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Montana

Yellowstone Safari: Journey Through a Dramatic Landscape

Program No. 1646RJ
Join a naturalist in Yellowstone for a grand adventure that’ll see you safari through the park to discover the natural activity of indigenous wildlife and the rhythms of the seasons.

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Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone? 800-454-5768
Select your type of room
Price will update based on selection
Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
May 13 - May 18, 2024
Starting at
3,249
Jun 3 - Jun 8, 2024
Starting at
3,249
Sep 2 - Sep 7, 2024
Starting at
3,249
Sep 16 - Sep 21, 2024
Starting at
3,249
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Filling Fast!
May 13 - May 18, 2024
Starting at
4,279
Filling Fast!
Jun 3 - Jun 8, 2024
Starting at
4,279
Filling Fast!
Sep 2 - Sep 7, 2024
Starting at
4,279
Filling Fast!
Sep 16 - Sep 21, 2024
Starting at
4,279

At a Glance

Take an unforgettable journey into Yellowstone National Park’s dramatic and changing landscape. Explore the seasonal changes and the dramatic composition that unfolds on the stage of Yellowstone’s magnificent scenery. Discover how the seasonal activity of indigenous wildlife plays together with the natural history and the unique geothermal features in this ongoing symphony. An experienced naturalist will lead the safari, which will investigate the specific natural activity of the season and how it plays into the overall rhythm of what defines the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to two miles; varied terrain. Getting on and off coach. Elevations up to 9,000 feet.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Safari through Yellowstone and watch the unfolding drama of the season that showcases the park’s grand and wild nature.
  • Enjoy four field days in the park to learn about natural history and observe native wildlife.
  • Experience Yellowstone's spectacular Northern Range as an expert naturalist provides lessons on the wildlife.
Featured Expert
All Experts
Profile Image
Zack Baker
Zack Baker attended high school in Livingston, Montana, 52 miles north of Yellowstone. His love for the park started while snowshoeing and observing wildlife. At Montana State University in Bozeman, he earned a B.S. in plant science, but it was Yellowstone’s mammals that grabbed his interest. He led private wildlife watching, hiking, and photography trips, and drove snowcoaches in the winter. He joined up with Road Scholar in 2017 and is now the Program Director for Road Scholar at the University of Montana Western.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Zack Baker
Zack Baker View biography
Zack Baker attended high school in Livingston, Montana, 52 miles north of Yellowstone. His love for the park started while snowshoeing and observing wildlife. At Montana State University in Bozeman, he earned a B.S. in plant science, but it was Yellowstone’s mammals that grabbed his interest. He led private wildlife watching, hiking, and photography trips, and drove snowcoaches in the winter. He joined up with Road Scholar in 2017 and is now the Program Director for Road Scholar at the University of Montana Western.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Living Colors: Microbes of Yellowstone National Park
by MSU Biology Institute
A full-color book published by Yellowstone Forever, Montana State University Biology Institute, and Montana Institute Ecosystems that identifies different types of microbes and where to find them in the park. 52 pages-soft cover. 8" x 8"
Searching for Yellowstone: Ecology and Wonder in the Last Wilderness
by Paul Schullery
Eloquent, elegant, truthful and practical - an environmental history of America's best idea, Yellowstone.
The Art of Yellowstone Science - Mammoth Hot Springs as a Window on the Universe
by Bruce W. Fouke and Tom Murphy
THIS PRODUCT IS DIGITAL ONLY http://www.tmurphywild.com/product/the-art-of-yellowstone-science-mammoth-hot-springs-as-a-window-on-the-universe/
After the Fires: The Ecology of Change in Yellowstone National Park
by Linda Wallace, Editor
The ravaging fires of 1988 caused many scientists to predict long-term devastation which did not come to pass. This scientific summary by wildlife biologists, ecosystem and forest scientists and landscape ecologists discusses the many things that changed and did not change in the Yellowstone area. Realize the role of fire in the ecosystem and the resiliency of nature.
Knowing Yellowstone -Science in America's First National Park
by Jerry Johnson
Presently in Yellowstone there are almost 200 active research permits that involve over 500 investigators, but only a small fraction of this scientific work is reported in the popular press. Furthermore, the results are mixed and frequently confusing to the general public. The intent of this book is to explain both the general issues associated with the region and how science is done to understand those issues, from wolf and grizzly bear research to thermal activity. It further describes how science informs policy in the Greater Yellowstone Region, how scientists from an array of disciplines do their work, and finally, how the nature of that work enables or limits future plans for managing the park and surrounding lands.
Roadside Geology of Yellowstone Country
by William Fritz & Robert Thomas
Updated, classic roadside geology book for the Yellowstone Region explains current geological theories.
Decade of the Wolf, revised and updated edition: Returning the Wild to Yellowstone
by Douglas W. Smith and Gary Ferguson
Research and storytelling meld to document wolf recovery in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Wolf biologist, Smith, and nature writer, Ferguson, provide an inside look at the Yellowstone Wolf Recovery Project ten years after the controversial decision was made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services to reintroduce wolves into the park. Smith, wolf project leader who has worked with the Yellowstone Wolf Project since its inception, has studied wolves for 25 years. Ferguson, whose writing largely arises from intimate experiences, followed through the seasons, the first 14 wolves released into Yellowstone National Park. Their collaboration offers hard facts and 'impressionistic portraits of individual wolves that reveal their epic lives full of struggle and conquest.' Here is the history of the return of the top predator to Yellowstone.
Restoring a Presence: American Indians and Yellowstone National Park
by Peter Nabokov and Lawrence Loendorf
This first comprehensive account of Indians in and around Yellowstone corrects more than a century of ignorance. Detailed here is Yellowstone's native peoples and their story of a long engagement with a remarkable landscape.
Letters from Yellowstone
by Diane Smith
Through correspondence - detailed letters and telegrams - follow an 1898 scientific expedition whose purpose is to collect flora unique to Yellowstone National Park. Learn of the park's early history, trials of pioneer scientists and the engrossing and often funny story of Cornell medical student and amateur botanist, Alexandria Bartram, who emerges as a brave leader and serious scientist. Delightful fiction.
To Save the Wild Bison: Life on the Edge in Yellowstone
by Mary Ann Franke
The author brings clarity and revelation to one of Yellowstone's most complex struggles by tracing the history of bison and humans into the 19th century and further into the national parks era. Here's discussion of bison management and park policy - the battle over brucellosis, snowmobiles and groomed winter roads, desires of Native Americans, bison and predators.
The Sibley Guide to Birds
by David Allen Sibley
Sibley, a talented painter, offers this wonderful, data-packed color guide with range maps and detailed descriptions of songs and calls. This book is perfect for field trips with short walks and may be too heavy for some to take to the field in which case it can await back in the car.





Important registration tip:
If you want to attend the live lecture, please do not wait until the last minute to enroll.
If you enroll after a lecture is complete, we’ll send you a recording of the event.