Hiking and Camping in Yellowstone – 5 days

After a pick up at your accommodation in Jackson, we’ll we’ll drive to the Elephant Back Mountain for our first hike of the trip, taking in flecks of black obsidian beneath our feet on our way to a lookout spot which offers an awe-inspiring bird’s eye view. Take in the glittering waters of Yellowstone Lake on a hike to Storm Point, a relatively flat loop that leads to a stunning vista of the largest lake above 7,000 feet in North America. The hike begins at Indian Pond, a favourite locale for bison, and continues through a lodge pole pine forest to a bluff overlooking the picturesque shore of this hydrothermal fed lake. Before completing our loop, we will walk past enormous boulders, which are home to a colony of yellow-bellied marmots. If we are lucky, we may see them basking in the sun.

Start your day with one of the most beautiful hikes in the park, a walk to the summit of Mt. Washburn at over 10,000 feet. The trail to the summit travels through picturesque subalpine parkland where wildflowers cover the grass and bighorn sheep are sometimes seen grazing in nearby meadows. Enjoy spectacular views of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – a giant rift in a landscape of forested hills – and Yellowstone Lake, the Teton Range, and Electric Peak. From here, we’ll drive to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone for a short stroll out to Artist Point for phenomenal waterfall views.

Today we’ll kick off our hiking day with a visit to one of the Park’s most iconic features – Mammoth Hot Springs – where we will view steaming travertine terraces streaked with colourful microorganisms. From here, we will leave the crowds behind and head out on the Beaver Ponds Trail where we will hike through a forest that is home to a variety of wildlife including bears before we reach small ponds where it’s possible to spot waterfowl. Take in the scenic view from grassy hilltop as you keep an eye out for pronghorn, deer, and elk.

Begin your day in the Upper Geyser Basin where you’ll be able to take in some of the park’s most famous features, including Old Faithful. Next we’ll travel a few miles down the road for a hike out to Lone Star Geyser. This is a beautiful hike along the aptly named Firehole River to the largest backcountry geyser in the park: Lone Star Geyser. Lone Star is found in a clearing surrounded by dense forest and erupts from a shed-sized cream-coloured mound. The geyser erupts around every three hours and a log book is kept nearby so we’ll know when the next eruption is set to occur.

Our final day’s hike takes us through classic Yellowstone meadows and lodgepole pine forests to Fairy Falls, a 200-foot waterfall plunging off a pine-studded cliff. After we soak up the sights and sounds of Fairy Falls, we will end our tour with a stop at the Grand Prismatic overlook. The Grand Prismatic is the largest hot spring in the United States and one of the most iconic features in the park. It is a great way to close out our Yellowstone adventure. Our hiking adventure concludes with a relaxing shuttle ride back to Jackson where your trip will come to an end at approximately 7 pm.