Quick Details
This Wildlife & Nature tour departs Cody, Wyoming and heads north through the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway into the northeast gate of Yellowstone. It puts you right into the heart of Lamar Valley, long considered the ‘Serengeti of the West’ because of its herds of buffalo and elk and the intense predator-prey scenes caught on camera each year. While there is always an element of chance to wildlife spotting this tour gives us the best chance to see wolves grazing the open plains, and a lot more wildlife activities especially in the spring and fall months.
*By Booking this tour you agree to our Visitor Acknowledgement of Risk*
Starting at 7am, this tour picks up at all hotels, most RV parks and campgrounds and many Airbnb’s in Cody, WY. If you are staying outside our pickup area we will coordinate a meeting point such as Walmart or our bus barn where we park our vans.
The tour continues onward to Mammoth Hot Springs to see the largest deposit of travertine in the world, where we either continue the loop around Norris Geyser Basin or head back over Mt. Washburn before stopping at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. This tour is also 256 miles and exits out the east gate back to Cody, WY. There are ample opportunities to see the following wildlife: Grizzly Bears, Black Bears, Wolves, Bison, Moose, Elk, and Bighorn Sheep.
*In May, entrance through the northeast gate can see occasional closures due to weather over mountain pass. We will plan a different route according to weather conditions *
Yellowstone is hard to do on your own, and often takes multiple days to see all the sights. It is difficult to just drive in with a map and leave with a rewarding experience in one day, especially for the driver. Most will end up turning around!
What we do as guides is far more than drive you around from stop to stop. We study the park thoroughly and share a great deal of information about Yellowstone Park: the history, wildlife, hot springs, geysers, the waterways, supervolcanos and much more. We also know which stops to skip, how much time to spend at each feature and the best viewpoints to access while knowing geyser eruption schedules and when to get you home. Our goal is to guide you through the national park in a timely, enjoyable fashion that’s exciting for all. We also know all the best bathrooms and gift shops!
Lastly, we are an active tour company, so we get out and walk the features with you. If someone wants to stay behind or sit out a stop we know exactly where to relax and will ensure you know where to join back up with the group. We tend to walk over 10,000 steps (~ 3 miles) every tour (and willing to do more). You will never get a lazy guide from us. Take a CoveredGround tour, you will not regret it! We are the PROS!
Our cancellation policy is very generous with a full refund if cancelled before 48 hours of booking date for group tours, and 7 days for private tours. There is no refund if cancelled within 24 hours.
Had a wonderful experience with CoveredGround Tours! We booked a private tour and got to see everything we asked to. Colter was very knowledgeable and got us answers for all our questions! Would not recommend anyone else, the experience was perfect! If you are looking for a high quality tour, go with this company!
– Tiffany B., GoogleWe went on both the north and south loop tours with Cody. What an amazing guide. Very informative and fun. We saw lots of wildlife on the north loop and Cody stopped every time for picture and viewing opportunities. On the south loop he kept us on track so we didn't miss Old Faithful. I would highly recommend Covered Ground to get your Yellowstone experience.
– Cindy W., GoogleThe tour was excellent! Cody did an amazing job providing us with information on the places we were visiting including history and geology. His timing was wonderful and he accommodated everyone's physical needs with logistics. He gives service with a smile. Thank you for such a great experience.
– Anna S., GoogleWhat a wonderful day we had. The tour guides are friendly, fun and knowledgeable. It was so lovely to be a passenger and just relax and enjoy the views. Made some new friends and would definetly do it again! Highly recommend.
– Dawn Marie D., GoogleColter went out of his way to make our day perfect. He was on time picking us up, accommodating with any and all of our requests, and had incredible facts about Yellowstone. He was personable and professional. The van was clean and comfortable. We had an amazing experience and will cherish our memories forever!
– Sara F., GoogleIt was so nice to sit back and and have a knowledgeable guide take you through all the highlights of Yellowstone along with history and information we would have never known exploring on our own. Each stop was the perfect amount of time. Maddie, our guide, was sweet, cultured, and loves what she does. Our family has memories to last a lifetime.
– Ashley M, TripAdvisor
