Upper Loop Yellowstone - Nature & Wildlife
Overview
This is a tour of the northern range of Yellowstone National Park and the 'Upper Loop' of Yellowstone. We call this the Wildlife and Nature tour because it highlights the opportunity for abundant wildlife viewing and stunning landscapes. This tour will give you all of the best opportunities to see wildlife in Yellowstone and you will be able to sit back and take in the sights with us, with an extended focus on wildlife spotting with scopes and binoculars.
Inclusions
- Bottled water
- Snacks
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Lunch - Each guest will get an option of Ham, Turkey, Roast Beef or Veggie sandwich
- Entry/Admission - Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
- Entry/Admission - Sheepeater Cliffs
- Entry/Admission - Buffalo Bill National Scenic Byway
- Entry/Admission - Lamar Valley
- Entry/Admission - Tower Fall
- Entry/Admission - Hayden Valley
- Entry/Admission - Fishing Bridge General Store
- Entry/Admission - Obsidian Cliff
- Entry/Admission - Mammoth Hot Springs
- Entry/Admission - Pahaska Tepee
What to expect
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Chief Joseph Scenic Highway, WY
Bask in the awe inspiring beauty of the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway making stops at places like Dead Indian's Pass and Pilot Peak
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park, WY
Watch out for extreme wildlife viewing in the 'Serengeti of the West' in Lamar Valley. Common wildlife sightings include Black Bear, Grizzly Bear, Grey Wolves, Moose, Pronghorn, Mountain Goat, Mule Deer and more.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: Tower Fall, Yellowstone National Park, WY
See the Iconic Tower Fall waterfall, one of the many sights painted by 19th century artists that helped make Yellowstone the first National Park in the World
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Mammoth Hot Springs, Grand Loop Road, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190
Walk along both the Upper Terraces and Lower travertine Terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs. See the amazing colors produced by billions of thermophile microorganisms and learn about how this massive bed of limestone is such a wonderful piece of history in the national park
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: Sheepeater Cliffs, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190
Pull into the columnar-shaped lava fields of Sheepeater Cliffs and see where the Tukudika Tribes hunted Bighorn Sheep thousands of years ago.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Obsidian Cliff, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190
Drive past the epic Obsidian Cliff. Stretching over 3 miles long, obsidian from this cliff is found along Native trading routes between Western Canada and the Hope Valley Mortuary in Ohio. It is estimated that 90% of obsidian artifacts come from lava rock cooled at these cliffs.
Duration: 15 minutes
Pass By: Norris Geyser Basin, Grand Loop Road at Norris, Yellowstone National Park, WY
Drive past the upper viewing point to Norris Geyser Basin
Stop At: Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190
Stop at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone to see the always inspiring Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Hayden Valley, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190
Keep an eye out for more herds of Buffalo, Elk, Gray Wolves and more in Hayden Valley as we work our way along the east side of Yellowstone National Park, back to Cody
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Fishing Bridge General Store, 1 East Entrance Road, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190-9606
Make a quick pit stop at Fishing Bridge Visitor Center for one final bathroom break and chance for gift shopping at Fishing Bridge.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Pahaska Tepee, 2 miles from East entrance into Yellowstone National Park, Cody, WY
See the original hunting lodge of Buffalo Bill Cody at the Pahaska Tepee, when open.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Buffalo Bill National Scenic Byway, Wyoming
Drive through what President Theodore Roosevelt dubbed the "most scenic drive in America" and the nation's first national forest, the Shoshone National Forest.
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Chief Joseph Scenic Highway, WY
Bask in the awe inspiring beauty of the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway making stops at places like Dead Indian's Pass and Pilot Peak
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park, WY
Watch out for extreme wildlife viewing in the 'Serengeti of the West' in Lamar Valley. Common wildlife sightings include Black Bear, Grizzly Bear, Grey Wolves, Moose, Pronghorn, Mountain Goat, Mule Deer and more.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: Tower Fall, Yellowstone National Park, WY
See the Iconic Tower Fall waterfall, one of the many sights painted by 19th century artists that helped make Yellowstone the first National Park in the World
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Mammoth Hot Springs, Grand Loop Road, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190
Walk along both the Upper Terraces and Lower travertine Terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs. See the amazing colors produced by billions of thermophile microorganisms and learn about how this massive bed of limestone is such a wonderful piece of history in the national park
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: Sheepeater Cliffs, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190
Pull into the columnar-shaped lava fields of Sheepeater Cliffs and see where the Tukudika Tribes hunted Bighorn Sheep thousands of years ago.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Obsidian Cliff, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190
Drive past the epic Obsidian Cliff. Stretching over 3 miles long, obsidian from this cliff is found along Native trading routes between Western Canada and the Hope Valley Mortuary in Ohio. It is estimated that 90% of obsidian artifacts come from lava rock cooled at these cliffs.
Duration: 15 minutes
Pass By: Norris Geyser Basin, Grand Loop Road at Norris, Yellowstone National Park, WY
Drive past the upper viewing point to Norris Geyser Basin
Stop At: Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190
Stop at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone to see the always inspiring Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Hayden Valley, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190
Keep an eye out for more herds of Buffalo, Elk, Gray Wolves and more in Hayden Valley as we work our way along the east side of Yellowstone National Park, back to Cody
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Fishing Bridge General Store, 1 East Entrance Road, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190-9606
Make a quick pit stop at Fishing Bridge Visitor Center for one final bathroom break and chance for gift shopping at Fishing Bridge.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Pahaska Tepee, 2 miles from East entrance into Yellowstone National Park, Cody, WY
See the original hunting lodge of Buffalo Bill Cody at the Pahaska Tepee, when open.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Buffalo Bill National Scenic Byway, Wyoming
Drive through what President Theodore Roosevelt dubbed the "most scenic drive in America" and the nation's first national forest, the Shoshone National Forest.
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Additional information
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
318timmiec
July 2023
After taking a full day tour of the lower loop last year with my girlfriends, I booked another tour, this time for the upper loop with my husband, this year. It was for our 26th anniversary. It was just an all-around awesome tour! Kody, our tour guide, was spectacular, as he was the previous y...
After taking a full day tour of the lower loop last year with my girlfriends, I booked another tour, this time for the upper loop with my husband, this year. It was for our 26th anniversary. It was just an all-around awesome tour! Kody, our tour guide, was spectacular, as he was the previous year. He knew where to go so that we could see tons of wildlife and was on top of all our questions about the park! In my opinion, going on a tour is the best way to see the park if you don't have several days. It allows you to not have to drive and try to look, and you are able to see way more. Covered Ground provided us with spotting scopes, water, plenty of bathroom stops (very important), and a delicious lunch, which we enjoyed in sight of wildlife at a lunch stop. The upper loop is breathtaking and we got there by travelling on Chief Joseph Byway and through the northeast entrance. We went into Wyoming and I had never been this way before. We saw so much wildlife, and were so pleased. We saw a Grizzly in the same place we saw one 25 years ago, on our honeymoon. I can't say enough about how great it was, and how great this tour company is. We will for sure be back!!Waterskiinggina
June 2023
I was hesitant to be stuck in a van all day but we decided to give this a go so we didn’t have to drive a motor home all over the park. I’m so glad we did. We had a fabulous trip. Our guide was amazing at explaining all the details and very patient in stopping every time we thought we saw an anim...
I was hesitant to be stuck in a van all day but we decided to give this a go so we didn’t have to drive a motor home all over the park. I’m so glad we did. We had a fabulous trip. Our guide was amazing at explaining all the details and very patient in stopping every time we thought we saw an animal. We told him what we would like to try to see and he spent the time in the areas we might get a chance to see them. He adjusted to our travel speed and we had a blast. The lunch was great as well. The van had everything we needed including binoculars and a sporting scope. I highly recommend this tour.571dmd
June 2022
Highly recommend Covered Ground. Guides are knowledgeable and fun. We got to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Park. The vans are nice, clean, super comfortable and have large windows...not a bad seat in the vehicle. We got to stop and explore and had plenty of time to take pictures...
Highly recommend Covered Ground. Guides are knowledgeable and fun. We got to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Park. The vans are nice, clean, super comfortable and have large windows...not a bad seat in the vehicle. We got to stop and explore and had plenty of time to take pictures and see everything. It was very nice to be a passenger, my sister and I felt very safe and comfortable the entire trip. There were other ladies traveling alone and couples on board. New friends! Totally worth the the ticket and a great way to experience much of the park.Journey297658
October 2023
Wonderful day spent in Yellowstone. Great mix of wildlife and magnificent scenery. Kode was a great guide with lots of knowledge of the area and where to see the animal in particular. There wer three people on the tour so that made for a near private tour. We were able to see so much with the...
Wonderful day spent in Yellowstone. Great mix of wildlife and magnificent scenery. Kode was a great guide with lots of knowledge of the area and where to see the animal in particular. There wer three people on the tour so that made for a near private tour. We were able to see so much with the smaller group. Combined with the Lower Loop tour the previous day I saw everything: moose, elk, deer, bison, swans, coyote, grizzleys and black bear.Terpgirlie
September 2023
This was a terrific day touring the upper loop of YNP. Our guide Cody was knowledgeable and accomodating. We saw a lot of wildlife including the grizzly bear "Snow" and her 2 cubs which was the highlight of the day! I would reccommend this tour if you have not seen the upper loop of Yellowstone yet.
This was a terrific day touring the upper loop of YNP. Our guide Cody was knowledgeable and accomodating. We saw a lot of wildlife including the grizzly bear "Snow" and her 2 cubs which was the highlight of the day! I would reccommend this tour if you have not seen the upper loop of Yellowstone yet.Cheryl B
September 2023
Our tour with Cody was great! The tour vehicle was comfortable and the folks that were with us were friendly. They picked us up at our hotel and we’re on time! We were able to see lots of animals and Cody went to great lengths to get to as many areas with animals as possible. The lunch that was ...
Our tour with Cody was great! The tour vehicle was comfortable and the folks that were with us were friendly. They picked us up at our hotel and we’re on time! We were able to see lots of animals and Cody went to great lengths to get to as many areas with animals as possible. The lunch that was part of the tour was great! Saw lots of buffalo and even a bear! It was a long day but worth every moment. I would definitely recommend this tour and hopefully you will get Cody!