Yellowstone and Western Trails
Two week walking tour in the American West
Walking through the dramatic scenery of Yellowstone National Park, exploring the many walking trails and geysers around Jackson and discovering the breathtaking beauty of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, this walking tour unveils some of the most stunning scenery North America has to offer.
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
Starting in Salt Lake City we head north to Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone has much to offer nature-lovers - including bubbling mud pools, hot springs and geysers that shoot plumes of water up to 55m into the air. Herds of elk, bison and deer are found grazing in lush green alpine meadows. We spend our time exploring the many walking trails and natural features of the park such as Mammoth Hot Springs and Norris Basin.
GRAND TETON & JACKSON
In Grand Teton National Park ten mountain summits tower above the valley floor, and at the foot of the mountains lie beautiful glacial lakes for which this area is famous. Our time here is spent walking some of the many trails along the shores of these lakes - keep an eye out for moose and elk. The peaks in the park rise a sheer 2000m above the plains and provide an ideal area for walking. Finally we head to Red Canyon in the Flaming Gorge area and hike around its rim.
ARCHES & CANYONLANDS
After discovering the fossils of Dinosaur National Monument we head for the Needles where we camp out wild in the desert in Canyonlands, then spend some days further exploring the spectacular scenery of Canyonlands and Arches National Parks from our base in Moab. We'll see Mesa Arch and there is the chance for some optional whitewater rafting on the Colorado river.
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Itinerary / Highlights
Trip HighlightsYellowstone NP - Thorough exploration of spectacular scenery and mud volcanoes.
Grand Teton NP - Soaring peaks and glacial lakes.
Dinosaur National Monument - Uncovering America's jurrassic past
Moab - Adventure centre with many optional activities on offer.
Arches NP - Picturesque rockscape.
Canyonlands NP - Rock Hoodoos and Canyons.
Salt Lake City - Mormon Capital of Utah.
Detailed Itinerary
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Day 1: Join tour in Salt Lake City
Overnight Standard Hotel (H+)
Day 2: Drive to Yellowstone National Park area
Leaving early we journey north towards the Rockies, aiming to reach the outskirts of Yellowstone National Park. We travel through Utah and Idaho passing through National Forests and Fort Hall Indian reservation. The scenery today is on a par with Yellowstone itself, and we plan to stop off at the magnificent Mesa falls, on the approach we witness the toothy skyline of the Teton Range, which thrusts up 7,000 feet from the plains – out to the north you can see Big Bend Ridge, the western flank of a volcano that erupted 1.3 million years ago. We reach West Yellowstone late in the day, our long drive enabling us to make the most of our time here. The elevation of this area is 7500 feet, so nights can be cold.
Overnight Standard Camping (C+) Included meals: Lunch, Dinner
Day 3 to 4: Exploring Yellowstone NP
We have almost 3 full days to thoroughly explore the wonderland of Yellowstone National Park by vehicle and on foot. Although scenery is the primary draw of this area, the park abounds with wildlife. Having been protected from hunters since the park’s inception, bear, moose and elk are frequently seen. Here we see geysers, hot springs and mud volcanoes and walk along beautiful trails. There are flowery alpine meadows to explore where wild animals roam. Buffalo Bill was the first to bring tourists here (often royalty he’d met on his travels) and these visitors, like us, marvelled at the spectacular scenery. The volcanic activity frightened the Indians who believed this to be the land of evil spirits, and so the wilderness remained unexplored until it was declared the first National Park in 1872. We plan 2 half day walks in the park. The itinerary is flexible depending on local conditions and the ability of the group but will incorporate areas such as the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone with its beautiful waterfalls, Mud Volcano, Beaver Ponds Trail and Mammoth Hot Springs.
Overnight Standard Camping (C+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5: Visit Old Faithful and drive to Grand Teton NP
Before leaving the park this afternoon we drive to the Upper Geyser Basin. Old Faithful – the most famous and reliable of the geysers is here, amidst this intensely geo-thermal area, home to the world’s largest concentrations of hot springs and geysers. We spend 4-5 hours in the area, walking from Firehole River to Geyser Hill , perhaps diverting to Morning Glory and Biscuit Basin. We travel on to Grand Teton N.P. via Colter Bay where we visit an Indian Arts museum (optional). We continue to our base, just outside the park, for the next 4 days. The Grand Teton area is blessed with some of the most dramatic mountain scenery anywhere in North America – 10 summits carved by glaciation tower almost 2 miles above the valley floor. At the foot of the mountains lies a necklace of sparkling lakes. These jagged pinnacles are the inspiring back-drop for our hikes in the park.
Overnight Standard Camping (C+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 6: In Grand Teton NP; Cascade Canyon
On our first day we drive to Jenny Lake. You may follow the shoreline on foot and follow this scenic walk up to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point (4 hrs return). Then we continue further to Cascade Canyon passing beneath Mount Aven (12980m) where moose and bear are often spotted. On the return it is possible to take the passenger ferry (optional) which plies across the blue waters of Jenny Lake, back to our transport waiting on the far side – high above hangs the Teton Glacier, a stunning finale to our walk.
Overnight Standard Camping (C+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7: In Grand Teton NP; optional rafting on Snake River
Our second day is free for relaxing in nearby Jackson, an ideal place to wind down after the last few days. The downtown area still has the boardwalks so typical of the first town in the west and has some good shopping. It is an excellent centre for outdoor activities: grade 3 rafting trips on the Snake River can be arranged or you could perhaps hire a bike for some independent sightseeing. Those set on grand views can take the aerial tram ride at Teton Village Ski Resort – or even take to the air in a hot-air balloon over the valley.
Overnight Standard Camping (C+) Included meals: Breakfast
Day 8: In Grand Teton NP; Hike at Amphitheatre Lake
The final day can be spent hiking up to Amphitheatre Lake – a tough trek (6 hours walk) which rewards the traveller with remarkable views of Jackson Hole and its Lakes – alternatively for those wishing something easier, it is possible to stroll around one of the many nearby glacial lakes.
Overnight Standard Camping (C+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9: Drive to Flaming Gorge area
We drive through the Gros Ventre range onto the Sublette Plateau, heading down through the rich red-hued rock of Flaming Gorge, appropriately named by Major John Wesley Powell whilst on his famous expedition in 1869. Once a hideout for Butch Cassidy, Flaming Gorge is now home to wildlife such as Osprey which are often spotted nesting on craggy rock pinnacles and clifftops and here we explore the Canyon Rim Trail on foot (1.5 hours walk). Tonight we stay near the town of Vernal.
Overnight Standard Camping (C+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 10: Drive to Needles via Dinosaur National Monument
We traverse the high desert landscape which switches to pine clad mountains as we enter the state of Utah. Here we explore the Dinosaur National Monument, renowned for the exceptional number of dinosaur bones discovered in one single sandstone cliff, including Brontosaurus. We journey across the 8,240m high Douglas Pass to Moab and on into the Needles area in the heart of Canyonlands National Park. Here we camp in the middle of the wilderness and may get the chance to enjoy a spectacular desert sunset.
Overnight Basic Camping (C) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 11: Driving to Canyonlands National Park
Waking early to take advantage of the brief respite from the desert heat, we aim to hike the Joint Trail through narrow canyons, strange rock formations and caves. There is a bit of a ‘scamble’ involved, (7 hours walk). Then we make our way back to Moab, our base for the next 3 days, set up camp and have a welcome shower!
Overnight Standard Camping (C+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 12: Free day in Moab
As well as being ideally located for walks in the nearby parks, Moab is one of the USA’s leading adventure centres where you can take advantage of the many activities on offer. The opportunities are boundless, for example taking an optional half day float trip on the Colorado River – a unique way to view the towering canyons and experience the silence and beauty of this remote area. We use inflatable kayaks and will travel over some small rapids, but no experience is necessary. There is also an opportunity to make an optional jeep excursion to visit areas which are inaccessible to other vehicles, perhaps seeing petroglyphs left behind by the Ancient Ones.
Overnight Standard Camping (C+) Included meals: Breakfast
Day 13: Hiking in Arches National Park
Today we visit the extraordinary Arches National Park, where more than 1,600 natural arches have been sculpted over the years by wind, sun, frost and rain, creating a strange rockscape in the desert. Soft Entrada Sandstone – a 91m layer of rock deposited as sand during the Jurassic Period – has been eroded into twisted spires, fins and arches which are particularly beautiful in the morning and afternoon when they take on a fiery glow in the low light. The famous Delicate Arch has become Utah’s symbol and seems to defy gravity as the large precariously-balanced boulders hover near the edge of a cliff. Back in Canyonlands National Park we explore the arid, canyon incised region set at an altitude of 6000 feet, known as the ‘Islands in the Sky’. The plateau is set 2000 feet high above the confluence of the Green River and the Colorado. We visit Mesa Arch and Grand View Overlook, walking some of the trails into the desert wilderness.
Overnight Standard Camping (C+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 14: Drive back to Salt Lake City
We return to Salt Lake City, Utah’s capital, with time to take a stroll around the centre. Founded by a group of believers of the Church of the Latter Day Saints (Mormons) in 1847, the city is now their international headquarters and some of the finest buildings are ecclesiastical. The setting, below the Wasatch mountains and beside the great salt lake, is superb and makes this a pleasant city to explore on foot.
Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast
Day 15: Tour ends in Salt Lake City
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