Yellowstone's Lower Loop and Grand Teton in One Day
A naturalist drives the Lower Loop while you watch the treeline, with a pair of binoculars for everyone on board.
Thirteen hours sounds like a lot until you look at what sits between Jackson Hole and Old Faithful. Two national parks, and the Lower Loop road through the second one. BrushBuck posts times for eight of the stops, and they come to 290 minutes. The rest of the day is driving, and that is the part people underestimate when they plan this themselves.
Your guide handles that part. Pickup and drop-off happen at your Jackson Hole hotel, the vehicle is enclosed and air-conditioned, and a picnic lunch is served on the road.
Departures run from Jackson Hole with hotel pickup included. Brushbuck Guide Services asks you to call 1-888-282-5868 fourteen days ahead to confirm your departure time.
From Jackson Hole: Yellowstone Old Faithful, Waterfalls and Wildlife Day Tour13 hours with a naturalist guide · small-group · hotel pickup in Jackson Hole · picnic lunch and binoculars included · from USD 329www.viator.comThe Geyser Basins Run on Their Own Schedule
Old Faithful gets sixty minutes, the longest single stop on the itinerary and enough margin for an eruption window. Old Faithful Inn gets thirty more. The Inn went up in 1903 and 1904 and still holds the title of largest log structure in the world.
West Thumb and Fountain Paint Pots get thirty minutes each. Both are boardwalk stops and the walking is flat. The operator lists the day as suitable for all physical fitness levels.
Hayden Valley Is Where the Binoculars Earn Their Keep
Hayden Valley holds the largest herd of free-roaming bison in the world, and the stop runs thirty minutes. Everyone on board gets their own pair of binoculars, and the guide carries a spotting scope for the group.
The species the operator works from: bison, grizzly bears, black bears, wolves, moose, elk, eagles, mule deer, pronghorn, coyotes. Sightings are not scheduled. What the day gives you is a naturalist who knows where to look and enough stops to get out and try.
Grand Teton Comes First, on the Way North
Oxbow Bend gets twenty minutes with Mount Moran standing behind the Snake River. Jackson Lake and Yellowstone Lake are drive-by views, seen from the road without a stop. The Grand Teton stretch happens before the vehicle crosses into Yellowstone.
The Lower Falls Drops 308 Feet Into Colored Rock
The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the Lower Falls get forty-five minutes each. The falls run 308 feet, the tallest in the park, and the canyon walls took their yellows and reds from hot water working on volcanic rock. This is the far end of the loop, and the return leg runs back through Hayden Valley.
A few things settle before you book:
- Yellowstone charges every non-US resident aged 16 and over a further USD 100 on top of the entrance fee, and the park states this applies to commercial tour groups. An Annual or America the Beautiful Pass covers it.
- National Park fees are not included. The operator puts the entrance fee at about USD 40 and says you can buy the pass at the park gate.
- All sales are final, and no refund is available for cancellations.
- Brushbuck Guide Services asks you to call 1-888-282-5868 fourteen days ahead to confirm your departure time.
- Pickup is not allowed inside Yellowstone or Grand Teton. Pickup and drop-off happen in the Jackson Hole area, and the operator arranges an alternate spot by phone.
- Children five and younger are not allowed. The child fare covers ages six to eleven.
- Gratuities are not included. The operator suggests 10 to 15 percent of the tour cost.
- Bring sturdy walking shoes and a jacket. Spring and fall run colder than most people pack for.
Guiding is in English and service animals are allowed. The binoculars come out at the start, and the day ends back at your own door in Jackson Hole.