Yellowstone and Montana

American Prairie Reserve

5 days.Our program begins with five days at a yurt camp on American Prairie Reserve, the center of a historic effort to assemble a three-million-acre wildlife reserve in the northern plains of Montana. The project, featured in the National Geographic film American Serengeti, is one of the most ambitious conservation initiatives in U.S. history. Join forces with local conservationists to do a head count of newborn bison calves, or participate in a stream restoration project. Rise early to photograph prairie wildlife at dawn, then set out on a hike under the skies of the Montana prairie, surrounded by herds of bison and pronghorn antelope. In the evenings, recount your day around a roaring campfire, under a dazzling array of stars.

Yellowstone National Park

7 days.Head south to Yellowstone National Park, stopping on the way to raft the white-water rapids of the Yellowstone River and to learn about dinosaurs at the Museum of the Rockies.

Yellowstone is renowned for its volcanic landscapes, which bubble, pop, steam, and burst. In fact, the park contains the highest concentration of geothermal features in the world. It is also home to a sublime wilderness of evergreen forests, deep canyons, and broad valleys where robust herds of American bison, elk, deer, and pronghorn antelope roam. Opportunities for exploration, wildlife viewing, and photography are endless.

From our base in the wildlife-rich Lamar Valley, we'll leave the crowds behind and set off on hikes into the backcountry. We may spot bison, elk, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, bald eagles, black bears, and even grizzly bears and wolves. Go on photo shoots in fields of wildflowers and ancient petrified forests, learn about the effects of fire on forest ecosystems, and discover the powerful forces behind geysers and sapphire-blue geothermal pools. Get up early to watch wolf cubs, or learn to fly-fish on the Lamar River. Hone your skills as you photograph bison silhouetted by the setting sun.