Horsepacking

Yellowstone

Everything in Yellowstone carries an Old West flavor, so some time on horseback is almost essential. If you're short on time or have never been on a horse, you can go for a one, two, or three hour, half day or full day ride. But the real experience is a three, five or seven day trip into the backcountry. Guides take care of the horses, set up camp and cook meals. You get to fish, explore the area or enjoy the scenery. Guides teach you how to handle the horse and provide a running commentary on the terrain you're riding through. And you won't be eating dehydrated backpacking meals. Since the horses can carry utensils and food, these meals are restaurant quality. Yes, these trips are expensive. A typical trip costs $700 a day. But you're paying for the horse, the guide, the meals and the equipment, and these are memories for the rest of your life.

The outfitters provide the tents, sleeping pads, sleeping bags, plus snacks and three meals a day. You bring your own jackets, raingear, hat, camera, sunblock, bug spray and personal items.

The guides will teach you the basics of riding. These horses are trained and experienced in being ridden by city slickers, so even if you don't know what you're doing the horse does and you'll be OK. However, we highly recommend that back home you take several riding lessons and go for one or two hour rides several times. You need to get your butt and legs in condition for riding.

Several people in the photo at right are hatless. We don't recommend this. The sun in this high thin air can burn you pretty quickly. Wearing a wide brimmed hat is not playing John Wayne; it's playing it smart.

You should call ahead and make reservations several weeks before your trip. These rides, both one day and overnight, tend to fill up.

Most outfitters are located on ranches just outside the park and lead the rides into the park, to places like Heart Lake, the Snake River, Specimen Ridge, the Lamar River or the Gallatin Mountains. Major outfitters are Wilderness Pack Trips, Rockin HK, Horse Track, Sunrise Pack, Absaroka Beartooth, Yellowstone Horse & Mule, Yellowstone Mountain Guides and Little Jennie Ranch.

One popular trip is into Heart Lake near the southern park boundary. The first day is a ride into Heart Lake, The second day the tents are usually left in place and the guide leads the group on a ride to the top of nearby Mount Sheridan. The third day is usually a ride over to the Snake River and a small thermal area which includes natural hot pools riders can soak in. The fourth day is usually a ride back out to somewhere near the south entrance. This trip may include a day of fishing in Heart Lake, famous for Cutthroat Trout and other kinds of Trout, which could extend it to a fifth day. This can also be done just as a Heart Lake fishing trip, with one day in, one day fishing, and one day out for a compact three day experience.

Several outfitters offer a three day trip into Bechler Falls from the park's far southeastern corner, which is actually in Idaho behind the Tetons. Distances are not great here so if your butt and legs are not in condition this might work for you. Bechler Falls is beautiful and soaking in the hot pools is great after a day's riding. The Tetons loom on the southern horizon.

The same Lamar River - Mist Creek Pass - Pelican Valley trip popular with backpackers and Llama packers can also be done as a five day horsepacking trip. Since you can cover more ground faster on horseback, this lends itself to a great fishing or photography trip.

A 10 day Thorofare trip is one of the great horsepacking experiences in North America. Not only are you going to see all of the wildlife Yellowstone is famous for, but the fishing will be great and the scenery unsurpassed. At one point you'll be further in every direction from a paved road than at any other point in the U.S. As a backpacking trip this can become grueling but on horseback it's pure enjoyment as long as you did some riding back home so your butt and legs are in condition.