Northeast Yellowstone Mellow Mountain Magic

Montana/Wyoming $2,000 • July 15-19, 2024

Creek & Mountain This trip in the mountainous northeast corner of Yellowstone National Park is a wonderful way to experience an absolutely beautiful high mountain and valley area on a very mellow trail with only a couple of modest ups and downs. Wolves, bear, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, and more thrive here, and we almost always see large mammals. The terrain is verdant and scenic, with high peaks rising above a rich mix of woods, meadows and streams. Summer wildflowers will be blooming. This is a great trip for beginners, old farts or anyone who would enjoy exploring beautiful wilderness on a relatively easy route. We rate this trip moderately easy and its base is Bozeman, Montana.

This Yellowstone backpacking trip is in the far northeast corner of Yellowstone, adjacent to the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, and is mostly in a beautiful and lush high mountain stream valley. Most years we day-hike on our layover to an adjacent spectacular high mountain pass.

Yellowstone Backpacking

TREK BASE: Bozeman, MT. Comfort Inn, 1370 N. 7th Avenue, 59715; (406)587-2322. Motel has airport pickup. Meet in lobby.

MEETING TIME: Pre-trip orientation plus food and gear handout and safety talk at 6 pm the evening prior to the first day of the trip, at the Comfort Inn lobby.

TRANSPORTATION: Air service to Bozeman;  All clients are responsible for getting  themselves to and from the airport to the hotel. We suggest Uber or any local cab company.   Making those arrangements in advance is suggested

Backpackers in ParadiseTREK RATING: Moderately easy on good trails with very gentle gradients. Our longest backpacking day will cover about 5 miles, and we’ll have at least one layover.

ELEVATIONS: 6500-8000 feet. Maximum one day elevation gain with pack is 800 feet.

WEATHER: Typically lots of sun with warm days and cool nights. Afternoon thunderstorms are common, but prolonged rain is not. Nonetheless, in the high country, visitors must be prepared for any kind of weather, from snow to 80 degrees with hot sun. Click here for the National Weather Service forecast.

ColumbineFISHING: World-class trout fishing in the streams requires a permit that can be obtained when we enter the park. It is mostly catch and release.

SPECIAL FEATURES: Summer wildflowers will be in bloom. Wolves were re-introduced just a few miles from our trailhead. Wolf activity varies each year and seasonal pack movements are unpredictable, but we may get lucky enough to hear or see these magnificent carnivores! There’s plenty of other native wildlife, too, including mountain goat, bighorn sheep, moose, bear and elk. This verdant mix of forest and meadow features snow-capped peaks rising above a gorgeous mountain valley! This is a remote, little-known part of Yellowstone that is truly magnificent.

MarmotSPECIAL TIPS: A lightweight set of binoculars will come in handy for wildlife viewing. This is grizzly country, so eschew deodorants and other sweet smelly substances!

STATUS: The Yellowstone backcountry has long been proposed for Wilderness designation under the Wilderness Act of 1964, but so far Congress has failed to thus fully protect this, the world’s first national park. It is managed as de-facto wilderness.

ITINERARY: This is a Yellowstone backpacking trip where we end at a different trailhead than where we begin, which is a 2.5 hour drive from Bozeman, MT. Campsites will be reserved exclusively for our group.

Please Note: Because we are flexible and vary the route depending upon conditions, mileages and elevations are approximate, not exact.

Read more about our other Yellowstone trips. We also offer a variety of other hiking trips in Yellowstone Park.

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Space is limited!
Have questions? Call (406) 823-0337

Guided Yellowstone Backpacking

Beartooth PeaksUpper PebbleCamp 3P1

Baronette from 3P1

Annual Trip Calendar

Scheduled Yellowstone National Park Trips

At the links below, we’ve listed details about our Yellowstone hiking and backpacking trips plus other treks in Wyoming & Montana. When backpacking in Yellowstone Park with us, you will be in either Wyoming, Montana or both.

All Yellowstone Trips

 

Broad Creek, in Yellowstone National Park

List prices include our complete gear package and there is a $300 discount if you bring your own (see our Canoeing List, Backpacking List, and/or Questionnaire for details – found here). Also, we offer a $300 discount for the second trip in a calendar year. Scheduled trips are for persons ages 14 and over. Exceptions to the age requirement will be made by us on a case-by-case basis.

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