Yellowstone Creation Adventures August 12-16, or September 1-5, 2024
Yellowstone School and Lab August 17-19, 2024
Yellowstone Private Day Tours August 20-25, 2024.
Join us next summer as we lead families through the United States’ first national park, with our Yellowstone Creation Adventures and our Yellowstone School and Lab!
And *NEW* this year: Private Yellowstone Day Tours for your family!
We are now in our 15th year of helping families gain a new perspective on Yellowstone. Your guide for the tours and school is Patrick Nurre, who brings his vast experience and knowledge of Yellowstone to your excursion. All trips will be conducted from a Biblical perspective (young earth, global flood perspective), with a view to strengthening your faith in the Scriptures!
The Yellowstone Creation Adventures
These tours are a wonderful opportunity for you and your family to be strengthened in your faith as you learn about Yellowstone from a Biblical perspective. We will hit the highlights of our greatest national park, including mud pots, hot springs, geysers, fumaroles and waterfalls. In addition to the thermal features, you will also learn some of the fascinating history of Yellowstone National Park, and see amazing wildlife. The tour will include a drive over the magnificent Beartooth Highway that runs between the park and Red Lodge, Montana. Kids will get their own copy of our Yellowstone Creation Adventure Activity Book (age appropriate, see here, here, and here) and each vehicle will receive a copy of The Geology of Yellowstone by Patrick. If the kids finish their workbook by the time we are done with the trip, they receive special certificates.
ITINERARY
Our itinerary can include these various features and locales in the park. (These are subject to unforeseen circumstances, including snow and fires.)
- Norris Geyser Basin
- Old Faithful and Upper Geyser Basin
- Midway Geyser Basin
- Canyon/Falls
- Mammoth Terraces
- West Thumb Geyser Basin
- Haydn and Lamar Valleys
- Beartooth Pass
- Earthquake Lake
SCHEDULE
For the Yellowstone Creation Adventures Tours, each day we will meet at a prearranged spot, then begin our tour through the park. Each car will be provided a 2-way radio. We will make frequent stops to observe different features, and do short hikes. All hikes are wheel chair accessible. There is typically time in the mid-afternoon, when you can explore something on your own, or just get some ice cream. Depending on crowds, some evenings we will have optional tours where we can take in features that were harder to see during the day.
DATES
Yellowstone Creation Adventure Tour 1: August 12-16, 4 days and 5 nights. This tour starts in West Yellowstone, Montana on the evening of the 12th, and ends in Red Lodge, Montana on the evening of the 16th.
Yellowstone Creation Adventure Tour 2: September 1-5, 4 days and 5 nights. This tour starts in West Yellowstone, Montana on the evening of September 1st, and ends in Red Lodge, Montana on the evening of September 5th. On this tour, you can expect smaller crowds as the busy tourist season is largely over.
COST
The Yellowstone Creation Adventure Tours are $850.00 per vehicle/family.* Early bird discount: Register by December 31, 2023 and receive $75.00 off your final payment!
Cost for the Yellowstone Creation Adventures is figured per vehicle, with one nuclear family per vehicle. Extended family (i.e. grandparents) may be included in the one vehicle price. If you desire to travel with, for instance, two family units in the same vehicle, then we must charge you for each family. Please call us if you have questions about your particular situation.
Click below to make your deposit!
The Yellowstone School and Lab
The Yellowstone School and Lab is a shorter, two-and-a-half day tour for families, with the focus being to engage your students who are in high school with the science of Yellowstone. Although we may see some of the same features as on the Yellowstone Creation Tours, the focus will be on an intensive study of volcanoes, rocks and minerals of the greater Yellowstone area, and the impact of Ice Age. There will a strong emphasis on learning the difference between interpretive skills and observational skills. Your faith will be strengthened as you see the pieces come together that support the Biblical account of the Flood found in Genesis. Included in this package is a lab book for your participating high school students. Additional books will be available for a fee for other family members who would like one. There will be assignments due each day. After the school concludes, you may want to remain in the park for a few days to take in more of the features at a leisurely pace.
ITINERARY
We will begin in Red Lodge, Montana, with a drive through the Absaroka Mountains, continuing in the park to such features like the Mammoth Terraces (and the travertine terraces outside of Gardner, Montana), Norris Geyser Basin, Tuff Cliff, and Earthquake Lake/hebgen lake, site of the massive 1959 earthquake. Locations may differ due to weather or road conditions.
SCHEDULE
For the Yellowstone School and Lab, we will meet at a prearranged spot. All cars will be equipped with 2-way radio. Our focus will be on an intensive study of volcanoes, rocks and minerals, and the Ice Age. Our first two days will be full 8-hour days exploring geological evidences. Our last day will be just a half day.
DATES
The Yellowstone School and Lab will take place August 17-19, 3 days and 2 nights. The school begins in Red Lodge, Montana on the morning of the 17th, and will end in West Yellowstone, Montana in the afternoon of August 19.
COST
The Yellowstone School and Lab is $599.00 per vehicle/family.* Early bird discount: Register by December 31, 2023 and receive $50 off your final payment!
Cost for the Yellowstone Lab and School, is figured per vehicle, with one nuclear family per vehicle. Extended family (i.e. grandparents) may be included in the one vehicle price. If you desire to travel with, for instance, two family units in the same vehicle, then we must charge you for each family. Please call us if you have questions about your particular situation.
Click below to make your deposit!
PRIVATE YELLOWSTONE DAY TOUR
Private Yellowstone Day Tours
And *NEW* this year, we are offering a limited number of private day tours for your family. These tours are a wonderful way for you to have your questions addressed more fully, as you spend one-on-one time with Patrick. Equipped with a 2-way radio, participants will travel in their own car as we make our way through the park, visiting those features that will make this a memorable treat for your whole family. See what you want to see, with a guide who can explain it all! These tours last 8 hours.
ITINERARY
See what you want to see! We will work with you to craft a unique experience just for you and your family!
SCHEDULE
The Private Yellowstone Day Tours will be constructed according to what your family would like to focus on, or if there are features that you would like to especially take in. But we are always available to make suggestions about locations and features. A typical tour would begin at 8:00 am and last until 4:00 pm , as we explore features of the park from a Biblical perspective. You will travel in your own car, and have a 2-way radio at your convenience to talk directly with Patrick as we lead you through this wonderland!
DATES
Private Yellowstone Day Tours are available only on August 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th or 25th.
COST
The Private Yellowstone Day Tours are $699. This tour is designed for one car/family van/RV only. No buses. If you desire to have additional vehicles on your tour, call us for special pricing. Contact us directly to reserve your date for this personal tour. 206-718-1835 or northwestexpedition@msn.com.
Click below to make your deposit.
To schedule your private tour, contact us at 206-718-1835 or northwestexpedition@msn.com.
Housing and Food
Housing is on your own, but we can help you to figure that out, whether you want to camp or want a hotel. Likewise, all your meals will be of your choosing. But you should be prepared to have lunches picnic style each day.
Value
These tours are an outstanding value, besides having the benefit of building up your faith. And many who have gone with us have made new friends as they share this unrivaled opportunity. Space is limited!
FAQ
They are for all ages! We have taken children in strollers, and grandparents!
We don’t limit the number of people, but we do limit the number of vehicles, as we caravan through the park.
We certainly will be walking, but we will not be doing any strenuous hiking. Walking is done primarily on boardwalks, but also on dirt paths.
We have had people of all abilities go with us on this tour, including people in wheelchairs.
If you are taking part in the Yellowstone Creation Adventures, the answer is yes! We usually end the tour in early-midafternoon each day, so that you can do what you like with the rest of the day. On some occasions, we will continue our tour in the evening with those who would like to see something different at a cooler time of day, and when there are less people in the park. The Yellowstone School and Lab is more intensive, utilizing the whole day. You may want to stay a few extra days after the class ends to take advantage of seeing some of the other features of the park in a more leisurely manner. If you are enjoying the Yellowstone Private Day Tour with us, then we will work with you to craft a unique experience for you as you tour the park.
Yes. There are restaurants, soda fountains, and cafeterias in the park, as well as grocery stores. And gas is available at several locations in the park.
The weather in the park can vary quite a bit simply because of the different areas, from plains to mountains. But generally speaking, it is sunny during this time of the year, with occasional afternoon rain. Temperatures can range from the high 30s to the 80s. And this can all happen in one day! So, it is best to dress in layers.
Food that is left unattended is one of the main reasons that you might see a bear. The park rangers have done a very good job, however, of educating the public about not feeding the bears. (Feeding them was a common practice many years ago.) In addition, strict guidelines are enforced concerning food in campgrounds and around the park, in order to discourage bears from interacting with humans. Because of this, it will be quite unusual for you to see a bear. Of course, if you do, please follow the guidelines from the park about how to stay safe when encountering bears, as well as any wildlife in the park.
We usually send out a final payment notice around June 1. At that time, we will give you the link to pay online (with a code if you got an early bird discount), as well as other payment options. Of course, you have the option to pay in full at any time. Please contact us so that we can give you the appropriate link for that.
Yes. Each vehicle will need to pay an entry fee that will be good for the entire tour. And if you have a 4th grader in your car, you may be eligible for a free pass.
This means that we draw on the explanation in Genesis of a global flood to help us to understand how Yellowstone was formed, including all the features that we see: from the thermal features to water falls, land formations, petrified trees, lakes and rivers. And not just these, but it also helps us to understand how the Ice Age started, and the effects of it.
For questions of more information, please contact us.
What our participants are saying…
- Thank you both for such a meaningful trip to Yellowstone... My family has thanked me repeatedly for signing up for the trip. If we had shown up to Yellowstone on our own, it would have been so overwhelming as to what to see PLUS it would have been a hollow trip without opening our eyes to "the rocks crying out," the evidence of the Flood. KH
- What a wonderful trip! You made Yellowstone such an amazing experience with the truth of the Biblical perspective. JP
- The Yellowstone trip was a most memorable trip. We had been to Yellowstone before, but we saw so much more this time. We came away with a far greater appreciation of God's creation and the fingerprints He left all over it. The ultimate home school field trip or family outing! CY
- Our families are so thankful for all your efforts in making our "bucket list" adventure happen. Every day we came back to camp talking through what we had seen....I think everyone came home having their personal expectations met. Thank you! This never could have happened on our own. DD
- It was the best decision we could have made for seeing Yellowstone in a meaningful way, and it was such a blessing to spend time with like-minded families. Our faith was strengthened seeing and learning about the geological evidence all around Yellowstone that shows the history of creation and how Noah’s flood changed the landscape. MV
- Our family of four enjoyed the Yellowstone tours with the Nurres this year. What a phenomenal adventure for our teens at such a reasonable price! We highly recommend it. Our SUV came home loaded with awesome rocks from MT, and we really enjoyed seeing all of the major points of Yellowstone with such an experienced and Godly guide. Patrick and Vicki, you guys “ROCK” (pun intended)! Carol G.
- The Yellowstone Tour was a great adventure for us. Such a broadening of our understanding of how the present geologic features we observed, fit so reasonably and logically into the time frame and and brief account of the Biblical Noah’s flood and the aftermath of that. Really fascinating. Thanks for the great trip! Elton M.
- On behalf of our family, I can say that the Yellowstone Creation Adventure was amazing and eye-opening for us! We loved having the opportunity for a guided tour that allowed us to see the park's geology from a creationist point of view, as Patrick and Vicki explained the process by which the Great Flood and volcanic activity, as well as the subsequent Ice Age and regional flooding, led to the formation of the specific geologic formations that we visited. This memorable field trip can, in a new way, channel your children's natural curiosity--even about the rocks they pick up outside--toward Biblical truth by giving them a glimpse of the glory of their Creator. Kevin E.
- We had such an amazing experience. Thank you for such an incredibly educational tour. Rocks and mountains tell the Biblical story too. Esther E.
- This was an amazing trip! If you get a chance it is worth the time and money! It was educational and soooo much fun!" Kate C.
- Your knowledge is astounding! So thankful for all your hard work and leading in this amazing adventure! R.
- The Yellowstone adventure was a most memorable trip. We had been to Yellowstone before, but we saw so much more this time. The Nurres knew where to be at what time to get the most popular sites in before the crowds, and then they showed us hidden gems we would not have known to look for. We came away with a far greater appreciation of God's creation and the fingerprints He left all over it. Pat and Vicki were most helpful every step the way, and I hope we get to spend time together again. The ultimate home school field trip or family outing! Carolyn Y.
- Our whole family really enjoyed the Yellowstone Creation Adventure tour. It was the best decision we could have made for seeing Yellowstone in a meaningful way, and it was such a blessing to spend time with like-minded families. Our faith was strengthened seeing and learning about the geological evidence all around Yellowstone that shows the history of creation and how Noah’s flood changed the landscape. Our teenage thanked us all week for taking them on the tour. Thank you both so much for offering such a quality experience we will always remember. Andy and Melissa V
Note
In the event of trip cancellation by Northwest Treasures, all payments for the trip will be either refunded, or applied to next year’s trip. Processing fee of 3.5% applies to all online credit card payments and refunds. Cancellations by participants are non-refundable after May 1, 2024. Payment for tours is non-transferable to any other Northwest Treasures product, service, or tour, except for future Yellowstone Creation Adventures.
**Related family travelling together in the same vehicle are counted as one unit. Related family travelling in more than one vehicle must register per vehicle. Unrelated families travelling in the same vehicle must register separately. Please call us if you have questions about your particular situation. Tour fee does not include: Housing (we can give you some very good suggestions, whether you are camping or staying in cabins or hotels), food, park entrance fees, or transportation.
Track your geology adventures!
Are you looking for a fun way to track your geology experiences, as well as some inspiration for the journey? Then be sure to check out Our Homeschool Geology Guide and Journal! This would make a great companion to the Yellowstone Creation Adventures or Yellowstone School and Lab.
Click on the video to watch a short clip about the Yellowstone Creation Adventures.
