DAY BEFORE TRIP STARTS

 

We will meet the evening before our trip starts in Bozeman, Montana at 5:00 pm, at a predetermined hotel. If the meeting is held at a different hotel than you are staying, your guide will gladly provide transportation to and from the meeting.  In this meeting, we will do a general orientation that will cover introductions, trip itinerary, safety precautions, pack fitting and group gear distribution. Most importantly, this is a chance to meet with your guide to discuss the personal gear and clothes that you plan on bringing; your guide will offer advice about what to bring and what to leave behind for a successful and comfortable trip.  This meeting generally lasts one hour.

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DAY ONE

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• Travel time from Bozeman: 3.5 Hours

• Distance: 5-7 Miles

• Difficulty: Moderate
   

The guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel in Bozeman, then after a stop in West Yellowstone for some coffee, we will drive into Idaho (that’s right, it does exist!). We will drive a scenic byway until we hit a dirt road and rattle our way to the Bechler Ranger Station, where we’ll either eat lunch at the picnic tables or pack it with us! The trail starts through a peaceful forest until we enter the incredible Bechler Meadows. In a clear day you can see the top of the Grand Tetons a surreal view with the endless meadows in front of you. Our campsite will be either along Boundary Creek or the Bechler River-- each are stunningly beautiful, with a chance of seeing otters or beavers! After dinner, we’ll settle in for our first night outdoors!

 

DAY TWO

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• Distance: 6 Miles

• Difficulty: Easy
   

This day is magical! We’ll keep camp setup and leave the heavy packs behind to day hike to Dunanda Falls! Dunanda Falls is a 110-foot waterfall settled in a remote backcountry canyon, an at the base of the falls are hot springs! We’ll have the whole day to soak and relax at this spectacular destination. Once we are finished soaking in the hot springs, we will return to camp the same way.

 

DAY THREE

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• Distance: 8 Miles

• Difficulty: Moderate
   

After a morning of hot coffee and real breakfast, we will break down camp and head through the
Bechler Meadows. As we hike through the wide-open meadow, we’ll be on the lookout for moose and
other critters. There will be numerous water crossings today and we will possibly have to cross a beaver
dam! Our campsite will be located near Yellowstone’s second tallest waterfall, which we will visit the
following day, once we get to camp, we will settle in for a calorie-rich dinner and possibly a campfire!

 

DAY FOUR

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• Distance: 8 Miles

• Difficulty: Easy

 

This is usually the favorite day of the trip, we get to hike to unique and spectacular Union Falls—290-
feet of beautiful, free-flowing, fresh water. On most days, you can feel the mist of the falls at the
viewpoint! Once we get all the selfies one can stomach, we will head down to swim and play in thermal
heating swimming hole. The smiles and fun are endless while playing in the water. Once we have lunch
and have finished in the water, we will head back to camp for some much-needed rest before er hike
out the next day.

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DAY FIVE

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• Distance: 6 Miles

• Difficulty: Moderate

• Travel time to Bozeman: 4 hours (estimated arrival is 4:00 pm)

 

After our last breakfast and camp pack up, we will start along the South Boundary Trail. This trail is
seldom traveled, and will take us through an old-growth forest along the Wine Hole Wilderness-- an
area few have heard of. This hike will have lots of water crossings and with the best finale of crossing

the spectacular Falls River; this river is wide but only about shin to knee deep. Once back at the van we
eat a fresh lunch near Cave Falls, then start our drive back to Bozeman!

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Trip Variations:

Nomadic By Nature always tries our best to follow the itinerary as closely as possible.  However, there may be slight variations based on the National Park Service permit system and the ever-changing dynamics of the outdoors.