Yellowstone Horse Highlights
Ride horses under the Big Sky with us and you’ll find out why this is one of our most popular trips!!
Dates
Jul 06 - Jul 17, 2024Ages
12-14 (rising 7th-9th)Tuition
$3945 (airfare not incl.)Destination
Status
Open- Travel Montana, Idaho, Wyoming
- 5-day Wilderness Horse Trip
- Whitewater Rafting Snake River
- Tour Teton & Yellowstone Parks
- Scenic River Float
- Swimming in a mountain lake
- Soaking in natural hot springs
Jessy enjoyed the Washington Alpengirl trip very much, she returned with a smile and renewed energy. Mandy and Paige, Jessy's guides, both had a profoundly positive effect on her short term and long-term views on life. She believed them both to be great selections for guiding the...
Trip Description
A Summer Horse Camp in Montana and Wyoming for Teens
Horse lovers unite in Yellowstone Country this summer at Alpengirl!
Our mostly horse-focused camp is an excellent choice for campers who have a huge sense of adventure and want to experience the beauty of the Rocky Mountain West’s rugged wilderness.
Taking place on the borders of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, this trip features a spectacular 5-day backcountry horse packing trip. Campers will get to ride in the mountains neighboring Yellowstone Park, and be introduced to the skills necessary to take care of pack animals in the rugged wilderness, all in a fun, non-competitive atmosphere. Girls will also get the chance to go whitewater rafting, scenic river floating, and hot spring soaking, as well as explore two of the United States’ most impressive national parks: Yellowstone and Grand Teton – what more could you ask for?
Trip Itinerary
Day 1: Welcome to Alpengirl!
Arriving at Bozeman-Yellowstone International Airport, your Alpenguides will greet you and introduce you to the rest of your camp group. Name games and icebreakers abound before we all hop into the van and drive to our first campsite. Once we learn how to set up our tents, we’ll continue to get to know each other, then enjoy the first of many delicious and fresh camp meals – perhaps build your own burritos with veggies, rice and all the fixin's served with organic blue corn chips and salsa, followed by a surprise dessert!
Day 2: Float on!
Waking up well rested, you’ll be amazed at how massive the blue sky seems as you step out of your tent. Bring your sleeping pad out to the yoga circle and allow your Alpenyogi to guide you through relaxing stretches as your body wakes up. A delicious breakfast awaits as we get changed and learn a little more about our upcoming days at camp and all the nuts and bolts of spending time outdoors.
This afternoon, Alpenguides will get everyone situated in their inflatable rafts and kayaks, and go over paddling techniques and all things safety. We’ll spend the afternoon having fun swimming, splashing and laughing as we enjoy a scenic day's float down the Madison River with new friends! After an early dinner, we'll head to a nearby hot springs pool for an evening under the stars, listening to music and soaking in warm water: ahhhh, it’s so nice!
Day 3: Lake day!
We'll spend the day playing at a crystal clear, bright azure lake high in the mountains – get ready for some water-based Alpenolympic games! We’ll be able to see fish below us as we swim and float on the surface with the sun shining down upon our smiling faces.
This evening, we’ll return to camp to start getting ready for our backcountry horse pack trip and look over our maps to see where we’re headed in the days to come!
Days 4-8: Saddle up, cowgirls!
Today, we’ll pack up camp and make our way to the Centennial Valley and meet our experienced horse guides. Our horse outfitters will welcome us to this remote and pristine wilderness area where we’ll learn the ins and outs of horse packing. Girls will be assigned their horses, learn how to saddle and bridle them, and how to pack and securely load all of our gear onto a pack mule for our multi-day expedition into the mountains.
Over the next 5 days, girls will learn basic western trail horsemanship skills at a beginner level as we crisscross the Continental Divide. We will have the chance to ride through wildflower fields, across crystal clear, spring-fed creeks, and over rugged and steep mountain passes. Along with the daily rides that take us from camp to camp, we will also have a chance to take an evening ride, hop onto a horse bareback, and even learn to use a cowboy lariat rope for lassoing! We can stay fresh and clean on the expedition by having an Alpenolympic Bucket Hair Washing competition.
Each night, we'll set up camp in an amazing location with incredible views. Our first spot is just below the “Amphitheater,” a beautiful cirque of rock walls that towers behind us. The sun sets behind the spires, casting a lovely shadow across the grassy meadow below where our horses slowly wander and graze, and we’ll perhaps stage our very own Alpenolympic Talent Show! Most nights we’ll join our hosts around the campfire for dinner, learning about the early history and people of the area, and singing camp songs around the fire. Laughing together as the sun dips beneath the Centennial Mountains is sure to be a memory Alpengirls will never forget!
Day 9: To America’s first national park!
A quick stop this morning for a food re-supply and we're off to Yellowstone Park! We’ll spend the day exploring Yellowstone’s diverse landscapes and natural wonders, such as bubbling mud pots, explosive geysers, waterfalls and rivers, and wildlife like you’ve never seen. No visit to Yellowstone is complete without a trip to Old Faithful. As we wait for it to erupt, we’ll keep our eyes and our cameras ready to capture some elk or bison grazing nearby. Tonight may be a good night to shop at the Alpengirl camp store before settling in for an evening of relaxed fun with an Alpenolympic Event!
Day 10: Tetons and rafting!
The second day of our national parks tour proves just as awesome as the first! Today we’ll say goodbye to Yellowstone and head south into the heart of Grand Teton National Park. The towering Teton Range provides a most dramatic welcome and gives photographers opportunity after opportunity – they don’t have a bad angle!
This afternoon, we’ll head south into the river canyon for our much anticipated, rip-roarin’ whitewater rafting adventure down Wyoming’s Snake River! We’ll have an afternoon of incredible rafting through Class II-III rapids with plenty of opportunities to jump out and swim, splash, and laugh. Keep that smile going!
Day 11: Jackson exploration
Our final yee-haw together is in Jackson Hole, WY, where we’ll get the chance to explore “The Last of the Old West.” We’ll get the chance to shop around downtown Jackson, and maybe even visit an ice cream stand for a scoop of local huckleberry ice cream.
This afternoon, we’ll hit the road and head back north towards Bozeman, where we’ll enjoy our final night together with a pizza party and our End of Session Awards ceremony.
Day 12: It’s time to go home!
Exchanging hugs with your friends, you’ll depart from Bozeman-Yellowstone International Airport, knowing that you’ve had a ton of fun and accomplished great things as an Alpengirl and will be a part of our fantastic community for life. See you next summer!
SPECIAL NOTE: This trip is suitable for a range of girls with limited to considerable previous horse riding experience. Girls with limited horse experience: A minimal amount of horseback trail riding experience is required to attend this session. Girls should not be afraid of horses and should have at least one full day of western trail horseback riding experience before coming to camp to evaluate personal comfort level and confidence. Girls with considerable horse experience: Call before registering to inquire about the 5-day pack trip and horse-related activities to be sure it's suited to abilities, desires and interests. Girls should be aware that this is a multi-adventure itinerary that offers many other non-horse related activities.
During the 5-day horse pack trip: On the first day of the horse packing section, girls will be introduced to their horses, which are specifically chosen to suit their comfort level, size and riding ability. Campers may advance in their riding skills once skills are adequately demonstrated and if terrain allows for it. Girls that can walk a horse properly can go to a trot, then to a canter, etc. However, a great majority of our time riding is in the mountains and on rugged and uneven terrain that is not conducive to cantering. We will be riding in densely forested and sometimes steep and rugged mountain terrain. We may have to walk or ride over or around downed trees, through remaining patches of snow fields, or across running creeks to get where we are going.
PLEASE NOTE: Alpengirl reserves the right to cancel or alter any aspect of a program, before or during the session, including program itinerary, activities, or location for reasons including but not limited to weather, environment, logistics, or health hazards. If itinerary changes occur, we will substitute comparable alternatives, if possible. If there are significant itinerary changes, parents will be notified by email.
Trip Campsites & Amenities
One night is spent in tents on privately owned land where the land owner acts as campground host. We will be provided with access to running potable water and private outhouses or flushing toilets.
Six nights are spent in tents in public “front country” campgrounds where we have pre-assigned campsites with neighbors and campground hosts nearby, running potable water, and private outhouses or flushing toilets.
Four nights are spent in tents in wilderness “backcountry” areas where we will purify our water before drinking and learn to practice basic Leave No Trace camping skills such as how to select a campsite, how to go to the bathroom, and how to keep clean outdoors.
Why Choose This Trip
Campers who love horses but also want to go rafting, swimming, river floating, and explore Yellowstone Country will be sure to love this camp. There are adventures around every bend with the added bonus of caring for your very own horse in a wilderness setting for 5 days. From rivers, to lakes, to mountains, Yellowstone Horse Adventure camp will give girls a variety of outdoor settings in which they can fall in love with the natural world! Limited to 12 campers in the group.
