Upper Loop Tour: Exploring Yellowstone's Unique Wildlife

Embark on an active van tour through Yellowstone National Park to discover its unique wildlife. Explore Shadow Canyon, Mount Washburn, Lamar Valley, and Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces.

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Madison River - Scope for wildlife along the Madison River in the early morning.
  • Mount Washburn - Scope for wildlife on Mount Washburn.
  • Lamar Valley - Lamar Valley is home to more than 60 species of mammal. We will use spotting scopes to look for bears, wolves, bison and more! This is the richest wildlife valley in Yellowstone.
  • Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces - We will take a short walk on the boardwalks around Mammoth Hot Springs.
  • Gibbon Meadows - Scope for wildlife.
What's Included
  • Use of binoculars and spotting scope included
  • Complimentary carbonated beverages
  • Assorted snacks provided
  • Lunch included in the tour
  • Enjoy in-vehicle air conditioning
  • Tea and coffee available
What's Not Included
  • anding and/or facility fees
Additional Information

This Active Van Tour is a great way to see the unique wildlife of Yellowstone National Park. We begin in the fun gateway town of West Yellowstone.

The early morning part of the tour explores wildlife haunts in the famous Shadow Canyon of the Madison River. This area is home to bear and elk.

Later we scope for wildlife on the shoulders of one of Yellowstone’s tallest peaks, Mount Washburn.

Next we explore the Lamar Valley, known as the Serengeti of North America. We will use spotting scopes to look for wolves, bears and other wildlife. Enjoy a hot drink while watching wolves.

Next we visit the Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces for a short walk. If you don’t feel like walking we find a safe, scenic spot for you to wait for the group near the van.

Finally, we head back toward West Yellowstone stopping for additional wildlife sightings along the way.

The day concludes back at West Yellowstone.

Location
West Yellowstone Visitor Information Center
Yellowstone Avenue
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.7
(79 Ratings)
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A9879untiffanyg
Jul 31, 2024
Wonderful tour with Josh - Josh is an amazing tour guide who is knowledgeable about the terrain, sights, & wildlife. The tour was reasonably priced and we were able to see a lot of wildlife!! Definitely would recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dingledork
Jul 31, 2024
Amazing tour of the Upper Loop and Lamar Valley - The tour was amazing and so was our guide Josh!!! Super knowledgeable about everything and stopped anywhere and everywhere. Ask for Josh!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bill_d
Jul 31, 2024
Lamar valley - Saw loads of buffalo in the Lamar valley. Mike was a great guide and made great sandwiches! Nothing else to say.
Review provided by Viator
Nicole_k
Jul 24, 2024
Great tour, our guide... - Great tour, our guide Karlie was very knowledgeable friendly and enthusiastic and she looked after us
Review provided by Viator
Woriaprincess1
Jul 23, 2024
Upper Valley, Yellowstone National Park - Today my friend and I were lucky enough to experience a complete small private tour with our wonderful guide Karlie in the Upper Loop area of Yellowstone National Park. On pick up Karlie was warm and friendly and very knowledgeable about our tour and much of the wildlife in the area.. We visited the majestic Lamar Valley where we got to see waterfalls, wild flowers and wonderful views of all that the area has to offer. Wow... The Bison were a delight as were the Elk, Pronghorn, Mountain Goats and other furry friends. Unfortunately we didn't get to see a bear or wolf at this time, but that's nature right..unpredictable and amazing. Time walking through Mammoth Hotsprings was so colourful and again the incredible rocky mountains, rivers and lakes were also stunning. The lunch, snacks and drinks Karlie provided were healthy and delicious. All round I would highly recommend a small tour with Karlie. She was a breath of fresh air like the environment she took us too. Thanks so much Karlie.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lori77418
Jul 16, 2024
Wildlife and wildflowers and more - Our van tour with Dallas was a wonderful introduction to magnificent Yellowstone. He found bison, a bear, osprey (active nest with chicks), bald eagle, trumpeter swan pair with cignets, marmot, deer, chipmunk, gulls, ducks for us to view and then there were geology and thermal discussions and fun flower ID challenges. We enjoyed getting to know the park and meeting a kindred spirit. Since we love taking pictures, it so nice of Dallas to take a few pictures with my iPhone through his spotting scope.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lindawc9590lr
Jul 15, 2024
Wildlife Viewing in the Lamar Valley - Our Guide, Chris, was excellent! We saw a lot of the wildlife. But the best was the wolf pack or sub pack of 8. The whole experience was super!!!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Doonieb2024
Jul 11, 2024
Bison, Bison Everywhere! - The Upper Loop Tour is excellent. We saw a ton of wildlife. The northern bison herd in the Lamarr Valley was amazing. The nice part of this tour is that there are planned stops to see highlights of the park, but we could also stop when we saw wildlife or something unusual. The flexibility was great. Michael did a wonderful job of explaining wildlife, thermo features, and some history too. I recommend him highly - he loves what he does, and it shows.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Richard_d
Jul 11, 2024
Bison and Bears - The most memorable experiences I had on this tour was seeing the wild animals. The bison, the birds, the elk but my favorite was when we saw a black bear and a grizzly bear. Michael was very knowledgeable and fun to hang around with.
Review provided by Viator
Logicalthinker
Jul 25, 2024
Lamar Valley is the core of the Upper Loop (Van) Tour - Lamar Valley is really the star attraction of the Yellowstone Upper Loop. Although we did not see any Grizzlies or Wolves, the wildlife we did see was wonderful.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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September 2024
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