If you've always thought it'd be fun to hike off into Yellowstone National Park, but just weren't sure you had the requisite skills, here's your opportunity to make it happen.

Beginning in late May and running into September the Yellowstone Association Institute will be leading weekly four-night, five-day hiking trips into the park. One aspect of the institute's Lodging & Learning program, the treks provide participants with the chance to explore the park with an expert naturalist guide during the day and retreat to comfortable lodging and restaurant meals at night.

“The best way to truly experience the wonders of Yellowstone is to get away from the roads and developed areas,” says Jeff Brown, director of education for the Yellowstone Association. “This is our most popular ‘Lodging & Learning’ program because it touches on wildlife, history, geology and plant life all while the participants are active.”

Partnering with the institute on the program is Xanterra Parks & Resorts, the lodging concessionaire at Yellowstone. Which makes sense, as each day's hike ends back at a lodge where you'll spend the night.

Participants of the first two sessions of the season will also enjoy reduced rates as Xanterra is offering room discounts of 15 percent. Guests eligible for the early-season discount will also receive a Yellowstone Summer Fun Discount Card good for 10 percent off gifts, food, tours and activities (except for the Roosevelt Cookout) at Xanterra-operated outlets.

“Trails Through Yellowstone” will begin each Monday evening starting May 25, 2009, and is scheduled to conclude for the season on September 21. Participants gather Monday evenings at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel for an orientation and the opportunity to meet their instructor and each other.

This program includes hikes up to eight miles of moderate difficulty, expert instruction by an institute naturalist/guide, two nights of lodging at Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and two nights at Grant Village, breakfast and box lunch daily, in-park transportation and optional evening programs.

Trails you'll head down were specifically chosen to showcase Yellowstone's scenic beauty and wildlife. Some of the hikes take you around the Old Faithful geyser basin and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

The hikes are judged to be moderate with typical elevation gains of around 1,000 feet. Participants will look for signs of wildlife such as elk, wolves, bears and bison. The program includes an evening expedition to search for wildlife.

The first two sessions – starting May 25 and June 1 – are priced at $648 per person for double occupancy and $834 for single occupancy. For the remainder of the summer this program is priced at $719 per person for double occupancy and $976 for single occupancy. Rates do not include tax or utility fee.

The Yellowstone Institute also offers backpacking courses, private tours, and field seminars. Backpacking courses are wilderness experiences that allow participants to visit remote areas of the park under the guidance of professional outdoor leaders and Yellowstone experts.

Private Tours are ideal for families and other small groups that want an introduction to Yellowstone wildlife, geology or a guided. The eight-hour trips focus on the diverse and abundant wildlife of Yellowstone’s Northern Range, natural history and geology in the Canyon and Lake Yellowstone areas or the thermal features in the Old Faithful area.

Field Seminars are usually held at the Institute’s Field Campus in the Lamar Valley and feature a combination of classroom discussion and excursions in the park. Field Seminars are taught by a variety of experts and are limited to 12 persons.

To request a free course catalog or make reservations for the Field Seminars, Backpacking Courses and Private Tours, call 307-344-2294; for Lodging & Learning reservations, call 866-439-7375. Yellowstone Association members receive a $10 discount on all courses, and family memberships begin at just $35 per year. For more information on any Institute program, go to this site.

Traveler fine print: The Yellowstone Association Institute is a non-profit field school operated by the Yellowstone Association in partnership with the National Park Service. The Institute was founded in 1976 and offers more than 500 courses each year on the park’s plants, animals, geology and history. Courses are based at the organization’s Lamar Buffalo Ranch field campus, at park hotels, and in the backcountry.

The Yellowstone Association was founded in 1933 to foster the public’s understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of Yellowstone National Park and its surrounding ecosystem. In addition to operating the Institute on a break-even basis, the Association manages educational bookstores and a membership program that generate revenues for the National Park Service. Since its inception, the organization has raised more than $15 million for Yellowstone.