In the morning, we will depart from Salt Lake City and drive to the highly anticipated Yellowstone National Park. Today, we will guide everyone to explore all the fascinating attractions in the lower loop of Yellowstone Park, including well-known features such as the Grand Prismatic Spring and Old Faithful.

Great Salt Lake (30 minutes), in northern Utah, U.S., the largest inland body of salt water in the Western Hemisphere and one of the most saline inland bodies of water in the world. The lake is fed by the Bear, Weber, and Jordan rivers and has no outlet. The lake has fluctuated greatly in size, depending on the rates of evaporation and the flow of the rivers that feed it. Like the Dead Sea, the Great Salt Lake exists within an arid environment and has chemical characteristics similar to that of the oceans. It has a much greater salinity than the oceans, however, since natural evaporation exceeds the supply of water from the rivers feeding the lake.

Yellowstone National Park is the first national park in the world. Located in the Rocky Mountains, it was established on March 1, 1872. The park is known for its diverse wildlife and geothermal features. It was named after the Yellowstone River, and it is home to hundreds of species of animals. Native Americans have lived in the Yellowstone area for at least 11,000 years. The park's natural features are divided into five major areas: the Mammoth area, the Roosevelt area, the Canyon area, the Geyser area, and the Lake area, each with its own unique characteristics.

The Grand Prismatic Hot Spring (40 minutes), also known as the Grand Rainbow Hot Spring, is the largest hot spring in the United States and the third largest in the world, with a diameter of about 100 meters. It is located at coordinates 44.524569, -110.837975 in Yellowstone National Park. The spring is about 75 to 91 meters wide and 49 meters deep, with a temperature of up to 85°C and a flow rate of about 2,000 liters per minute. It was first discovered by explorers in 1839. The most amazing thing about the Grand Prismatic Hot Spring is that the color of the water changes with the seasons. In the spring, the water is a bright green, while in the summer, the water is orange, red, or yellow due to a decrease in chlorophyll. In the winter, the lack of sunlight makes the water a deep, dark green.

Old Faithful Geyser (90 minutes) is an intermittent geyser located in Yellowstone National Park, named for its regular eruptions. It was named during the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition in 1870 and was the first named geyser in Yellowstone National Park. Its current eruption interval is around 90 minutes, and each eruption lasts 4-5 minutes, with water columns reaching over 40 meters high, making it a spectacular sight. The geyser and the adjacent Old Faithful Inn are listed as part of the Old Faithful Historic District.

Yellowstone Bear World, when heading to Yellowstone National Park or Grand Teton National Park, a visit to Yellowstone Bear World, a drive-thru wildlife adventure, is essential for a complete experience. Yellowstone Bear World is a bear-themed wildlife park and the only wildlife preserve in the Greater Yellowstone region that you can drive through. In addition to American black bears and grizzly bears, this unique attraction features various large North American animals, including bison, gray wolves, elk, and caribou. In designated areas, visitors can exit their vehicles for a close-up view of wildlife, such as wandering domesticated animals, various bird species, and fawns.

Kindly reminder:     

Please be advised that the tour guide will arrange the itinerary for visiting the scenic spots inside Yellowstone Park based on the actual conditions of the day. Kindly follow the guide's instructions on the day of the tour for the most up-to-date arrangement.

   

   

Today the tour guide will take us to visit the attractions in the upper eight-shaped area of Yellowstone National Park. We will drive north from Madison Junction, after passing through the volcanic column cliff and Whistling Mountain, we will arrive at another important attraction in Yellowstone National Park, the Mammoth Hot Springs. At the Mammoth Hot Springs, you can enjoy the travertine terraces on the boardwalk, or you can go to the visitor center to learn more about the history and culture of Yellowstone. After a brief stay at the North Entrance Roosevelt Arch in Yellowstone, the tour guide will take you to visit the Roosevelt area, which was the favorite area of former President Roosevelt. In Lamar Valley, you can observe groups of wildlife, and at Roosevelt Ranch, you can experience various Western-style experience projects such as horse-drawn carriages and horseback riding. At sunset, we will return to the waterfall area. Interested tourists can walk along the rugged mountain road to the edge of the Yellowstone Grand Falls to see the spectacular waterfall. After exploring today's attractions, we have thoughtfully arranged Yellowstone's hot springs for everyone to wash away the fatigue of the journey.

Sheepeater Cliff (30 minutes) is composed of columnar basalt deposited by lava flows approximately 500,000 years ago. The Gardner River flows through the valley, exposing the water flow and forming the cliff. The basalt of Sheepeater Cliff is called columnar basalt because it forms hexagonal fracture lines when it cools.

Mammoth Hot Springs (60 minutes) Located in the northwest of Yellowstone National Park, it is the location of the park headquarters and the area most favored by elk during their mating season. Mammoth Hot Springs is known for its limestone formations, which are very different from the other geothermal phenomena in the park. 

Roosevelt Arch (20 minutes) The 26th President of the United States, Roosevelt, laid the cornerstone for this arch in 1903. It is located at the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park and is one of the main symbols of the park. The north entrance is also the only entrance with a gate. After the completion of the arch, Roosevelt had ten words from a congressional act, "For the benefit and enjoyment of the people," engraved on the arch.

Lamar Valley -Best Wildlife Viewing Area (30 minutes) Lamar Valley is located in the northeast end of Yellowstone National Park. The slopes are gentle and covered with green grass. The inhabitants of the valley include wild animals such as yaks, brown bears, antelopes, black bears, and North American elk. In the early 20th century, it was a farm, and now it has become a place to watch gray wolves during spring, early summer, and winter mornings. The intersection between the Tower Roosevelt and Lamar Valley in the middle of Yellowstone National Park has been described by tourists as "sexy in the front, and majestic in the back." I believe that every visitor will have their unique experience while being there.

Lower Falls Overlook (30 minutes) The Lower Falls Overlook trail is an unmissable trail for viewing the Yellowstone Falls. Following the rugged mountain path downward, you will reach the edge of the Yellowstone Falls. Here, you can witness the spectacular and magnificent scenery of the Yellowstone Falls up close.

Yellowstone Ecological Zone Hot Springs Naturally formed over the years within the ecological zone of Yellowstone National Park, these underground hot springs contain a variety of minerals beneficial to the human body. Set in a beautiful and soothing environment, the comfortable and relaxing hot springs wash away the fatigue of your journey, ensuring you enjoy moments of relaxation and delight throughout your itinerary.

Note: You can bring your own towels or rent from the spring host. The rent cost will be around $3-5/towel. Please bring your bath suits. 

   

   

   

Today, we will begin our exploration of Yellowstone National Park from the West Entrance. We'll start by guiding you through the West Thumb Geyser Basin, situated along the shores of Yellowstone Lake, and then proceed to Grand Teton National Park. Afterward, we'll head to Elk Antler Arches Park. Following our visit, we'll make a brief stop at Utah State Capitol and Temple Square before returning to Salt Lake City.

West Thumb Geyser Basin (60 munities) is located on the shore of Yellowstone Lake and was formed 150,000 years ago due to the sinking of the earth's crust. Under the combination of hot springs and lake water, a wonderful landscape with smoke and mist appears: the steam of the hot springs is shrouded in smoke, and the Yellowstone Lake is filled with green waves, which are reflected against the blue sky and white clouds in the background, forming a landscape that is different from other thermal areas in Yellowstone. This area is like a bay of Yellowstone Lake, where many intermittent springs gather, and the colors of the waterspouts are varied, some are transparent green, and some are dark black like cement. Many waterspouts present a beautiful fantasy.

Elk Antler Arches Park (30 munities) is not large, with giant arches made of deer antlers in the north, south, east and west directions. The antlers are all solid and not used as deer velvet supplements, which is somewhat regrettable. These antlers are not obtained by hunting, but rather are naturally shed and renewed every spring by the large number of elk that come from the mountains to the "National Elk Reserve" in Jackson to spend the winter. After the elk leave, countless treasures are left behind.

Grand Teton National Park (90 munities), established on February 26, 1929, was named after the highest peak of the Teton Mountains. The park has an almost pristine ecosystem, with some prehistoric animals and plants still surviving here. The oldest stone is confirmed to be from 2.7 billion years ago. The lakes, rivers, and snow-capped mountains, led by Jackson Lake and Jenny Lake, together make up a peaceful world south of Yellowstone. In addition, Grand Teton National Park has an extremely rich wildlife, including American bison, grizzly bears, black bears, elk, and more.

The Utah State Capitol (30 munities) is the house of government for the U.S. state of Utah. The building houses the chambers and offices of the Utah State Legislature, the offices of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, the State Auditor and their staffs. The capitol is the main building of the Utah State Capitol Complex, which is located on Capitol Hill, overlooking downtown Salt Lake City.The Neoclassical revival, Corinthian style building was designed by architect Richard K.A. Kletting, and built between 1912 and 1916. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Temple Square (30 munities) is a 10-acre (4.0 ha) complex, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), in the center of Salt Lake City. Contained within Temple Square are the Salt Lake Temple, Salt Lake Tabernacle, Salt Lake Assembly Hall, the Seagull Monument, and two visitors' centers. The square was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1964, recognizing the Mormon achievement in the settlement of Utah.