Yellowstone Group Trip Highlights
This past July, twelve adventurous travelers came with me on a summer roadtrip across state lines, cities, and national parks. We camped, hiked, bonded and had a truly unforgettable time.
This trip was made possible in part with Bindlestiff Tours. Massive thank you to my co-guide Nicole!
For $50 off any Bindlestiff Tours trip use code: WDLR50
Day 1 – Las Vegas to Bryce Canyon National Park via Cedar Breaks
We kicked off the trip in Las Vegas before heading out to Bryce Canyon!
After an welcome meeting and intro to the week, we loaded up in our shuttle bus and hit the road. We drove along the 10,000 ft summit through Cedar Breaks for spectacular views of ancient lava flows and the Sevier River Valley below.
When we arrived at Bryce Canyon, we set off and hiked the Queen’s Garden/Navajo Loop trail for stunning views.
That night our dinner was catered in from Ruby’s Inn and we ended the first day with s’mores around a campfire.
Day 2 – Bryce Canyon to Salt Lake City
It was an early start to our day since we woke up for sunrise in Bryce Canyon. As difficult as it was to leave a warm, snuggly tent at 5am, the views were worth it!
From Bryce, we had a 4 hour drive to Salt Lake City Utah filled with roadtrip games and stopping for photos at each state line crossing.
When we arrived in Salt Lake City, we did a Mormon tour led by two missionaries of Temple Square. It was a fascinating private tour and our group was able to ask questions and learn about the Mormon lifestyle in modern day Utah.
We then checked into our hotel, went for a group dinner downtown and headed out to some of the bars around Salt Lake City. Our favorite was the arcade bar Quarters!
Day 3 – Grand Tetons National Park
The next morning we had a early breakfast at our hotel and hit the road towards Wyoming! We kept busy on the road with one game after the next and plenty of gorgeous views.
That afternoon, we finally saw the Grand Tetons Mountain Range in the distance! We entered the national park just after lunchtime and had the rest of the day to explore.
Read: GRAND TETON – ONE DAY ITINERARY IN THE NATIONAL PARK
We began our day at the Jenny Lake visitor center. After soaking in some of the gorgeous sites, we hopped on the shuttle boat across the lake to begin hiking.
We started by heading towards Hidden Falls, a stunning waterfall just a short hike from the lakeshore.
Then began the ascent to Inspiration Point.
After a picnic and plenty of pictures from the top of inspiration point, we continued on to String Lake. It’s a stunning hike right along the mountain lakeshore.
When we arrived at the lake, we went for a very cold (but fun!) dip in the refreshing water`!
After our swim, we drove to a few iconic viewpoints of the majestic mountain range as our other guide Nicole informed us all about the history of the park.
That evening we set up camp at Gros Ventre Campground and cooked dinner with a view of the mountains. We had a fun evening all around the campfire together stargazing.
Camping in bear territory meant we had to follow strict bear safety rules such as:
- Keep a clean camp: Never improperly store or leave food unattended.
- All edibles, food containers (empty or not), cookware (clean or not), and trash must be stored in a food locker or hung when not in use, day or night.
- Do not throw any food or garbage into the pit toilets.
- Inspect your campsite for bear sign and for careless campers nearby.
Day 4 Yellowstone National Park
We tore down camp and headed into Yellowstone the next morning. We stopped by Colter Bay Village for souvenirs and to make a picnic lunch.
Unfortunately our amazing guide Nicole had been suffering from some sort of eye injury and it had only proceeded to get worse. As not only our guide but also our driver, it was imperative that she be able to see. And on the fourth day of the trip, her eyes had gotten so bad that she needed to see a doctor. So our group went on an impromptu hike nearby and hung out at the beach until she was discharged from the hospital.
Things often go wrong during trips (it’s the nature of travel!) but I was so proud of my group trippers who didn’t complain once and only wanted the best for our co-guide!
Only 4 days in and we had already become such a tight-knit group 🙂
After the ordeal at the hospital, we were able to continued on to Hayden Valley for some prime bison spotting before arriving at Artist Point.
After our hike at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, we headed to Norris Geyser Basin, a favorite spot of mine in the park!
We then headed to set up camp for the next two nights at Grant Village.
We cooked dinner together, had drinks under the stars and stayed up late chatting. It was a fantastic night together at camp!
Read: 14 PLACES YOU CAN’T MISS IN YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
Day 5 – Yellowstone National Park
We kicked off our second day in Yellowstone by starting at Grand Prismatic Spring.
After a walk around the boardwalk, we headed to the bizarre and beautiful Mammoth Hot Springs.
We hiked at Sheepeater Cliff then made our way over to Old Faithful to see the spectacular eruption.
After exploring all the surrounding geysers and the iconic lodge, we headed back to do the hike over Grand Prismatic. (We had planned to do the hike earlier in the day but the fog was so intense you couldn’t see the famous spring!)
After our hike, we were exhausted from a long day and ready to eat! As usual, we took turns with dinner duty and made another fantastic campfire meal.
That evening, some of us walked to Yellowstone Lake for sunset before returning to the campsite for drinks around the fire.
Day 6 – Yellowstone & Grizzly Bear and Wolf Discovery Center
In the morning, half the group set their alarms for go see sunrise at West Thumb Geyser Basin which is a just a short drive from our campsite. It was nothing short of magical and truly a moment in Yellowstone I will never forget.
We came back and tore down camp so we could begin making our way out of the park.
In West Yellowstone, we stopped for huckleberry ice cream, discount souvenir shops and best of all…the Grizzly Bear and Wolf Discovery Center. This non-profit animal rescue center is home to bears, wolves, river otters and more.
As we continued our journey, we stopped for lunch in Idaho at the Potato Museum to try a fresh hot baked potato. Talk about a quirky road trip stop!
Unfortunately some orders got lost by the busy restaurant staff and we wound up spending a little more time in Idaho than we originally thought but we all laughed it off as the group was having so much fun together.
We stopped for a swim in Utah along the way before setting up camp at Lake Provo. We cooked an enormous group meal all together and had a late night at the campfire with drinks and far too much tikka masala and naan bread to eat.
Day 7 – Valley of Fire state park and Las Vegas
We packed up camp in Utah and starting making our way to back to Nevada! There was a heat advisory in place by the time we reached Valley of Fire. This state park really lives up to its name as it was so hot that it was unsafe to hike. We drove around the park and stopped at the visitor’s center plus a few key viewpoints.
We also stopped to see petroglyphs from approximately 2,500 years ago, a real highlight of the park!
On our drive back to Las Vegas, one member of the group, Erica, had put together an entire awards show for everyone! We laughed until we cried over the hilarious awards she put together for each individual on the trip.
After a long day in the car, our trip had come to an end. Many heartfelt and tearful goodbyes were said as we all parted ways. I can’t thank this group enough for making long car rides and travel mishaps as fun and special as they were! This group really bonded and for that, I am so thankful! I will miss you all until our paths cross again <3
Past group trips:
- SAIL CROATIA GROUP TRIP HIGHLIGHTS- WEEK ONE
- SAIL CROATIA GROUP TRIP HIGHLIGHTS- WEEK TWO
- DOG SLEDDING IN MINNESOTA – GROUP TRIP HIGHLIGHTS WEEK ONE
- DOG SLEDDING IN MINNESOTA: GROUP TRIP HIGHLIGHTS WEEK TWO
Check out the Bindlestiff Tours here.
BENEFITS OF TRAVELING WITH BINDLESTIFF TOURS
- You don’t need to pack or buy any camping gear, it’s all provided
- It’s a great way to meet others if you’re traveling solo
- Your guide can give you recommendations on hikes or things to do in the area
- The tours are flexible and you can add extra nights/days onto the end of your trip to design the trip of your dreams!
For $50 off any Bindlestiff Tours trip use code: WDLR50
