Tickets must be purchased prior to the day of the hike. Cash or checks only. Tickets go on sale starting Saturday, May 26. The park has identified fee programs as those activities that go beyond the scope of the basic interpretive program, focus on programs which serve a small segment of park visitors, or tend to be relatively expensive to offer. These programs are beyond the park's ability to fund without recovering some of the costs.
Fees charged go back into the program's budget and help offset staff and supply costs.
Yellowstone originally offered hikes as part of the interpretive program until the early 1990s. They were discontinued when the federal budget could no longer keep pace with operational needs. Yellowstone has received many comments since then from visitors about the lasting memories of these hikes. Ranger-led talks, walks, and campfire programs remain available to the public at no fee. Most of the park is backcountry and managed as wilderness.