Southern Winds Llama Adventure
Jackson, WY
4.9 (8 reviews)Trip Highlights
- Exploring the Continental Divide
- Adventurous Day Hikes
- Stunning Lakes & Cirques
- Breathtaking Alpine Lakes
- Maximized Hiking with One Camp
- Mountain Solitude
- Dramatic Night Skies
Description
This 4-day Llama Trek into one of the most stunning sections of the Wind River Range is one not to be missed! We pack an amazing amount of scenery and adventure into just 4 days. We spend 3 nights in the same camp, allowing us to maximize our hiking time without the need to break camp each day. We’ll enjoy big Wyoming meals and the wonderful companionship of each other and the llamas as we explore mountain lakes, creeks, rivers, and the magnificent mountain cirques of the Continental Divide.
Our hike takes us from the west side of the Wind River Range to a large, serene lake where we set up our camp for the 3 nights. Our day hikes on days 2 and 3 take us to a stunning lake at the base of an awe-inspiring cirque, and to a high pass for views into Cirque of the Towers, one of the most photographed backcountry areas in Wyoming. Speaking of photographs, don’t forget your camera on this trip because the views are abundant and endlessly picturesque! The final day we’ll hike back out the way we came in.
The Wildland Trekking Company operates under a permit issued by the Bridger-Teton National Forest, and is an equal opportunity employer.
$2445 Per Person
DIFFICULTY LEVEL 3
Scale of 1-5. 1 is least difficult; 5 is most difficult
This trip includes on-trail and off-trail hiking on rocky, moderately rugged terrain. Expect to hike 7-8 miles four days in a row, with moderate elevation gains and lighter pack weights thanks to the llamas.
Hiking Distances:
7-8 mi
Backpack Weight:
10-20 lbs
Terrain:
Moderately Rugged
Max Daily Elev. ↑↓:
1100 ft
Heights Exposure:
Moderate
PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THIS TRIP
- Hiking uphill or downhill with a 10-20 lb backpack for 5-7 hours
- Maintaining balance and footing on moderately rugged, rocky terrain
- Hiking with occasional, moderate heights exposure
SOLITUDE LEVEL 3
1 least solitude, 5 most solitude
We rate this Wind River Llama Trek a solitude 3. You can expect to have hours of solitude at a time, while seeing several other groups of hikers per day.
MINIMUM OF 2 GUESTS
If a trip does not reach the minimum number of guests, you may choose to transfer to another trip date or another trip, be refunded your payments in full, or you may have the choice to pay a supplemental fee to run the trip with fewer guests. We make the final determination for these trips 4-6 weeks before the departure date, and notify guests of changes and options immediately.
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: 2 hours
- Hiking Mileage: 7 miles
- Elevation Gain: 800 feet
This Wind River Range Llama Trek begins with pickup at your hotel in Jackson Hole (custom trips can also originate from Pinedale, WY). We’ll drive through stunning mountains and along the west edge of the Wind River Range before arriving at our trailhead. After packing up and completing a llama orientation we’ll start off on our 7-mile trek to our 3-night basecamp.
Our hike takes us along a major river then higher up into forests and meadows that eventually dump us out at a large, serene mountain lake surrounded by meadows, forests and wetlands. We’ll hike a mile along its shores to the east side of the lake, where we’ll make our home for the next 3 days. Our views north, south and east look up at massive domes, cirques and towers. Our view to the west is open and permits us to fully soak up the evening sunsets over roaring campfires and hearty backcountry dinners.
Day 2
- Hiking Mileage: 8 miles
- Elevation Gain/Loss: 1000 feet
After a big breakfast we’ll begin our hike south to one of the most stunning alpine lakes in the Southern Wind River Range: Deep Lake. We’ll pass Clear Lake and enter into an alpine world where we look down on the forests and lakes we previously hiked through. Eventually we’ll arrive at Deep Lake. Ringed by sheer, dominating cliffs and massive peaks the lake sits in a cirque that is at once humbling, inspiring, and beckoning. One of the most photographed backcountry lakes in Wyoming, Deep Lake and the surrounding cirque will amaze our senses while we enjoy a hearty picnic lunch. In the afternoon we’ll turn around and hike back to camp for a cozy campfire and big Wyoming dinner.
Day 3
- Hiking Mileage: 8 miles
- Elevation Gain/Loss: 1000 feet
You’re in for yet another Wind River treat today! We’ll get started early to beat the afternoon thunderstorms that frequently move in on the higher peaks. Today we turn north and ascend past two fantastic lakes (North Lake and Arrowhead Lake) to Big Sandy Pass, which is perched along the Continental Divide at nearly 11,000 feet. It’s a strenuous day that offers big rewards. We’ll pass below some of the Divide’s most impressive peaks including magnificent Warbonnet Peak (12,369 feet). At Big Sandy Pass we’ll gaze into Cirque of the Towers, a view you’ll never forget. We’ll pick a comfortable spot for lunch and then head back to camp for a final, celebratory evening before our hike out.
Day 4
- Hiking Mileage: 7 miles
- Elevation Loss: 800 feet
- Shuttle to Jackson Hole: 2 hours
On our final day we’ll enjoy a relaxing morning, pack up camp, and – with our llama companions carrying the bulk of our gear – hike back out the way we came. Once at the trailhead, we’ll say our good-byes to the Winds and watch as they float by as we drive back to Jackson Hole. With a fond farewell, we’ll drop you off at your hotel for much-deserved showers and relaxation.
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
- Pack llamas to transport the majority of gear and food
- Trained hiking guide(s) with years of personal wilderness and hiking experience, medical certifications, and a passion for leading people into breathtaking landscapes. See Guide Bios.
- 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
- Roundtrip transportation from your hotel in Jackson, Wyoming to the trailhead and back
- 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)
- You will receive a Lifetime Hiking Membership entitling you, your spouse and your kids to a lifetime discount of 10% off any Wildland Trekking hiking trip after your first one!
What's Not Included
- Clothes, raingear, and footwear (see recommendations)
- Sunscreen, toiletries and personal items
- Waterbottles and a headlamp or flashlight
- Guide gratuity (industry recommendation is 10-15% 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 or Mountain Hardware 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
- Mountain Safety Research cooking stoves
- Mountain Safety Research cookware
- Bear spray cannisters and food-hanging gear
- Company-issued first-aid kit
- Emergency communication device(s)
Guest Packing List
When you register for this tour you’ll receive access to a printable, downloadable trip information packet with a detailed packing list specific to this trip (click here to see it now.) All trips require a sturdy pair of hiking shoes or hiking boots, rain gear, a recommended clothing system, a headlamp or flashlight, a hydration system (water bottles and/or bladder) and other items specific to each trip.
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!
Trip Logistics
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.
Travel to Jackson, WY
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.
Pre and Post-trip On Request Lodging
We secure limited amounts of pre and post trip lodging in Jackson, Wyoming as an optional add-on for guests of this trip. This lodging is on request, and is available on a first come, first serve basis. If interested, please reach out directly to our team to check availability.
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 Precautions
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. Guides adhere to standardized risk management protocols in case of any potential or actual incident, and all tours carry an emergency communication device and comprehensive first-aid kit. Additionally we have a “24/7” system through which guides or guests can reach Wildland support personnel at any time.
If you have any further questions about safety, please contact us at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) for more information.
Essential Eligibility Criteria
Essential Eligibility Criteria (“EEC”) have been specifically identified to help you understand the skills and abilities necessary to participate on each Wildland trip, and they apply uniformly to all potential trip participants, irrespective of the presence or absence of any disability.
Once you identify a trip in which you may be interested, please carefully review the EEC and itinerary details. If after reviewing the EEC that apply to your desired trip, you determine you need an accommodation in order to meet the EEC, please contact us prior to registering to discuss your requested accommodation.
The EEC exist for your own safety and the safety and enjoyment of all participants. If you are unable to meet the EEC for the trip, with or without an accommodation, you are not eligible for that trip. If you register and arrive for a trip for which you do not meet the EEC, you will be disqualified from participation on the trip and will be dismissed or evacuated from the trip without a refund.
Hiking with Llamas
Ideally you desire to be on a trip with llamas, by this we mean that a trip with stock animals is different than a backpacking trip in many ways. One big difference is that it takes time for your guide to get all the animals loaded and ready to go in the morning and to unload gear and care for them once we arrive in camp. Also the pace of a llama trip can be a bit slower than you would walk without a pack and you’ll be expected to hike with the group.
On a llama trip the animals tend to take on a focus of the trip. These trips are most rewarding when the clients want to interact with and help out with caring for the llamas. The tradeoff for not having to carry a large backpack is that llamas do require extra work from their guide/handlers. If you are choosing a llama trip solely on the basis of not having to carry a backpack and do not wish to interact with a llama, you need to speak honestly with your Adventure Consultant about this and potentially add another Wildland Guide to your trip to cover the extra workload of caring for the llamas.
Weather Around Yellowstone
Being a Northern mountain environment, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is prone to sudden temperature and weather shifts. This is an exciting aspect of being in Wyoming’s mountains. On trips 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 around 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 this trip 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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Mary B
I would definitely use Wildland again.
Eric and Katie were excellent guides. They expertly assessed our capabilities and were very thoughtful and helpful throughout our trip. I would definitely use Wildland again.
Sheila H
Extraordinary Trip
I just finished my third trip with Wildland Trekking and would definitely recommend them to anyone looking for a great experience.
Robert G
Challenging and Fulfilling Hike
A very stimulating — if, at times, a bit arduous for us older (79 years) folk. A challenging adventure I would not want to have missed.
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