Yellowstone Wildlife Hike: Explore Lamar Valley

Embark on an exciting Lamar Valley Safari with Yellowstone Hiking Guides. Explore the backcountry of Yellowstone, spot rare wildlife, and make unforgettable memories.

Duration: 6 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Lamar Valley - Embark on a six-mile journey through the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park, renowned as the premier spot for hiking and wildlife observation in North America. An experienced guide will expertly lead the way to wildlife viewing areas and breathtaking vistas inaccessible by road. The guide will assist in navigating the…
What's Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Tea and coffee
  • Bear Spray, Binoculars, Trekking Pole, Backpack (if necessary)
What's Not Included
  • Admission to Yellowstone National Park: $35 per vehicle, good for one week
  • Bottled water
  • Rain jacket and fleece layer
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Yellowstone Hiking Guides expertly leads groups on wildlife viewing day hikes in the Lamar Valley.
The guides possess extensive knowledge of Yellowstone’s diverse wildlife. Ensuring safety and enjoyment is their primary focus. Hikers often encounter wolves, bears, and other rare animals along the backcountry trails of Yellowstone.
These tours venture off…

Location
Lamar River Trailhead
Specimen Ridge Trail
Meet at 8 AM at the Lamar River Trailhead from May-September. THIS IS NOT THE SPECIMEN RIDGE TRAILHEAD. Our website has very good directions and a pin drop.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(208 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Corinnei61
Aug 24, 2026
Great way to start your trip - We had Parker as our hiking guide in lamar valley. He was super knowledgeable and fun to hang out with. We ended up being the only ones on our tour because they had a last minute cancellation. Parker was able to take us through less explored areas we probably wouldn’t have ventured out to on our own, and we came across a large bison herd! It was a great way to start our trip because there were many tips he gave us to stay safe (like looking at animal behavior) and he taught us to look out for things (like bison hair stuck on trees) that we wouldn’t have picked up on without an expert guide. Also the snack bag was epic, all the best snacks and a variety. Thank you Parker!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
C9666fzsusano
Aug 24, 2026
Guided hike with Max - This was a great hike, highly recommend it. There can’t possibly be a better guide than Max, he was beyond terrific. We had a beautiful day even though traffic was a nightmare getting to the meeting spot. We all were late and Max waited for everyone to get there. No bear sighting but we were out among the bison and saw other wildlife. Hike ended up being 7 miles but mostly flat. Great experience worth the cost.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
735jeanmichelg
Aug 20, 2026
Super beautiful Lamar outing - Very beautiful hike in the Lamar Valley with our guide Max. Even though our English level was passable, we really enjoyed this outing in the heart of nature. A big thank you.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sherryo596
Aug 20, 2026
Lamar Valley Hike - We really enjoyed our hike in the Lamar Valley in August 2026. The guide Conner did a good job of answering questions and guiding us around the bison as they crossed our path. He was friendly and outgoing. We saw a lot of bison and pronghorns. We walked about 6 miles, we went up hills and through the valley to the river for lunch. Luckily it was cool outside. We were late to the meetup due to bison on the road and people stopping their cars to watch for long periods of time. There is construction that slowed things down as well. We drove from Gardiner and it took about an 1.5 hours to get to the meetup spot. The website says that you have to go over a bridge at the beginning of the trailhead. You don’t, the guide meets you in the parking lot. There were 6 of us all adults plus two other parties on the hike.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Blessy_t
Aug 17, 2026
Beautiful Lamar Valley - My family (kids 11 and 8) had a great time on this hike. We got very close to some bison, but Max, our guide kept us out of harms way. Max was very knowledgeable and understanding of everyones needs. The pace of the hike was perfect.My kids had a great time talking with him along the way. We had a great (suprsingly big) lunch by the river.
Review provided by Viator
Colleenpi18tl
Aug 12, 2026
Lamar Valley Safari - Unfortunately, due to a bison jam and some miscommunication, we missed this hike. However, the customer service we received in response was exceptional. They handled the situation with professionalism and genuine care. When I return to Yellowstone, I will definitely book with this company again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Go29353403054
Aug 11, 2026
Amazing tour with fantastic views - It was absolutely fantastic! Everything was perfectly organized, and our guide Max shared so many interesting facts about the nature and wildlife of Yellowstone. We had some incredible wildlife encounters and enjoyed breathtaking views throughout the trip! We would definitely book this tour again. A huge thank you to Max for such an amazing experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vishwesh_s
Aug 10, 2026
Lamar Valley, best place to experience Wildlife in Yellowstone - The safari was excellent. Max was a great guide. He was very patient with all questions the group had and his focus was always on safety of the group. We saw tons of bison herds move as we went on the tour. The one thing I would like to say is that this is not an easy hike by any means. There are tons of ups and downs and it is out in the open, so it can get very hot. So carry a lot of water if possible. Also to avoid being close to the bison, the hike can add many more ups and downs. Ours did. It can get really tiring towards the end of the hike. Overall the hike was amazing. We saw tons of bison and Pronghorn. Max like I said was very focused on our safety. Towards the end as we were going over the human trail, there was a bison on the human trail so Max asked us to move to the sage brushes to avoid being close to the bison. At that point everyone was very tired, but we did move and it was good that we did as the bison came charging down the human trail as we moved out of the way. I would highly recommend this tour, but please be prepared for steep ups and downs and lot of walking in the heat. If there is no breeze, it can get very hot.
Review provided by Viator
P6509tajessicab
Aug 8, 2026
Wildlife heaven - My family had an incredible Lamar Valley wildlife hike with Parker! He was very knowledgeable about both the area and animals we saw. He was able to pivot the tour based on the bison activity to give us the best possible experience. In addition to bison we saw a coyote, pronghorn deer and a badger. The pace was great! We could clearly see and feel Parker's passion about flora and fauna. We had a great time and would highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
2travelingtexan
Aug 26, 2026
Lamar Valley is heavenly. Loved our tour - Overall enjoyable experience with our knowledgable and good humored guide Maddie. Any animals you may see are likely to be at considerable distance. Binoculars and long distance scope were provided. We saw bison and pronghorn. We saw Moose and Elk antlers, and all manner of animal's effects on the natural world up close. While I believe guides tailor the hike to their assessment of the clients in their group, as a casual hiker, and the least fit in our group, I would rate the hike MODERATE for me, not easy. I found the changes in elevation challenging, although we stopped often along the way, maybe more than usual, so I could catch my breath. The day overall was wothwhile and interesting. The meet up spot was convenient, and I saw a bald eagle while waiting for the tour to begin.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $182
up to 14 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).