National Elk Refuge, Wyoming, United States

5Southern_Siren 5:00 PM Apr 2, 2021

Family-run tour + sneak peek into the refuge operations
The wagon ride onto the refuge was $27 pp so if you have a car, or are staying close, there is no reason to pay for an expensive tour. Tickets are available at the white trailer parked in front of the visitor center. A shuttle will take you to the refuge and bring you back. Take a blanket with you if it is cool - or you can purchase one from the ticket booth. It was a short tour and moderately informative ride. Our driver was good spirited and tolerated a very inquisitive group of riders very well. He informed us that his family holds a contract with the federal government to run the excursions, so he grew up doing these tours. They also do rides, camping, and chuck wagon experiences throughout the year (differing locations). It was nice to get to visit the horses up close after the ride. They are HUGE. You can drive around the refuge and there are trails around the backside over the butte. I’m sure you can find most of the info on the website ? but it’s nice to hear the details from a live person. We stayed at Rustic Inn, just up the way and didn’t realize until our last few days that we had a direct view to the refuge from a park across the street. ?

5CharlesC722 5:00 PM Jan 16, 2021

Definitely worth the trip
Although we had book a Wednesday morning tour on our way from the airport on Monday we saw large numbers of Elk already on the refuge so we immediately stopped and purchased our tickets. After a short five minute van ride we boarded a wagon with a wonderful guide that took us right into the center of the heard. We saw everything from massive bulls to small cows. In addition our guide provided a very informative talk about the refuge , its history, mission and operation. It was definitely worth the price. Just be sure to dress warmly and don`t be surprised by a bumpy ride.