With summer in the rearview mirror, many vacationers are planning a winter trip, and the non-profit Yellowstone Association Institute is offering a lineup of programs that showcase and help foster a greater understanding of the park.
Operated by the park’s official educational partner — the Yellowstone Association — since 1976, YAI has been offering in-depth programming, expert instructors and accommodations either in park lodges, at its Lamar Valley field campus or at its Gardiner, Mont. Overlook Campus.
“Even for experienced Yellowstone enthusiasts, a winter trip is like visiting a whole new park,” said Wendie Carr, marketing manager for the Yellowstone Association. “And a trip with a knowledgeable naturalist guide makes it much more fascinating and helps showcase all that a winter visit to Yellowstone has to offer.”
YAI offers a series of Field Seminars, Private Tours and multi-day Lodging & Learning programs. Field Seminars are typically held at the Institute’s Lamar Buffalo Ranch Field Campus, where simple and comfortable log cabins are available for $35 per person per night. Another YAI lodging option is theYellowstone Overlook Field Campus in Gardiner, Mont. featuring two three-bedroom, two-bathroom modern log cabins for up to 12 people and a two-bedroom, one-bathroom cabin for up to five people.
Private Tours are tailored for families and small groups and tours typically focus on wildlife watching or skiing and snowshoeing. Lodging & Learning programs are offered in partnership with lodging operator Xanterra Parks & Resorts and combine daily field trips with comfortable lodging in park hotels.
Notable programs this winter include:
Wilderness First Responder is an 80-hour course to be held Nov. 8-17 at the Lamar Buffalo Ranch. Successful participants will receive certifications in Wilderness First Responder and CPR and will be qualified to prevent and respond to incidents in the backcountry. Tuition is $700 per person and does not include lodging.
Holidays at Lamar is available for groups up to 19 people and is offered Nov. 26-30 and Dec. 13-17 and 18-22. Groups will work with their guides to select appropriate activity levels as they learn about wolves and other wildlife, history, ecology and geology of Yellowstone's northern range. The package costs $4,770 per group and includes two full-day tours with Institute naturalist guides, four nights of lodging in private cabins, unlimited access to the Lamar Buffalo Ranch facilities, snowshoes and in-park transportation on tour days.
New Year’s Wildlife Watching will be held at the Lamar Buffalo Ranch Dec. 28-31 and will feature daily outings to observe wolves, bison, elk, bighorn sheep and other wildlife. Participants are welcome to stay an extra night to ring in the New Year. Tuition is $444 per person plus lodging.
Returning this year will be “Lamar Valley Wolf Week” held Dec. 8-12, March 2-6, 9-13, and 16-20 at the Lamar Buffalo Ranch when park lodges are closed for the season. This program features a combination of classroom learning and in-field observation led by Institute naturalists and guest speakers. Limited to 19 participants, the program includes catered meals, use of snowshoes, instruction and in-park transportation.
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The Yellowstone Association Institute is a non-profit field school operated by the Yellowstone Association in partnership with the National Park Service. The Institute was founded in 1976 and offers more than 500 courses each year on the park’s plants, animals, geology and history. Courses are based at the organization’s Lamar Buffalo Ranch and Yellowstone Overlook field campuses, at park hotels, and in the backcountry.
The Yellowstone Association was founded in 1933 to foster the public’s understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of Yellowstone National Park and its surrounding ecosystem. In addition to operating the Institute on a break-even basis, the Association manages educational bookstores and a membership program that generate revenues for the National Park Service. Since its inception, the organization has raised more than $30 million for Yellowstone.
To receive a course catalog or for more information, go to www.YellowstoneAssociation.org, write to the Yellowstone Association at PO Box 117, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190 or call (406) 848-2400.
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