The Spring Into Yellowstone festival will be held in Cody, Wyoming, in mid-May, with some programs held at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. After attending, head into Yellowstone via the Chief Joseph Highway and the Sunlight Basin/J.L. "Woody" Wooden

One of the most gorgeous approaches to Yellowstone National Park is from the east, through the Sunlight Basin northwest of Cody, Wyoming. The road descends in a series of switchbacks down the Absaroka Range and onto the forested valley floors. And if you're heading to the park in mid-May, you just might want to spend a little time in Cody, Wyoming, to take in the fourth annual Spring Into Yellowstone festival before you head into the basin.

The festival, set for May 11-15, will feature an interactive event for rock climbers, amateur geologists and archaeologists, birders, hikers, photographers, anglers and anyone else who is ready to go outside and explore Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country.

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The event was developed to educate and engage residents and visitors as well as encourage wildlife conservation and land stewardship. A series of interactive field trips, backcountry excursions and instructional sessions are led by the region’s top biologists, naturalists, scientists and guides.

“Yellowstone Country is largely a wild and undeveloped ecosystem, and the Spring into Yellowstone festival offers visitors a chance to explore and try new adventures safely and with knowledgeable guides to share their insights and expertise,” said Claudia Wade, director of the Park County Travel Council, the marketing arm for Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country. “After a long winter, the Spring into Yellowstone festival is a great reason to go outside and play.”

There also will be wildlife watching outings during the festival.

The festival originally focused on the region’s plentiful wildlife, which are particularly active and fun to view in the spring, said Ms. Wade. Although there remains an emphasis on the wildlife of the region, the festival has since expanded to encompass other areas of the natural world.

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With an array of events including “Introduction to Rock Climbing,” “Wild Horses of the McCullough Peaks” and a sunrise “Elks Fork Interpretive Hike,” the line-up not only showcases the region’s rich diversity of wildlife, landscapes and ecology but also the broad range of skills and knowledge among the local guides who lead the interactive events.

Travelers interested in participating in the festival should register online for the festival and for specific events as soon as possible as events have limited space and are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Festival registration is $40. Registration includes a long-sleeved T-shirt, gift bag and admission to the opening reception.

Here is the complete lineup of events. All prices quoted are per person.

Wednesday, May 11:

* Opening reception: Buffalo Bill Center of the West, free with registration, 6 p.m.

 Multi-day events:

* Wild Horses of the McCullough Peaks, $40, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m., May 12, 13, 14.

* Introduction to Rock Climbing, $25, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m., May 12, 13, 14, 15.

* Elks Fork Interpretive Hike, $40, 5:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., May 12, 13.

* People & Places in Greater Yellowstone: Mountain Archaeology in NW Wyoming, $65, 7 a.m. – 4 p.m., May 13, 14.

* En Plain Air: Painting Heart Mountain, $55, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m., May 13, 14.

 Thursday, May 12:

* Sunrise and Sage Grouse, 4 15 a.m. – 8:30 a.m., $25.

* Fly Fishing, $75, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

* Behind the Scenes: Draper Natural History Museum, $25, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.

* Beginning Digital Photography, $35, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

* Wings of the Night, $40, 6:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.

* Botanical Cocktails, free with festival registration, 7 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Friday, May 13:

* Wolves of NW Wyoming & Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley, $75, 5:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

* Bald Ridge Photo Tour, $75, 5:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

* Surf’s Up in Cody, $40, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

* Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival – in Cody, free with festival registration, 7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

 Saturday, May 14:

* Yellowstone Park Photo Tour, $110, 7 a.m. – 4 p.m.

* Mountain Goat Ecology in the Shoshone National Forest, $40, 7:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

* Behind the Scenes: Yellowstone National Park, $110, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

* Heart Mountain Guided Hike, $35, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

* Paul Stock Trail: Habitat Walk, free with festival registration, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

* Come Clean, Leave Clean: Stop Invasive Species in Your Tracks!, free with festival registration, 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.

* Best Dam Cocktail Party, $25, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Sunday, May 15:

* Bald Ridge Hike, $35, 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.