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| · May 14, 2003 · |
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· Yellowstone Concessioner Offers A Variety Of Ways To Explore The Park YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK - Whether by foot, hoof, boat or stagecoach, visitors to Yellowstone National Park should explore the park beyond the drive-up viewpoints, recommends concessioner Xanterra Parks & Resorts. Xanterra offers a variety of interpretive, guided activities that are designed to educate visitors and help them explore the park in a safe, hassle-free way.
More than most national parks, the opportunities for discovery at Yellowstone are virtually endless. And with less than five percent of the 2.2 million-acre park visible from paved roads, the size and scope of the park can be intimidating to some visitors. "You cannot even begin to appreciate the park from inside your car," said Rick Hoeninghausen, director of sales and marketing for Xanterra Parks & Resorts. "Though the drive is spectacular, there is so much more to Yellowstone than what you can see from the road." Xanterra offers tours and activities designed to provide access to visitors of all ages and physical conditions. "Physically fit, semi-adventurous types might want to participate in a multi-day hiking and lodging program called 'Trails Through Yellowstone,' while visitors seeking a less strenuous experience travel to a backcountry Old West Cookout dinner via horse-drawn wagon." All activities and tours operated by Xanterra include an interpretive component, so visitors will gain an even deeper appreciation of the park's ecosystems, history and wildlife. Following are some of the summer-season options available to visitors. For additional details about all activities, visit www.travelyellowstone.com. Visitors should make advance reservations by calling (1) 307-344-7311. Summer 2003 Activities: Stagecoach Adventures An authentic stagecoach - always a favorite among younger visitors - travels through Roosevelt Country, taking visitors back 100 years when their predecessors made their way to Uncle John Yancey's Pleasant Valley Hotel. The half-hour stagecoach tours are offered at Roosevelt Lodge. Available June 6 through August 31. Adults $7.75; children (2-11) $6.50; children under two ride free. Horseback Trail Rides Leaving Mammoth Hot Springs, Canyon Village and Roosevelt Lodge, a one- or two-hour guided trail ride is a great way to see the park the way early visitors did - on horseback. Departure times vary throughout the season. Minimum age is 8 years old; minimum height 4 feet; maximum weight 250 pounds. One hour: adults and children $28; two hours: adults and children $42. Old West Cookouts Offered at Roosevelt Lodge, guests are treated to a barbecue with steaks and side dishes with music, storytelling, wranglers, horses and wagons. Participants experience the sights and sounds - sizzling steaks, clacking horse's hooves, rolling wagons - reminiscent of the Old West. Transportation via horse-drawn wagon - adults $39; children (5-11) $27. Via one-hour horseback ride: adults $49; children (8-11) $39. Via two-hour horseback ride: adults $59; children (8-11) $49. Yellowstone Lake Scenicruises One of the best ways for visitors of all ages and physical capabilities to see Yellowstone Lake is on board the Lake Queen, a 44-foot tour boat. Guests are treated to moose, eagles and other local residents. Colorful park histories are revealed in this guided one-hour cruise. Available May 31 through September 14. Adults $9.75; children (2-11) $5; children under 2 are free. Yellowstone Lake "Historic" Sunset Tour Aboard the park's 1937 touring car, guests depart the Lake area for a two-hour roundtrip tour to a scenic overlook above the lake. Expert guides explain the rich human history of the past and the ecological intricacies of the present. Available Tuesday through Saturday. Adults $19; children (16 and under) $9. Guided Fishing Trips Guides know all the hot spots for cutthroat trout, native to Yellowstone Lake. The result is an exciting day of fishing. Charters are also available for pleasure and sightseeing jaunts on the lake. Charters are available June 15 through September 7 and include guide, fishing gear for three people, gas and life jackets. 22-foot cabin: $57 per hour (1-6 people); 34-foot cabin $74 per hour (1-6 people). Children under 18 must be accompanied by adult. Self-Guided Lake Adventures Sixteen-foot rowboats and 18-foot outboards can be rented and self-captained for fishing and sightseeing. Private boat dock spaces are available for rent. Outboard motorboats are available June 15 through September 7. $33 per hour (2-6 people). Rowboats are available June 15 through September 7. $7.50 for first hour; $6.50 for each additional hour; $34 for day (eight hours). Children under 18 must be accompanied by adult. Picture-Perfect Photo Safaris A photographer-guide takes guests on a morning trip to capture - on film, of course - wildlife, wildflowers or other scenery. Photographers of all abilities are welcome. Available May 31 - September 28 at Lake Yellowstone Hotel (Thursday through Monday) and Old Faithful Inn (Tuesday through Saturday). Adults $43; children (16 and under) $24. Firehole Basin Adventure Three-hour afternoon interpretive program includes guided walks through Old Faithful Geyser Basin. Adults $20; children (12-16) $9.50; children under 12 free. Touring Motorcoach Excursions Expert guides take visitors aboard comfortable motorcoaches on a variety of tours highlighting famous Yellowstone features such the Upper and Lower Geyser Basins, Yellowstone Lake, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Gibbon Falls, Norris Geyser Basin, Tower Fall, Mammoth Hot Springs and Old Faithful Geyser. Guides make frequent stops to explain the geological and historical significance of the sites. Circle of Fire: This all-day tour departs Lake Hotel, Fishing Bridge, Grant Village, Canyon Lodge, Old Faithful Inn and Bridge Bay Campground and travels through the southern portion of the park and includes stops at the geyser basins, Yellowstone Lake and Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. Available May 17 through September 20. Adults $41; children (12-16) $18; children under 12 free. Teton Vista Rendezvous: This all-day tour departs Lake Yellowstone Hotel, Fishing Bridge, Grant Village, Old Faithful Inn and Bridge Bay, and includes stops throughout the southern portion of Yellowstone and neighboring Grand Teton National Park. Adults $37; children (12-16) $18; children under 12 free. Yellowstone in a Day: This all-day tour departs Mammoth Hot Springs and Gardiner, Mont., and includes highlights throughout Yellowstone. Adults $45; children (12-16) $21; children under 12 free. Basin Buddies Children's Program This environmental education program for children 6-11 includes exploration of the geyser basin in the company of qualified instructors. Morning class includes participation in the National Park Service Junior Ranger program. Parents are invited to join the evening session. Available June 30 - August 7. Morning sessions $28 plus $3 NPS fee for ranger program materials; evening session $18.50, parents free. Xanterra Parks & Resorts operates lodges, restaurants and other concessions at national parks and state parks and resorts. Xanterra is the country's largest national park concessioner. The company operates concessions in the following locations: Yellowstone National Park, the North and South Rims of Grand Canyon National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, Crater Lake National Park, Death Valley National Park, Petrified Forest National Park, Everglades National Park, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial; and at the Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif.; Gideon Putnam Hotel in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. and seven Ohio State Parks. Long committed to the preservation and protection of the environment, Ecologix, Xanterra's environmental program, includes a variety of proactive environmental stewardship programs in each location. Xanterra was the recipient of Environmental Achievement Awards from the Environmental Protection Agency in 2002 and from the Department of Interior in 2001 and 2002. Xanterra also received the Travel Industry Association's Odyssey Award for its environmental initiatives in 2001. For more information about Xanterra and links to individual properties, visit: www.xanterra.com. For reservations and more information about Grand Canyon, Bryce or Zion, call (1) 303-297-2757 or toll-free at (1) 888-297-2757. For reservations and more information about Yellowstone, call (1) 307-344-7311. For reservations and more information about Flamingo Lodge in Everglades National Park, call (1) 800-600-3813 or (1) 239-695-3101. For reservations at Crater Lake Lodge, call (1) 541-830-8700. For reservations and more information about Ohio State Park Resorts, call (1) 800-282-7275. Media Contact: Mesereau Public Relations 720-842-5271 mona_mesereau@msn.com |
| Produced by Judi Janofsky, Rich Steck and the Golf Press Association |