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Montana

Yellowstone: A Great Outdoor Adventure With Your Family

Program No. 20977RJ
Explore the wonders of Yellowstone National Park with your family as you horseback ride, hike, raft the Yellowstone River and learn about geysers, hot springs and fumaroles!
Program
At a Glance
Duration
6 days
Program Begins
Gardiner, MT
Program Concludes
Gardiner, MT
Group Type
Small Group
Meals
14 ( 5B, 4L, 5D )
Activity Level
Tie up your hiking boots, hop on horseback and climb into a whitewater raft to explore America’s first national park on foot, horse and water. With your family by your side, take part in hands-on explorations of Yellowstone National Park in streamside habitats and forested mountains. Find out how the plants, animals, bugs, fish, water and weather patterns all work together to create this fascinating ecosystem. Plus, visit Old Faithful — the world’s most famous geyser — to investigate hissing fumaroles, steaming geysers, sulfurous mudpots and bubbling hot springs.
Best of all, you'll...
  • Experience the exciting Class II and Class III rapids of the Yellowstone River on a rafting excursion, and enjoy a picnic lunch along the river.
  • Make trailside discoveries in the high country as you ride horses together, and end the ride with a cowboy cookout.
  • Set up camp along the river as you take in a Montana sunset and sleep under a star-filled night sky.
General Notes
This is a Family program for participants, their adult children and grandchildren ages 9 and up. For a comparable intergenerational adventure for just grandparents and grandchildren, check out "Yellowstone’s Great Outdoors With Your Grandchild" (#17306). NOTE FOR UPCOMING SEASON (2025 DEPARTURES): We are aware of some disruptions within the Park Service and believe our programs in Yellowstone National Park can operate normally with minimal impact. Although the full effects of layoffs and hiring freezes for seasonal workers is unknown at this time, we have minimized our dependence on Park Service for lectures, clean-up and other services. We utilize lodging operated by both the park concessionaire and private hotels outside of the park. Neither are operated by the Park Service and shouldn’t be impacted by layoffs or hiring freezes. Our restaurants are also operated by residents of the gateway communities or employees of the park concessionaire. In accordance with the Leave No Trace Seven Principles, our groups pack out what they pack in and do not rely on Park Service for cleaning up after our visit. Finally, we don’t foresee Visitor Centers or sites in Yellowstone National Park to be closed due to staffing issues. We will of course be monitoring the situation through our partners within the gateway communities, National Park Service and the CUA office.
Profile Image
Rob Harwood
Rob Harwood spent three seasons working for one of Yellowstone’s main concessionaires before relocating to Gardiner permanently as a full-time guide. Rob is also a landscape and wildlife photographer with over a decade of experience behind the camera. In addition to guiding, Rob enjoys climbing in the Tetons, backpacking throughout the GYE and beyond, and trying amazing new foods from around the globe. Rob is a Certified Interpretive Guide and Certified Wilderness First Responder. He studied outdoor recreation leadership and management at Northern Michigan University.
Please Note:
This expert may not be available for every date of the program
Profile Image of Zack Baker
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.
Activity Level
Outdoor: Spirited
Walking up to three miles on moderate terrain. Horseback riding one hour. Whitewater rafting seven miles on Class II/III waters. Long distances travelled by large motorcoach. Elevations of 5,200-7,700 feet.
Small Group (13 to 24)
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Family Program
Share your love of learning with your family. These programs are designed for any combination of generations: grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents and children.
Suggested Reading List
View Full List (13 Books)
You can also find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
HAVE QUESTIONS?
Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone?
We can help. Give us a call, and we can answer all of your questions!
Call 800-454-5768
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Peace of Mind

We want your Road Scholar learning adventure to be something to look forward to—not worry about. That’s why we go to the ends of the earth to give you peace of mind, from the moment you enroll until the day you return home.

Assurance Plan

Road Scholar's continued commitment to our participants and their well-being is exemplified whether participating on a program in the United States or on one of our International programs, every Road Scholar participant receives coverage under our Road Scholar Assurance Plan.

Want to Protect Your Investment?

Road Scholar is pleased to offer its Trip Protection Plan as a way to protect your program investment. You may purchase this optional trip protection plan when enrolling in your program.

Sustainable Travel

We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Read about our commitment to a more sustainable planet.