Yellowstone and Grand Teton Conservation

After you arrive at the Salt Lake City airport, your guide will get you to your shuttle van which will take you onward to Yellowstone. The 5-hour drive is a great opportunity to begin learning about the conservation efforts in the parks, as well as taking in some of the breathtaking beauty of the region. Once you get situated in your lodgings, you’ll meet up for dinner to go over the upcoming days’ adventures.

You’ll want to start your day with the big tourist draw, Old Faithful. This incredible geyser erupts every 90 minutes, but make sure you get a good spot a bit early to get a good view. While you wait, your guide will tell you about the massive 1988 fire that devastated a third of Yellowstone, the effects of which can still be seen in some of the rougher, more barren areas.

After catching the geyser show, make sure you head into the Old Faithful Inn for the tour. Not only is the hotel itself gorgeous. The history of this incredible place and the people who first transformed it into a park, thus making it accessible for generations of visitors to come while still protecting its wild status is well worth hearing.

After lunch, you’ll head up the road to the Grand Prismatic Spring, the park’s most colorful geyser. A 1.2-mile round trip hike will take you through some of the most scenic areas you’ve ever seen, culminating at the Grand Prismatic Overlook, which gives you an amazing overhead view of the springs.

Today you’ll head up to Mammoth Hot Springs, but on the way, you’ll stop off at the Park Ranger Museum. This informative tour explains the history and goals of the park services and helps to create a frame of reference for current conservation efforts.

Soon you’ll reach the awe-inspiring hot springs, which were created over the course of thousands of years as hot water flowed up and cooled, leaving calcium carbonate deposits behind. You could spend days exploring the hiking trails and boardwalks in the area, but your guide will show you some of the best ones while explaining the details of the geothermic wonder of the springs.

After lunch, it’s time to head to Yellowstone’s very own Grand Canyon. The scenic drive will allow a great opportunity to view elk, bison, wolves, and even bears if you’re lucky. Your guide will explain how Yellowstone has been instrumental in preserving many at-risk species over the years, and how these animals been able to flourish here. Once you arrive at the canyon, you’ll be gifted with some amazing views from a number of lookout points dotted up and down the canyon, and if you’re lucky you’ll manage to catch a rainbow in the cascading waters of the Yellowstone River!

Today you’ll head down the scenic Grand Loop Road back to Yellowstone Lake. The drive there is impressive enough, with many wildlife viewing opportunities, including moose, elk and bison, but once you reach the northern tip of the lake, you’ll be blown away by the natural beauty of the area. You’ll make your way along the western side of the lake stopping off for plenty of photo opportunities along the way.

After a scenic picnic lunch, you’ll continue south until you reach the West Thumb Geyser Basin, a small but gorgeously colorful geyser right alongside the lake, offering spectacular views. There are trails adjacent, and recently herds of elk have been known to graze nearby.

Finally, you’ll end the day heading southward to the Grand Teton National Park where you’ll have dinner and get rested up for new adventures in the morning.

First, you’ll start at the Grand Teton Visitors Center, which is not only informative and helpful with orienting yourself to the area, but also has an amazing view of its own. Afterward, stretch your legs with a hike from the Death Canyon trailhead, where your reward will be the awe-inspiring view of Phelps Lake hundreds of feet below.

After you’ve had your fill of the views from above, a switchback trail takes you down to the lake below, where you can enjoy a picnic lunch and just hang out and bask in the idyllic atmosphere.

Next up, you’ll head to Jenny Lake a short drive away, where you’ll be awestruck with the views of the lake with Grand Teton Mountain just behind it. Enjoy some leisurely strolls on the boardwalk surrounding the lake before dinner.

Hope you’re rested up because it’s hiking time! First, you’ll get a lovely boat ride across Jenny Lake offering yet more stunning views of the looming mountain alongside it and the surrounding country. Once you reach the other side, your guide will steer you toward one of several trailheads appropriate for your group’s fitness level and how ambitious you’re feeling. You’ll be able to choose from among trails to Hidden Falls, Cascade Canyon, or even a 14-mile loop to Lake Solitude if you’re up for it! Suffice to say, whichever trail your guide and your group choose, the hike will provide incredible views.

After your long day, you’ll end up at Signal Mountain as evening sets, where you can enjoy dinner while watching the sun set and reminiscing with your mates over the incredible beauty you’ve enjoyed these past few days!

Time to head back to civilization, but hopefully with a better understanding of the power of the wild nature in the heart the U.S., but also its fragility and what people can do to make a positive impact.