Spring/Fall Trekking Adventure
Highlights
- Wild meadow systems & waterfalls
- America's longest undammed river
- Classic point to point Yellowstone hike
- Rich spring wildlife habitat
- Wild and scenic Yellowstone River
- Spectacular night skies
Description
Our Yellowstone Spring/Fall Trekking Adventure is the earliest and latest backpacking trip we have in Yellowstone because of high mountain snow melt and chilly fall temperatures. What this means for you is that the tourist season isn't active and the wildlife will be far more active and visible than in the middle of summer. Starting our point to point hike at the junction of Helloroaring Creek and the Yellowstone River, you'll traverse the Black Canyon, which runs along the drier and warmer northern boundary of the park. Cascading waterfalls, world-class trout waters, majestic hiking and camping, and abundant wildlife are just some of the hallmarks of this tour!
Every camp has a view of the Yellowstone River's impressive waters, and in many cases we're camped right along its banks. If you're interested in an early season Yellowstone hike and a great adventure, this tour is for you. Don't miss the unique opportunity to hike Yellowstone before the crowds!
Solitude:
Bozeman, MT
3 or 4 days
20mi / 32km
Taxes & Fees
Travel to Bozeman
Private Trips
See Trip Dates
Trip Dates & Booking
You can also click here to request new dates or book through customer service.
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- Shuttle to Trailhead: 2-hour drive
- Hiking Mileage: 6.6 miles
- Elevation Loss: 600 feet
This Yellowstone backpacking trip starts with a 600' drop in elevation to a suspension bridge across the Yellowstone River. Following a 3-mile detour up the scenic Hellroaring Creek valley to access a bridge we’ll continue our hike to camp on the banks of the Yellowstone River and the mouth of the Black Canyon of the Yellowstone.
- Hiking Mileage: 8.7 miles
- Elevation Gain: 350 feet
- Elevation Loss: 600 feet
Our hiking trip proceeds downstream over a beautiful knoll about 400 feet above the Yellowstone River. Views down to the river are spectacular. From here we hike on to Crevice Lake and make camp near the lake on the shores of the Yellowstone River. This day's hike offers fantastic opportunities to see bison, elk, deer, wolves, coyotes, black bears, and grizzly bears. If the live animals elude us, the evidence of their ancestors won't - the Black Canyon of the Yellowstone is a prime wintering ground for Yellowstone's wildlife. As such, bison, elk and deer bones are strewn across many of the meadows and forests.
- Hiking Mileage: 6 miles (optional day hike)
- Elevation Loss/Gain: 500 feet
This is a layover day to enjoy our spectacular surroundings. You’ll have your choice of relaxing in camp, fishing, or hiking and exploring downstream to Knowles Falls (a broad waterfall on the Yellowstone River) and steeper parts of the Black Canyon. There are tremendous views of the Yellowstone as it thunders downstream, full of spring runoff.
- Hiking Mileage: 4.6 miles
- Elevation Gain: 1,000 feet
- Shuttle to Bozeman: 2-hour drive
From camp we’ll hike upstream along Blacktail Deer Creek to the trailhead. The creek ascends sharply, passing a nice set of cascades, before leveling off in a beautiful valley of huge meadows and isolated stands of trees. Now out of the canyon, views of the surrounding country abound. It is the perfect end to this wonderful spring Yellowstone backpacking trip.
Please Note: We always do everything in our power to follow the set itinerary, however it can change occasionally based on temporary access restrictions, weather, lodging/campground availability, guest ability/injury, natural events like fires and flooding, and other potential causes.
Trip Details
- Top-of-the-line tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, and technical backpack
- Use of trekking poles
- All meals are included from breakfast the first day through lunch on the last day
- A professional, knowledgeable, certified Yellowstone hiking guide
- Roundtrip transportation from your hotel in Bozeman, Montana to Yellowstone and back
- Entrance fees and national park permits
- Bear safety equipment including bear spray cannisters and food-hanging gear
- Emergency equipment including a company-issued first-aid kit and satellite phone
- You will receive a Lifetime Hiking Membership entitling you, your spouse and kids to a lifetime discount of 10% off any Wildland Trekking hiking trip after your first one!
- Clothes, raingear, and footwear (Oboz hiking shoes and boots recommended)
- Sunscreen, toiletries and personal items
- Water bottles and a headlamp or flashlight
- Guide gratuity (industry recommendation is 10-20% of trip cost)
All of our hiking and backpacking tours include a diversity of tasty meals packed full of critical carbohydrates, proteins and fats. We carry foods that travel well in the backcountry – rice, pastas, lentils, beans, couscous, packaged meats, nuts, breads, oatmeal, granola, and more.
For optimal taste and energy, we supplement all our meals with spices, herbs, oils, cheeses, butter, sugar, and fruits and vegetables (fresh and dried). In addition, we provide you with with an assortment of trail mix, snacks, and dried fruits to eat at your own discretion.
We regularly accommodate vegan, vegetarian, kosher and non-gluten diets and will make adjustments for food allergies. These and other special dietary requests may require an additional fee.
We provide all group gear which includes the following:
- Deuter or Osprey backpacks
- Sierra Designs, Kelty or Big Agnes tents
- Sierra Designs, Kelty, Big Agnes and Mountain Hardware sleeping bags
- Thermarest or Big Agnes sleeping pads
- Leki or Black Diamond trekking poles
- Cooking stoves and cookware
- Bear spray cannisters and food-hanging gear
- Company-issued first-aid kit
- Emergency communication device(s)
We ask that you supply a couple of gear items on your hiking tour. These items are two 1-liter water bottles per person and either a headlamp or flashlight per person. Basic items like sunscreen, bug repellent (where and when applicable), lip balm, and toiletries are also important. All of these items are available online at Wildland Trekking Outfitters.
Please refer to the trip packet for a recommended clothing list (we email you a detailed trip packet when you inquire and when you register). All trips require a sturdy pair of hiking shoes or hiking boots, rain gear, and non-cotton and cotton clothing layers. A minimum of three pairs of wool or synthetic hiking socks are also required. All of these items are available online at Wildland Trekking Outfitters.
NOTE: See the Packing Lists page for more detailed information on what clothes and gear to bring on your hiking tour. The trip packet you receive when you contact us will have the most accurate clothing and gear list for the tour you're interested in.
Trip Logistics
Ready to hike? In the Dates section of this trip page, the green dates are bookable online by simply clicking on the date, and blue dates must be booked through our customer service team for a variety of possible reasons. To email our customer service team, you can click here to get the ball rolling. Our adventure consultants will confirm availability, and if you're ready to register we'll email you a link to a registration profile. You'll have 72 hours to complete your profile (and that of any dependents) and pay the deposit ($500).
Feel free to call us for more info - we're here 7 days a week!
You'll meet your hiking guide and group in Bozeman, Montana for an orientation meeting at 5:00 PM the evening before the trip begins. Your guide will be in contact approximately 2 weeks before your trip and will specify the exact location of the orientation meeting at that point. The next morning we'll pick you up at your hotel for transport to the trailhead. For Private Yellowstone Tours, you also have the option to originate your trip in West Yellowstone.
Check out our Travel Resources page for information on flights, shuttles, lodging and more.
Your guide will inform you of the first day's pick-up time at the orientation meeting. Generally, you can expect it to be between 5 and 8 am, although the exact time will depend on current weather and road conditions. We will drop you off at your hotel on the final day no later than 7 PM.
Your safety is our top priority. Our hiking tours are led by professional hiking guides, all of whom are wilderness-certified first responders or EMT's, each with years of guiding and wilderness experience. We've developed comprehensive risk management protocols that our guides adhere to in case of an emergency, and most tours carry a satellite phone. If you have any further questions about safety, please contact us at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) for more information.
Your tour will be led by a trained, experienced professional with a solid guiding background, years of personal wilderness and hiking experience, medical certifications, and a passion for leading people into breathtaking landscapes. Check out our Meet Our Team page for staff bios.
Guides are required to take 8 hours off each 24-hour period to sleep, recuperate, take personal/down time...etc. In addition, as part of the 8 hours off they must sleep/rest or be in their tents/rooms uninterrupted for a minimum of 5 hours each night. We ask guests to respect these requirements and to not interrupt guides' off time and sleep time unless there is a true emergency.
The standard group size on backpacking trips is 6 guests and 1 guide, with a maximum of 10 guests and 2 guides. If you have more questions about group size, please give us a call at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) and we'll answer all your questions.
Age restrictions are as follows:
- 12 and older to join scheduled tours (mixed groups)
- 5 and older to join private tours, with final approval and specific logistical requirements (such as porter or stock assist) determined on a case by case basis
Being a Northern mountain environment, Yellowstone is prone to sudden temperature and weather shifts. This is an exciting aspect of being in Yellowstone. On the Spring/Fall Trekking Adventure in June, snow is a slight possibility, and the rest of the summer you're likely to get rained on at least once during your trip. To be fully prepared, please follow the recommended clothing list closely (this list comes as part of your trip packet when you register). See below for average summer temperatures in Yellowstone:
| Average Temperatures (Fahrenheit) | |||
Month |
High |
Low |
|
June |
70° |
42° |
|
July |
80° |
47° |
|
August |
78° |
45° |
|
September |
68° |
37° |
|
Camping on Backpacking Trips
Backcountry Sleeping
Tent Camping
Sleeping on backpacking trips is in premier 1-person, 2-person or 4-person backcountry tents. Solo travelers, and anyone else who requests it, are issued single tents. Top-of-the-line self-inflating sleeping pads and sleeping bags (professionally laundered after every trip) are also provided.
Backcountry Cuisine
Fresh & Delicious
Meals from breakfast Day 1 through lunch the last day are fully included and prepared by your guide. We never use dehydrated backpacking meals, instead serving freshly prepared, delicious backcountry cuisine made with a variety of common and specialty ingredients that travel well in the wilderness.
Amazing Campsites
In the Action
Of course campsites vary tremendously by destination, trip and even by the individual day of a trip. However, you can expect to camp in beautiful areas that put you right in the action to make the most of your backpacking adventure. We carefully design our itineraries with campsites in mind.
