CoveredGround Tours: Full-Day Guided Yellowstone Day Tour

Morning light rises to meet clear blue skies along serene, vacant Sheridan Avenue in Cody, Wyoming. In this picturesque mountain town, diagonal from CoveredGround Tours office, sits the historic Irma hotel. The namesake given by Buffalo Bill Cody to one of his daughter’s. The wide streets are a reminder of Cody’s long 150-plus-year history of being a tourist destination and needing room to turn a full team of horses driving a stagecoach when visitors arrive. Today luckily, we’ll have a van with cool air conditioning, ciabatta sandwiches, strawberries and brownie for the guided journey. They also provide a concierge in-town tour van pickup at guest lodging ensuring an at-ease start to your adventure.

The epic guided tour of the nation’s first National Park begins with a warm, friendly greeting from owner Colter Jones. The CoveredGround Tours team was not only timely and energetic but also incredibly organized. In the days leading up to our Friday guided Yellowstone National Park tour, the Covered Ground reached out via phone and email to confirm my arrival, lunch order, and any special accommodations. Their attention to detail and personalized service made the journey effortless on the planning end and set the tone for a memorable experience.

Before leaving town, we drive past the Buffalo Bill Center of the West( Smithsonian Affiliate), Wyoming River Trips Guide for water adventure down the Shoshone River, and The Cody Nite Rodeo grounds. Many of these companies work with CoveredGround as partners and are at the top of their fields also.

We enter Shoshone canyon and can already smell the sulfur from geothermal features. Owen, our trusted and enthusiastic tour guide, begins asking questions and providing information over the van intercom system about how there are multiple hydrothermal features in the the Cody area fed by the Yellowstone hot spot.

Joining me on the tour are a family with their teenager before heading to college, motorcycle couple from New Jersey who wanted to enjoy the ride, and a couple on an anniversary trip. The top goals for today…WILDLIFE! We all chuckle and agree we want to see the top destinations and wildlife like bison and a BEAR! Less than a few hours into the tour as a local I can say with confidence these are the benefits of traveling with a CoveredGround tour guide.

As the #1 Trip Advisor Cody, WY Outdoor Activity, here’s what you can expect:

• Making Yellowstone memories with a small group
• Multiple wildlife spotting opportunities
• Seeing unique destinations in YNP
• Geothermal/Yellowstone National Park knowledge & history from an expert guide and licensed park tour operator
• Walking out to pre-approved popular hydrothermal areas/natural features

Highlights of the trip included:

• A wolf walking right out of the brush 5 feet in front of the van
• A herd of bison in Hayden Valley and watching a Bison swim across the river and roll in the dust to keep the bugs off
• Grand Canyon Waterfalls of Yellowstone
• Old Faithful Geyser Eruption
• Bull Elk on the way home by the Bridge Bay
• Variety of Birds throughout the day
• Several other prominent geysers and water features throughout YNP
• Starting from Cody and seeing MORE in one day. Pahaska Tepee (historical), Shoshone River, Buffalo Bill Dam, Sylvan Pass with Continental Divide and seasonal waterfalls and wildflowers.
• Lake Yellowstone Lodge
• New budding geysers in the park
• Fishing Bridge and more!
• 4- best kept secrets of Yellowstone(We’re keeping these under wraps)

We wrapped our day of laughter, questions, and exploring with peaceful afternoon rain showers driving home through the West Thumb area back to Cody. And on the last leg just before exiting the east gate we spot… A BEAR! Everyone cheers and tour guests make sure to joke that we have filled up our Yellowstone Safari bingo card. It’s been a glorious day of learning and majestic beauty for all of us. Even as a local, if you have not taken this tour. You are missing out. Next time you have family or friends visiting, be sure to book CoveredGround Tours for the WIN!

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