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The non-profit Yellowstone Association Institute (YAI) and lodge operator Xanterra Parks & Resorts are once again offering the popular Roosevelt Rendezvous this fall featuring exclusive use of one of the most popular lodges in the national park system.
One of the “Lodging & Learning” programs offering daytime field excursions followed by comfortable lodging at night, Roosevelt Rendezvous takes place in September after the historic lodge is closed to the general public for the season. Up to 52 participants will stay at the lodge for four nights. During the day they split up into groups led by YAI naturalists/guides as they enjoy wildlife watching as well as forays into areas with Yellowstone’s renowned thermal and geologic features. They will then reconvene at the end of the day for dinner and the opportunity to compare notes.
“Participants enjoy a combination of small-group adventures by day followed by an evening of relaxation and fun,” said Jeff Brown, executive director of the Yellowstone Association. “Add in the rustic atmosphere of a great lodge and there is truly a winning program.”
Fall in Yellowstone has a different feel compared to other seasons. While the hotels are mostly full, the people driving through trying to see the park in one day drops dramatically. Hikers can feel like they have trails to themselves, and strolls through the geyser basins or along the rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River are much quieter than in summer. Species such as elk are in their mating – or rutting – season or are preparing for winter. Wolves are returning to the lower elevations as the temperatures drop and are more likely to be spotted in the Lamar Valley.
Roosevelt Lodge is located in the Tower-Roosevelt area in the northeast quadrant of the park close to the wildlife-rich Lamar Valley.
“While they won’t exactly have the park to themselves, it can feel that way for the 52 participants of Roosevelt Rendezvous, especially at night when the park visitors have returned to their lodges or have left the park,” added Brown. “Many of our participants have described the program as ‘summer camp, but for adults.’”
This year three sessions will be offered starting Sept. 9, 13 and 17, 2011. Rates are $729 per person for single occupancy and $859 per person for double occupancy. Rates do not include taxes or utility fees. The program includes four nights in private cabins with bathroom facilities nearby, expert instruction from naturalists/guides, in-park transportation and meals. The minimum age to participate is 12.
Other Lodging & Learning programs offered this September include Essential Yellowstone, Old Times on the Grand Tour, Fall Wolf & Elk Discovery and Trails Through Yellowstone.
YAI also offers Field Seminars, Private Tours and Backpacking programs. Reservations for these programs for and cabins at the Yellowstone Overlook Field Campus and Lamar Buffalo Ranch can be made by calling 1-406-848-2400. For more information about any Institute program visit www.YellowstoneAssociation.org or FaceBook.com/YellowstoneAssociation.
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The Yellowstone Association Institute is a non-profit field school operated by the Yellowstone Association in partnership with the National Park Service. The Institute was founded in 1976 and offers more than 500 courses each year on the park’s plants, animals, geology and history. Courses are based at the organization’s Lamar Buffalo Ranch and Yellowstone Overlook field campuses, at park hotels, and in the backcountry.
The Yellowstone Association was founded in 1933 to foster the public’s understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of Yellowstone National Park and its surrounding ecosystem. In addition to operating the Institute on a break-even basis, the Association manages educational bookstores and a membership program that generate revenues for the National Park Service. Since its inception, the organization has provided cash and in-kind funding of more than $27 million for Yellowstone.
To receive a course catalog or for more information, go to www.YellowstoneAssociation.org, write to the Yellowstone Association at PO Box 117, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190 or call 406-848-2400.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".