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Wolves and Ranches
An amazing opportunity to see wolves in their natural habitat. Yellowstone, busy in the summer, is beautiful in the winter and gives you the best chance to see these amazing animals. Combine this with a ranch stay. Whilst riding is not an option, sleigh rides, snow shoes and Nordic skiing absolutely are. As an added extra, if you need some sunshine, we can whisk you off to California or Hawaii to soak up the rays.
This itinerary is flexible and can be tailor-made to suit you; if you want to add extra days in one area, extend the holiday or maybe change the direction of travel. Talk to one of our experts about how to make this holiday the perfect one for you.
Details
Our expert wildlife guides only lead a limited amount of tours per season, so the dates are fixed
around them. Departures from Bozeman start in the autumn and the last departure is at the end of
April. What you will see will depend on the time of year.
Autumn
Autumn trips feature wolf packs following the vast herds of elk and bison to the valley bottoms. Frosty mornings often give way to warm, sunny days revealing the glory of this spectacular season. Search for wolves feeding on a fresh kill and hear the iconic bugle of a bull elk in the hills, all while spotting migrating eagles, hawks, and swans overhead.
Winter
Freshly fallen snow and frigid temperatures greet the adventurous who brave Yellowstone’s winter for some of the best chances of witnessing amazing wolf behaviour, including the dance of predator and prey, or pack members in the throes of dramatic courtship in the annual breeding season. This is when you are most likely to hear wolves howling as the call of the wild routinely reverberates in the valleys of Yellowstone.
Spring
A rebirth happens in spring when wildlife sightings soar with the arrival of migrating animals and the waking of sleepy hibernators. Birds, bears, and rusty red bison calves appear on the greening landscape at a time when female wolves dig their dens in preparation for raising the year’s pups.
Ms Young"Seamless Holiday"
We used Frontier Travel to book our honeymoon. We were given all the information we needed and everything ran seamlessly. We had a fantastic time, the hotels and lodges were perfect. Thank you for organising such a brilliant trip!
Itinerary (10 Nights)
Here’s a day-by-day guide to your itinerary. Feel free to ask us to add other days or ideas and excursions by contacting us directly, so we can give you the best price.
Day 1
Fly to Bozeman, Montana and overnight at the Best Western Plus GranTree Inn which offers...
Day 1
Montana
Fly to Bozeman, Montana and overnight at the Best Western Plus GranTree Inn which offers free shuttle service to/from the airport, and for visiting downtown shops or the famous Museum of the Rockies. Dinner is on your own.
1 night Bozeman, Montana
Days 2-5
Day 1 After breakfast at the GranTree you and your fellow travellers will be transported...
Days 2-5
Montana
to
Yellowstone National Park
Day 1
After breakfast at the GranTree you and your fellow travellers will be transported to Yellowstone National Park. The route is through the scenic Paradise Valley rimmed with rugged mountain peaks. A lunch stop is planned on route to the park. At Yellowstone, the group will visit the famous Roosevelt Arch for a formal arrival to the park and explore the wildlife-rich winter range of pronghorn, elk, and deer. Check in follows at the Absaroka Lodge in Gardiner, where the you will stay whilst in Yellowstone. From your room, the views of the Yellowstone River and its rolling hills and snow-clad mountains astound! Your evening meal will be prepared and served by chef Zac Kellerman of Zac’s Montana Kitchen. Dinner is accompanied by an orientation for the days ahead.
Day 2
An early morning departure creates the best chances of viewing active wildlife. Wolves will be the priority, but many wildlife species are seen along the way. You will search the park’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. The search will team up with rangers, scientists, and the eclectic wolf-watching faithful in a mutual effort to find and observe wildlife. Lunch will be at Mammoth Hot Springs, followed by a walk through the terrace boardwalks to experience the amazing travertine hot springs, some of Yellowstone’s finest thermal features. An evening presentation accompanies Zac’s gourmet dinner at the Track Education Centre in Gardiner.
Day 3
The schedule will be similar to day 2, as the goal is to look for multiple wolf packs and make observations of a variety of behaviours and activities (hunting, playing, travelling, feeding, (sleeping!), etc.) depending on the season. Lunch will be back in Gardiner, followed by an optional short hike. An after-dinner evening session at the
centre in Gardiner will feature a special guest speakers, to be announced. Past speakers have included Dr Douglas Smith, film-maker Bob Landis, canine geneticist
Dr Dan Stahler and other distinguished experts in the field of wolf biology and behaviour.
Day 4
To maximize our opportunities for viewing wolves, bears and many other wildlife species, we will return to the Northern Range and Lamar Valley. The sheer abundance of animals gives this area its well-earned nickname, ‘The Serengeti of North America’. Lunch will be at the home and photography gallery of 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 dinner follows with Chef Zac in Gardiner.
4 nights Gardiner
Days 6-10
Yellowstone National Park to Lone Mountain Ranch
After breakfast you will be taken back to Bozeman from where you will be collected...
Days 6-10
Yellowstone National Park
to Lone Mountain Ranch
After breakfast you will be taken back to Bozeman from where you will be collected by Lone Mountain Ranch for the hour’s drive to Big Sky. For the next five days you will have the choice of a myriad of winter experiences. Your days will be as busy or relaxed as you like: if curled up in front of a roaring fire is all you want to, that is absolutely to be recommended. However, if you want to work up an appetite and get some fresh air, there are plenty of opportunities. As well as the morning restorative Yoga Group class, from December to March, you can rent some Nordic ski gear or snowshoes and head off into the cross-country trail system: if you need them, there are cross-country ski lessons, you can go to the local Big Sky Ski resort for some downhill skiing or for a special treat (and for an additional charge) you can go dog-sledding. There are also tours into Yellowstone – a different experience to your wolf-watching excursion, as this will either be on snowshoes, cross-country skis or a snowcoach. Although you might well see wildlife, you will also be taken to some of the most iconic Yellowstone sights such as Old Faithful. Among the many memories you will bring home, we think that one of the highlights will be the Sleigh Ride Dinner: a 20-minute ride under a starlit sky which will take you to the historic North Fork Cabin to enjoy a classic Montana prime rib meal cooked over a century-old railway stove.
5 nights Lone Mountain Ranch
Day 11
Lonesome Mountain Ranch to Montana
Lone Mountain will return you to Bozeman Airport in time for your homeward/onward flight. If...
Day 11
Lonesome Mountain Ranch
to
Montana
Lone Mountain will return you to Bozeman Airport in time for your homeward/onward flight. If you are not quite ready to come home yet, may we suggest that you carry on to Southern California or Hawaii for some sunshine?
