Yellowstone Wildlife Walks

Our Clients’ Reviews

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It's the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you're interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers. Any feedback collected (Good or bad) from Exodus clients is posted straight onto our website - totally unedited. Read more...

Average Review Rating: from 9 reviews.

Louise Jones

YELLOWSTONE WILDLIFE TREK

Written August 2012
Probably the best trip I've every been on for the richness and variety of wildlife experience - from the awe-inspiring (wolves, bears and bison) to the smaller scale, but no less joyful (beaver, chipmunks and the bluest of bluebirds). All combined with stunning scenery and a real sense of 'big country'.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Hearing the wolves howling across the valley at each other had to be a real 'hairs on the back of your neck' moment for most of our party. In my opinion our wolf guide, MacNeil, really was everything he was cracked up to be: such a joy to spend the day with someone who was so passionate and knowledgeable about his subject, and so keen to share his interest and enthusiasm with everyone he met.
My other personal highlight was the day-trek to Glacier Lake: memories of walking in sunshine through meadows carpeted with wildflowers, bordered by snow capped mountains; arriving at a crystal lake containing chunks of ice-blue glacier. I really did feel like I had died and gone to Heaven...
What did you think of your group leader?
Jan worked really hard to make the trip a success: expert wildlife spotter, happy to share cultural notes with us Limeys, (you eat burgers with a knife & fork?!!) and definitely the best camp cook I have ever met!! She was true to her promise - we never did go hungry!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Fact: the ground in August is blooming hard, and one little sleeping mat just isn't enough! Pay heed to the earlier reviews and consider taking one yourself - I didn't, and definitely regretted it.
Also as per the previous reviews, the minibus is very cramped if it is a full trip. The first few days it's kind of ok having to haul yourself in and out everytime you have a wildlife/scenic photo stop, but after a while it does get very tiresome. I don't have any useful advice, other than be prepared.
This was the first trip I'd ever used walking poles, and with the longer hikes I was glad I'd made the investment.
There are a couple of long driving days, but for me that wasn't a problem - Jan worked hard to select pit stops that were interesting as well as timely. Sit back and enjoy those big skies and open vistas would be my best advice... Oh, and try the Moose Drool (beer)
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Having watched the BBC series on Yellowstone, I rather naively thought I would be visiting a wilderness. When you get there, you realise that as America's first national park, it is also one of its busiest - it can be a bit like going on safari at times, with scores of vehicles pitching up at the same spot to take photos of the moose/bison/wolves etc
Having said that it is still very wildlife rich, with some beautiful scenery. The hikes give you a chance to get well off the road and closer to nature. I'm glad I went, and would definitely go again.
Juliette Hoad

YELLOWSTONE WILDLIFE TREK

Written June 2012
This was an amazing trip in which we were lucky enough to see an abundance of wildlife in addition to spectacular scenery. The tour guides we brilliant also.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The most inspirational moment was coming almost face to face with a grizzly bear whilst hiking in the forest in Glacier National Park. It was both exciting to see such a wonderful animal in its own environment as well as being an adrenaline pumping moment to get out of its way. The specialist guide was brilliant and we had great comfort in her abilities - we were definitely glad that we were with her and not on our own in that situation.
What did you think of your group leader?
Both the group leader and the driver of our group were wonderful. They worked tirelessly throughout the duration of the 2 weeks and did everything to make a trip a brilliant and memorable experience.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Make sure you have warm and waterproof clothes for camping at night and the rain in Glacier National Park (they get quite a lot of it which is why it is so green!). Take spare batteries for camera/video-camera. Take a spare set of walking shoes in case your walking boots get wet and don't dry out in time for your next hike.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
There were 3 very long days driving in the minibus, particularly the last 2 days of the tour. This felt rather like a waste during our holiday and perhaps it could be investigated whether it would be feasible to end the trip in Glacier and fly out of a nearby airport rather than having to drive all the way to Salt Lake City. It should be made clearer in the trip notes that the guides do not have the permit to drive the Going to the Sun road. We had to spend another $70 on a tour bus to take us.
Sarah Laidler

YELLOWSTONE WILDLIFE TREK

Written August 2011
Fantastic trip - superb scenery, great wildlife viewing and excellent company
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Getting rather closer than expected to a young grizzly bear on our first trek was a real highlight, as was spotting a moose the next day. The walks in Glacier were fantastic, with views from every turn. Yellowstone is everything I imagined it would be from the TV series.
I'm not someone who would go out of their way to choose a camping trip, but this was excellent - especially the food!
What did you think of your group leader?
Parker and Ryan were excellent group leaders. They really knew their stuff, were flexible about the itinerary so that we saw the best of each of the 3 parks we visited & kept the group motivated on long drives. They obviously love their jobs & seemed as keen to get out on some of the newly opened hiking trails in Glacier as a first time visitor.
They'd also taken on board some of the comments from the trips earlier in the season, so they had found us an excellent wildlife guide in Yellowstone (although that still didn't mean the wolves putting in an appearance!) and changed to camping on the last night to a much better location.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
It can get very cold at night, so bring a warm sleeping bag and some thermal layers. Al toiletries and food have to be packed away on the van every night away from bears, so a separate bag for those is also really useful.
The types of walks you do on this trip are weather dependent and as we were on the last trip on the year we were lucky to be able to hike some amazing trails in Glacier NP. I think if you are on the earlier trips then you need to be prepared to be flexible as late lying snow can cause the trails to be closed.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Given that this is the first time Exodus have run this trip I'm hoping that they will be open to making a few changes before 2012. I would question why the trip needs to return to Salt Lake prior to flying back to the UK - as that is 2 days of solid driving. I think it would be better to use one of the small airports closer to Glacier NP. This may result in 1 extra airport transfer, but I think all the group plus the leaders thought it would be better than the lengthy drive at the end.
This is a really special trip to some amazing parks. It can only be run over a short period due to the weather, so if you want to hike with bears, wolves and bison then get signing up for next year!!
Gemma Briggs

YELLOWSTONE WILDLIFE TREK

Written August 2011
I great trip through some of the most amazing landscapes.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Beautiful views of surise and sunset over Hebgen lake at our campsite just outside Yellowstone NP.
Glacier NP dramatic and beautiful scenery, gorgeous wildflowers, an unexpected highlight.
What did you think of your group leader?
Our tour leaders were great, relaxed but organised and good fun. They also made some excellent improvements to the trip itinery - I was not looking forward to the night camping in Butte and fortunatley they found us a far superior alternative.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Don't forget your swim suit.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I can't wait to return & see some more US national parks - not an outcome I would have predicted before I departed.
Jonathan Dusheiko

YELLOWSTONE WILDLIFE TREK

Written August 2011
This was a really enjoyable trip through some of the most iconic scenery in the USA. We were also lucky enough to see a lot of wildlife, including four sightings of bears - one very close up!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Bison coming out of the mist as we went looking for wildlife early in the morning in Yellowstone.
What did you think of your group leader?
Parker and Ryan were good company and the food was great, huge steaks. Only slight criticism was that we did not recognise them at the airport as no sign or t-shirts.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Even in the summer it is cold at night due to the elevation, bring warm jacket etc. Neck cushion and plenty of music for log drives. Be prepared for mosquitos in Tetons. This is not really a full-on trekking trip, in Yellowstone you don't need boots for the excursions so bring some trail shoes as well. Although Glacier is more of a challenge.
David Hopkins

YELLOWSTONE WILDLIFE TREK

Written July 2011
This was a great trip, and covered a huge number of inspirational locations. Plus the wildlife was amazing.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Seeing a golden eagle swoop down to take a muskrat out of the river in Yellowstone Park. And I understand now why Montana is known and the land of the big sky.
What did you think of your group leader?
The two leaders, Parker and Ryan, contributed a huge amount to the trip, through their knowledge and humour. Plus the camp food was exceptional.
Doug Jobson

YELLOWSTONE WILDLIFE TREK

Written July 2011
Brilliant trip, with a well thought out intinerary and it exceeded my expectations.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Spending a morning in the Lamar Valley seeing more wildlife in a couple of hours than I imagined I would see all trip, including a Wolf.
What did you think of your group leader?
Parker and Ryan are great guides. They are laid back and really wanted us to get the most from the trip, changing the itinerary to suit where needed. The meals they cooked for us were fantastic too.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Make sure you pack your binoculars