Gallatin Skyline
Yellowstone National Park, WY
5.0 (11 reviews)Trip Highlights
- Amazing Gallatin Mountains
- Stunning Views
- Deep Wilderness
- High Country Lakes & Rivers
- Hike Up High on Two Prominent Peaks
- Potential to See Wildlife
Description
The Gallatin Skyline Backpacking Tour traverses the length of the Gallatin Mountain Range inside Yellowstone National Park. It is a long, challenging, rewarding hike that features mountainous terrain, fantastic views, and abundant wildlife. With a great mix of meadow hiking, peak hiking on two prominent Yellowstone mountains, steep hikes up to high passes, and camping near rivers and lakes, this hike has it all!
You’ll also hike past Paradise Valley, with some of the best views in the park, and camp next to Shelf Lake which is the highest lake in Yellowstone, sitting at 9,200 feet in elevation. The culmination of the trip is on day six, when you’ll hike over Bighorn Peak (10,000 feet) and follow its high ridges for nearly six miles.
Need to Know: March 1st Permits
Due to Yellowstone’s permit system, which issues backcountry hiking and camping permits on March 1st each year, it’s beneficial to register before February 28th of the year you’d like to hike with us. Give us a call at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) to learn more!
$1950 Per Person
DIFFICULTY LEVEL 5
Scale of 1-5. 1 is least difficult; 5 is most difficult
Due to the length of this trip, pack weight is high, and there is considerable elevation change every day after day 1. There are many sections of steep and loose trail that is not well maintained. Crossing the Gardiner River on day 1 and 2 is moderately deep but not too difficult. There is one section of significant exposure near Bighorn Peak, but it is very short.
Hiking Distances:
3-10 mi
Backpack Weight:
45+ lbs
Terrain:
Moderately Rugged
Max Daily Elev. ↑↓:
3000 ft
Heights Exposure:
Moderate
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
- Hiking uphill or downhill with a 45+ lb backpack for 8-10 hours
- Maintaining balance and footing on rugged terrain
- Hiking with moderate heights exposure
- Crossing rivers and creeks on slippery rocks and/or logs
SOLITUDE LEVEL 5
1 least solitude, 5 most solitude
We rate this Yellowstone backpacking trip a solitude 5. You can expect to see a handful of other groups over the entire duration of your trip.
This trip begins and ends in Jackson, Wyoming. Jackson has an airport served by United, Delta, and American Airlines. A Black Car Service (307-413-2572) provides private airport shuttles (advance reservations are recommended.)
You can also fly into:
- Idaho Falls – small, more affordable airport; can meet your guide in Driggs, ID instead of Jackson; requires a car rental
- Salt Lake City – Salt Lake Express (800-356-9796 or 208-656-8824) and Alltrans (800-652-9510) offer daily shuttles (4.5 hours). Advance reservations required.
Private Trips
Travel in perfect company by booking a private trip exclusively for your group!
Our sliding scale for private trips is based on the final number of guests in your group. Rates are per person and do not include sales tax, national park fees or guide gratuity. The final rate is based on the actual number of guests on the trip and may adjust based on cancellations or additions.
Please Note: you can also enjoy a private trip at our normal scheduled rates by filling any empty tour to capacity. However, if group members drop from the tour those spots will automatically become available on our website for instant booking. By purchasing a private trip at the rates listed below, your trip will remain exclusive to your group regardless of cancellations.
Private Rates FOr This Trip
- 2 People: Rate x 2.5
- 3 People: Rate x 1.75
- 4 People: Rate x 1.25
- 5+ People: Rate x 1.15
*all rates are per person
Learn About Our Private Trips
View Private TripsITINERARY
Day 1
- Shuttle to Trailhead: 4-hour drive
- Hiking Mileage: 6.1 miles
- Elevation Gain: 750 feet
We’ll begin this Yellowstone backpacking trip from the Glen Creek Trailhead in Northwest Yellowstone, a few miles south of Mammoth Hot Springs. At just over 7,000’ of elevation , the trailhead lies in beautiful meadows below Terrace Mountain. Bison are often seen even before leaving the vehicle. The day’s hike consists of a gradual but steady climb through meadows and stands of pine and fir to camp on the banks of the Gardner River, one of Yellowstone’s finest.
Day 2
- Hiking Mileage: 8 miles (optional day hike)
- Elevation Gain/Loss: 3000 feet
We’ll not be moving camp this day. Instead, we’ll use the day to hike the southeast ridge of the magnificent Electric Peak, the tallest peak in the Gallatin Range at nearly 11,000’. The first two miles of the hike up the southeastern flank of the mountain travels a well-defined trail at a moderate grade. The trail gets gradually less-defined and steeper after that. Regardless of whether we summit, it is a long hike/climb that will reward us with tremendous views from the mountain’s flanks.
Day 3
- Hiking Mileage: 6.2 miles
- Elevation Gain: 1800 feet
- Elevation Loss: 2100 feet
Day 3 begins with a 3-mile hike and 2,000’ of elevation gain to Electric Pass, on the southwestern shoulder of Electric Peak. There are more tremendous views of Yellowstone from here. We’ll then descend the valley on the other side, losing another 2,250’ of elevation to Sportsman Lake. Here we’ll get a different perspective on Electric Peak looking at it from the west. Sportsman Lake makes for a peaceful camp in a small meadow nestled beneath another large mountain.
Day 4
- Hiking Mileage: 7.3 miles
- Elevation Gain: 1800 feet
- Elevation Loss: 750
Day 4 is relatively mellow as we hike across the Gallatin Crest again and transition into the Specimen Creek drainage. We’ll make camp at another beautiful Yellowstone lake called High Lake.
Day 5
- Hiking Mileage: 7.5 miles
- Elevation Gain: 2300 feet
- Elevation Loss: 2000 feet
Shortly out of camp the group is rewarded with tremendous views of Paradise Valley before descending towards Crescent Lake. After a relaxing break on the lakeshore, we’ll continue hiking through the conifers and across Specimen Creek. We’ll then climb the final 2-miles to our campsite at Shelf Lake, Yellowstone’s highest lake.
Day 6
- Hiking Mileage: 9.2 miles
- Elevation Gain: 2700 feet
- Elevation Loss: 4500 feet
Day 6 is the longest and most spectacular day of the trek and is really the culmination of the entire hike. After departing camp we’ll gain the Gallatin Crest and hike over a spectacular peak called Bighorn Peak, at nearly 10,000’. There will be fantastic views of the snowcapped Spanish Peaks to the northwest and the Gallatin Range to the southeast. Bighorn sheep are also commonly seen. We’ll hike an additional 6 miles along the crest before descending Dailey Creek to the evening’s camp. Incredible views of big country are a norm throughout this day’s hike!
Day 7
- Hiking Mileage: 3.5 miles
- Elevation Loss: 700 feet
- Shuttle: 3.5-hour drive
Our final day on this backpacking trip consists of a short 3.5-mile hike down Daley Creek to the Daley Creek Trailhead. Your backpack no longer laden with food, you’ll be able to appreciate the broad and lush valley on this final day.
Please Note: We always do everything in our power to follow the set itinerary, however it can change occasionally based on temporary access restrictions, weather, lodging/campground availability, guest ability/injury, natural events like fires and flooding, and other potential causes. Normal terms and conditions apply to trips with itinerary changes.
TRIP DATES & BOOKING
AVAILABLE TO BOOK
This trip is available and bookable online! Click on the date to register now or contact us online to book through our award-winning customer service team!
GOING FAST
This trip has 1 or 2 spots remaining and is bookable online! Click on the date to book now or contact us online to book through customer service.
REQUEST A RESERVATION
This trip is exclusively booked through customer service due to logistics with lodging, permits, staffing, availability, or something else. Please contact us online or call us at 800-715-HIKE (4453) to request a reservation.
Don't see your dates? Call us! We may be able to add new trip dates.
800-715-HIKE (4453)Trip Details
What's Included
- Top-of-the-line tent, backcountry sleeping pad and multi-day backpack
- High quality, synthetic sleeping bag (professionally laundered after every use) – or bring your own.
- Use of trekking poles
- All meals are included from breakfast the first day through lunch on the last day
- A professional, knowledgeable, certified Yellowstone hiking guide
- Roundtrip transportation from your hotel in Jackson Hole, Wyoming
- Entrance fees and national park permits
- Bear safety equipment including bear spray cannisters and food-hanging gear
- Emergency equipment including a company-issued first-aid kit and communication device (InReach Explorer or satellite phone)
- Mandatory 5% national park fee that passes through directly to Yellowstone
- A Lifetime Hiking Membership entitling you, your spouse and dependents to a discount of 10% off any Wildland hiking trip after your first one (must book directly with us to receive the discount)!
What's Not Included
- Clothes, raingear, and footwear (see recommendations)
- Sunscreen, toiletries and personal items
- Water bottles and a headlamp or flashlight
- Guide gratuity (industry recommendation is 10-20% of trip cost)
Click here to see a printable, downloadable trip information packet with more detailed guidance about what to pack.
Meals: What To Expect
All of our hiking and backpacking tours include a diversity of tasty meals packed full of critical carbohydrates, proteins and fats. We carry foods that travel well in the backcountry – rice, pastas, lentils, beans, couscous, packaged meats, nuts, breads, oatmeal, granola, and more.
For optimal taste and energy, we supplement all our meals with spices, herbs, oils, cheeses, butter, sugar, and fruits and vegetables (fresh and dried). In addition, we provide you with with an assortment of trail mix, snacks, and dried fruits to eat at your own discretion.
We regularly accommodate vegan, vegetarian, kosher and non-gluten diets and will make adjustments for food allergies. These and other special dietary requests may require an additional fee.
Gear We Provide
We provide all group gear which includes the following:
- Deuter or Osprey backpacks
- Sierra Designs, Kelty or Big Agnes tents
- Sierra Designs, Kelty, Big Agnes and Mountain Hardware synthetic-fill sleeping bags (or bring your own)
- Thermarest or Big Agnes sleeping pads
- Leki trekking poles
- Cooking stoves and cookware
- Bear spray cannisters and food-hanging gear
- Company-issued first-aid kit
- Emergency communication device(s)
What Gear To Bring
We ask that you supply a couple of gear items on your hiking tour. These items are two 1-liter water bottles per person and either a headlamp or flashlight per person. Basic items like sunscreen, bug repellent (where and when applicable), lip balm, and toiletries are also important.
Additionally, some guests choose to bring their own sleeping bag. We supply high quality, synthetic fill bags that are professionally laundered after every trip. Synthetic fill is non-allergenic, insulates when damp and stands up well to repeated washings, but is heavier and bulkier than down. If you’re able to bring your own down sleeping bag, there are multiple benefits. If not, we’ve got you covered!
What Clothes to Bring
When you register for this tour you’ll receive access to a printable, downloadable trip information packet with detailed guidance about what clothes to pack (click here to see it now.) All trips require a sturdy pair of hiking shoes or hiking boots, rain gear, and our recommended clothing system. A minimum of three pairs of wool or synthetic hiking socks are also required.
Trip Logistics
How do I Register?
Reserve your spot today! In the Trip Dates & Booking section of this page, the green and red dates are bookable online by simply clicking on the date, and blue dates must be booked through our customer service team for a variety of possible reasons. To email our customer service team, you can click here to get the ball rolling. Our adventure consultants will confirm availability, and if you’re ready to register we’ll email you a link to a registration profile. You’ll have 72 hours to complete your profile (and that of any dependents) and pay the deposit.
Feel free to call us for more info – we’re here 7 days a week!
Where Do We Meet?
Your guide will conduct a virtual orientation meeting (via conference call) at 5:00 PM the evening before your trip begins to review the packing list, communicate the first day’s logistics and answer any last minute questions you have. Your guide will give you the phone number for this call during the pre-trip contact approximately 10 days before your trip start date.
Early on the morning of Day 1 your guide will pick you up from your accommodations in Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Driggs, Idaho; or Victor, Idaho.
Click here to see a printable, downloadable trip information packet with more detailed guidance about flights, shuttles, recommended lodging and more.
Start/End Times
You can expect the first day’s pick-up time to be between 5 and 7 am, although the exact time will depend on current weather and road conditions. We will drop you off at your hotel on the final day no later than 7 PM.
Safety Considerations
Your safety is our top priority. Our hiking tours are led by professional hiking guides, all of whom are wilderness-certified first responders or EMT’s, each with years of guiding and wilderness experience. We’ve developed comprehensive risk management protocols that our guides adhere to in case of an emergency, and all tours carry an emergency communication device. If you have any further questions about safety, please contact us at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) for more information.
Guides
Your tour will be led by a trained, experienced professional with a solid guiding background, years of personal wilderness and hiking experience, medical certifications, and a passion for leading people into breathtaking landscapes. Check out our Meet Our Team page for staff bios.
Guide Working Parameters
Guides are required to take 8 hours off each 24-hour period to sleep, recuperate, take personal/down time…etc. In addition, as part of the 8 hours off they must sleep/rest or be in their tents/rooms uninterrupted for a minimum of 5 hours each night. We ask guests to respect these requirements and to not interrupt guides’ off time and sleep time unless there is a true emergency.
Group Size and Age Restrictions
The standard group size on backpacking trips is 6 guests, with a maximum of 10 guests. If you have more questions about group size, please give us a call at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) and we’ll answer all your questions.
Age restrictions are as follows:
- 12 and older to join scheduled tours (mixed groups)
- 10 and older to join private tours, with final approval on a case by case basis
- specific logistical requirements (such as porter or stock assist) determined on a case by case basis
Weather in Yellowstone
Being a Northern mountain environment, Yellowstone is prone to sudden temperature and weather shifts. This is an exciting aspect of being in Yellowstone. On the Spring/Fall Trekking Adventure in June, snow is a slight possibility, and the rest of the summer you’re likely to get rained on at least once during your trip. To be fully prepared, please follow the recommended clothing list closely (this list comes as part of your trip packet when you register). See below for average summer temperatures in Yellowstone:
Average Temperatures (Fahrenheit)
| Month | High | Low |
|---|---|---|
| June | 70° | 42° |
| July | 80° | 47° |
| August | 78° | 45° |
| September | 68° | 37° |
Accommodations
BACKCOUNTRY SLEEPING
Tent Camping
Sleeping on backpacking trips is in premier 1-person, 2-person or 4-person backcountry tents. Solo travelers, and anyone else who requests it, are issued single tents. Top-of-the-line self-inflating sleeping pads and synthetic-fill sleeping bags (professionally laundered after every trip) are also provided.
BACKCOUNTRY CUISINE
Fresh & Delicious
Meals from breakfast Day 1 through lunch the last day are fully included and prepared by your guide. We never use dehydrated backpacking meals, instead serving freshly prepared, delicious backcountry cuisine made with a variety of common and specialty ingredients that travel well in the wilderness.
AMAZING CAMPSITES
In the Action
Of course campsites vary tremendously by destination, trip and even by the individual day of a trip. However, you can expect to camp in beautiful areas that put you right in the action to make the most of your backpacking adventure. We carefully design our itineraries with campsites in mind.
Trip Reviews
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Joel L.
Alpine lakes and scenic views
Fantastic trip with alpine lakes and spectacular views. Highlights for me were Electric Peak and the Sky Rim Trail. With Beau as guide, each day was organized and everyone in the group was well-supported. I suggest carefully reading the trip itinerary as there is considerable elevation gain every day and especially on the Sky Rim trail. Commit to having good cardio fitness before the trip and you will have a blast.
Craig B.
A True Life Experience
Beau was awesome, serving the group, and helping us through a tough 7 day trek over challenging terrain. Overall setup, coordination, and point to point logistics were perfectly organized. A true life experience. Note that if you are doing a level 5, be sure to train hard, it is no easy trek even for experienced athletes.
Chris H.
Excellent Guide
Our guide Beau did a great job throughout the hike. He came prepared, was very up to date on the info on the hike and showed both a lot of skill both on the trail and at camp. At times we did have a few slower hikers and Beau showed a great amount of patience and commitment in ensuring that we all undertook and finished the hike as a group. Would definitely recommend Beau as a guide in the future.
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