Our next adventure awaits us at Yellowstone National Park. America’s first national park hardly needs an introduction, but for those unfamiliar with this nearly 2.2-million-acre protected space mostly contained within the state of Wyoming, Yellowstone is known for its position above a volcanic hotspot, creating fascinating geological features from hot springs to gushing geysers. Once we arrive at our designated campground and set up our tents, we’ll enjoy the afternoon in the park and visit one of its most famous geysers, Old Faithful. This geyser has been consistently erupting, with surprisingly predictable timing, for perhaps thousands of years! Your tour guide will fill you in on the park’s history and how these truly awesome formations were created, from processes that have been occurring for tens of millions of years! Back at basecamp, we’ll get you wilderness prepared with some tips on wildlife safety and outdoor orientation. Your guide will also share with you how to build a shelter – one of the most important skills and priorities of wilderness survival – and how to make a fire without the help of a lighter! While here, we’ll act as responsible campers and help out our national parks by honoring their Leave No Trace principles.

Meals included - Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
Drive time - 5 hours 

Your next morning starts with a truly one-of-a-kind experience, where you’ll join our local wolf tracker expert to see and learn about wolves in their natural environment. While these elusive gray wolves number only around 100 within the park boundaries, they are an important part of its ecosystem as a keystone species and apex predator. We’ll let our tracker guide us to the likely locations of the pack, maybe spotting some tell-tale tracks along the way. After we observe the wolves from afar – after all, we don’t want to get too close! – we’ll head back to the campground for some breakfast. Once we’re fueled up and ready to go, we’ll head to a nearby ranch, where we’ll get to participate in an activity that most park visitors don’t include in their itinerary. While a litter clean-up might not sound so glamorous to some, this is a chance for us to help preserve this vitally important place that will continue to educate and inspire others to be more conscious of our environmental resources. Don’t worry, you’ll get quite the reward for your efforts: a trip to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, a deep canyon with impressive plunging waterfalls, and a hike through a hot spring basin!

Meals included - Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

Drive time - 3 hours

We’ll rise early for a chance to see some wildlife on the drive south to Yellowstone Lake and Hayden Valley. The former is the largest high-elevation lake in North America and is home to several important aquatic species. Here, you’ll hear about the long history of both human and natural impacts on the lake. Nearby, the sub-alpine, lower-lying area of Yellowstone known as Hayden Valley is a great place to potentially spot American bison, one of the most important animals to many American Indian nations. Though once nearly hunted to extinction, the herds have since rebounded, and you’ll hear about the important work being done by the park and certain tribes in managing populations. As we drive south, you’ll want to snap some photos of the looming Grand Teton range, our destination for the following day. Once we’re established in our campsite and have had dinner, we’ll go for an early evening drive to spot one of the park’s most majestic mammals: moose! Your tour guide will share some insight into the tallest mammal in North America and their importance to such tribes as the Shoshone and Nez Perce, who for many years came to this area to hunt. Then it’s time for shut-eye to rest up for some serious hiking on Day 5!

Meals included - Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

Drive time - 3 hours

 Authorized Permittee of Grand Teton National Park 

While it makes up for only about 14% of Yellowstone’s total acreage, Grand Teton National Park far exceeds the number of high-altitude peaks, with eight peaks over 12,000 feet! High up in the crevices and between crags of the Tetons, you’ll find rushing streams and ancient glaciers. Billions of years of major geological events, from glacial activity to earthquakes, have shaped the jagged peaks of this impressive mountain range. Only in relatively recent times have humans made their impact known in this remote region. We’ll be testing our own human stamina with a challenging hike up the Paintbrush Divide. This lengthy loop presents some seriously steep segments but with constantly rewarding views. We’ll enjoy the pristine alpine lakes along the way and keep an eye out for native wildflowers like lupine and, of course, the trail’s namesake and Wyoming’s state flower, the bright red Indian Paintbrush. While this is a fairly strenuous trail with significant elevation gains and slopes albeit with breathtaking views, everyone should feel comfortable with their own pace, so shorter and less-strenuous options are available. Whichever trail we take, you’ll be rewarded with an unforgettable backcountry experience and will be ready for dinner and lights out back at basecamp!

Meals included - Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
Drive time - 1 hour

 Authorized Permittee of Grand Teton National Park 

If you think you’ve seen all the beauty that Wyoming has to offer, think again! On day six of our journey, we’ll be going to the southernmost region of the state to Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, part of the southern Rocky Mountains and known for its impressive mountain peaks, fascinating geological features, and shimmering alpine lakes. On our approach, you’ll see vast open grasslands give way to the imposing quartzite-gneiss rock faces that characterize this uplifted region. We’ll keep a lookout on the drive for the area’s flora and fauna, with a chance to hopefully spot a bounding pronghorn, the fastest land animal in North America and easily recognized by the male’s unique backwards-pointing horns. Here, we’ll be enjoying dispersed camping, truly “roughing it”! And to get acclimated to the higher elevations we’ll be experiencing from here out, we’ll start with a four-hour trek along the Medicine Bow Peak and Lakes Trail Loop, a hike that will offer sweeping views and gorgeous nature all around. Our ascent up the trail’s switchbacks and over its rocky terrain will be well rewarded with both a summit to the highest peak in the Snowy Range and the descent back to camp for a sound night’s sleep!

Meals included - Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

Drive time - 5 hours

 The following day, you’ll be able to cross off another state on your list, as we’ll now be entering Colorado, the Centennial State or otherwise referred to as “Colorful Colorado” – and for good reason, too. This square state is most known for the Rocky Mountain range that extends through its western half and is full of adventure. Arguably the most famous of Colorado’s four national parks is Rocky Mountain National Park, which will be our destination today. Located near Estes Park, the gateway to the Rockies, our next hiking challenges within the national park will include three peaks! Mount Chapin, Mount Chiquita, and Ypsilon Mountain are all peaks included in the Mummy Range of Rocky Mountain National Park. The latter two peaks clock in at over 13,000 feet, so we’ll be gaining some serious elevation on our ascents! Once we summit all three peaks, you’ll be glad you did, with a unique vantage point from each. On the way there and back again, you’ll become familiar with some of Colorado’s notable flora from its many conifers to the instantly recognizable aspen trees. Then it’s back to basecamp to wind down and prepare for quite a different adventure on Day 8!

Meals included - Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

Drive time - 3 hours

We’ll start out our eighth day following Colorado’s front range all the way down to the city of Colorado Springs. This is home of one of the state’s most striking and unusual parks, with its stunning, gravity-defying formations that collectively make up the Garden of the Gods. Here and at the nearby Red Rock Canyon Open Space, you’ll be getting an introduction to rock climbing in a beginner class located among the “gods”. From your instructor or tour guide, you’ll get to know how this public park came to be, from its geological upheaval millions of years ago to the the Ute’s connection to both these formations and the nearby Manitou springs to the more modern-day designation as a protected landmark free to all. Among the most breathtaking formations here are the Three Graces, Cathedral Spires, and the precariously perched Balanced Rock. At certain times of the year and during the day, mule deer, bighorn sheep, black bears, and mountain lions have been known to pass through the park. While this fun 8-hour experience especially shows you the "ropes" of rock climbing in addition to the park itself, alternative tours are available for those looking for a less adrenaline-pumping experience!

Meals included - Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

Drive time - 2 hours
 

On our final day, we’ll rise and shine early to enjoy a breakfast and so we can take some time to reflect on all the incredible things we saw and experienced throughout our trip. We’ll then pack up camp – of course, leaving no trace behind – and wave farewell to the Rocky Mountains as we drive to Denver, Colorado. As we descend, you’ll be able to relax and watch as tree-covered mountains and valleys start to fade and flatten out to the High Plains which stretch out endlessly in the distance. Once in town, you can opt for a hotel stay or head to Denver International Airport for your flight home. For those sticking around town, Denver has plenty of things to do, from historical attractions, art, and museums to its excellent beer and food scene – Rocky Mountain oysters, anyone? Your tour guide, of course, will have plenty of recommendations if you choose to spend more time exploring the Mile High City. And, of course, you might want to start thinking about your next multi-day, multi-destination tour – hopefully with us! Either way, you’ll have well over a week’s worth of incredible memories and a sense of well-earned achievement after conquering Colorado’s mountains and Wyoming’s wilderness!

Meals included - Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

Drive time - 1 hour