Yellowstone Lamar Valley Safari from Cody: Wildlife & Naturalist Guide

★★★★★★★★★★ 5.00 (3 reviews)

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/10

Duration10h–12h

GroupUp to 8

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Most of Yellowstone's wildlife lives in one valley—and you'll spend the day finding it

You spend a full day in a vehicle with a naturalist guide hunting for wildlife across Yellowstone's most active ecosystem. The route is customized to recent animal sightings and your interests, with multiple stops in Lamar Valley, Slough Creek, and along the Yellowstone River. You get binoculars and spotting scopes, a picnic lunch with local ingredients, snacks, and beverages—and a guide who knows thousands of hours of field time and will tailor the day to what you actually want to see.

10h–12h

Step-by-step itinerary

Wildlife Safari in Yellowstone Park

Enter Yellowstone East Gate
Stop at Pinnacle Rock Waterfall
Visit Yellowstone River for wildlife
Explore Lamar Valley for wildlife
Stop at Slough Creek area
Visit Shoshone Canyon
See Clarks Fork Yellowstone River
Pass through Sylvan Pass

The Experience

Most people drive through Yellowstone and see the famous geysers. You'll be somewhere else entirely—Lamar Valley, the northeastern corner of the park, where a naturalist guide spends the full day tracking animals instead of checking boxes. The valley earned the nickname "Serengeti of North America" for a reason: elk, bison, wolves, grizzlies, and dozens of other species move through here regularly, and your guide knows where to look and when to stop. The route changes every day based on recent sightings, weather, and road conditions, so you're not following a script—you're following the animals.

You'll start at the East Gate entrance near Cody and head into the park in a comfortable vehicle with your guide, who carries binoculars and spotting scopes so you can see animals at a distance without disturbing them. The day includes stops at Lamar Valley itself (several of them, since that's where the wildlife concentrates), Slough Creek, the Yellowstone River, and other spots your guide chooses based on what's moving that day. Pinnacle Falls sits in the northern region and marks one possible stop—your guide will explain the geology and why the falls are actually migrating upriver, even if you can't see it happen. The whole thing is customized: tell your guide what you most want to see, and they'll navigate around construction zones and traffic to get you there.

Lunch is a picnic sourced from local, seasonal ingredients and packed in compostable materials—not a rushed stop at a gift shop. You'll also get organic snacks and non-alcoholic beverages throughout the day. The guide is trained to read your group's energy: if someone wants to walk and get closer, they'll plan for it; if someone needs quiet moments to just watch, they'll find those too. Children 8 and older can join, and the pace suits all fitness levels, so it's not a hike—you're mostly in the vehicle, stopping to glass (scan with binoculars) and observe.

What’s included

Professional naturalist guide with thousands of hours of field experience.
use of UHD binoculars and spotting scopes.
a picnic lunch sourced from local, seasonal ingredients and packaged in recyclable and compostable materials.
a variety of organic snacks.
non-alcoholic beverages throughout the day.
customized route based on wildlife sightings, weather, and your group's interests.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessible

Operated by Yellowstone Safari Co.

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see Yellowstone's wildlife without arranging your own route, spotting equipment, or meals—the guide's real-time knowledge of where animals are moving that day is what turns a scenic drive into an actual safari.