Two Day Winter Wildlife Safari in Yellowstone

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

Day 1
Day 1: Northern Range & Lamar Valley Safari
8 stops
1
Roosevelt Arch
The historic stone arch marks Yellowstone’s original gateway and is one of the park’s most iconic photo stops. Built in 1903 and dedicated by President Theodore Roosevelt, it symbolizes Yellowstone’s legacy as the world’s first national park. In winter, the surrounding landscape is often snow-covered, making for dramatic photos and a great place to orient guests to the park’s history before heading into the Northern Range.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free
2
Fort Yellowstone is the historic heart of the park’s early management era. From 1886–1918, the U.S. Army helped protect Yellowstone’s wildlife, geothermal features, and visitors—long before the National Park Service existed. Today, the area includes preserved buildings and exhibits that help guests understand how Yellowstone became a model for park protection and stewardship.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free
3
Mammoth Hot Springs
One of Yellowstone’s classic lodging landmarks, the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel sits in the Northern Range near year-round wildlife habitat. Even if you’re not staying here, it’s a great regroup point with restrooms, historical character, and a true “Old Yellowstone” feel. In winter, the area often has elk nearby and provides a comfortable base for exploring Mammoth’s travertine terraces.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free
4
Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces
Mammoth is famous for its steaming travertine terraces—white, tan, and rust-colored limestone formations created as hot water rises, cools, and deposits minerals. The Upper Terrace area can be explored on foot (or snowshoes, depending on conditions) and offers a front-row look at a geothermal system that changes constantly. It’s one of the best places to see Yellowstone’s geology at work in real time.
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket free
5
Undine Falls
A scenic waterfall along the road between Mammoth and Tower Junction, Undine Falls is an easy, quick stop with a big visual payoff. In winter, the falls may be partially frozen, creating striking ice formations and a quiet, dramatic setting. It’s a perfect “stretch-your-legs” viewpoint and a great place for photos without committing to a long walk.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free
6
Specimen Ridge is a scenic stretch of road and ridgeline views that sits above prime winter range. It’s known for wide-open sightlines—ideal for spotting wildlife across valleys and hillsides. The area also carries deep geologic and ecological stories, with a landscape shaped by volcanism, time, and weather. It’s a reliable section to slow down, scan, and let Yellowstone come to us.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free
7
Lamar Valley
Often called the “Serengeti of North America,” Lamar Valley is Yellowstone’s top winter wildlife viewing region. The broad, open landscape makes it easier to spot animals against snow, especially early and late in the day. Bison herds, elk, coyotes, foxes, and raptors are common, and wolf sightings are possible with patience, good optics, and a little luck. It’s the centerpiece of a true winter safari experience.
3 hours • Admission ticket free
8
Cooke City
Cooke City is a historic silver mining town at Yellowstone’s northeast edge and our overnight base for the safari. It’s small, rugged, and perfectly positioned for early and late wildlife viewing in the Lamar Valley corridor. Wildlife often moves right through town—moose are known to stroll the streets—so even “downtime” can turn into a viewing opportunity.
12 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 2
Day 2: Sunrise Wildlife, Mammoth Terraces & Chico Soak
9 stops
9
Barronette Peak rises dramatically above the northeast corner of Yellowstone near the Lamar Valley–Cooke City corridor. Its steep, rugged face is a classic landmark of the park’s high country and a striking backdrop for winter wildlife viewing and photography. On clear days, the peak frames the broad valley below—prime habitat for bison, elk, and predators that follow them—making it an ideal place to slow down, glass with optics, and appreciate the scale of Yellowstone’s wildest landscape.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free
10
Lamar Valley
After glassing Barronnette Peak, we will retrace our route through Lamar before shifting into Yellowstone’s canyon and terrace country. As we retrace the route toward Mammoth, we’ll build in strategic pullouts for scenery and wildlife, then wrap the day with a warm mineral soak at Chico Hot Springs—an ideal reset before the final drive back to Bozeman.
3 hours • Admission ticket free
11
Slough Creek
Slough Creek is a quieter wildlife corridor near Lamar and one of the best places to look for animals away from the busiest pullouts. The open meadows and creek bottom create excellent winter habitat for bison, elk, and predators that follow them. It’s also a strong area for tracking—fresh prints in snow can tell the story of what moved through recently.
1 hour • Admission ticket free
12
Calcite Springs Overlook
This overlook provides a dramatic view of the Yellowstone River corridor and the rugged volcanic landscape of the park’s northern canyon country. The short walk leads to a big vista—great for photos and a quick geology lesson. In winter, conditions can be snowy or icy, so we keep the pace safe and pick the best footing.
1 hour • Admission ticket free
13
Tower/Roosevelt Junction is a key crossroads in Yellowstone’s Northern Range and a reliable place to slow down and scan. The open valleys, river edges, and rolling hills nearby create excellent winter habitat, and it’s common to see bison moving between forage areas, along with coyotes and foxes hunting in the snow. Ravens are frequent overhead and often signal wildlife activity in the area. We use this junction as a strategic viewing zone—watching the landscape, checking conditions, and positioning ourselves for the best wildlife opportunities as we move between Mammoth and the Lamar Valley corridor.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free
14
Hellroaring Overlook is one of the Northern Range’s best “big view” stops—a high vantage point above the Yellowstone River corridor with sweeping winter scenery. From the overlook, we can scan wide terrain for wildlife movement and fresh tracks, and it’s a great place to pause for photos and a quick orientation to Yellowstone’s rugged canyon country. Conditions vary in winter (snow/ice and wind), so we treat this as a flexible stop—quick, safe, and high reward when the footing and visibility are good.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free
15
As we cruise through the Rescue Creek area, we’re traveling through classic Northern Range winter habitat—open slopes, creek bottoms, and broad sightlines that make it ideal for wildlife scanning. This is a great stretch to slow down, glass methodically, and look for fresh tracks and movement against the snow. Depending on the day, we may spot bison and elk on the open hillsides, along with coyotes, foxes, and ravens working the corridor. It’s also a smart zone to stay alert for predators traveling between feeding areas, especially during the early and late light.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free
16
We’ll stop to scope Mount Everts for bighorn sheep, elk, and the off-chance of a mountain lion along the rocky slopes and timberline. This area also ties to Truman C. Everts, who became separated from the Washburn–Langford–Doane Expedition in 1870 and survived for weeks before being found. While we glass the hillside with optics, we’ll share the short version of his ordeal and why it mattered in Yellowstone’s early exploration story.
Admission ticket free
17
Mammoth Hot Springs
We’ll end the day inYellowstone at the historic Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel for restrooms, the gift shop, coffee, and adult beverages.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free

Additional info

• Specialized infant seats are available
• Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

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