DCiteGlobeTrotter, Jul 2026
Terrific Private Two-Day Tour of Yellowstone
I just returned from a terrific two-day private trip to Yellowstone with Yellowstone Day Tours, starting out of Jackson. I wanted to focus primarily on seeing the landscape and wildlife in Yellowstone -- as opposed to the geothermal features -- and because the trip was private, my guide was able to customize it accordingly. I was not disappointed. We saw nesting herons, coyotes, four black bears (including one cub) and a grizzly bear, elk, pronghorn antelope, mountain goats (rare!), trumpet swans, a marmot, unita ground squirrels (fairly ubiquitous in YS but they were a first for me), white pelicans, bald eagles, and literally thousands of bison. And because it was a two-day tour, staying the night in Cooke City, MT -- I stayed in a clean, basic cabin at a local motel included in trip price along with all meals -- we were able to cover lots of ground. Some of the most beautiful places we visited were off the beaten path and I would never have known to have taken those routes without a guide. But the thing I appreciated the most was that my guide was very skilled at spotting wildlife. Whether it was a bear out on a mountain over a mile (maybe two) away, a mountain goat and kid in a cave near the northeast entrance to the park, or a coyote catching its breakfast near Jackson Lake, it was really impressive. Once my guide spotted an animal with his binoculars or scope, he would set up the scope with a phone-scope attachment so I could see the image clearly on his phone (i.e., a nice, large, flat surface) that could also take video and photos of the images. All of which he texted to me at the end of the trip. I really can't recommend this trip enough. Yes, lodging and meals were fairly basic (although I had a wonderful smoked trout dinner in Cooke City) and the tour is expensive, but I thought it was worth every penny for a once-in-a-lifetime, totally customizable experience.
