Experience Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks in Bloom
Your Adventure Awaits! May 17-22, 2025
Explore Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks as they awaken from winter. Witness the landscape come alive with vibrant wildflowers, cascading waterfalls, and abundant wildlife sightings. Observe bison, elk, and bears emerge with their young, offering incredible photo opportunities and unforgettable encounters. Experience Yellowstone’s iconic features including Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring, and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone without the summer crowds. Witness the park’s waterfalls at their most powerful as snowmelt fills the rivers and streams. Whether you’re a nature lover, a photographer, or simply seeking a peaceful escape, May in Yellowstone offers something magical.
Itinerary:
Saturday:
Join the group at the Bozeman airport by 4pm to make our way to our home base 10 minutes from Yellowstone National Park. We’ll have dinner and get to know each other as we prepare for our adventure ahead.
Sunday:
We’ll start our exploration at Fountain Paint Pot, located in the Lower Geyser Basin. This is a mud pot most recognized for the reds, yellows and browns that can be seen in the soil, with the colors representing various levels of iron oxidation in the mud.
We’ll continue on to Grand Prismatic Spring, located in the Midway Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park. It’s the third largest hot spring in the world and most well-known for the rainbow effect that the microbial mats create, producing reds, oranges, yellows and greens around the edges of the spring. The blue center is the result of sterile water at great depth appearing blue to the eye. Then we’ll make our way to the star of the show, Old Faithful, one of the roughly 500 geysers in Yellowstone National Park, known for the predictability of eruptions that earned it its name (and fame). While in the area we’ll explore the Upper and Midway Geyser Basins, which boast not only the largest concentration of geysers in the park, but also in the entire world (Yellowstone is home to 60% of the world’s geysers).
Monday: We’ll start our day at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. At a depth of more than 1000ft (305m), it’s an impressive sight. Water, wind, earthquakes, and hydrothermal features have all worked together to form this area. Two waterfalls are visible from multiple vantage points, Upper Falls and Lower Falls. The first photographic depictions of the Lower Falls were made in 1871 during the Hayden Expedition, although Native American tribes have known about the falls for centuries. Cascading roughly 308ft (94m) over volcanic rock, the falls are an impressive sight from several vantage points. We’ll stop at Artist Point, which was incorrectly named as the vantage point for Thomas Moran’s famous waterfall sketches. Located on the south rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, this point provides classic views of Lower Falls on the Yellowstone River. We’ll then make our way to Hayden Valley in search of wildlife. The valley floor was once the lakebed of Yellowstone Lake, but is now home to streams, grassy plains and geothermal features, along with quite a bit of wildlife. We’ll wrap up our day at Yellowstone Lake, a fascinating geological wonder. The lake itself sits on a bed of constantly shifting geologic activity. The mineral rich deposits in the water support a vibrant ecosystem of plant and animal life.
Tuesday:
We’ll take a daytrip to Grand Teton National Park to take in sights like Jenny Lake, one of the top spots for photography in Jackson Hole. If the weather cooperates, this is a great spot to kayak for a bit. Then, we’ll make our way over to Snake River where we may also be able to take a scenic float or a whitewater rafting trip, depending on the group’s appetite for adventure and the weather conditions. It’s the perfect opportunity to witness local wildlife, including bears, moose, coyotes and other animals. If there’s still time after this, we’ll stop by “Mormon Row”, which is still home to several historic structures that are now recognized as historic landmarks.
Wednesday:
We’ll explore Lamar Valley, often called “America’s Serengeti” because of its large populations of large animals, including bison, pronghorn, badgers, grizzly bears, bald eagles, ospreys, deer, and coyotes. This, as they say, is “where the buffalo roam.”
Thursday:
We’ll enjoy one last meal together and make our way back to the airport to make our way back home with some unforgettable memories.
Accommodations:
We’ll be staying at a dream getaway destination located just 10 minutes from Yellowstone National Park. The rustic, elegant home will be our base each night where we will be spending our evenings together, enjoying the fireplace indoors (and firepit outdoors), the hot tub, the breathtaking views and trails all around us.
Included:
- 6 days, 5 nights accommodation (in either a private or shared room).
- All meals and snacks
- Excursions when available (weather-permitting)
- Transportation from and to Bozeman Airport to our base home (as part of a group shuttle pickup)
Not Included:
- Your flight(s) to/from the Bozeman airport.
Retreat Pricing
A deposit of $1000 secures your trip.
- Single room (king bed): $3997, $1997 for second person in same room
- Shared room (with three queen beds- think of this as sleepover headquarters!): $2997 each
Spots are limited and first-come, first-served, so grab yours today! Men and women are invited on this trip, so grab your favorite travel buddy and join us! Email us at des@desmillertravelmedia.com for your spot!
