Thousands of years ago when the Yellowstone National Park region was a caldera, after the volcano blew, it began to fill with water collecting from snow melt and summer rains. Eventually the walls of the old volcano could no longer withstand the weight of the water and a fissure erupted allowing that water to rush out. That rushing water came down a canyon we now call the Bechler River Canyon named for Gustav Bechler who was a topographer who rode with the 1871 Hayden Survey as they verified the findings of the Washburn, Langford F. Doane expedition of 1870.

This year our six day trip will begin near Old Faithful at Kepler Cascades and take us to our first camp at the Lone Star Geyser Basin.  We will then cross the Continental Divide in three places as we visit the Shoshone Geyser Basin at the head of Shoshone Lake and then continue to Douglas Knob.  Our next stop will be at Three River's Junction where we will take a dip in the Hot Pots.  The following day's ride will take us all the way down the canyon, past a half a dozen waterfalls and into the beautiful Bechler Meadows.  

This area is acclaimed for wide meadows containing tall grasses and shallow sloughs with spectacular views of the Teton Mountains to the south, and the Madison Plateau to the north. To the east is the rim of the mysterious Pitchstone Plateau, a place with only few sketchy watering holes making travel across it nearly impossible.

The Bechler region is called the Cascade Corner. Waterfalls drop from the plateaus into the meadows. The canyon is spectacular, one water fall after another broken in between by cascades and cataracts. When we ride up the canyon we will stop and feel the mist from some of the falls and you will have the opportunity to take some very exciting photos. After this we will ford the river at a number of places, leading the pack string up to their bellies through the clear cold waters.

Bechler is a photographer’s paradise. There is nowhere one can look without finding something worth capturing on film. Wild flowers, wild life, waterfalls, horse and people, hot springs or the Grand Tetons, all are right here.

Beside photography, the Bechler region is filled with swimming holes for the family or just friends. There are hot springs, warm water falls, and comfortable pools to swim in. Whether cooling off on a hot summer day or taking a warming dip on a cool fall day, the water is always inviting.

Experience moose walking through the meadows and eagles nesting in trees over looking the river. This is a once in a lifetime wilderness experience. 

$1950.00 per person (Full) - 6 Day Trip - Please call or use the Contact Form to book your reservation

Take some time and view the below photo gallery of the August 2008 Bechler River trip as seen through the eyes of our guests. To use, hover your mouse over the thumbnails to display picture in main viewer. If you want to see a larger image, double click the main viewer for a full sized display.