"The Extra Mile" - the Tracks & Trails blog

At Tracks and Trails, one of our most highly recommended tours of Yellowstone National Park is the Private Yellowstone Tour, offered by Yellowstone Alpen Guides.  In fact we include the Private Tour with all of our vacation packages that visit Yellowstone.  Why? It's because year after year, we have received rave reviews about this private, customized and unique opportunity to see parts of the park that are off the beaten path.  Each tour is customized to each traveler’s desires and may include wildlife watching, hiking, photography, or swimming in a thermally-heated river – the choice is yours!   Their knowledgeable guides work hard to make sure their clients see and understand the many wonders of the world’s first national park. 

Although Flaming Gorge Reservoir is a well-known fishing spot, the recreational possibilities do not stop there.   Its clear waters, lush forests, diverse trails and campgrounds draw nature lovers and sportsmen alike.

Flaming Gorge straddles the Wyoming and Utah border, and the lake stretches for 91 miles with 375 miles of shoreline.   Flaming Gorge Lake is enclosed by brightly colored canyon walls surrounded by the forested hills of Ashley National Forest.   Petroglyphs are visible on many of the rock walls, and suggest that the Fremont Indians hunted game here.  Wildlife still abounds - osprey nests are easily spotted on the rocky pinnacles, and bald eagles are often seen overhead.   Antelope frequent the Lucerne area, and the campground (Antelope Flat) is aptly named.

With many of the more popular destinations getting booked up for this summer, we think that Crater Lake National Park is a hidden gem.  Crater Lake is located in Southern Oregon on the crest of the Cascade Mountain Range, 100 miles east of the Pacific Ocean.  It lies inside a caldera, or volcanic basin, created when the 12,000 foot Mount Mazama collapsed following a large eruption 7,700 years ago.  Local Native Americans have kept alive a legend, telling of two Chiefs in battle that ended with the destruction of Mt. Mazama.  The Klamaths still revere the clear, pure lake that is now admired by visitors all over the world.