Lamar Pelican Llama Trek

• Shuttle to Trailhead: 3-4 hours
• Hiking Distance: 3-4 miles
• Elevation Gain: 400 feet
• Elevation Loss: 300 feet

This Yellowstone llama trek begins with pickup at your hotel in Jackson, Wyoming. We’ll shuttle past Teton National Park, where the Tetons’ towering, jagged peaks and the perfect oxbows of the Snake River frame our views to the west. We’ll enter Yellowstone and continue to our trailhead. After prepping the llamas and doing an orientation we’ll hit the trail.

Today’s hike takes us across the wide open expanse of the Lamar Valley and up the Lamar River past some classic Yellowstone thermal activity. The Lamar Valley is famous for its wildlife, particularly bison and wolves. We’ll keep an eye out for animals while we hike and discuss some of the flora we’re seeing as well – wildflowers, grasses, bushes, some edible and some with medicinal uses. The views from Lamar Valley are beautiful as we can see far up the valley to side canyons, rocky cliffs, and distant alpine ridges.

We’ll camp not far from the Lamar River and continue to keep an eye out for wildlife. Once camp is set up we will head up Cache Creek or down to the Lamar River for some sightseeing and/or fishing. We’ll cap our first day of with some great backcountry cooking and a good night’s sleep.

• Hiking Distance: 7 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1200 feet
• Elevation Loss: 1100 feet

We start today with a hearty breakfast, break camp and load up the llamas. Our hike takes us farther up the Lamar River to Miller Creek. We’ll soak up peaceful views of broad river valleys and open meadows, and keep a sharp eye out for wildlife. Most of today will be spent on the trail. Tonight’s camp is at the confluence of the Lamar River and Miller Creek – a majestic spot near vast, open meadows in the bottom of broad valleys.

Both of these rivers are very scenic as they wind down their respective, classic Yellowstone watersheds and make for great feet-soaking and/or fishing.

• Hiking Distance: 7 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1000 feet
• Elevation Loss: 700 feet

Today takes us higher into the mountains toward the headwaters of Mist Creek. We’ll leave the Lamar Valley behind and head up Miller Creek. More broad valleys, great wildlife habitat, the shimmering waters of the creek, interesting flora and pine forests are likely our only companions besides each other.

We’ll stop along the way to soak up the magic of this wonderful valley and to enjoy trail snacks. Tonight’s camp is at a pristine spot along Mist Creek. We’ll feast on a great dinner and sit around a roaring campfire before turning in for a good night’s sleep.

• Hiking Distance: 7 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1100 feet
• Elevation Loss: 300 feet

Today is a very special day as we’ll be leaving the Lamar/Miller/Mist network of valleys behind and entering into the
famous Pelican River Valley over Mist Creek Pass. Although this entire trip is good for seeing wildlife, today is probably our best chance.

After breaking camp we’ll hike up to the pass and enjoy views of the surrounding mountains that include Pelican Valley, Yellowstone Lake, the West Thumb, Mount Sheridan and the Tetons. We’ll descend into the valley for tonight’s camp not far from the shores of the Pelican River, and enjoy a feast to commemorate our last night in the wilderness.

• Hiking Distance: 10.5 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1000 feet
• Elevation Loss: 1400 feet
• Shuttle to Jackson: 3.5 hours

Today we wake up to tea or coffee and a tasty breakfast. We will break camp, load up the llamas one more time and continue down the valley to our trailhead. We’ll pass some wonderful geothermal features, including mud pots on today’s hike and keep an eye out for wildlife. Eventually we arrive at our ending trailhead, de-rig the llamas and shuttle back to Jackson.

Perhaps we’ll start contemplating our next adventure as the Tetons float past our windows. We’ll say our good-byes in Jackson and head off for some much-deserved showers and rest.