Autumn Wolf Watch ~NOV 16-21
*Cost is per person based on double occupancy. $400.00 additional for single room supplement. Plus tax when applicable.
Description
We offer autumn at its finest, and an exceptional opportunity to enjoy wildlife watching in Yellowstone Park. The hordes of visitors have vacated the park, leaving it to our expert staff, our guests, and the abundant wildlife adjusting from the hot, dusty days of summer to the frosty mornings of fall. Wolves settle into their winter territories hunting the mass migrations of elk and bison to lower elevation. A few grizzly bears search for a good meal before a long winter's rest.
Join Yellowstone Wolf Tracker for this unique fall program that is sure to impart lasting memories of amazingly pristine landscapes coated in frost, abundant wildlife of great variety, great food, and cozy accommodation all in one perfect package!
Our premium program includes naturalist guiding for a 6-day, 5-night program with lodging, transportation in-park and shuttle from/to Bozeman, Montana (BZN), park fees, exceptional meals (as noted), and high quality optics for each guest. Join us for an incredible experience with wolves and other wildlife in the wilds of Yellowstone!
Yellowstone Wolf Tracker (The Wild Side, LLC) is an authorized tour and transportation provider (CUA 13-133) in Yellowstone National Park.
Schedule
November 16, 2025Travel to Bozeman, Montana, served by major airlines (BZN), is on your own. Check in at the Best Western Plus GranTree Inn in Bozeman anytime after 3 PM (stay included in package). The GranTree Inn offers free shuttle service to/from the airport, and for visiting downtown shops and/or the famous Museum of the Rockies. Dinner is on your own.
November 17, 2025Have breakfast at the GranTree with a tour voucher then meet our staff at 11 AM in the lobby for transport to Yellowstone National Park. The route is through the scenic Paradise Valley rimmed with rugged mountain peaks. After the scenic drive, a lunch is planned in Gardiner.
After lunch, the group will visit the famous Roosevelt Arch explore the wildlife-rich grassland with pronghorn, elk, and mule deer.
The group stays at the Absaroka Lodge in central Gardiner the rest of the way. From your room, the views of the Yellowstone River and its rolling hills and snow-clad mountains astound! The Absaroka Lodge features wifi, cable tv, and balconies in each room overlooking the river. Our evening meal will be prepared and served by a local chef whose cuisine has received thoroughly rave reviews. Dinner this night is accompanied by an orientation on the history of wolf recovery in the park, and the evolution of wolf watching as a strong industry in the region.
November 18, 2025An early morning departure creates our best chances of viewing active wildlife. Wolves will be our priority, but many wildlife species are observed along the way. We will search the Yellowstone's northern range for wildlife from bison to bears, badgers to bald eagles. Search areas include the Blacktail Plateau, the Slough Creek valley, and the famous wildlife haven, Lamar Valley, for resident wolf packs. Our search will team with scientists, other guides, and the eclectic wolf-watching faithful in a mutual effort to find and observe the packs. Lunch is served in the field, to maximize our time out and flexibility to respond to opportunities that evolve throughout the day.
When conditions are favorable, we will visit the Mammoth Hot Springs, one thermal area that is representative of the vast and diverse geothermal features in Yellowstone. A walk through the terrace boardwalks allows an experience of the amazing travertine hot springs, some of Yellowstone's finest wonders. An evening presentation by a local expert accompanies a great dinner at our facility in Gardiner.
November 19, 2025Our schedule will be similar to the previous day, as the goal is to look for multiple wolf packs and make observations of a variety of behaviors and activities (hunting, playing, traveling, feeding, (sleeping!), etc.). Lunch will be in the field, followed by an optional short hike. An after-dinner evening session at the center in Gardiner will feature one of our special guest speakers. Past speakers have included wildlife biologists who have studied the area's wolves or other iconic wildlife, film-makers who have documented the wildlife of the park, or local artists whose work reflects the great love for Yellowstone.
November 20, 2025To maximize our opportunities for viewing wolves, bears, and many other wildlife species we will return to the Northern Range and Lamar Valley. Lamar is one of the best areas in the park for wolves, bears, and vast herds of bison and elk. The sheer abundance gives this area its well-earned nickname, 'The Serengeti of North America.' Lunch will be at the home and photography gallery of our good friends, Dan and Cindy Hartman, who live in Silver Gate, a small and charming mountain town outside the northeast entrance of the park. They are exceptional naturalists that share their many insights to wildlife in the area. After an afternoon return drive through the park, a final celebration with a catered dinner and another great presentation.
November 21, 2025After breakfast we will transport to the Bozeman airport (or a nearby destination) for mid-day airlines departures no earlier than NOON.
NOTE: Best-laid plans are always subject to change pending weather, wildlife sighting opportunities, and/or any unforeseen circumstances. Please bear with us and remain flexible to better enjoy this experience.
If you have any questions concerning our planned itinerary, please do not hesitate to contact us!
Terms and conditions
Cancellations: To book a package, multi-day group program, a per person deposit is required up front to reserve a space. The balance will be due prior to the beginning of the program, usually 30-60 days out, depending on the specific program. A full refund minus $45 processing fee will be given for all cancellations more than 45 days before the trip. For cancellations less than 45 days prior to departure, the deposit is non-refundable. We accept personal and/or cashier's checks made to THE WILD SIDE, LLC, and mailed to PO BOX 769, Gardiner MT 59030, or you may also sign up here at the Yellowstone Wolf Guides web pages.
Health and Safety: The trip requires good physical fitness and mobility, or the ability to walk up to 1 mile over uneven terrain. The trip is suitable for people of all ages, though children below the age of 14 must receive prior approval. If you have health questions, consult your doctor for more information. The tour leaders must be advised in advance of any special health needs. Weather conditions can change without notice and it is the responsibility of the traveler to have proper clothing and equipment. We will provide a list for the clothing and gear recommended for the trip.
Responsibilities and Conditions: We act only in the capacity of agent in all matters of transportation and tour operation. We are not responsible for delays, inconveniences, accidents, expense or mishap of any kind whatsoever resulting entirely, or in part, from the negligence of others or from causes beyond our control. We can accept no responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in air or other services, sickness, weather, strike, war, quarantine, or other causes. All such losses or expenses will have to be borne by the participant, as tour rates provide for arrangements only for the time stated. The right is reserved to substitute accommodations or modes of transportation and to make any changes in the itinerary where deemed necessary or caused by changes in transportation schedules. We take no responsibility for special arrangements or problems incurred by persons physically unable to participate in the planned activities. No refund can be made for absence from the tour unless arrangements are made at the time of the booking. The right is reserved to decline, to accept or to retain any person as a tour member for any reason which affects the operation of the tour or the rights and welfare or enjoyment of the other tour members. We will not discriminate against any individual because of race, sex, creed or nationality.
Cancelled Trips: We reserve the right to cancel any trip if conditions arise that are beyond our control and adversely affects the well-being of the trip members. In such a case, a full refund of the trip cost is given, but we are not responsible for additional expenses incurred by members in preparing for the trip including flights and other travel expenses.
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