by Matt, May 2022
So you’re thinking of touring Yellowstone or Grand Teton? These national parks and their surrounding areas are some of the most beautiful areas in the United States. One of the best ways to experience the scale of these areas is to tour them with a helicopter.
There are several companies that offer tours of Yellowstone or Grand Teton. One company is based out of Wyoming, while three others are based in Montana. Each company allows customers to customize where the tour goes and how long the flight will be.
After doing some research, I was able to find specific information from each of these companies to help you discover which of these companies meets your needs best. Read on to begin tailoring your dream helicopter tour.
Wind River Air is a tour agency based in Jackson, Wyoming. Being based at the south end of the Grand Teton National Park, this company is a great way for you to experience the Teton Mountain range. Each of their helicopters holds up to three passengers. They require at least two passengers per flight unless you are willing to splurge on a private flight.
They provide two different types of flights.
The first type of flight available is the Alpineglow Flight. These tours can be booked for 30, 45, or 60 minutes and are focused on a certain time of day: sunrise or sunset. With the sun beginning to light the ground below you, these tours allow you to explore the Teton Mountains and the area around Jackson, Wyoming as it is painted by the sun’s light.
The booking times and prices may vary based on the time of year and the length of the tour. Please contact the company if you are interested in booking this tour.
Download our Free Quick and Easy Guide to Yellowstone’s entrances!
The other type of tour is a scenic tour of the area around Jackson, Wyoming. It starts with a 30-minute family tour at $275 a person. This tour can be expanded to a 45-minute tour for $350 a person, or an hour-long tour for $440 a person.
The longer the tour becomes, the more you will get to experience the beauty of the Grand Teton National Park, and longer tours can begin to explore the south end of Yellowstone National Park.
Custom tours are also available upon request.
Yellowstone Helicopters is a company based in West Yellowstone, Montana that specializes in short and cheap tour flights over Yellowstone National Park.
Out of all of these companies, this is the one that offers the shortest flight times, including a quick 10-minute tour that is perfect if your trip is jam-packed with other activities.
All of their helicopters carry three passengers, so if you want a private flight you will need to buy all three seats. Otherwise, another passenger(s) will fill the remaining one to two seats.
They offer four different flight times on their tours.
The shortest is the 10-minute tour clocking in at $99 per person. The next is a 30-minute flight costing $225 a person. The final two flights are a 45-minute at $295 per person and an hour-long flight for $399 a person.
All flights exclusively explore Yellowstone National Park and begin and end at West Yellowstone, Montana, just outside of the Yellowstone Park boundaries. Check the link below in the chart to book the next available tour from the company.
Carisch Helicopters is a helicopter chartering company based outside of Bozeman, Montana. They offer a variety of services alongside their tours of the Yellowstone area.
Mike, the owner of Carisch Helicopters, has twenty years of experience both as a pilot and working alongside search and rescue crews. With his experience, he is able to provide anything from a simple charter flight from the airport to a ski resort to a tour of Yellowstone or the Grand Tetons.
Their helicopters can carry as little as one passenger and as many as 6 passengers in total. Flights can be commenced from their hanger in Manhattan, Montana or you can be arranged to be picked up from Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport in Belgrade, Montana.
If you are interested in a tour focusing on Yellowstone, flights can be arranged from several gateway towns to Yellowstone like Gardiner, Livingston, or West Yellowstone, Montana.
Flights charted from Montana to Jackson, Wyoming or Driggs, Idaho will pass over part of the Grand Tetons provided a pseudo tour of those areas.
Due to the customizability of all of these flights please contact the company using the link below or Mike at contact@mtheli.com to inquire about pricing and the anticipated length of the flights.
Rocky Mountain Rotors is a company is based in Belgrade, Montana.
They provide the biggest fleet of helicopters out of all of these companies with their smallest helicopter seating 3 and their largest seating a whopping 7 passengers. These are the helicopters to charter if you have a large group with you, whether they are family or business relations.
If you are interested in going on a simple tour of the area the company’s website explains that many people are interested in exploring the Rocky Mountains or parts of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystems like the petrified forest south of Bozeman or the Grand Prismatic Spring within Yellowstone Park.
The rates and length of these tours may vary, so contact the company for more details.
If you would like a more set price, all Rocky Mountain Rotors helicopters can be chartered for a set price. Their smallest 3-seater helicopter can be rented for $900 an hour or $300 a person, while their largest can be had for $5,000 an hour, $715 per passenger if completely filled.
| Company Name | Yellowstone (Y/N) | Grand Teton (Y/N) | Passengers |
| Wind River Air (Jackson) | Yes, on some | Yes | 2 – 3 |
| Yellowstone Helicopters (West Yellowstone) | Yes | No | 3 |
| Carisch Helicopters (Bozeman) | Yes | Yes if chartering to Jackson, WY or Driggs, ID | 1 – 6 |
| Rocky Mountain Rotors (Belgrade) | Yes | Yes | Up to 7 |
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