Montana
Wildlife & Geysers: Yellowstone With Your Younger Grandchild
Program No. 1491060MEADV-1116-60
Get to know Yellowstone with your grandchild as you kayak, ride horses, discover spouting geysers, watch for bears, wolves and bison, and earn your Junior Ranger badge!
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Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone?
800-454-5768
Age 8 - 11
ROOMING OPTION PRICING
The figures below indicate the rooming options available.
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DATES | ||||
Filling Fast! Jun 16 - Jun 21, 20253,199 2,099 | ||||
Jun 16 - Jun 21, 2025
| 3,199 / Adult
2,099 / Child
| 3,199 / Adult
2,099 / Child
| 4,199 / Adult
2,099 / Child
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Jul 14 - Jul 19, 2025
3,199 2,099 | ||||
Jul 14 - Jul 19, 2025
| 3,199 / Adult
2,099 / Child
| 3,199 / Adult
2,099 / Child
| 4,199 / Adult
2,099 / Child
| |
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This date is available to book as a private experience for your group!
6 days
5 nights
14 meals
5B 4L 5D
1
Check-in, Registration, Welcome Dinner, Orientation
West Yellowstone, MT
2
Intro. to Yellowstone, Grizzlies & Wolves
West Yellowstone, MT
3
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Norris Geyser Basin
West Yellowstone, MT
4
Yellowstone Lake, Kayaking
West Yellowstone, MT
5
Horseback Riding, River Ecology
West Yellowstone, MT
6
Program Concludes
West Yellowstone, MT
At a Glance
Explore the wild wonders of Yellowstone National Park with your grandchild. Investigate bubbling mud pots, hissing steam vents, spouting geysers, thundering waterfalls, animal diets and more during hands-on activities. Get a close-up look at the park’s carnivores at the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center, discover how to recognize rarely seen animals using silhouettes and tracks. Spend the week learning from an expert naturalist and park rangers as you work towards your very own Junior Ranger badge!
Activity Level
Outdoor: Spirited
Hiking up to two miles daily on varied terrain; some inclines and stairs. One-hour horseback ride and kayaking four hours. Elevations of 6,666-7,800 feet.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Connect with your inner cowboy on a horseback ride through prime wildlife habitats, and keep your eyes open for fox and other fur bearers along the way.
- Grab a paddle and hit the water on a kayaking excursion on Yellowstone Lake. You WILL get wet!
- Identify Yellowstone’s elk, bison, marmots, pronghorns and birds of prey using spotting scopes with the help of a naturalist.
General Notes
Program is for grandchildren ages 8-11. For a Yellowstone program for older grandchildren (ages 9-12) check out "Yellowstone’s Great Outdoors With Your Grandchild" (#17306). For a family adventure for all generations, check out "Yellowstone: A Great Outdoor Adventure With Your Family" (#20977).
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Zack Baker
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.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
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.
Suggested Reading List
(11 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Wildlife & Geysers: Yellowstone With Your Younger Grandchild
Program Number: 14910
It Happened in Yellowstone: Remarkable Events That Shaped History
Discover true tales from Yellowstone's past that shaped its history including geologic events like the volcanic eruption that formed Yellowstone over 600,000 years ago and the massive 1959 earthquake that created Quake Lake. Read about wildlife, the historic Nez Perce flight and early tourists, Truman Everts-lost in Yellowstone and a great stagecoach robbery.
To Save the Wild Bison: Life on the Edge in Yellowstone
The author brings clarity and revelation to one of Yellowstone's most complex struggles by tracing the history of bison and humans into the 19th century and further into the national parks era. Here's discussion of bison management and park policy - the battle over brucellosis, snowmobiles and groomed winter roads, desires of Native Americans, bison and predators.
After the Fires: The Ecology of Change in Yellowstone National Park
The ravaging fires of 1988 caused many scientists to predict long-term devastation which did not come to pass. This scientific summary by wildlife biologists, ecosystem and forest scientists and landscape ecologists discusses the many things that changed and did not change in the Yellowstone area. Realize the role of fire in the ecosystem and the resiliency of nature.
Decade of the Wolf, revised and updated edition: Returning the Wild to Yellowstone
Research and storytelling meld to document wolf recovery in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Wolf biologist, Smith, and nature writer, Ferguson, provide an inside look at the Yellowstone Wolf Recovery Project ten years after the controversial decision was made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services to reintroduce wolves into the park. Smith, wolf project leader who has worked with the Yellowstone Wolf Project since its inception, has studied wolves for 25 years. Ferguson, whose writing largely arises from intimate experiences, followed through the seasons, the first 14 wolves released into Yellowstone National Park. Their collaboration offers hard facts and 'impressionistic portraits of individual wolves that reveal their epic lives full of struggle and conquest.' Here is the history of the return of the top predator to Yellowstone.
Who Pooped in the Park? Yellowstone National Park: Scat and Tracks for Kids
Accurate information that is fun to read. Kids will learn how to identify critter scat and tracks in a straight forward manner. Lots of extra detail is included such as how to tell the difference between similar looking tracks, why wolf scat has hair in it and much more.
Hey Ranger? Kids Ask Questions About Yellowstone National Park
Here are real questions - some smart and some silly - that kids ask rangers every day. This well researched, educational guide is fun to read and filled with fascinating facts and amusing anecdotes.
Watching Yellowstone and Teton Wildlife: The Best Places to Look From Roads and Trails
Pack this guidebook, along with your binoculars and enthusiasm, when visiting both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. The authors identify numerous viewing areas for optimum wildlife watching and have included maps, color photographs, samples of animal tracks, driving tours, hikes and animal descriptions including behavioral information.
Roadside Geology of Yellowstone Country
Updated, classic roadside geology book for the Yellowstone Region explains current geological theories.
Yellowstone Place Names, 2nd edition
Yellowstone National Park Historian's well-researched and entertaining reference source for information on many of Yellowstone's place names and their origins.
Yellowstone National Park (True Books: National Parks)
Ages 7 and up. An introduction to Yellowstone National Park includes a look at its thermal features, wildlife, habitat and human history. Includes map, index, related titles, important terms and online sites.
Lost in Yellowstone, Truman Everts' Thirty-seven Days of Peril
Read this true life adventure of the fifty-four year-old, nearsighted Truman Everts who visited the Yellowstone area with an exploration party in 1870. Although he was an inexperienced woodsman, he was determined to map and investigate the grand and mysterious Yellowstone country. After becoming separated from his party and abandoned by his horse, he wandered Yellowstone for thirty-seven days, injured, alone and with little food and shelter. Lee Whittlesey, Yellowstone National Park's historian, edited Everts' story which records one of the American frontier's most grueling survival adventures. Appreciate many early day photographs of Yellowstone National Park which illustrate the book.
Program
At a Glance
Duration
6 days
Program Begins
West Yellowstone, MT
Program Concludes
West Yellowstone, MT
Meals
14
| 5B |
4L |
5D |
Activity Level
Explore the wild wonders of Yellowstone National Park with your grandchild. Investigate bubbling mud pots, hissing steam vents, spouting geysers, thundering waterfalls, animal diets and more during hands-on activities. Get a close-up look at the park’s carnivores at the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center, discover how to recognize rarely seen animals using silhouettes and tracks. Spend the week learning from an expert naturalist and park rangers as you work towards your very own Junior Ranger badge!)
Best of all, you'll...
- Connect with your inner cowboy on a horseback ride through prime wildlife habitats, and keep your eyes open for fox and other fur bearers along the way.
- Grab a paddle and hit the water on a kayaking excursion on Yellowstone Lake. You WILL get wet!
- Identify Yellowstone’s elk, bison, marmots, pronghorns and birds of prey using spotting scopes with the help of a naturalist.
General Notes
Program is for grandchildren ages 8-11. For a Yellowstone program for older grandchildren (ages 9-12) check out "Yellowstone’s Great Outdoors With Your Grandchild" (#17306). For a family adventure for all generations, check out "Yellowstone: A Great Outdoor Adventure With Your Family" (#20977).
Featured Expert
Zack Baker
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.
Please Note:
This expert may not be available for every date of the program
Activity Level
Outdoor: Spirited
Hiking up to two miles daily on varied terrain; some inclines and stairs. One-hour horseback ride and kayaking four hours. Elevations of 6,666-7,800 feet.
Suggested Reading List
View Full List
(11 Books)
You can also find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
HAVE QUESTIONS?
Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone?
We can help. Give us a call, and we can answer all of your questions!
Call
800-454-5768
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
6 days
5 nights
What's Included
14 meals | 5B | 4L | 5D |
3 expert-led lectures
8 expert-led field trips
6 hands-on experiences
An experienced Group Leader
5 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Day
1
Check-in, Registration, Welcome Dinner, Orientation
Location:
West Yellowstone, MT
Meals:
D
Stay:
Brandin' Iron Inn
Activity Note
Inn check-in from 4:00 p.m.
Afternoon:
Program Registration is 4:00-5:00 pm. After you have your room assignment, come to the Road Scholar table in the motel lobby to register with the program staff and get your welcome packet containing your up-to-date schedule that reflects any last-minute changes, other important information, and to confirm when and where the Orientation session will take place. If you arrive late, please ask for your packet when you check in.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
Orientation. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. This is a Road Scholar intergenerational program. Grandparents are responsible for their grandchildren. If/when separate age group activities are conducted concurrently, program staff will supervise. Children are never to be left unsupervised. Unless specified otherwise, most field trips and lectures will be led by our local instructor who is also an expert naturalist. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. After Orientation, we’ll enjoy some get acquainted activities. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Day
2
Intro. to Yellowstone, Grizzlies & Wolves
Location:
West Yellowstone, MT
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Brandin' Iron Inn
Activity Note
Walking about 1 mile throughout the day; paved sidewalks and side streets.
Breakfast:
At a local restaurant.
Morning:
We’ll then gather in to our meeting room, adjacent to the restaurant. Our local naturalist instructor will give us an introduction to the Yellowstone caldera — a word that means cooking pot, and it really is! Through pictures, kid-friendly graphs, displays, and hands-on activities, we’ll learn about molten rock, explosions, craters, hot spots, domes, steam vents, sulfide gas, mudpots, cones, and earthquakes. After a short break, our overview will continue with a presentation on Yellowstone's inhabitants from well known animals such as bears, bighorn sheep, bison, elk, mule deer, and wolves, to lesser known but equally wonderful critters including golden mantled ground squirrels, marmots, pikas, pronghorn, otters, ravens, and more.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
Next, we’ll walk to the Yellowstone Nature Connection (YNC), a nonprofit that works in partnership with the US Forest Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Land Management. YNC is dedicated to connecting young people and adults to the role of fire and natural wonders of the Yellowstone Area. We’ll get involved with some hands-on activities that will help us to better understand fire's role in the ecosystem, fire behavior and suppression. Especially for kids: We will also learn about the role of a highly trained fire response force called Smokejumpers as we participate in experiential activities in order to learn and understand the valuable role of these brave fire fighters. Activities will include learning how to exit an airplane, required physical fitness, handling smokejumper gear, tools and a parachute, which are all required to fight forest fires. At the end, we’ll have a group test and be awarded a graduation gift as we become Junior Smokejumpers! Continuing our adventure, we’ll walk to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, a not-for-profit wildlife park and educational facility that will help us learn about grizzlies and wolves. During our field trip with our local instructor, we’ll see grizzly bears and wolves up close. We’ll learn about the natural history of these animals and the different reasons why they live at the center. while also discussing the responsibility humans hold in helping bears stay wild and how important wolves are to the Yellowstone ecosystem. : As a highlight of the day, we’ll have a chance to feed the bears as we participate in the center’s Keeper Kids program. This unique hands-on 30-minute program will teach us about grizzly bear eating habits as we accompany one of the Discovery Center’s expert naturalists into the bear habitat to hide food for the bears. After the food is hidden, we’ll watch first-hand how bears use their sense of smell to search out the food that we hid.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
3
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Norris Geyser Basin
Location:
West Yellowstone, MT
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Brandin' Iron Inn
Activity Note
Walking about 3 miles; asphalt paths, groomed trails, boardwalks, stairs.
Breakfast:
Motel breakfast.
Morning:
Our full day field day in Yellowstone National Park will begin with a visit to the historic Norris Museum, built in 1929, before moving on to the Norris Geyser Basin. Our instructor will lead us as we see the museum exhibits on the basin’s geothermal features. We’ll then walk along a basin trail to see the hottest, most dynamic and most volatile area in the park.
Lunch:
Sack lunches in the park.
Afternoon:
We’ll continue exploring as we move eastward to one of the most breathtaking sights inside Yellowstone Park, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. As we hike along the canyon that is 20 miles long, up to 4,000 feet wide, and 1,200 feet deep in some places, we will see colors of yellow, red, white, and pink. These beautiful colors are the result of fluids percolating through hot springs and steam vents over thousands of years. Learners of all ages will gain a sense of the canyon's immensity at Lookout and Artist's Points. We’ll also hike down into canyon depths to experience the thundering noise, churning waters, cool mist, and unique vegetation zone of the falls. At the Lower Falls that cascade down 308 feet, we’ll see and learn about the canyon's geology and flora before hiking back to the canyon rim that frames the Yellowstone River to view the magnificent Upper Falls. As we cross Chittenden Bridge keep a look out for waterfowl, perhaps osprey and water ouzel. After boarding our motorcoach at the end of the hike, we’ll continue into the Hayden Valley, an outstanding wildlife habitat that may offer opportunities to see wildlife such as buffalo, elk, grizzly bears, coyote and
Dinner:
At the Canyon Village Eatery.
Evening:
Return to West Yellowstone. Keep the binoculars close as we look for wildlife on our return to the lodging.
Day
4
Yellowstone Lake, Kayaking
Location:
West Yellowstone, MT
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Brandin' Iron Inn
Activity Note
Kayaking approximately 4 hours. Several moderate hikes of up to about 2.5 miles total on well-maintained boardwalks, stairs, trails, asphalt paths; the trail to Old Faithful Overlook is moderately steep and rocky. We recommend bringing some extra clothing layers in case you get wet kayaking, a water bottle, sun protection, and some comfortable walking shoes.
Breakfast:
At a local restaurant.
Morning:
With our local instructor and Group Leader, we’ll set out aboard our motorcoach on a field trip into the heart Yellowstone National Park where we will kayak on Yellowstone Lake, North America's largest high elevation lake at 20 miles long, 14 miles wide, and more than 390 feet deep at its deepest point. In route to the lake area, our instructor will offer commentary and we will stop where the road intersects the caldera rim for a beautiful view and to talk about the Great Caldera. We’ll have kayaking instruction and a safety review when we get to the lake. As we kayak, our instructor and the kayak leaders will tell us about Yellowstone fisheries, human activity in the lake region, and current volcanic activity.
Lunch:
In the park, we’ll have sack lunches.
Afternoon:
We’ll continue our kayaking adventure and, in the mid-afternoon, we will board our motorcoach to travel to the Old Faithful area. : With our instructor in the lead, we’ll hike to the geyser basin and experience all four thermal features: geysers, mudpots, fumaroles, and hot springs. We’ll not only see them, we’ll walk through and feel clouds of steam, smell sulfur, hear hissing steam vents, and bubbling, plopping mudpots. It’s a mind-blowing wonderland of unique features, beautiful colors, and spouting geysers. Believe it or not, there’s life in the boiling water!
Dinner:
At the Old Faithful Lodge Cafeteria.
Evening:
Return to West Yellowstone.
Day
5
Horseback Riding, River Ecology
Location:
West Yellowstone, MT
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Brandin' Iron Inn
Activity Note
Getting on/off horses, riding about 2 hours; moderate terrain; weight limit for horseback riding is 270 pounds; closed-toed shoes required; no sandals.
Breakfast:
Motel Breakfast
Morning:
We’ll get on our motorcoach and head to a camp ground area where we will go on a river walk together as our local instructor discusses river ecology
Lunch:
Sack lunches in the field.
Afternoon:
We’ll then hop on our motorcoach and ride to a ranch outside of town to meet our horses for the day! Our wranglers will offer a short instruction about horse handling and tack (equipment). Whether beginners or experienced riders, we’ll be ready to set out on scenic forest trails with several wranglers leading us as we ride quietly through prime wildlife habitat where we may be lucky enough to see deer, birds of prey, fox, and other fur bearers that inhabit the Yellowstone area.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
Back at the motel meeting room, we’ll have a wrap-up session to bring our Yellowstone adventure to a conclusion. . Then be sure to prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Day
6
Program Concludes
Location:
West Yellowstone, MT
Meals:
B
Activity Note
Airport shuttles arrangements should be made ahead of time. Inn check-out by 11:00 a.m.
Breakfast:
Motel breakfast. This concludes our program.
Afternoon:
We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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MEALS
14 Meals
5 Breakfasts
4 Lunches
5 Dinners
LODGING
Lodgings may differ by date. Select a date to see the lodgings specific to that date.
Showing Lodging For:
- Jul 14, 2025 - Jul 19, 2025
- Jun 16, 2025 - Jun 21, 2025
- Jul 14, 2025 - Jul 19, 2025
Participant Reviews
Based on 8 Reviews
Sort By:
My grandchild and I had the time of our lives exploring Yellowstone with excellent leaders and guides. We learned so much and made great new friends! This was truly a great experience
— Review left July 29, 2024
Home run, kids making up geology songs, amazed at the wildlife,laughing all the way, Priceless.
— Review left June 30, 2024
What a pleasure to travel and learn with my grandsons, ages 8 and 9. This program was perfectly planned for a fantastic, fun learning experience for this age group.
— Review left August 19, 2021
My grandson and I had a wonderful introduction the Yellowstone on our intergenerational visit. We shared adventures we had never experienced in a safe but exciting and interesting format. We're looking forward to planning our next intergenerational trip with Road Scholar next year!
— Review left August 17, 2021
Fantastic, experience was above all expectations our leader Denise was amazing, educational experience and experience with our grandchildren was memorable.
— Review left August 6, 2021
Great
— Review left August 1, 2021
Outstanding learning experience while providing a great view of Yellowstone National Park. Fun way to spend time with your grandchild!
— Review left August 1, 2021
This program was awesome! And one of the main reasons was the leader, Denise, who was very patient with the kids, incredibly knowledgeable about the geology, wildlife, history, lore, etc. of the area. Really enjoyed the kayaking, horseback riding, and hiking (tho' the altitude was a challenge!)
— Review left August 5, 2019