Yellowstone Women's Hiking and Hot Springs Weekend

AT A GLANCE

Wyoming

10 Explorer Chicks

Hotel

Hiking, Hot Springs, National Park, US-Based, Weekend, Wildlife

4 Days

2 - Moderately Active

Geyser’s Paradise

PTO hanging on by a thread like your favorite ugly bra? We blow the roof off of what’s possible to do and see in 4 days with this women-only hiking and hot springs adventure weekend in Yellowstone National Park!

You’ll meet up with the group girlies in Jackson, WY for a caffeinated drive to Old Faithful, which erupts every 90 minutes like the bad bitch she is! Gawk as you walk amongst ONE-QUARTER of the world’s geysers in Yellowstone’s stunning Upper Geyser Basin. Get all the braggy photos of Grand Prismatic’s steaming rainbow that’s way more dramatic than a Beyonce Met Gala look. Hike past giant Hoodoo rock formations and stunning basalt columns that might turn you into a giant geology nerd.

We’ve got sneaky waterfall stops. Choose-your-own adventure hikes. Secret trails… along with Yellowstone classics––like a Hoodoo hike into Mammoth Hot Springs, a friggin wildlife safari in the Lamar Valley, and a canyon walk into Artist’s Point at sunrise. And to top it all off, we’ll slip into a hot spring as the sun sets, letting those adventure muscles soak while you bask in some serious golden-hour goddess vibes.

We could see grey wolves, grizzlies, bison, eagles, and more. We’ll enjoy hearty meals and our own private shuttle that blasts Stevie Nicks. Plus daily free time for introvert recharging and comfy lodge beds to rest our happy bones.

Give us your overworked bodies for one long weekend, and we’ll give you back your feral souls.

Photos

Itinerary

Expand All Days

Day 1 - Geysers & West Yellowstone

We’ve got 4 days, babe. So we’re kicking things off birdie-early! We’ll do intros, triple-check our daypacks, fill our water bottles, and set the trip vibe before departing for Yellowstone.

After a transfer in our Explorer Chick Private Shuttle, we’ll arrive at the park’s iconic Upper Geyser Basin. Here we’ll watch Old Faithful blow and roam trails surrounded by 25% of the WORLD’S geysers in ONE tiny square mile! Whoa, love that math for us.

Keep your peepers peeled for wildlife like bald eagles, osprey, bison, jackrabbits, and so many other curious critters. We’ll wander with plenty of stops to soak in the misty magic.

After we geek out over geysers, we’ll break for a trail lunch before hitting up Grand Prismatic Overlook. Your fellow Explorer Chick will catch your jaw as you take in that classic smokeshow view of Yellowstone’s largest rainbow hot spring. Don’t you DARE apologize for taking 300 photos. Because we’re Explorer Chick, we love hitting all the secret spots from the back and will take you up the hill behind Grand Prismatic to view the spring from above. This is so much better than being at work!

With scenic drives and stops all day long, we’ll end today’s journey in West Yellowstone to check in, explore town, get our shop on, and dig into our welcome dinner. Rawr!

Distance: 7 miles
Elevation Gain: 612’
Hiking Time: 4.75 hours
Transport Time: 4.5 hours (broken up over the day)

Accommodation: Lodge West Yellowstone, shared
Meals: L-D

Day 2 - Hoodoos & Shenanigans

Today is full of top-secret surprises that’ll make you feel 8 years old again! After breakfast at our lodge, we waste no time jumping in the SHEnanigan Shuttle to our first stop of the day, Gibbon Falls! This gorgeous 84-foot drop of water gushes over a remnant of the Yellowstone caldera rim, which was formed by a volcanic eruption ~631,000 years ago.

This is a quickie stop because we’ve got hot springs to ogle. We’ll load back into the shuttle for a drive to Norris Basin, home of Porcelain Basin Overlook. These milky blue pools are the most otherworldly way to break up our drive time and stretch those legs. Your Explorer Chick guide will nerd out about silica, iron minerals, and acid waters. While teaching you all about hawt little organisms called thermophiles which thrive in these inhospitable temps. (Iconic tail name, btw.)

After we cruise the boardwalk and soak in the views, we get back on the road to hike the stealthy mind-blowing back entrance to Mammoth Hot Springs. We’ll take a lesser traveled trail (no spoilers!) with a small climb to escape the tourists. Experiencing the alien Hoodoo rock formations and hidden wildlife in peace is a damn privilege.

Mammoth Hot Springs is a natural wonder that is home to steaming terraces made of travertine. These living sculptures are constantly growing and changing. What you see today won’t be what others see next year. And that’s friggin beautiful.

We’ll have loads of time to wander around in awe and take all the photos of the world’s greatest collection of hot springs and terraces made up of travertine deposits. Sadly we can’t enter the springs, but the views will make our eyes water. Gawk at Rustic Falls and Bunsen Peak and try to sneak a peek of a curious Pika poking out of a Hoodoo!

Once we roll into Gardiner, you’ll have some solo time to take a stroll and explore before a well-earned dinner!

Distance: 4 miles
Elevation Gain: 860’
Hiking Time: 4 hours
Transport Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Accommodation: Inn Gardiner, shared
Meals: B-L-D

Day 3 - Wildlife, Rivers, & Hot Springs

It’s an early start, Explorer Chicks. But we’ve got fur, feathers, and fangs to see! #worthit

Our hope today is to spot a grey wolf during our Lamar Valley Wildlife tour, so start those manifestations! We’ll meet our Wildlife Tour Guide and enjoy hot drinks as a group while getting briefed on the adventure ahead.

Today is a NO fragrance day to stay stealthy and a PANTS day to protect your legs from bites and plants.

We’ll keep our eyes peeled for wolves, bison, bears, pronghorn, woodchucks, and maybe even a bald eagle or two! Yellowstone is home to nearly 300 species of birds, 67 species of mammals, 16 species of fish, 6 species of reptiles, and 5 species of amphibians. If you flip when you see a red squirrel, you’re gonna need a clean pair of undies. We’ll also enjoy views of more Hoodoos and basalt columns.

After our Wildlife Tour we’ll do a quick scenic leg stretch around Trout Lake followed by a gorgeous hike along the Yellowstone River. We’ll hike up the ridge to get a ridiculous osprey view, where we’ll congratulate ourselves for being bad bitches.

After filling up on some delicious bites and sights, we’ll head back to our cozy inn—with a few surprise stops along the way for bonus hikes and Instagram-worthy photo ops. To top off our last full day, we’ll sink into ultimate relaxation as we soak in the only hot springs you can dip into nearby, with the sunset setting the perfect scene. Tonight is all about recharging those legs—tomorrow’s early start is worth it!

Distance: 4.2 miles
Elevation Gain: 665’
Hiking Time: 3 hours
Transport Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Accommodation: Inn Gardiner, shared
Meals: B-L-D

Day 4 - Canyon Sunrise & Jackson Goodbyes

How is it already our last day?! Save the tears because we’ve got one last adventure to share together. We’ll meet for a final crack-of-dawn transport, boarding our shuttle to Artist’s Point. We’re catching the stunning sunrise that paints everything in the canyon sherbert orange. Hellooo, new desktop background.

We’ll hike with coffee in hand as we wander to Upper Falls to watch the canyon wake up with us. We’ll then follow the trail downriver, following the canyon the entire way to Artist’s Point. We’d say it’s the perfect finale to our 4-day adventure, but we’re not done yet!

We have a choose-your-own adventure as we meander around the North Rim Trail for another hike with stunning lookouts and side shoots onto the falls.

We’ll wrap things up with a drive through the Tetons and a farewell wine toast and lunch in Jackson Hole. Then we’ll hug it out and promise to do this all over again. Pinky swear, okay?!

Depart any time after 5pm. Optional post-tour rooms will be available to book.

Distance: 3.2 miles
Elevation Gain: 668‘
Hiking Time: 2.5 hours
Transport Time: 3 hours 50 minutes

Meals: B-L

Logistics

What to Pack

Check out our recommended hiking gear for all trips.
You’ll receive a complete packing list in your Travel Guide upon booking; note that trips may require additional specialized items.

Arrival

Airport City: Jackson, Wyoming (JAC)
Pick Up Location: Rendezvous Hotel
Meeting Time: 6:30am

Departure

Airport City: Jackson, Wyoming (JAC)
Drop Off Location: Rendezvous Hotel
Return Time: Fly out after 5pm on Day 4

You will receive a Travel Guide with all the rendezvous hotel, packing, and additional information you’ll need to prepare for your epic trip.

We require a minimum of 5 Explorer Chicks for this trip. Please confirm your trip is guaranteed before booking airfare.

Activity Level

Rated 2 – MODERATE ACTIVE

This trip is rated Moderate Active due to the lengths of the daily hikes.

Daily Activities:

Day 1: Upper Geyser Basin Loop: 4.9 miles. 357’ gain.
Day 2: Hoodoos to Mammoth Hot Springs. 4 miles. 860’ gain.
Day 3: Yellowstone River Picnic Hike: 3 miles. 456’ gain.
Day 4: Upper Falls to Artists Point: 1.2 miles. 278’ gain.

This does not include many of our smaller stops, where we’ll be doing shorter hikes and walks on the countless boardwalks.

Please consider your ability to meet the physical demands very seriously. It is for the safety of both you and our group. All Explorer Chicks will be required to sign an Acknowledgement of Physical Demands as part of their waiver upon booking.

What's Included

Lodging

1 Night in shared rooms at a locally owned lodge in West Yellowstone, WY.
2 Nights in shared rooms at a locally owned Inn in Gardiner, WY.

Activities

Entrance and commercial permit fees to all National Parks and public lands
All activities as outlined in the itinerary
Gratuities for all excursions

Meals

All meals as indicated in itinerary: B-3, L-4, D-3
Gratuities for included meals.

Practical

Professional leadership team with two Explorer Chick Guides
A detailed Travel Guide with everything you need to know for your trip
The freedom to enjoy your vacation and mindlessly wander!

Not Included

Rendezvous or Departure hotels
Airfare
Airport Transportation
Alcoholic beverages
Travel Insurance
Meals exclusive of itineraries
Costs for additional activities
Gratuity for your Explorer Chick Guide (read our tipping guidelines here)

Explorer Chick reserves the option to modify trip itineraries at the discretion of your tour director as necessary due to weather, conditions, illness, injury, group dynamics, or other unforeseen incidents.

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Non-Refundable Deposit: $200 due at booking to secure your spot

Questions About Yellowstone?

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In Her Words

Dulcey R.

Amazing, amazing, amazing! Our trip leaders (AKA "Trail Moms") Kirstie and Christina, went above and beyond. Arches and Canyonlands were stunning backdrops for great, scenic hikes in the company of incredible women from around the country.
It was better than I could have hoped for and I'm SO glad Kirstie and Christina were our phenomenal guides (the meals, surprises, prepped for anything at all times, and their mixture of calm and joy made it all just THAT much better). I'd 100% go again.

Lori W.

Can’t say enough about my explorer chick experience to Utah. 10/10, a must do, sign up today . As an added bonus- best leaders ever Kirstie and Christina!

Heather B.

This was an incredible trip from start to finish. I knew the scenery in Utah would be stunning, but I didn't expect to be so impressed with the care the guides put into the experience. Kirstie and Christina covered every base and walked the perfect line between keeping us comfortable and giving us challenges. If I could give 10 stars, I would!

Kristen E.

I have now taken two trips with Explorer Chicks and have another coming up in August. Most recently I participated in the Moab multi-sport and had such an incredible experience. Each EC trip is carefully curated without missing a single detail. From the travel itself, the ample food and snacks, the logistics and fun add ins, our guides were so knowledgeable about the parks and geography, even the pickiest guest on our trip was vocally very satisfied. The condo accommodations were wonderful and very clean; did I mention the food? The guides packed lunches for us to eat on the hikes and they were WONDERFUL...and a healthy breakfast each AM at the condos were delightful!

I often look for solo trips with like-minded women and guides, Explorer Chick delivers every time. My only word to the wise is to pay attention to the physical requirements of each trip as if you are unable to meet the physical requirements, it can hurt the experience for others. That was not the case on this trip, the hikes and experiences were thoroughly enjoyed by all (Level-2) and the canyoneering and ATV-ing were absolutely wonderful and our group enjoyed every minute of these experiences on our trip. I can't wait until my next EC trip!!!

Jackie C.

Had an amazing trip hiking in Zion and Bryce Canyon with a group of outgoing ladies and two incredibly funny, authentic and helpful guides - Lauren & Kirstie! There were tons of laughs, breathtaking views and some delicious food (a special shout out to the dinner at Cordwood!). Thanks to Explorer Chicks for delivering trips geared towards women who love adventure!

A A.

What an adventure snowshoeing, dog sledding and cross country skiing in Banff! The guides were super human and took excellent care of the whole group, their experience was invaluable.