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Hike the Sky Rim Trail in Yellowstone National Park

3 nights
Tough

Immerse yourself in the world's first national park with this spectacular backcountry hike

What's Included?

Small Like-minded Groups

Solo-friendly by design, join our small n’ sociable groups of up to 9 like-minded, active and outdoorsy people
From

…

excluding flights
From

…

excluding flights

What's it like?

Experience true backcountry as you hike along the Sky Rim Trail in Yellowstone National Park

Look out for bears, wolves, moose, bison and other Yellowstone wildlife

Take in the highlights of Yellowstone including Norris Geyser Basin, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and Lamar Valley.

Key Information

Day 1

Welcome to Montana!

Hiking

2-3 hrs · 6-8km · 150m up · 150m down

Your host will meet you at Bozeman Airport and whisk you off to West Yellowstone, the gateway to the world's first national park. No trip to Yellowstone is complete without experiencing Old Faithful, a geyser named after its frequent and predictable eruptions. You'll also take an easy walk to the Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook to admire one of the largest and most colorful hot springs in the world.

In the evening, your guides will prepare you for tomorrow's overnight backcountry adventure on the Sky Rim Trail. You'll enjoy a big dinner at your campsite home for the night before settling down for a good nights sleep.

Day 2

Head out into the backcountry on the Sky Rim Trail

Hiking

8-10 hrs · 16km · 1200m up

This morning, you'll strap on your pack for two nights in the backcountry. After breakfast, you'll hike out through lodgepole pine forests and alpine meadows before beginning your initial ascent up the ridge. Expect panoramic views of some of Yellowstone's highest peaks. After a stunning day on the trail, you'll arrive at your backcountry campsite where you'll cook a delicious camp dinner. Listen to local ghost stories around the campfire before settling into your tent for the evening.

Day 3

Continue along the Sky Rim Trail and hike out of the backcountry

Hiking

8-10 hrs · 16km · 1200m down

Today you'll continue hiking through the national park, taking in Yellowstone's vistas and learning about the history of the national park along the way. Your naturalist hiking guide will be on the lookout for wildlife throughout, and can tell you about the recent succesful reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone and the myriad positive impacts this had on the ecosystem. You'll have a picnic lunch in a scenic meadow.

Towards the end of today's hike, you'll make your way out of the backcountry and descend back to the trailhead. Tonight you'll spend the evening at a luxury safari style glamping site, amongst a field of horses. 

Day 4

See more Yellowstone highlights on your way back to Bozeman

Hiking

2-3 hrs · 6-8 km · 150m up · 150m down

After breakfast and bidding your luxury camp spot farewell, you'll jump in the van to cram in as many of Yellowstone's highlights as you can en route back to Bozeman. You’ll take the scenic route back, stopping at Norris Geyser Basin, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Lamar Valley and Mammoth Hot Springs. Your guide will have you back at Bozeman Airport in time your onward flight later this afternoon or evening.

The Area

map

Logistics

Starts

Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport

12pm on Day 1

Ends

Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport

4pm on Day 4

Transfers

Your host will meet you at Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport in Bozeman, Montana at 12 pm, so please book a flight that arrives before 11.30 am. Alternatively, you can be collected at your accommodation in Bozeman at 10.30 am if you are already in town.

At the end of your trip, you'll be dropped at the airport at 4pm, so you can book any flight that leaves after 5.30 pm to ensure you have enough time to check-in. Alternatively you can be dropped at your accommodation in Bozeman if you are staying on.

Travel options

There are direct flights to Bozeman Airport (BZN) from all over the US and major hubs in Europe, including London, UK.

Day 1

Campsite · Twin tent

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Day 2

Campsite · Twin tent

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Day 3

Glamping · Triple share

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Day 4

Departure day

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

What is the food like?

Evening meals around the campfire will be based around rice and pasta dishes with fresh vegetables. For breakfast there will be eggs, pancakes and fruit. Lunches will be meat-based sandwiches unless you request a vegan/vegetarian option. During the adventure you'll be kept full of delicious, local snacks. Water, tea and coffee are provided as well as wine and beer in the evenings. Vegetarian, vegan and other dietary requirements can be accommodated - just request when booking.

What is the accommodation like?

Backcountry wild camping

For the first two nights you'll stay at a backcountry camp site. You'll carry your own tent, sleeping bag and sleeping mat and everyone will muck in to help set up and take down camp. All part of an American backcountry adventure.

West Yellowstone

Your last night will be spent at a luxury glamping site called 'Under Canvas' just outside the National Park's west entrance. You'll stay in twin-share safari style glamping tents with uninterupted views of Montana's picturesque landscape.

Upgrades

For solo travellers looking for their own space, an optional private tent just for the backcounty camping (nights 1 and 2) can be requested. Or you can also request a solo tent and your own glamping safari tent for all three nights of the trip.

See Optional Extras for prices. Please request at the time of booking (this is subject to availability).

This trip is brand new

We’re still waiting to collect any reviews from other travellers on this trip. However, all our hosts go through an extensive vetting process to ensure that your adventure is awesome.

Guides

Expert, medically-trained naturalist guides with wilderness first responder training

Accommodation

2 nights backcountry wild camping followed by a night in a luxury safari style tent to finish

Meals

Delicious fresh food included throughout

Transfers

To and from the airport and everything in-between

Equipment

We'll provide all the group equipment you need for your backcountry camping including tents, sleeping mats and cooking items

Permits

All your National Park entry fees and permits

Our trips are hassle-free by design. We include all the activities and equipment, as well as many of the meals, so you can simply rock up with your rucksack and share the adventure with your new pals.

Personal Expenses

You know your own spending habits best, so please budget an appropriate amount for things like optional meals and drinks, shopping, optional activities, and laundry.

Enjoy 12.5% Off Outdoor Gear

In need of a few more items? All bookings receive a 12.5% discount to use at Cotswold Outdoor, Snow + Rock and Runner's Need.

What's included?

All your camping equipment including tent, sleeping mat and cooking items.

What's available to hire?

  • Sleeping bag (see Optional Extras for prices)

What do I need to bring?

Bags

  • Backpack (60-70 litres)
  • Waterproof cover or drybags

Clothes

  • Hiking boots, waterproof with sturdy sole (worn-in)
  • Long sleeve base layers (synthetic and moisture wicking)
  • Long pant base layer (synthetic and moisture wicking)
  • Light synthetic shirt or tank for warmer days
  • Hiking pants or shorts (at least one pair should be long pants)
  • Insulating mid layers (fleece jacket or vest, down jacket)
  • Waterproof, windproof shell
  • Wool Hiking Socks, multiple pairs
  • Light gloves
  • Warm hat
  • Casual clothes for camp

Sleeping

  • Sleeping bag (2-3 season). Also available to hire.
  • Cotton or silk sleeping bag liner (optional)

Other

  • Water bottles or Camelbak, 3L total minimum capacity
  • Headlamp
  • Small towel or facecloth
  • Toiletries and personal first aid
  • Sunscreen and insect repellant
  • Sunglasses
  • Personal mess kit
  • Trekking Poles (Optional)
  • Camera
  • Book
  • Ear plugs
*Requests for optional extras can be made after booking on your “My Bookings” page

Optional Private Tent Upgrade

Payable Before Departure

Optional Private Tent Upgrade

… Per Person

Optional Private Tent & Yurt Upgrade

Payable Before Departure

Optional Private Tent & Yurt Upgrade

… Per Person

Sleeping Bag - Down

Payable Before Departure

Sleeping Bag - Down

… Per Person

Sleeping Bag - Synthetic

Payable Before Departure

Sleeping Bag - Synthetic

… Per Person

We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity.

What's the number?
It works out on average at 89kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.

The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.

But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:

  • Driving 1000miles/1609km would be approx. 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person if there was 2 of you in it).
  • A return economy class flight London - New York would be approx. 1,619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
  • 10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approx. 250kg of CO2 from the air in a period of 5-10 years.

What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity, ensuring the protection of the reserve and its wildlife.

Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.

Tips are not included in the trip cost. The amount to tip is entirely at your discretion but there is an expectation to tip in the USA; your guides will rely on tips for a considerable portion of their income.

We suggest to budget for 10%-20% of the trip cost as a guideline.

Of course, you are free to tip more or less, and the amount should be reflective of your perception of service and quality - a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.

There is drinking water available at your campsite on day 1 and glamping site on day 3.

For the backcountry section of the trip water will be provided but you'll need to carry your own water. Please bring reusable water bottles and/or a bladder to fill up for the hikes.

Yes you can leave any excess luggage with your host at the start of the trip.

Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.

Our team of Adventure Hunters co-create exclusive adventures which are run by highly vetted, specialist hosts. The trip is run by our trusted host partner in the destination. We only work with independent, local, in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with. You’ll be introduced to the host straight after making a booking via the Much Better Adventures platform.

Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers are familiar with the practical information provided on the Government’s FCDO website, where current travel advice can be found by searching for the applicable destination(s).

For customers joining this trip from other international destinations – please also read the official travel advice applicable to your country of residence/origin, as this may differ.

We recommend checking out the country-specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.

We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.

If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.

All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.

You're always in good company on one of our adventures.

Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.

Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.

It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.

Don't just take our word for it:

  • 95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
  • 90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
  • 75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends

See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.

Interested in a more exclusive experience? Opt for a 'Private Group' through the dates and prices tab to book this adventure for just you and your chosen companions.

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We've sorted the logistics, so you can just rock up and have a blast in the wild.

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