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Montana

Active Yellowstone: Adventure in the Great Outdoors

Program No. 25252RJ

Hike, raft and ride through Yellowstone’s wilderness. Watch for wildlife and explore thermal basins on this active adventure in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

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Length

7 days

Rating

New

Activity Level

Starts at

4,799

Special Offer

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Protecting the Environment

We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more

7 days

6 nights

17 meals

6B 5L 6D

Check-in, Welcome Dinner, Orientation

Bozeman, Montana

Yellowstone Geology, Gallatin Canyon, Old Faithful

Gardiner, MT

Early Morning Wildlife, Side-by-Side Ride

Gardiner, MT

Rafting on the Yellowstone River

Gardiner, MT

Wildlife Watching, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Gardiner, MT

Horseback Riding, Hot Springs, Wrap-up

Bozeman, Montana

Program Concludes

Bozeman, Montana

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At a Glance

Experience Yellowstone’s wilder side on an active outdoor adventure! Hike through dramatic landscapes, raft the Yellowstone River and watch for wildlife in one of the one of the largest intact temperate ecosystems in the world. Saddle up for a horseback ride through scenic terrain and explore the park’s famous thermal basins. Expert naturalists bring the region’s geology, ecology and history to life in one of the best outdoor classrooms in the country. After an active week in the great outdoors, relax in soothing hot springs and soak in the beauty of your Yellowstone experience.

Activity Level

Outdoor: Spirited

Walking up to three miles on moderate terrain. Horseback riding one-two hours. Whitewater rafting 18 miles on Class II/III waters. Long distances travelled by large motorcoach. Elevations of 5,200-10,000 feet.

Micro Group

These adventures feature our smallest group size, with 12 participants or fewer.

Best of all, you’ll…

Hike through Yellowstone’s famous thermal basins, where geysers, hot springs and fumaroles create an otherworldly landscape.
Raft the Yellowstone River — the longest undammed river in the lower 48 states — for an exhilarating journey through breathtaking scenery.
Enjoy hiking off the beaten path while learning about the wildlife, geology and ecology of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Featured Expert

All trip experts

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.

Zack Baker View biography

Suggested Reading List (8 books)

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.

Search for a Title

Active Yellowstone: Adventure in the Great Outdoors

Program Number: 25252

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.

Interpreting the Landscape: Recent and Ongoing Geology of Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks

by John M. Good and Kenneth L. Pierce

Text, photography and graphics explain how both parks were formed - the product of volcanic eruptions, profound glaciation and earth movements. The authors describe 'how processes originating half way to the earth's center seem to be the primary force which created volcanic fires, glacial ice and the mountain ranges of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.'

Scorched Earth: How the Fires of Yellowstone Changed America

by Rocky Barker

The Yellowstone fires brought to the forefront longstanding conflict over whether federal land management should go with immediate fire suppression procedures or the ‘let it burn’ philosophy. The author, who experienced the Yellowstone fires of 1988 as an environmental reporter there, reviews US wildlands fire history by highlighting wildlands fire management. Discussion of this history and the history of federal lands management considers how these policies shaped the protection of public lands in the US today. Further explained are the details behind the creation of Yellowstone National Park and the role the US Army played in ‘protecting Yellowstone and shaping public lands in the West.’

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.

Windows into the Earth: The Geologic Story of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

by Robert B. Smith and Lee J. Siegel

Find out about the forces that shaped and continue to shape the Greater Yellowstone-Teton region. Illustrations and driving tours of both parks help visitors enjoy and understand the Earth's creative forces in this wondrous region.

Roadside Geology of Yellowstone Country

by William Fritz & Robert Thomas

Updated, classic roadside geology book for the Yellowstone Region explains current geological theories.

Wolf Land

by Carter Niemeyer (author) Jenny Niemeyer (Editor)

Carter Niemeyer has followed wolves – and captured many – since he helped reintroduce them in the Northern Rockies in the mid-1990s. In his second memoir, Wolf Land, he takes us across the rugged West as he tracks wolves, shares in their lives, and seeks middle ground for these iconic animals, both on the land and in our hearts. Carter Niemeyer is an Iowa native and a recognized expert on wolves, livestock depredation, and trapping. He is the retired Idaho wolf manager for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Niemeyer wrote his first memoir, Wolfer, in 2010.

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.

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Active Yellowstone: Adventure in the Great Outdoors

Enroll with Confidence

Protecting the Environment

At a Glance

Best of all, you’ll…

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