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Wyoming

Hiking in the Beartooth Mountains of Wyoming

Program No. 22798RJ

Trek through the magnificent Beartooth Mountains and Shoshone National Forest as you learn about their unique geology and ecology, and absorb their natural beauty.

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We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more

6 days

5 nights

14 meals

5B 4L 5D

Check-in, Program Registration, Welcome Dinner, Orientation

Crandall Creek

Beartooth & Absaroka Mountain Intro, First Hike

Crandall Creek

Crandall Creek

Crandall Creek

Crandall Creek

Crandall Creek

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At a Glance

Beartooth. Shoshone. Absaroka. When it comes to the mountains of Wyoming, even the names are poetic. Hike off the beaten path through undulating hills and alpine meadows as you explore the natural wonders of these remote and glorious mountains. Join seasoned naturalists to learn about the geological forces that gave rise to dramatic cliffs, lush valleys and windswept plateaus. Encounter exquisite lakes and babbling creeks in this rich riparian habitat, and discover the abundance of life that survives at this altitude, including the mighty grizzly bear.

Activity Level

Outdoor: Spirited

Daily hikes up to 6 miles on rocky, uneven terrain. Elevations up to 11,000 feet.

Micro Group

These adventures feature our smallest group size, with 12 participants or fewer.

Best of all, you’ll…

Enjoy invigorating hikes in magnificent high country.
Discover a high-elevation ecosystem teeming with plant and animal life-forms, and learn about their habitat.
Absorb the unsung beauty of Wyoming as you hike from one staggeringly beautiful vista to the next.

General Notes

This is a Micro Group program, with 12 or fewer participants. Roommate matching is unavailable for solo travelers on this program. NOTE FOR UPCOMING SEASON (2025 DEPARTURES): We are aware of some disruptions within the Park Service and believe our programs in Yellowstone National Park can operate normally with minimal impact. Although the full effects of layoffs and hiring freezes for seasonal workers is unknown at this time, we have minimized our dependence on Park Service for lectures, clean-up and other services. We utilize lodging operated by both the park concessionaire and private hotels outside of the park. Neither are operated by the Park Service and shouldn’t be impacted by layoffs or hiring freezes. Our restaurants are also operated by residents of the gateway communities or employees of the park concessionaire. In accordance with the Leave No Trace Seven Principles, our groups pack out what they pack in and do not rely on Park Service for cleaning up after our visit. Finally, we don’t foresee Visitor Centers or sites in Yellowstone National Park to be closed due to staffing issues. We will of course be monitoring the situation through our partners within the gateway communities, National Park Service and the CUA office.

Featured Expert

All trip experts

Leslie Stoltz

Raised and educated in the Finger Lakes region of New York, Leslie Stoltz now lives in Big Sky, Montana, surrounded by the wild places that she loves. Her decade of work for the National Park Service in Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks in the areas of research and education provided a wonderful foundation for her career as a teacher and park expert. Since the early 1990s, Leslie has worked for a variety of companies and non-profit organizations, teaching classes and leading trips in national parks and wild areas throughout the American West. Farther afield, she has led educational trips to Nepal, Bhutan, Tanzania, Botswana, Ecuador, and Mexico. Leslie also runs a non-profit with a mission to keep kids connected to the outdoors though scholarship opportunities for outdoor learning experiences.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Leslie Stoltz View biography

Gene Ball View biography

Raised along the rural Louisiana-Texas border, Gene's early outdoor experiences began a lifelong interest in wildlife, western heritage and preservation. After teaching and serving as director for the Hill Country Arts Foundation and Cowboy Artists Museum in Texas, he migrated to Wyoming to work at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. He then became director of the Yellowstone Association and Yellowstone Institute in Yellowstone National Park, and now freelances as a writer and naturalist.

Jim Garry View biography

Jim Garry was born and raised in Texas and got his education at the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources. Since then, he moved to Wyoming where he’s lived for the past 44 years, spending at least part of every year in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. In that time, he’s worked as a wilderness guide, cowboy, biologist, naturalist, historian, artist, teacher, writer and storyteller. His most recent book is “The Weapons of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.”

Charlie Pyle View biography

Charlie Pyle grew up on a family farm in Oklahoma, and he became enthralled with the Rocky Mountains and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem on family trips to Montana in the 1950’s. In Charlie’s long and distinguished career, he’s led trips to Alaska and Yellowstone National Park as a Girl Scout leader and served as a program assistant at the Lamar Buffalo Ranch and in Gardiner for the Yellowstone Association Institute, a volunteer park host at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, and a Wilderness First Responder.

Joyce Conners View biography

Joyce’s first forays into nature were in the sand hills of Nebraska. She quickly upgraded to the Colorado Rockies, and eventually the mountains of Montana, where she has lived for the last 40 years. Working at the Greater Yellowstone Coalition in Bozeman has allowed Joyce to become a bona fide Yellowstone expert, and she considers herself fortunate to lead groups through the park’s extraordinary beauty. Joyce loves hiking, gardening and non-technical mountain climbing. Make sure to ask her about her stories involving mountain lions, mountain goats and grizzly bears!

Meredith Madden View biography

Meredith grew up in a Chicago suburb and first fell in love with nature on family trips to Michigan. She moved to Big Sky Montana at age 21 and hasn’t looked back since. Meredith enjoys swimming, hiking, cross country and alpine skiing, rafting, kayaking, bike riding, Bikram yoga and Pilates. She loves children, animals and dancing. Meredith is a certified Pilates instructor and works as an assistant to families in Bozeman teaching Pilates, caring for children, pets and all-around needs.

Kathy Lichtendahl View biography

As a resident of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for more than 25 years, Kathy Lichtendahl has spent much of that time hiking, backpacking and skiing the area. Kathy was a member of Park County Search and Rescue for a dozen years and now works as a professional conservation photographer covering the wildlife and landscapes of the western United States. Kathy is a certified interpretive group leader through the National Association for Interpretation.

Zack Baker View biography

Zack Baker attended high school in Livingston, Montana, 52 miles north of Yellowstone. His love for the park started while snowshoeing and observing wildlife. At Montana State University in Bozeman, he earned a B.S. in plant science, but it was Yellowstone’s mammals that grabbed his interest. He led private wildlife watching, hiking, and photography trips, and drove snowcoaches in the winter. He joined up with Road Scholar in 2017 and is now the Program Director for Road Scholar at the University of Montana Western.

Shauna Baron View biography

Shauna Baron holds a B.S. in Biology and a M.S. in Science Education. She has more than 25 years of experience as an outdoor educator, studying large and small carnivores throughout the U.S., including wolves, bears, fishers, and bobcats. Shauna saw her first wild wolf while volunteering for the Yellowstone Wolf Project in 1996 and has since worked as a naturalist in Yellowstone National Park, developing outdoor educational classes for the Yellowstone Institute. She specializes in programs for disabled veterans, inner-city youth, and autistic groups.

Heidi Schwandt View biography

Heidi Schwandt's upbringing on cattle ranches in Southwestern Montana gave her the freedom to explore the woods and mountains. A short stint with the Forest Service on a trail maintenance crew solidified her love of hiking. Heidi has been instructing Alpine skiing for more than a decade, including a women-only skiing program she piloted at her local mountain. Two decades as a 4-H volunteer have showcased her passion for connecting with people and inspiring them to learn by doing.

Ilene Cohen View biography

Ilene Cohen grew up on the east coast but knew from a young age that she wanted to live in the western mountains. Ilene and her husband settled in Dillon, Montana over two decades ago to raise their son and enjoy all the beauty and opportunities of Montana. Ilene worked for the University of Montana Western for 17 years in student success services. One of her retirement goals was to work for Road Scholar in order to spend more time in Yellowstone and the Beartooths.