Join Earth Spirit Excursion’s naturalists on an adventure that will shape your understanding of the Yellowstone ecosystem forever. Participants will be introduced to the various mega-fauna of the region, including wolves, grizzly bears, elk, moose, and more, through interpretive hikes outside the park, wildlife watching, and meetings with local experts! As well as the wildlife, participants will be treated to the Park’s main attractions as Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Lake and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone are all visited and appreciated. In addition, Earth Spirit will provide fly-fishing demonstrations and other opportunities to enjoy the immediate area. The connections Earth Spirit has made with the local wildlife watching, photographic, and scientific community have made this trip unique and exclusive.
Expedition Overview
Daily Activities
A typical day in Yellowstone doesn’t exist. Generally our days begin early, as the wildlife doesn’t wait for us and is best visible at, or near first light. Participants on our trips must be willing to be flexible as our daily schedules shift based on wildlife happenings, guest speaker availabilities, and local weather. We strive to fill each day with opportunities to view animals, explore the local area, and bond with other participants.
Wildlife Viewing
Following Park rules and regulations, Earth Spirit educators will help participants to locate, view, and understand the local wildlife as we utilize high-powered spotting scopes and binoculars from afar.
Wildlife opportunities extend to our time outside of the Park as well as we venture to the magnificent Beartooth Mountains, Sunlight Basin, and Tom Miner Basin to search for critters as well! 
Photographic Opportunities
Whether you’re a professional photographer or an amateur with a smartphone, the abundance of wildlife and breathtaking landscapes will impress. Throughout the trip we will make a reasonable effort to accommodate any personal photographic desires. We encourage guests to bring their own photographic equipment as we will not be providing specific photographic tutorials while on the trip. As a bonus, a couple of high-end spotting scopes will be equipped with a mount for a smartphone that will allow for video and photos to be taken through the lens.
Fly Fishing & Instruction
Participants will be briefed on the basics of fly-fishing and equipped with the necessary equipment prior to spending a day on the water outside of the Park. We will be fishing on the same stretches of crystal clear creek that Ernest Hemingway did while spending time in the region!
Participants will be required to purchase a single-day fishing license for this experience. We will arrange for these to be purchased in town, the day of the fishing trip.
Trip Leaders
Joe Allen
Instructor, Trip Leader
Jon Roth
Instructor, Trip Leader
Possible Guest Speakers
Dan Hartman
Wildlife Photographer
Wildlife Along The Rockies, National Geographic Society, BBC, Netflix
Rick Lamplugh
Author/Photographer
Rick McIntyre
retired biological technician/author
Yellowstone Wolf Project, NPS
Travel
Earth Spirit will be prepared to pick up all guests from the Bozeman International Airport (BZN) on August 14th and will return guests to the airport on August 24th. All transportation to, in and around the Park will be provided by Earth Spirit, however guests will have to arrange transportation to Bozeman, MT themselves.
Please do not make final travel arrangements before contacting Earth Spirit!
Accommodations
Guests will be staying in the beautiful, modern, fully furnished and centrally located Silver Gate Cabins in the quaint mountain town of Silver Gate, MT.
Guests will be sharing a common living space, kitchen, and bathrooms, but will have a private bedroom or loft area to stay in*.
*Accommodations may change depending on availability and other extenuating circumstances. Participants will be made aware of any changes. Please make any personal requirements known when registering. If a private cabin is desired, please make this known when registering and we will do our best to accommodate. There may be an additional fee for private lodging.
Food
Included in the program cost are four group meals and various snacks provided throughout the trip by Earth Spirit. The rest of the meals are the responsibility of the guest(s). There are wonderful, local restaurants to choose from and full kitchens provided in each cabin for anyone who would rather eat in. A stop will be made at a local grocery store on the way in to ensure participants can purchase any food items they may wish to have throughout the trip.
Costs & Registration
Costs
- $3,200.00 per person
- Registration is limited to 10 participants.
- Registration minimum is 5 participants.
What's Included
- transportation in and around Park
- accommodations at Silver Gate Cabins
- four group meals at local restaurants
- light snacks and refreshments
- wildlife watching and naturalist interpretation
- Swarovski 90-95mm spotting scopes (or similar)
- Universal PhoneSkope smartphone adapters for scopes
- fly-fishing rods, reels, flies, and basic instruction
- visits with local experts/authors in the fields of photography, wildlife watching, and advocacy
Included in the program cost…
What's Not Included
- transportation from home to Bozeman, MT
- transportation from Bozeman, MT to home
- personal clothing/gear/toiletries
- photographic equipment (other than PhoneSkope adapter)
- meals (other than four group meals)
- fishing license (Wyoming; can be purchased on-site)
- alcohol
- gratuity for Earth Spirit staff
Not included in the cost of the program…
Registration
To reserve your place on this trip:
- A $700.00 deposit is due by 03/01/2023
- The remaining balance is due by 05/01/2023
- Once minimum registration is reached, the trip is a "go" and deposit(s) are not refundable