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
Jun 20 - Jul 01, 2023Ages
14-16 (enter 9th-11th)Tuition
$3695 (airfare not incl.)Destination
Status
Please Call- 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
I've changed dramatically during my time at Alpengirl. I've become more outgoing, not so quiet, and a lot less shy. It's easier for me to loosen up, have fun, and meet new people. I have definitely come out from behind my mom's skirt. Finally.
Trip Description
A Summer Horse Camp in Montana and Wyoming for Teens
Traversing the Continental Divide, this camp takes place on the borders of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, where girls will go whitewater rafting, scenic river floating, hot spring soaking, and will tour both Yellowstone and Teton National Parks.
This trip features a spectacular, 5-day backcountry horse-packing trip through some of Yellowstone Country’s most pristine and stunning wilderness, during which girls ride every day in beautiful mountain terrain, skirting mountain lakes, climbing majestic ridges and crossing crystalline streams.
Campers who participate in this adventure will gain knowledge and appreciation with each turn, becoming stewards of the land, and being introduced to skills necessary to work with pack animals in the rugged wilderness. All of this adventure and learning takes place in a fun, non-competitive atmosphere that will make this an adventure to remember.
Trip Itinerary
Day 1: Arriving at Bozeman Yellowstone Int’l 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: 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 in the outdoors.
This afternoon, we’ll have fun swimming, splashing and laughing as we enjoy a scenic day's float with new friends! Then, 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: Before we head to our backcountry horse pack trip, we'll spend the day at a crystal clear, bright azure high mountain lake where we can see fish below us as we swim and float on the surface with the sun shining down upon our smiling faces!
Days 4-8: Today we’ll pack up camp and make our way to Red Rock Lakes Wildlife Refuge in the Centennial Valley to the private ranch owned by 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, how to wrap clothing, tents, food and gear in a canvas piece called a “mantie,” and how to securely load it all onto a pack mule for multi-day travel into the mountains.
Let’s start our western horse pack trip! Over the next 5 days, girls will learn basic western trail horsemanship skills at a beginner level. 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 a grassy meadow below where our horses slowly wander and graze.
One night, we’ll use the beautiful backdrop of the mountains to stage our very own Alpenolympic Talent Show, and most nights we’ll join our hosts around the campfire for dinner, learning about the early history and people of the area, singing along to the melody of a guitar, and laughing together as the sun dips beneath the Centennial Mountains.
Our 5 days in the backcountry on horseback, crisscrossing the Continental Divide is the highlight of the trip. On our final evening, we're back to lower elevation again in the valley below where we will get cleaned up with a shower and do some laundry at our private campsite at the ranch.
Day 9: A quick stop this morning for a food re-supply and we're off to Yellowstone Park. Our first of two National Park visits starts today! We’ll spend the day exploring Yellowstone, our nation's first National Park. A magnificent place, Yellowstone is full of diverse landscapes and natural wonders, such as bubbling mud cauldrons, kaleidoscopic 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: The second day of our National Parks tour proves just as awesome as the first! Today we’ll say goodbye to Yellowstone and camp and check out the views inside the heart of Grand Teton National Park.
Day 11: Our final yee-haw together is in Jackson Hole, WY where we will enjoy our much anticipated rip-roarin’ rafting adventure on the Snake River in Wyoming! We’ll have an afternoon of incredible whitewater rafting through Class III and IV rapids with plenty of opportunities to jump out and swim, splash, and laugh. Keep that smile going, because a photo could be taken of you at any moment! Tonight campers enjoy a stop at the ice cream stand for a scoop of local huckleberry ice cream, 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 Jackson Hole 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 to begin with 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 a best suited to abilities, desires and interests. Girls should be aware that this is a multi-adventure itinerary that features a 5-day horse pack trip as well as offering many other non-horse related adventures and 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, girls that can trot properly can go 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 a program, including program itinerary, activities or location for reason 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, parent 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 and may visit with us and provides us 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 “back country” areas where we will purify our water before drinking and learn and 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. ALL backcountry campsites in this itinerary have an outhouse available to us.
Why Choose This Trip
Campers who love horses but also want to go rafting, swimming, river floating and explore Yellowstone Country will automatically 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 Horseback Adventure camp will give campers a variety of outdoor settings in which they can fall in love with the natural world! Limited to 12 campers in the group.
