin, home of Old Faithful, the world's best known and most reliable gusher. There is also so much more to the area than just Old Faithful. Old Faithful Inn, a wonderful old building - recently renovated - is located there - and a system of boardwalks will take you around the various other geysers in the area. Old Faithful erupting! |
Map | The road from Old Faithful passes over the Continental Divide twice, on its way to West Thumb, a geyser basin right on the shores of the incredibly blue Yellowstone Lake. |
Map | Yellowstone Lake is off to the east as we make the trip up to Fishing Bridge. From there we head through the Hayden Valley, following the Yellowstone River, up to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. On the way we will pass Mud Volcano.
The Hayden Valley is known for its wildlife, particularly large herds of bison at certain times of the year. It is also an excellent location to look for grizzly bears, especially in the spring and early summer when they may be preying on newborn bison and elk cubs. |
| | The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is an unexpected treat amongst the thermal wonders. The Yellowstone River has carved an impressive canyon through the rocks, over which two falls drop. The Lower Falls is over twice the size of Niagara Falls! It is in this area that you can catch a glimpse of the yellowish tinge to the rocks, from which the Yellowstone River got its name, but at a different location. We'll check out the canyon and falls from a number of different locations. You get so close to the Upper Falls that you almost feel like you can reach out and touch the thundering water. Don't! |
| | It is now time to go back to West Yellowstone. |
| | You are on your own for dinner and will spend the night in the same place. |
Day 3
| | A sack lunch is provided today, which your guide will give you. |
Day 3 - Yellowstone upper loop tour - About 8 hours
Map | The route that the tour takes will depend on possible road closures in the park, as well as the time of year, but it will be something like the following. |
Map | There is going to be a lot to see and do. We'll head out of West Yellowstone towards Madison Junction, where the Firehole and Gibbon Rivers meet to form the Madison River. Turning left (north) we'll make for Norris Geyser Basin. Along the way we'll stop briefly at Gibbon Falls.
Although not as well known as the other geyser basins, Norris is the most thermally active part of Yellowstone. It is divided into two separate areas: Porcelain Basin and Back Basin. |
Map | The next stop is Mammoth Hot Springs, headquarters of the park, and home to a fascinating array of weird rock shapes, bright colors and sizzling hot springs. Elk are generally plentiful in this area, wandering around the old park buildings, and, if you're lucky, you might even see a whole herd.
You can stroll through the ever changing terraces at Mammoth, admiring the travertine creations and hot springs. |
Map | Leaving Mammoth we will travel towards Tower Roosevelt, which is where the road to the park's north east entrance, through the Lamar Valley, is. There is almost always wildlife to be seen in this area, even bears! |
| | At Tower Junction we will branch off the main upper loop road, and head through the Lamar Valley, towards the north east entrance to Yellowstone. This is a particularly beautiful part of the park, and where the keen wolf watchers are generally to be found. |
| | Everyone wants to see a bear in the wild at Yellowstone, and the trip from Tower Junction to Tower Falls is one of the best places to do so. The spring can be a great time to go looking for bears, as you have the opportunity of seeing mothers with their new born cubs. Tower Falls is an impressive water fall. |
Map | Assuming that it is open, the road from Tower Falls to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone towers up into the sky as it crosses the Dunraven Pass at almost 9000 feet. We then drop down to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is normally visited on our Lower Yellowstone Loop tour, and not this tour. Depending on the number of people on this tour who have not seen it, and how late it is, we may take the opportunity of checking out the area. The Yellowstone River has carved an impressive canyon through the rocks, over which two falls drop. The Lower Falls is over twice the size of Niagara Falls! It is in this area that you can catch a glimpse of the yellowish tinge to the rocks, from which the Yellowstone River got its name, but at a different location. We'll check out the canyon and falls from a number of different locations. You get so close to the Upper Falls that you almost feel like you can reach out and touch the thundering water. Don't!
If there is time, other areas along the route that we may visit include Obsidian Cliff, Virginia Cascade and Undine Falls.
After a long, fun-filled day, it is time to return to West Yellowstone. |
| | You are once again at liberty to make your own dinner plans. The night is also spent at the same place. |
Day 4 - Grand Teton Jackson - About 10 hours
Map | After picking you up at your hotel, we will drive through the southern part of Yellowstone on the way to Grand Teton National Park. We'll go past the Lower, Midway and Upper Geyser Basins, and cross over the Continental Divide. At West Thumb we'll head south, towards Yellowstone's south entrance. |
| | The road between Yellowstone and Grand Teton is called the Rockefeller Parkway. It is only six miles and leads directly into the north entrance of Grand Teton. The main features of the park are the Grand Teton mountains, and a number of beautiful lakes.
You will see historic Colter Bay, Signal Mountain, Jenny Lake, Jackson Lake, Mount Moran, and much more. We also try and visit Mormon Row and Schwabacher Landing, but this is subject to time and wildlife sightings on the way. Over the years we've discovered the best places to find moose, and we will do our best to locate one or more for you.
You will take a leisurely drive through Grand Teton National Park, before arriving in Jackson. |
| | Jackson is a quaint, touristy western town, and there will be a brief stop there. |
| | From Jackson we'll travel up to the top of the towering Teton Pass, before dropping down the other side into Idaho. We'll wind our way through really scenic Idaho farm country and tiny towns, before arriving in Ashton, the seed potato capital of the world.
There we'll pick up the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway, which travels along Henry's Fork of the Snake River. You can stand nearby and enjoy the cool mist rising from Upper Mesa Falls, the last undisturbed waterfall in the Columbia River System and perhaps one of the last in the USA.
Much of the byway lies within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. As you approach the northern end of the byway, you'll enter Osborne Meadows, a haven for moose, deer and elk. This large meadow attracts the kinds of animals that make Yellowstone famous without pulling in the same kinds of crowds.
From Mesa Falls it is a scenic drive back to West Yellowstone, through Island Park, which calls itself the longest Main Street in America. Please be aware that there are occasions when we return to West Yellowstone through Grand Teton and Yellowstone instead. |
| | You are on your own for dinner and will spend the night in the same place. |
Day 5 - West Yellowstone to Salt Lake City - 321 mi / 516.49 km - About 6 2/3 hours
Map | The ride back to Salt Lake City is on a shuttle which makes several stops along the way. You will drive through Montana, before crossing into Idaho, and then eventually on to Utah. Please note that today is an unescorted part of the tour. What this means is that although you obviously have a bus driver with you at all times, there is no tour guide providing a running commentary the way there was when you were in Yellowstone. |
| | We regret that no cancellations or changes will be accepted, and no refunds will be given. |
 Tour ID | 1119 |
Please note the following...- This tour is subject to a 3.00% per person fuel surcharge.
- Payment And Cancellation Details: CANCELLATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FOR THIS TOUR. Changes will also not be accepted, and refunds will not be given. Please consider purchasing trip insurance as our cancellation policy is strictly enforced. The payment schedule is as follows: Half of the total will be charged anytime from when you make the booking. The other half will be charged 30 or fewer days from the tour date, at our discretion. Should you cancel, or purport to cancel, or give us any indication that you may cancel, or attempt to make changes, the entire amount will become due immediately, and your credit card will be charged immediately for the total, or for the balance due, if the total has not already been charged.
- The credit/debit card used must be in your name and must be present, so we can take an imprint. Please contact us if this is not possible. Please ensure you have the card you used with you. If the card is not in your name please let us know ahead of time, as our credit card authorization process will need to be completed.
- A purported or attempted cancellation will result in the entire amount being due, and being charged to your card immediately.
- The name on your credit card statement will be USA Park Tours.
- The days and dates this tour runs can be seen in the calendar at the top right of this page.
- The entry fee to Yellowstone and Grand Teton is included.
- Four nights' accommodation are included at a Yellowstone Motel called Yellowstone Motel. If lodging there is sold out, you will stay at a moderate category West Yellowstone motel.
- Prices are based on double occupancy. Single, triple and quad occupancy rates are also available and will be seen at checkout. There is no tax.
- Three sack lunches are the only meals included.
- After ordering this tour please wait to receive a confirmation email from us before making any plans that are dependent on this tour.
- This tour may have a four person minimum, which means a total of four people, and not four in your group.
- Portions of this tour may, at our discretion, be subcontracted to other reputable vendors.
- The shuttle departs Salt Lake at 10 a.m. It returns from West Yellowstone at 9 a.m. getting into Salt Lake at about 3.40 p.m. All times are approximate. We are not responsible for the consequences of any delays, and this itinerary may change without notice.
- The upper loop tour may be an afternoon tour.
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This tour can be ordered online here. Please call us at (USA) 406 646 1118 x 12, or mail us for additional information.
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