Yellowstone to Glacier Cycling Tour – Lodge Based

Trip Length8 Days
Group Size4–10
Activity level
Starting from
$5,999 for REI Members
$6,599 for non-members
DeparturesJul 2024-Aug 2024

Ride and roam Big Sky Country on an 8-day Montana odyssey that includes Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks.

Meet up with your expert guides and a few fellow adventurers. High peaks and a far-off horizon stretch before you like an invitation. Full support and a well-oiled itinerary minimize your planning time and maximize wow factor. By night, we stay at comfortable yet unfussy hotels. By day, we ride and savor our public lands, wildlife sightings and fascinating stops, including the craft beer hotbed of Missoula.

This trip is designed for experienced and confident road cyclists who are up for the challenge of cycling on variety of road conditions for distances of up to 65 miles each day, totaling 300 miles logged on this adventure.

Look forward to big views and larger-than-life moments. Ride picturesque miles just outside of Bozeman, hike to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Walk among geysers. Hear the snorting of a bison herd. Cross the Great Divide under your own power via Pipestone Pass. Celebrate a challenging climb with new friends. Venture into alien-looking Lewis & Clark Caverns. Be one of the lucky few who get to cycle Going-to-the-Sun Road. Discover Montana’s wonders from Yellowstone to Glacier National Park.

If you’re looking to explore different ways to enjoy all Yellowstone has to offer, view our full collection of Yellowstone itineraries.

Visiting the headwaters of the Missouri River allows for a little fun in the shallows after a long ride.

Trip Highlights

  • Take an epic Big Sky Country cycling trip, skip the planning—fully supported tour
  • Ride Glacier National Park’s world-famous Going-to-the-Sun Road
  • Hike the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone National Park
  • Ride across the Great Divide, see the world’s tallest geyser and explore caverns
  • Experience great places of the West, like Missouri Headwaters State Park and the Absaroka Range

Activities

This trip is rated Moderate Plus [3-4]This trip is for experienced cyclists only.

Trip members should be physically prepared and capable of cycling multiple days with rides ranging between 26-65 miles (6–8 hours per day). The cycling routes between Bozeman to Glacier are varied. REI Adventures always attempts to find routes that are minimally trafficked, but participants must feel comfortable riding with some traffic. Throughout the 300 miles of riding, the roads are typically two-lane secondary highways that also consist of a mix of surface streets and residential connector roads. There will be some sections of road that have little to no shoulder and some sections of rough road. The variety of riding will consist of flat stretches, rolling or punchy hills, long climbs, and descents. Participants should be comfortable cycling in a group and with vehicle traffic.

  • Road Cycling
  • Cycling
  • Hiking

What's Included

Two professional guides; seven nights’ accommodations; all meals as noted in the daily itinerary; transfers as noted on the daily itinerary; all park fees and permits. Guest’s choice of Drop Bar Road Bike, Flat Bar Road Bike, or an e-bike (based on availability).

Accommodations

Lodge accommodations, 7 nights.

Your Adventure Itinerary

Itinerary map for Yellowstone to Glacier Cycling Tour – Lodge Based
Day 1

Geysers, Waterfalls & the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Meet your guides and fellow trip members in the lobby of the host hotel in Bozeman, Montana before transferring to the first national park in the United States, the stunning Yellowstone National Park. We’ll hike the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, taking in awe-inspiring viewpoints of Yellowstone River’s massive waterfalls, followed by an exploration of some of the geothermal areas on Yellowstone’s Grand Loop, including a walk to the world’s tallest geyser, Steamboat Geyser. Tonight, we settle into the town of Gardiner and learn more about our trip over a group dinner in town. Lunch and dinner included.

Hiking/walking: 5 miles, Elevation gain/loss: +500’ / -500’; Van Transfer: 3 hours

Day 2

Crazy Mountains Meander

Begin the morning with a local breakfast and hotel check-out, we take a scenic drive north and say farewell to Gardiner on our way to our first ride. Today we’ll ride a fun and scenic loop that has a little bit of everything. Adjusting to our mile-high altitude will be easy on this spectacular ride! We’ll start heading west and join Montana’s highways and byways for a scenic ride past the Crazy Mountains, taking in sweeping big sky meadows framed by rugged peaks. Today’s ride ends with a quick shuttle to the historic mountain town of Livingston, truly a great way to start our first day on the road. All meals included.

Cycling: 44 miles, Elevation gain/loss: +2,350’ / -2,350’; Van Transfer: 1.5 hours

Day 3

Bozeman, Bridger Canyon & Dinosaur Bones

With the sun at our backs, we’ll ride west along the interstate frontage road (the only way to get around in Montana sometimes), watching for roadside wildlife such as elk, wolf and even the occasional black bear. It may seem novel, but to Montanan’s, it’s just the usual. Verdant rolling hills stretch out as far as the eye can see until they are abruptly interrupted by Montana’s famous big sky, making the miles roll by effortlessly. We’ll enjoy the beautiful and well-known Bridger Canyon as we approach the college town of Bozeman; Montana State University. We’ll lunch at the Museum of the Rockies providing an opportunity to view its world-renown paleontological collection among other Rocky Mountain exhibits. We finish the day with a cool city route to our overnight accommodations. All meals included.

Cycling: 34 miles, Elevation gain/loss: +1,966’ / -1,555’

Day 4

Lewis & Clark River Route & Caverns

After breakfast at our hotel, we’ll check out and hit the road for a casual 65-mile ride through the historic reaches of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. The two intrepid explorers spent over two years risking their lives and the lives of their 57 crew members to explore the new American West, which had recently been acquired through the Louisiana Purchase. Their journey took them down the Jefferson River (the official beginning of the Missouri River starts with the Jefferson/Madison/Missouri confluence in nearby Three Forks), along which we’ll spend most of our ride time today. Expansive ranches and farms begin to dot the landscape between two ranges in the Rocky Mountains. After a fueling guide-prepared lunch at the Missouri Headwaters State Park, we’ll end our day at the famous Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park where we tour the caverns, before a quick shuttle to our hotel for a good night’s rest. All meals included.

Cycling: 65 miles, Elevation gain/loss: +1,660’ / -2,054’; Caverns tour: 2 hours

Day 5

Cross the Continental Divide via the Pipestone Pass

After a hearty breakfast, we continue west toward Butte, Montana, enjoying a 10-mile warm-up before an infamous 10-mile uphill section of highway made do-able with well-engineered switchbacks up to the Continental Divide; Pipestone Pass. Climbing will earn you spectacular vistas, as well as a fun downhill into Butte. We recover during a van transfer to the start of the famously beautiful Pintler Veterans Memorial Scenic Byway at Georgetown Lake. We’ll lose over 1,900’ in elevation over our final 25 miles, bringing us through the western town of Phillipsburg with its cafes, brewery and famous candy store, roaring into our endpoint for today and another vehicle transfer into Missoula. Here we settle into our hotel for the next night and enjoy dinner on our own and time to explore Missoula. Breakfast and lunch provided.

Cycling: 55 miles, Elevation gain/loss: +2,740’ / -3,206’’; Van transfer: 2 hours

Day 6

Ride Bigfork to Glacier National Park

While the scenic landscapes of Montana are prepossessing, we can’t avoid the fact that since our time in Yellowstone on day one, our eyes have been waiting to feast on another National Park. Today we ride to Glacier National Park and fulfill that need. After our shuttle, we’ll ride north, through small communities of folks lucky enough to call this area home and meet up with the incredible sights of Flathead National Forest. Riding through the tourist-friendly town of West Glacier, we’ll see other cyclists and mountain bikers, along with thru-hikers bound for the Continental Divide Trail. Our destination for today is the Apgar Visitor Center, named for early settler and would-be farmer, Milo Apgar. We settle into the Apgar Lodge with the promise of our MOST spectacular day of this adventure on the horizon, Going-to-the-Sun-Road. All meals included.

Cycling: 52 miles, Elevation gain/loss: +2,046' / -1,825''; Van transfer: 2 hours

Day 7

Ride the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park, Jewel of the Continent

We’ll stir from our cozy beds early this morning, enjoying the support of a guide team who will provide breakfast and coffee to fuel our day. Today we ride the iconic Going-to-the-Sun Road, something that should be on every cyclist’s bucket list! Access to this jaw-dropping route is restricted, but today, we only need to think about the views. We’ll enjoy vistas full of flowing rivers, towering peaks, verdant valleys, glacial hillsides, and maybe even a family of mountain goats as we steadily climb up into the clouds. At the top of Logan Pass, at an elevation of 6,646 feet atop the Great Divide, we reflect on our days together and our unforgettable experiences in the saddle. Our exhilarating ride back down the mountain will end at beautiful McDonald Lake, we'll enjoy lunch in the park before heading to our hotel for the evening. We shuttle south to Quinn’s Hot Spring Resort where we soak and relax after an incredible trip together. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Cycling: 43 miles, Elevation gain/loss: 3,723’ / 3,723’; Van transfer: 2 hours

Day 8

Enjoy The Hot Springs Before Our Return Journey Home

This morning we have the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the soothing mineral-rich waters of the natural hot springs, melting away any lingering tightness in our calves. We eventually make our way to the resort's charming café, where the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and delectable pastries beckon. After a wonderfully relaxing morning, we continue our return journey to Bozeman. Please ensure that you do not book your flights sooner than 4:30pm. Breakfast and lunch included.

Van transfer: 4 hours

Itinerary map for Yellowstone to Glacier Cycling Tour – Lodge Based

Gear List

This gear list has been created to help you choose the best equipment for the trip. Try to bring only what is necessary, as this will help you and the field staff. The weather and other conditions at the time of your arrival will dictate what clothing and equipment you will be required to use each day and what (if anything) can be left behind. It may be a necessary precaution that you bring certain items on the list, even if it is uncertain whether or not they will be needed.

Already booked this trip? Sign into your online traveler profile for a more detailed list of what you'll need.

REI members can shop for gently used gear online or at most REI stores. Members can also trade in pre-loved used gear online or at any REI store in exchange for REI gift card credit. Check out Re/Supply at REI to learn more.

Provided by REI

  • Cycling Helmet
  • Flat or Drop Bar Compact Gear Road Bike
  • Front and Rear Bike Light
  • Saddle Bag with Tool Kit

What to pack

Contact Us

Feel free to give us a call at 1 (800) 622-2236 should you have any questions regarding the gear list. The staff at our stores and Direct Sales ( 1 (800) 426-4840 ) will also be happy to help you with gear questions. Or check out REI Expert Advice , which has great information to help you prepare for your trip.