Booking Policies

Trip Deposits

• A deposit of $250 per person is required at the time of booking.
• The remaining balance is due 60 days prior to the trip date.
• Full payment is required for trips booked less than 60 days prior to the start date.
• Day hiking excursions require a $250 deposit at the time of booking. The remaining balance is due 30 days prior to the start date.

Trip Cancellations

• Trips cancelled 60+ days prior to the trips starting date will be fully refunded.
• Trips cancelled between 59 and 30 days will receive a 50% refund on the total package price.
• Trips cancelled less than 30 days from the start date are non-refundable.
• Day hiking trips cancelled less than 48 hours prior to the start date are non-refundable.
• Refunds will be issued within 60 days from the date of cancellation.
• Cancellations must be made in writing or by email.

Trail Guides Yellowstone Cancellations

Trail Guides Yellowstone, LLC reserves the right to cancel a trip at any time prior to the start date for the following reasons; staffing shortages, personal injuries or illness, equipment loss or damaged equipment. Under these circumstances we will refund the entire amount of the trip, including the deposit. However, we cannot be held liable for individual travel expenses such as; airfare, rental car fees, hotel accommodations, personal equipment purchases or rentals, meals, trip insurance, travel visas, medical expenses, etc.

Returning Guests

Returning guests will receive a 10% discount on all future trips with Trail Guides Yellowstone.

Trip Itineraries & Cancellations (Force Majeure)

All guided backpacking trips are operated rain or shine and because of the remote locations in which these trips are conducted our schedules and itinerary may change depending on a variety of circumstances that are out of our control. At Trail Guides Yellowstone we make every effort to adhere to the itineraries outlined in the trip descriptions that appear on our website. In some locations we may need to adjust this itinerary for the following reasons; bear activity, seasonal snowpack, wildfires, flooding or high river crossings. We may also make changes to the direction of travel. For example, the Bechler River tour may be run south to north instead of north to south. We ask that you be flexible should any of these changes occur during your scheduled backpacking trip. 

If a guided backpacking or guided day hiking trip is cancelled for reasons beyond our control, including but not limited to; acts of God, public health emergencies, natural disasters, government closures, civil unrest, wildfires, wildlife closures, flooding or unforeseen weather events, and Trail Guides Yellowstone cannot provide an alternate itinerary we will issue a FULL CREDIT for a trip of equal value paid for by the participant. Please call or email us if you have any additional questions.

Trip Insurance

We highly recommend our guests purchase some form of trip insurance after booking your Yellowstone guided backpacking adventure. Our wilderness trips could be impacted by circumstances that are well beyond our control. This may involve closures enacted by the National Park Service, including but not limited to the following: public health emergencies, natural disasters, government closures, wildfires, wildlife closures, flooding or unforeseen weather events such as snow, etc. Trip insurance also protects your travel plans from a number of unforeseen circumstances that may arise in your own life, such as; personal injury or illness, loss of employment, travel delays, lost or stolen passports, family emergencies, death in the family and lost equipment or luggage. We recommend contacting WorldNomads.com for a complete list of policies that can help cover both domestic and foreign travel.

Yellowstone & Wildfires

Yellowstone is shaped by fire and is a natural occurrence in the Yellowstone ecosystem. All wildfires are monitored closely by the Park Service but in the remote backcountry these fires may be left to run their natural course. This may adversely effect our backcountry trips and could involve a minor change in our itinerary or a full cancellation due to complete trail and/or regional closures.

Firearms Policy

The Park Service has a strict "no-carry" policy for Commercial Use Authorizations (CUA's), guides and their guests. We are required to carry bear spray and bear spray only! This policy is not designed to infringe on your rights to carry a firearm. The "no-carry" policy is designed to ensure the safety of our employees and guests while traveling in bear country. The use of bear spray has been proven to be an effective deterrent and is required equipment for all of our day hikes and overnight backpacking trips.

Cell Service Inside Yellowstone

Please be aware that cell service throughout Yellowstone National Park is inconsistent. Some trailheads do not have cell service. If we are running late or vice versa, we/you may not be able to communicate with your guide while traveling inside the park. Traffic jams, wildfires, wildlife, etc. can significantly delay our/your travel time. Trail Guides Yellowstone makes every effort to provide guests with accurate trailhead names and locations, driving directions, as well as start times prior to each guided trip. We make every effort to be on time so please be patient. Delays are inevitable in Yellowstone. For this reason we ask all of our guests who are traveling independently (using your own transportation) to please wait a minimum of at least 2 hours from the appointed start time. Day hikes and backpacking trips are non-refundable under these circumstances.