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Private Bespoke Photography Tour of Yellowstone National Park
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Yellowstone National Park
Capture Yellowstone's magic on a bespoke photography tour. Tailored adventures, expert guidance, and dream shots await. Book your unforgettable experience today.
Duration:
10 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Roosevelt Arch - The Roosevelt Arch is a rustic triumphal arch located at the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park in Gardiner, Montana, USA. Built under the supervision of the US Army at Fort Yellowstone, its cornerstone was laid by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903, who was vacationing in the area at the time. The top of the arch features an inscription from the Organic Act of 1872, which established Yellowstone, reading: “For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People.” Constructed from hexagonal blocks of locally quarried columnar basalt, the arch stands 52 feet tall. Two towers or buttresses flank the main archway, each with pedestrian passages and heavy wooden doors. Local citizens felt that Yellowstone, the world’s first national park, deserved a grand entrance befitting its status.
- Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces - An early visitor once described Mammoth Hot Springs as “No human architect ever designed such intricate fountains as these. The water trickles over the edges from one to another, blending them together with the effect of a frozen waterfall.” Initially a commercial attraction for those seeking relief in the mineral waters, soaking in the hot springs is now prohibited to preserve these unique and fragile features. Mammoth Hot Springs are a surface manifestation of deep magmatic forces at work in Yellowstone. Although outside the Yellowstone Caldera boundary, scientists believe the heat from the hot springs comes from the same magmatic system that fuels other hydrothermal areas in Yellowstone. A large fault system between Norris Geyser Basin and Mammoth may allow thermal water to flow between the two. Multiple basalt eruptions in the area may also contribute to the heat source for Mammoth.
- Fort Yellowstone Historic District - The Mammoth Hot Springs Historic District is significant statewide as the administrative and concession headquarters of the largest national park in Wyoming. Park managers here developed important conservation policies that greatly influenced the early National Park Service. The district is also notable for its diverse architecture, including Colonial Revival, Rustic, Prairie, Art Moderne, French Renaissance, and English Tudor styles. The district includes 189 buildings, 2 sites (Mammoth Hot Springs Campground and Fort Yellowstone Parade Ground), and 1 object (flagpole). Of these, 35 buildings contribute to the significance of the overlapping Fort Yellowstone National Landmark, along with one structure (Fort Yellowstone Powerhouse) and one site (Fort Yellowstone Parade Ground). These structures date back to the 1890s and early 1900s when the US Army administered the park, reflecting the layout and architecture of a typical western army fort of the nineteenth century.
- Lamar Valley - Lamar Valley is one of the premier wildlife watching destinations in the nation. Elk, bison, deer, and pronghorn thrive in the grasslands of this area, known as the northern range. Some of the largest wild herds of bison and elk in North America can be found here. The northern range is crucial winter habitat for these large animals, which in turn provide food for several packs of wolves. Coyotes are also common, and occasional sightings of bobcats, cougars, or red foxes are reported.
- Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone - The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone stretches roughly 20 miles from the Upper Falls to the Tower Fall area. Formed by erosion as the Yellowstone River flowed over progressively softer, less resistant rock, the canyon features the 109-foot Upper Falls and the 308-foot Lower Falls. The Upper Falls can be viewed from the Brink of the Upper Falls Trail and Upper Falls Viewpoints, while the Lower Falls can be seen from Lookout Point, Red Rock Point, Artist Point, Brink of the Lower Falls Trail, and various points on the South Rim Trail. The water flow over the falls varies from 63,500 gallons per second at peak runoff in the spring to 5,000 gallons per second in the autumn.
- Lower Yellowstone River Falls - The 109-foot Upper Falls is located upstream of the Lower Falls and can be viewed from the Brink of the Upper Falls Trail and Upper Falls Viewpoints. The 308-foot Lower Falls can be seen from Lookout Point, Red Rock Point, Artist Point, Brink of the Lower Falls Trail, and various points on the South Rim Trail. The water flow over the falls ranges from 63,500 gallons per second during peak spring runoff to 5,000 gallons per second in the autumn.
- Hayden Valley - Hayden Valley is an excellent location for wildlife viewing. Grizzly bears may be seen in the spring and early summer preying on newborn bison and elk calves. Bison are often present from spring through the fall rut. Coyotes and foxes are frequently seen in the valley. Ducks, geese, and American white pelicans can be seen on the river, while various shorebirds may be spotted in the mudflats at Alum Creek. Keep an eye out for bald eagles, northern harriers, and sandhill cranes.
- Yellowstone Lake - At 7,733 feet above sea level, Yellowstone Lake is the largest high-elevation lake (above 7,000 feet) in North America. It spans roughly 20 miles in length and 14 miles in width, with 141 miles of shoreline and a surface area of 132 square miles. The lake freezes over completely every winter, with ice thicknesses ranging from a few inches to over two feet. It typically thaws in late May or early June. Yellowstone Lake remains cold year-round, with an average water temperature of 41°F. The lake hosts the largest population of wild cutthroat trout in North America. Scientists believe that Yellowstone Lake once drained to the Pacific Ocean via the Snake River, allowing fish to cross the Continental Divide at Two Ocean Pass.
- Old Faithful - Watching Old Faithful Geyser erupt is a long-standing tradition at Yellowstone National Park. Visitors from around the world come to see this famous geyser. While the park’s wildlife and scenery are well-known today, it was the unique thermal features like Old Faithful that inspired the establishment of Yellowstone as the world’s first national park in 1872. Old Faithful is one of nearly 500 geysers in Yellowstone and one of six that park rangers currently predict. Despite changes over time, Old Faithful has remained true to its name, with only a slight increase in the time between eruptions over the last 30 years. Thermal features are constantly changing, and it is possible that Old Faithful may stop erupting someday. Geysers and other thermal features are evidence of ongoing volcanic activity beneath the surface, and change is a natural part of this system.
- Old Faithful Inn - Designed by Robert C. Reamer, the Old Faithful Inn was built during the winter of 1903–1904. Reamer aimed to reflect the chaos of nature in the building’s asymmetry. The Old Faithful Inn is one of the few remaining log hotels in the United States and is a masterpiece of rustic architecture, known for its stylized design and fine craftsmanship. Its influence on American architecture, particularly park architecture, was significant. The building is a rustic log and wood-frame structure with massive proportions, nearly 700 feet in length and seven stories high. The hotel lobby features a 65-foot ceiling, a massive rhyolite fireplace, and railings made of contorted lodgepole pine. Guests can stand in the lobby and look up at the exposed structure or walk up a gnarled log staircase to one of the balconies. Wings were added to the hotel in 1915 and 1927, and today there are 327 rooms available to guests in this National Historic Landmark.
- Madison River - The Madison River, a tributary of the Missouri River, begins in Yellowstone National Park at the confluence of the Firehole and Gibbon rivers, known as Madison Junction. Both the Firehole and Gibbon rivers are thermally influenced by geothermal features. The Madison River flows 19 miles through Yellowstone National Park before crossing the park boundary and flowing into Hebgen Lake towards Ennis, Montana. It continues northwest and meets the Jefferson and Gallatin rivers to form the Missouri River. The Madison River is a popular destination for fishing, birding, and wildlife viewing. A park legend suggests that explorers camped here in 1870 and decided Yellowstone should be set aside as a national park, but this story is not true. While explorers did camp at the junction in 1870, they did not discuss the national park idea.
- Grand Prismatic Spring - Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone’s largest hot spring, measures 200-330 feet in diameter and is over 121 feet deep. Hot springs are the most common hydrothermal features in Yellowstone, with plumbing systems that lack constrictions. Superheated water cools as it reaches the surface, sinks, and is replaced by hotter water from below, preventing the water from reaching the temperature needed for an eruption. Hydrothermal features also provide habitats for microscopic organisms known as thermophiles, which thrive in the heat. These organisms, though too small to be seen individually, appear as masses of color when grouped together. Colorless and yellow thermophiles grow in the hottest water, while orange, brown, and green thermophiles grow in cooler waters.
- Firehole Canyon Drive - This 2-mile, one-way road off the Grand Loop south of Madison is nestled against the caldera walls and offers excellent views of waterfalls, rapids, and wildlife.
- Gibbon Falls - Gibbon Falls drops 84 feet over a remnant of the Yellowstone caldera rim, which was formed by a massive volcanic eruption approximately 631,000 years ago. The flow of the Gibbon River varies greatly throughout the year, with the most impressive views of the falls occurring during the spring snowmelt. However, the falls are always worth a visit regardless of the season.
- Sheepeater Cliffs - Sheepeater Cliff is composed of columnar basalt formed by lava flows around 500,000 years ago. The Gardner River flows through the valley, exposing the basalt and forming the cliff. The basalt at Sheepeater Cliff is known for its hexagonal fracture lines, which formed as the basalt cooled. The cliffs are a textbook example of a basaltic flow with well-defined joints and hexagonal columns. Named after a band of Eastern Shoshone known as Tukuaduka (sheep eaters), many of the exposed cliffs are located along a steep, inaccessible canyon cut by the Gardner River near Bunsen Peak. Some cliffs located just off the Grand Loop Road are accessible by car.
What's Included
- Private transportation
- Bottled water
- Lunch
- Snacks
What's Not Included
- Yellowstone National Park Entry Pass. $20
Additional Information
What is your dream Yellowstone photography adventure? We’d love to work with you to craft an experience to make that dream a reality!
Yellowstone is a magical place of grand landscapes with mountains, geysers, & majestic wildlife. It’s a super volcano, the core of the largest intact ecosystem in the lower 48, headwaters of six major rivers, a haven for endangered wildlife, & a dream location for photographers from all over the globe!
Each bespoke tour is crafted for you to experience your dream Yellowstone adventure. We will go where you want and shoot what you want (within reason). Our only goal is for you to go home with the images of a lifetime, the images you’ve been dreaming about.
Along the way, if you’d like, we can help you select & master your camera kit, better understand exposure, advanced composition, special techniques for wildlife, landscapes, panoramas, & more.
If you are an accomplished photographer & only want an experienced local guide we do that too!
- All participants must be at least 16 years of age without exception
- We will be driving long distances between locations, travel time will vary depending on traffic, conditions, weather.
Location
Mammoth General Store
Grand Loop Road
The parking lot of the Mammoth General Store. We will confirm the meeting location the day before your tour, be sure to include a valid mobile phone number.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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