wilder Women's Yellowstone Backpacking Journey
Bechler: Into the Cascade Corner
5 days / 4 nights
September 2-7, 2026
About the Experience
👣 On this journey, you’ll head into Yellowstone’s remote Bechler Region—often called the Cascade Corner—where rivers braid through broad meadows and waterfalls spill through deep, untamed forest. We’ll explore waterfalls, soak in natural hot springs, and move with the rhythm of the wild. You'll have the option to take day hikes to additional waterfalls.
As you move through this wild landscape, you’ll also journey inward—tuning into the rhythms of your body and the voice within, while being held by a circle of supportive women and the transformative power of wilderness.
And the journey doesn’t just start and end at the trailhead. What we uncover in the wilderness is powerful. But when real life resumes, it’s easy for old patterns to return and for backcountry breakthroughs to fade into fond memories.
Through both group and 1:1 coaching sessions before and after the trip, you’ll prepare with purpose and anchor what shifts—so what you discover on the trail becomes a lived way of being, and you learn to embody the truest version of yourself long after you leave the backcountry.
Hosted by Yellowstone Wildlife Profiles and designed with Jenny Golding of A Yellowstone Life, you'll be supported by two guides: Carolyn Bulin, a professional backpacking and Yellowstone natural history expert, and Jenny Golding, writer, photographer, nature-connected life coach, and believer in the wild magic that happens when women step off the beaten path. Together, they’ll help you navigate Yellowstone’s backcountry and create space for deep reflection, connection, and inner renewal.
$2750 per person
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The Details
🗓 Dates: September 2-7, 2026
📍 Location: Bechler Region, Yellowstone National Park.
🌄 Group Size: 6 women & 2 guides (4 person minimum)
$2750 per person
- • A private chat community for participants
- • Two experienced backcountry guides
- • Four coaching sessions with Jenny: One group session and one 1:1 session prior to the trip, and one group and one 1:1 session after the trip
- • Transportation from Gardiner, MT to and from the trailhead
- • All backcountry reservation and site fees (Yellowstone entrance fees not included)
- • Education on backcountry skills and ethics, including how to travel and camp safely in bear country
- • Healthy and hearty backcountry meals
- • Group gear including cooking gear, stoves, fuel, water filtration, bear food storage equipment
- • Guides will have emergency satellite communication as well as Wilderness First Aid/Responder & CPR certifications
- • Canister of bear spray/adult including training on how to safely and correctly use it
- • Transportation to and from Gardiner, Montana
- • Accommodations and meals before and after your trip
- • Personal backpacking clothing and equipment. We will provide detailed equipment lists, and suggestions on how to rent backpacking gear you don't already own. *Tent (shared 2 person) rental is available for an additional fee.
- • Gratuity for your Yellowstone Wildlife Profiles guide.
When you register, we'll provide a detailed clothing and equipment list and walk you through making sure you'll have everything you need to be safe and comfortable on the trail. Just let us know if you would like to see a copy of the list before registering. *Optional gear rental of a backpack, ultralight tent, 15-20 degree sleeping bag, and an inflatable mattress is available for an additional $200.
- While backpacking experience is not required, you will need to be comfortable traveling up to 8 miles in varied, mountainous terrain on regular day hikes and be able to carry your own pack and gear weighing approximately 35 pounds.
- There will be multiple crossings of the Bechler River, which could be as deep as your waist. We will be traveling and sleeping at elevations around 6500 feet.
- *Please review the itinerary closely to make sure the daily miles and elevation gains match your fitness level.
- A deposit in the amount of 30% of the trip total is due at the time of booking. The balance due will be charged to the card on file 45 days prior to your tour departure date.
- Should you need to cancel your tour with us **more than** 45 days prior to your tour departure date, your deposit is fully refundable minus a $200.00 administrative fee.
- Should you need to cancel your tour **within** 45 days of your tour departure date, your payment is non-refundable.
- We strongly recommend that you purchase third-party travel insurance that will protect you in case of unforeseen cancellations or changes to your travel plans.
Yellowstone National Park is a very large place divided by mountain ranges, deep valleys and a massive lake. The weather within the 2.2 million acres can vary widely, so checking the weather in the park can be a difficult task. We recommend checking several different NOAA weather stations around the park, and working an average of those if you’re planning to travel around the entirety of the park.
In general, during the summer months you can expect daytime highs in the 60s-80s (Fahrenheit) and nighttime lows in the 20s-40s. Afternoon thunderstorms are common, and we can get snow and freezing temperatures any month of the year.
- As a licensed Commercial Use Permit holder with Yellowstone National Park, we must follow all park rules and regulations. Additionally, as life-long proponents of wildlife and wild places, we will also follow our own ethical wildlife viewing practices. We will take this opportunity to teach you about how we can have the very best backcountry experience while leaving as little impact as possible.
While on tour with Yellowstone Wild LLC, we will observe the following park rules (subject to law enforcement):- Keep at least 25 yards from all wildlife
- Keep at least 100 yards from wolves and bears
- Avoid remaining near or approaching wildlife, including birds, at any distance that disturbs or displaces
the animal. - Avoid allowing any wildlife to obtain human food. This means we will properly store all food, cooking gear, toiletries, etc. at all times.
- As a licensed Commercial Use Permit holder with Yellowstone National Park, we must follow all park rules and regulations. Additionally, as life-long proponents of wildlife and wild places, we will also follow our own ethical wildlife viewing practices. We will take this opportunity to teach you about how we can have the very best backcountry experience while leaving as little impact as possible.
While on tour with Yellowstone Wildlife Profiles, we will observe the following park rules (subject to law enforcement):- Keep at least 25 yards from all wildlife
- Keep at least 100 yards from wolves and bears
- Avoid remaining near or approaching wildlife, including birds, at any distance that disturbs or displaces
the animal. - Avoid allowing any wildlife to obtain human food. This means we will properly store all food, cooking gear, toiletries, etc. at all times.
- Additionally, we will follow (and teach) all Leave No Trace ethics:
- Plan ahead and prepare.
- Travel and camp on durable surfaces: We will stay on trails when possible, or travel respectfully off-trail when appropriate, and we will select durable camping locations to minimize our environmental impacts.
- Dispose of waste properly: We will pack out all trash and food waste, and we will dispose of human waste properly.
- Leave what you find: We will not remove any natural objects from the backcountry.
- Minimize campfire impacts: We will build small campfires in existing fire rings, burn fuels completely, and extinguish fires completely.
- Respect wildlife: We will maintain legal and ethical distances from all wildlife, and we will do our best to not disturb them.
- Be respectful of other visitors.
- As a licensed Commercial Use Permit holder with Yellowstone National Park, we must follow all park rules and regulations. Additionally, as life-long proponents of wildlife and wild places, we will also follow our own ethical wildlife viewing practices. We will take this opportunity to teach you about how we can have the very best backcountry experience while leaving as little impact as possible.
While on tour with Yellowstone Wild LLC, we will observe the following park rules (subject to law enforcement):- Keep at least 25 yards from all wildlife
- Keep at least 100 yards from wolves and bears
- Avoid remaining near or approaching wildlife, including birds, at any distance that disturbs or displaces
the animal. - Avoid allowing any wildlife to obtain human food. This means we will properly store all food, cooking gear, toiletries, etc. at all times.
This trip is designed for you if:- • You feel like the “real you” got lost somewhere along the way after years of showing up for everyone else.
- • You’re standing at a crossroads as your roles are changing, or your body is shifting, and asking yourself, who am I now?
- • You sense a turning point and know there’s more—even if you can’t yet name what’s next.
- • You long for time, space, and permission to sort through what’s stirring inside you.
- • You feel most at home in nature, where the trail, trees, and open sky seem to understand something essential about you.
- • And you’re ready to slow down, listen deeply, name what your soul is longing for, and walk toward a life that feels more authentically and unmistakably you.
- This trip is probably not for you if:
- • You’re simply looking for a physical adventure or a backpacking trip without the reflective and personal growth components woven in.
• Carrying your own gear, sleeping on the ground, living simply in the backcountry for multiple nights and facing the inherent discomforts of traveling and camping in wild places doesn't feel like a fun challenge or adventure.-
• You don't welcome the shared conversation and vulnerability that naturally unfold in a small, intentional circle of women.
I'm ready to join!
The itinerary
September 2, Day 1 - Get ready for the trail: Pre-Trip meeting & orientation
We’ll gather in Gardiner, Montana, at Yellowstone’s North Entrance, where you’ll meet your guides and the circle of women joining you on this journey. We’ll take time to go through and organize your backpacking gear, go over backcountry safety, discuss where you can park the next day, and answer any questions you may have. We'll also distribute group gear, and the food you'll be carrying for the trip.
September 3, Day 2: Head into the wilderness
We'll depart Gardiner at 7:30am and drive to the Cave Falls trailhead at the Bechler Ranger Station (about 3-4 hours). Today’s hike is a four mile, moderate introduction to the backcountry as we head towards our campsite along the Bechler River.
We'll take a slow pace with plenty of breaks along the way as our bodies adjust to carrying weight and moving on the trail. As we walk, we’ll begin to shift gears—leaving behind the noise of daily life and stepping into the present moment. We’ll have leisurely time to set up camp, and may have time for afternoon journaling or a wander.
As we gather round in our evening sharing circle, we’ll reflect on the inner journey just beginning.
Mileage & Elevation: 4 miles, 85 ft elevation gain. Camp at 6,394 feet.
September 4, Day 3: Settling in to the rhythm of the wild
Today, we’ll celebrate that we’re finally here—and sink deeper into the rhythm of the wild. We’ll take a slow morning as we settle into the feeling of traveling and living in the backcountry. We’ll travel between 4.5 to 6 miles to camp, depending on trail and river conditions, giving us spaciousness to slow down and open to the natural world. We have our first river crossing today, which could be anywhere from knee to thigh deep (we’ll cross as a group and demonstrate safe river crossing techniques).
We’ll use practices like forest bathing, sensory awareness, and intentional wandering to begin syncing our nervous systems to the pace of nature, awaken our senses, and start listening for the quiet voice within. In the safety of this small community, you’ll be gently guided to notice what’s stirring within as you begin to reconnect with yourself in this wild and beautiful place.
You’ll have the option either this afternoon or the next morning to hike to an additional waterfall or two.
Mileage & Elevation: 4.5 - 6 miles to camp (with additional optional hikes from camp), 63-162 feet elevation gain. Camp at 6,420 feet.
September 5, Day 3: Going deeper
Today we’ll trek across the heart of the Bechler to our base camp at Dunanda Falls (with another crossing of the Bechler River), where we’ll spend the next two nights. We’ll take our time to rest, reflect, explore, and soak in the views—both literal and metaphorical - we’ll have the chance to soak in the natural hot spring at the base of the falls.
Mileage & Elevation: 5.7 miles to camp, 226 feet elevation gain. Camp at 6,574 feet.
September 6, Day 4: Letting the land hold you
Today is a layover day, and you’ll have the option to hang out at camp–and the hot springs–or day hike upstream to look for berries and an additional waterfall. This journey is about tuning into your inner compass, and honoring it fully. Prefer to stay grounded? You’re invited to linger near camp, journal, explore the creek, soak, or rest—trusting what you need most in this moment. If you’re feeling like movement and exploration, then the optional day hike may be what you choose.
September 7, Day 5: Carrying it Home
On our final morning, we’ll pack up and begin our 8-mile walk back to the trailhead. As we travel through the landscape you've gotten to know, we’ll reflect on the inner journey you’ve taken: the shifts, insights, and quiet truths the wilderness has offered. We'll explore how to carry what you've uncovered back into your everyday life—how to let the clarity, courage, and connection you found here shape what comes next. You’ll walk out with more than you carried in: a renewed sense of self, a deeper trust in your inner voice, and the grounding that comes from having walked your own wild path.
Mileage & Elevation: 8.1 miles, 91 feet elevation gain.
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Your Guides
About us
Hi, I'm Jenny Golding.
I know what it’s like to wake up one day and realize you’ve been so busy holding everything—and everyone—together, you’ve somehow lost track of yourself along the way.
Backpacking became a way back to myself. Step by step, I shed old stories and expectations and remembered who I was beneath all the noise. I reconnected with my voice, my dreams, and the deep, steady wisdom within.
I’ve traveled thousands of miles through the backcountry—both leading groups and walking my own winding path—and I’ve spent most of my adult life creating programs and events that bring people together. But what I longed for were experiences rooted in real transformation. That calling led me to create the kind of journeys I once needed myself.
Now, I guide other women through their own inner and outer wilderness, creating spaces to let go of roles and expectations, rediscover their inner spark, and take bold, grounded steps into what’s next. As a certified Nature Connected Coach with the Earth-Based Institute and International Coaching Federation (candidate), I will support you in carrying the wisdom of the wild into your everyday life. I'm honored to walk this path with you.
I also hold certifications in Forest Therapy, Wilderness First Aid, CPR, and am a Certified Interpretive Trainer with the National Association for Interpretation and a Leave No Trace Master trainer through NOLS.
Meet Carolyn Bulin.
Carolyn fell in love with Yellowstone on a family vacation more than 25 years ago, when she watched the Druid Peak wolf pack successfully hunt an elk in Lamar Valley. Since moving to the GYE in 2009, her experiences have included working as a field instructor and program manager for the Yellowstone Institute; volunteering on snow tracking surveys for the Yellowstone Cougar Project, carcass surveys with the grizzly bear research team, and raven trapping and tagging operations; and hiking and canoeing thousands of miles through the GYE backcountry.
Carolyn earned her B.S. in Outdoor Recreation Leadership and Management with emphases in ecology and cultural anthropology from Northern Michigan University, and she is a certified guide trainer through the National Association for Interpretation. Prior to college, Carolyn was an Olympic-prospect ice hockey player; she now brings that same dedication to excellence to her work as co-owner of Yellowstone Wildlife Profiles.
During her free time, Carolyn enjoys exploring the GYE with her husband and two small children from their home in Gardiner, MT.
Carolyn holds Wilderness First Responder and CPR certifications.