Yellowstone Tours
Due to Yellowstone’s vastness, one of the best ways to cover a great
deal of territory is with the help of a tour guide—whether
it is a park ranger, a guide from one of the area outfitters,
or an audio tape designed for a specific route.
You can choose to follow the many hiking or horseback riding trails, go snowmobiling, bicycling, or take a self-guided tour by vehicle. There is no “bad” time to tour the park. During the spring and summer the park is resplendent in wildflowers and the greenery of the awakening trees, in the fall you will be enchanted by the bold reds and golds of the changing leaves and during the winter months the park becomes a wonderland of snow and ice.
Yellowstone Tour by Vehicle
Before beginning a Yellowstone vehicle tour, stop by one of the par’s gift shops to pick up one of the 90 minute cassettes which will tell you about the park’s history, geology, points of interest, the plants and wildlife. If you don’t have a cassette player, you can choose a CD unit that plugs into the cigarette lighter and will broadcast a signal to its radio. The unit’s screen displays menu options of chapter and topics to guide you through the Park.
Scenic Yellowstone Drives
For viewing the geysers, travel on the Firehole Lake Drive
about 8 miles north of Old Faithful Village. The road passes
the Great Fountain Geyser ,which sends out water as high
as 200 feet. During the winter, watch out for bison along
the route
The South Entrance Road offers an incredible view of the
Lewis River Falls and passes by the black lava walls of Lewis
River Canyon.
Along the Upper Terrace Loop Drive near Mammoth Hot Springs
you will see 500 year old pines and find a wide variety
of mosses growing through white travertine.
Yellowstone Bicycle Tours
 In
spite of heavy traffic, large vehicles and the difficult
shoulder-less roads, bicycling has become a popular way
to see Yellowstone. It is recommended that you always wear
a helmet and reflective clothing. Bikers are not allowed
on most hiking trails or in the backcountry.
Fountain Freight Road Trail - The Fountain Flats Drive leaves the Grand Loop Road and follows the Firehole River to a trail 1 ½ miles away. Continue on along the old roadbed to the Sentinel Meadows Trail and the Fairy Falls Trail. Total trail length is 5 ½ miles.
Old Faithful to Morning Glory Pool -Beginning at Hamilton Store at Old Faithful Village, this 2 mile paved trail loop near the Old Faithful Geyser ends at Morning Glory Pool. The route passes through a geyser basin—do not leave the trail. Be alert, as you may see elk and buffalo.
Yellowstone Snowmobiling Tours
Yellowstone National Park has over 2,000 miles of trails that can be explored by snowmobile; however, it is required that you have a guide.
As you traverse the snow covered trails (both groomed and ungroomed), you can
see steamy waterfalls and rivers passing through frozen
vistas, watch its geysers and even see a coyote or wolf
as you whisk past on snowmobile. The stories you tell of
your wintertime Yellowstone visit will be unlike anything
experienced by visitors to the park at any other time of
year. For more information about snowmobile maps, requirements,
and recommendations visit www.wyotrails.state.wy.us/snow
Area Snowmobile Guides/Outfitters:
Turpin Meadow Ranch-800-743-9496
Buffalo Bills-800-393-2639
Wind River, Dubois, Wy-888-518-0502
Pahaska Tepee-800-628-7791
Photo Credits: Snowmobile photos by G Geter;
Touring Car by TF Duesing; Yellowstone Marmot by Direct
Dish
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