Quick Details
See Wyoming’s wildlife and beauty under a blanket of snow!
Our winter sightseeing tour is a fun and comfortable way to see the wild area outside of Cody, WY and soak in everything it has to offer. The scenery in this area is incredible and in a way gets even more beautiful in the wintertime under a blanket of snow and with very few people out on the road. Due to limited availability during the slow season we offer two separate out-and-back routes on alternating days of the week:
M, W, F: Buffalo Bill Highway – Drive into the Shoshone National Forest to the east entrance of Yellowstone National Park (about 55 miles) along the north fork of the Shoshone river. Most days we will see herds of Elk, Bighorn Sheep and a few lonely Bison. When the river is frozen we know good viewing areas to keep a lookout for river otters as well as bald eagle’s nests. About ~120 miles rt.
T, Th: Chief Joseph Scenic Byway – This drive departs Cody, WY and heads north out of town about 20 miles to the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway. This drive goes up and over Dead Indian’s Pass and down into Sunlight Basin where we stop to walk across the tallest bridge in Wyoming. Typically we will drive to Pilot Peak trailhead where we start to come back to Cody. About ~140 miles rt.
Buffalo Bill Hwy has more predictable wildlife and less road closures throughout the winter. Great photo opportunities of rock formations and close by mountainsides.
Chief Joseph Scenic Byway offers exceptional mountain vistas and incredible scenery with less predictability for wildlife sightings than Buffalo Bill Hwy. There is a better chance for moose on this tour.
*By Booking this tour you agree to our Visitor Acknowledgement of Risk*
Pick Up & Departure Information
We pick up at all hotels in Cody, WY between 8:00am and 8:15am. This tour only departs from the Cody area. If you are staying outside of Cody give us a call to discuss potential meetup points (307) 250-3594.
This tour is approximately 5 hours long with a goal to return to Cody around 1:00p.m.
Itinerary
8am pickup. Stop at predetermined viewpoints/walkouts as well as stop to photograph any wildlife along the way. If you want to stop and look at something in more detail just let us know! We are accommodating to requests.
What’s Included
High-end binoculars and spotting scope. New, AWD vehicle that is heated and comfortable. Snacks, Water.
What To Bring
Warm winter gear, warm shoes (preferably water-resistant), camera, extra snacks, lunch.
Had a wonderful experience with CoveredGround Tours! We booked a private tour and got to see everything we asked to. Colter was very knowledgeable and got us answers for all our questions! Would not recommend anyone else, the experience was perfect! If you are looking for a high quality tour, go with this company!
– Tiffany B., Google
We went on both the north and south loop tours with Cody. What an amazing guide. Very informative and fun. We saw lots of wildlife on the north loop and Cody stopped every time for picture and viewing opportunities. On the south loop he kept us on track so we didn't miss Old Faithful. I would highly recommend Covered Ground to get your Yellowstone experience.
– Cindy W., Google
The tour was excellent! Cody did an amazing job providing us with information on the places we were visiting including history and geology. His timing was wonderful and he accommodated everyone's physical needs with logistics. He gives service with a smile. Thank you for such a great experience.
– Anna S., Google
What a wonderful day we had. The tour guides are friendly, fun and knowledgeable. It was so lovely to be a passenger and just relax and enjoy the views. Made some new friends and would definetly do it again! Highly recommend.
– Dawn Marie D., Google
Colter went out of his way to make our day perfect. He was on time picking us up, accommodating with any and all of our requests, and had incredible facts about Yellowstone. He was personable and professional. The van was clean and comfortable. We had an amazing experience and will cherish our memories forever!
– Sara F., Google
It was so nice to sit back and and have a knowledgeable guide take you through all the highlights of Yellowstone along with history and information we would have never known exploring on our own. Each stop was the perfect amount of time. Maddie, our guide, was sweet, cultured, and loves what she does. Our family has memories to last a lifetime.
– Ashley M, TripAdvisor