Our lives had been hectic, and planning a vacation—while exciting—added to our stress. That is, until we booked an inclusive visit with Flying Pig Adventure Company near Yellowstone National Park. This was exactly what we needed! They handled the details, we had the fun.
This article was created in partnership with Flying Pig Adventure Company, Montana. All photos courtesy of Flying Pig Adventure Company.
A welcoming arrival to Montana
We broke up the drive from Colorado, but stopped too many times, enamored by the lovely Yellowstone landscape. What we didn’t expect was to hit road construction driving through Yellowstone National Park, which delayed our arrival to Flying Pig. Though we arrived late and missed our evening horseback ride, we still arrived just in time for sunset. With a little time to ourselves, we explored the ranch grounds and soaked in the serene views. My husband threw some casts on the Yellowstone River as the sun faded… we needed this rest. Dinner that evening with fellow travelers featured a cowboy cookout with a variety of meats and delicious sides. When in Montana, you have to try the elk meat! We retreated to our canvas-walled tent for the night. Our digs were plush and comfortable, but we still felt like we were at “camp.”
Riding the hills and rapids near Yellowstone
We awoke to the smell of the crisp mountain air and moseyed out of our “glamping” tent to greet the day. We ventured out for a horseback ride with some of the folks we met the night before at the cookout. Our guides graciously extended our ride since we missed out the night before. We were continuously impressed at how accommodating our hosts were! The scenery was wild and picturesque. After our ride, we embraced the downtime at camp and set out on one of the property’s hiking trails. It felt really nice to stretch our legs after being on horses all morning!
In the afternoon, we prepared for class II and III rapids on the Yellowstone River—a mandatory passage to get to camp for the night! No doubt, the the ride was completely exhilarating! The water splashed us, and it was hard to wipe the perma-grins off our faces. The ride was so much fun! We finally arrived to camp, greeted with snacks and views of the majestic Electric Peak in the distance. While the guides worked on dinner, we played bocce ball with some of the other guests. The stars that night were unbelievable! With little light pollution, we could see the Milky Way, and tried to identify other constellations.
Farewell, for now
On the final morning, we spent some time next the river sipping our coffee, reflecting over the past couple of days. We were genuinely sad to say goodbye to the lovely folks we met and the experiences we shared. Fortunately, we still had an exciting day of whitewater ahead of us! We buckled our life jackets and organized back on the boats. Floating through Yankee Jim Canyon was thrilling with higher class rapids leading into Paradise Valley. I hear the Yellowstone River flow slows down later in the summer, and less intense rapids allow for a more mellow float.
This 3 day adventure in Yellowstone left us yearning for more, so we extended our trip by a couple of days. We found a lovely cabin rental near Gardiner so that we could continue exploring the Yellowstone area for a while longer. Flying Pig Adventure Company gave us the refresh we needed. Down to every last well-thought detail, they made our experience one we won’t soon forget.
