phone-icon 1-888-990-5552 email-icon info@rockjumper.com
user-icon Log in / Register

USA - Montana & Wyoming: Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

© Mountain Goats by Forrest Rowland

There is nowhere in North America as iconic as Yellowstone National Park. Towering mountains, spewing geysers, vast forests and valleys harbouring the highest megafauna density on the continent make this a must-visit destination for anyone wanting to experience the classic American West. But the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, as it is known by locals and researchers, is much more than what is found within the National Park’s borders, despite its enormous size. The ecosystem includes huge, pristine prairies, alpine crags and meadows, near-arid desert, and the most diverse and lovely scenery one could hope for.

For birders, a visit to the Yellowstone region means Longspurs parachuting over Mountain Plover chicks, Western Tanagers at the same feeders as Red Crossbills, Black Rosy Finches foraging at the feet of Mountain Goats, Brown-headed Cowbirds on the back of the original bovine of the continent – the Bison. Yellowstone means time spent observing wolves and bears foraging, hunting, in their natural habitats, otters and Barrow’s Goldeneye frolicking in the Lamar River, and some of the most spectacular geothermal sites on Earth. Any visit to Yellowstone is memorable and unique, but there is so much more to be seen and enjoyed than most visitors could conceive.

Top Birds

Black Rosy Finch; Sprague’s Pipit; Thick-billed & Chestnut-collared Longspurs;, Mountain Plover; Dusky Grouse; Three-toed Woodpecker; Williamson’s Sapsucker; Sagebrush Sparrow;, Baird’s Sparrow.

Top Mammals

Gray Wolf; Grizzly & American Black Bears; Bighorn; Mountain Goat; American Bison

Habitats Covered

shortgrass and mixed-grass Prairie, Riparian Deciduous Forest, Sagebrush Steppe, Lake and Marsh wetlands, Montane Coniferous Forest, Alpine grassland

Expected Climate

daytime temperatures typically range 65 -80F, with cool evenings in the 50s – 60s. Though the odd afternoon thunderstorm is likely, weather is typically very enjoyable with little precipitation.

Max Group Size

6 with 1 Rockjumper Leader and local leaders where necessary

Tour Pace & Walking

tour pace is relaxed, with a few short hikes that are best for species like Black Rosy-Finch and Grouse. Overall, easy and pleasant walking conditions on road and trails.

Accommodation

3-4 star accommodations throughout the tour.

Ease of Birding

generally easy, though sometimes species like Northern Pygmy Owl or Gray Partridge can be a little tricky to pin down.

Number of Species Expected

220+

Other Attractions

wildlife and photography, of course, are amazing. Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park, driving the Beartooth Highway over the second-highest drivable pass in the country, art galleries and shops in Livingston, visit the Yellowstone Film Ranch.

Photographic Opportunities

incredible photo ops of dozens of bird species and some 14 species of mammal, minimum

What our clients say about us

Forrest Rowland
JP - Montana 2021

Forrest Rowland is a great guide with thorough knowledge of the area and avifauna. He got all members of the group to see all the species encountered, and we found many great birds. He is very professional, dedicated and with good humour. The area is beautiful and the fauna fantastic.

Adam Walleyn
JW & JW, California 2021

Luke & Adam did a great job. This tour was the perfect US specialty tour (will be interested to see more of these)... We covered tons of environments in a fairly small territory. Luke is a LA-area expert and aimed us exactly where we needed to be.

Forrest Rowland
AH, Montana

Our guide was superb. The experience was really beyond my expectations. This was “awesome” in the traditional sense of awesome not the common vernacular.

Stephan Lorenz
JM, Texas 2021

I just wanted you to know that the trip to Texas with Stefan and Claudia went fantastic. The birding was unbelievable and the logistics to pull that all off in such a large state as Texas were near flawless. Stefan is an amazing birder and his persistence and patience made certain everyone got on the birds; the views were amazing. Claudia was a great help for him and was fantastic at quickly getting the scope on the birds as well. It was all wonderful Rockjumper birding until you drop at its finest! On side notes, the food was great.

Stephan Lorenz
NM, Texas 2021

The group saw 24 warblers (me 21) & I was elated!! Not to mention all the other quality birds. Stephen was superb. There were 13 of us & tho a high count of clients by RBT standards, it worked very well-we were lucky too-a fallout. Thanks Stephan thanks RBT.

USA - Montana & Wyoming: Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem 2024

23 Jun 2024 - 30 Jun 2024 (8 days)

USD4,595 - No Spaces Available

Wait List
client-img

Tour Leader: Forrest Rowland

Tour price (Per person): USD4,595 * GBP3,675 * EUR4,274 * AUD6,971

Single Supplement: USD670 * GBP536 * EUR623 * AUD1,016

  • Your details

  • Hidden

  • Contact permission

    We would love to send you Newsletters (twice yearly).via Type a message, Promotions/Discounts (weekly), Blog Articles/Image of the Month (monthly) and other content that we think you would find interesting. If you are happy with this then please select your preferences below. If you would like to unsubscribe from previous subscriptions, or leave our mailing list entirely, then please do so by visiting the Preference Centre link at the bottom of these emails.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Route Map

Tour Route Map

map-direction-img
Download Tour Itinerary
English