In the first two installments of this series, we’ve discussed the timing of our scheduled Yellowstone backpacking trips and the importance of choosing a trip that is within your level of physical capability. Of course, this does not mean that if you are extremely fit you should restrict your choices only to the tougher treks. Absolutely not! That’s because you’d miss out on some of the wildest and most wonderful terrain that Yellowstone has to offer, even though the landscape might dictate a “moderate” or even a “moderately easy” rating. Rest assured, because of the very nature of backpacking, you’ll get plenty of exercise on any of our Yellowstone wilderness walks!
But there’s another consideration that we think is also important, once you’ve begun to narrow things down. Let’s face it: we two-legged hominids are a diverse lot. Even among those of us who love wild nature and who relish the opportunity to sleep in a tent among wild beasts, hike in the rain and poop in a self excavated hole in the ground! For example, while some folks are simply looking for a general wilderness experience or an opportunity to escape the modern day techno-rat race, others have specific interests that they hope to satisfy on a guided hiking tour in Yellowstone (or in any of our other trip areas, for that matter). For example, some of our clients have a particular interest in wildflowers, and for them, the June Northern Yellowstone plus the Northeast Yellowstone and Gallatin Range treks would be great choices. For wildlife viewing, either of the Northern Yellowstone Treks or the Lamar Backcountry might be the best choices, though really, we nearly always see big mammals on any of our Yellowstone hikes. For waterfalls, river canyons and lush vegetation you can’t beat the Southwest Yellowstone Bechler trip. And for a big dose of classic Yellowstone backcountry with geothermal features, lakes, rivers, forest and meadow, the Bechler trip (see above) and also the Southern Yellowstone Heart Lake route are world class! And for fall colors, the September Bechler trip and the Northern Yellowstone Autumn hike are great. In other words, each trip is unique in its own way. And although you’ll almost certainly want to eventually do them all (as a number of our clients have done), read the trip descriptions carefully and factor your personal interests into your effort to choose the perfect Yellowstone Backpack Trip from the Big Wild trip menu.
