Welcome to In Our Nature Guiding Services

    • Expertly Guided Wildlife Watching Tours and Hikes in Yellowstone and Gallatin National Forest

Yellowstone is the world’s first national park, with 2.2 million acres (1 million ha) of incredible wildness, abundant wildlife, geothermal wonders, and fascinating history. It is surrounded by additional 1.8 million acres of wild, rugged lands in the Gallatin National Forest. This huge intact ecosystem has an incredible variety of landscapes and activities for you to enjoy. Whether you want world-class wildlife viewing opportunities, a beautiful day hike, a few nights in the backcountry, make the most of your visit on a private tour with In Our Nature Guiding Services. One of our local wildlife biologists or naturalists will craft your day to your personal interests.

Yellowstone Road Status: We are happy to report that the new North Entrance road from Gardiner MT into Yellowstone is completed! Best of all: the high-country road dazzles with breathtaking views and lots of wildlife such as bison, elk, pronghorn and bighorn sheep hanging out nearby. The Park Service has thoughtfully added a few extra turnouts so that the views and the animals can be viewed safely amongst the curves. This road is open to regular vehicles, year-round to provide access to Mammoth WY and all the way through Yellowstone's northern range to Silver Gate and Cooke City Montana. As such, we are very excited to welcome our visitors again to the historic entrance to Yellowstone and look forward to seeing you all as soon as you can get here!

Winter Yellowstone Adventures

Wolf & Wildlife Watching Tours in Yellowstone

Join us for an experience-of-a-lifetime Winter Wildlife Watching Tour in Yellowstone's fascinating intact ecosystem. Our local, expert Biologist Guides will find the wildlife you are interested in and interpret animal behavior. Yellowstone is the best place in the world to see wild wolves, especially in the winter. Our premium spotting scopes will give you the extra edge to enjoy unforgettable close-ups views. We often see otters, moose, red fox, bighorn sheep and herds of bison, elk and pronghorn as well.

Learn More/Book

Snowshoeing and Cross Country Skiing in Yellowstone

Snowshoe and Cross-Country Ski Tours

Yellowstone is a winter wonderland! Come indulge in winter's splendor: explore varied terrain, follow & identify fresh animal tracks, and take in stellar views of Yellowstone's northern range. We will access different routes depending on your abilities, snow conditions, and the weather.  Snowshoeing and Cross-country Skiing tours are offered December - March.

Learn More/Book

Private Winter Tours and Lodging

Choose the winter guided activities and tours you would like to do and stay at Wanderlust Haven, an ideally located, beautiful two bedroom, two bathroom house in Gardiner with amazing views! Wanderlust Haven is only available to In Our Nature clients this winter.  We are so excited to get to offer this to amazing package to make your visit extra special!  Transfers to & from Bozeman or Mammoth can be arranged.

Learn More/Book

Wildlife Watching

Yellowstone Wolf & Wildlife Watching Tours: year-round

Join one of our Biologists on a Wolf & Wildlife Watching tour in Yellowstone's intact ecosystem with premium spotting scopes. Our expert local ecological knowledge will help you see the wildlife you're interested in. This is the best place in the world to see wild wolves and the best place in the lower 48 states to see grizzly bears. Tours are private and offered year-round. Max 6 guests.

  • Departures: from 7 am (earlier in summer)
  • Duration: approx. hours
  • Price: from $780                                                      

Learn More/Book     

Breakfast & Bears - Outside Yellowstone: August - November

Join one of our Biologist Guides on a Wildlife Watching or Birding Tour on stunning ranch and Gallatin National Forest lands (with or without hiking). Safely watch and learn about grizzlies, moose and a host of other animals through premium spotting scopes. Enjoy a delicious picnic breakfast. Learn about sustainable ranching practices and wildlife coexistence strategies that make ranchers successful on the edge of Yellowstone. A beautiful hike with views and geological features is optional.

  • Departures: from 5:30 am
  • Duration: 5 to 7 hours
  • Price: from $650

Learn More/Book     

Day Hiking: April - October

Yellowstone Guided Day Hikes: May - October

Yellowstone has over 900 miles (1,450 km) of trails in a variety of habitats, from lush pine forests to stark thermal basins, from steep mountain treks to casual strolls along boardwalks. Take a closer look by getting off the beaten path and onto a trail with a biologist or naturalist guide to show you what you would miss on your own. Hikes are private, max 10 guests.

  • Departures: from 7 am
  • Duration: 6 to 10 hours
  • Price: from $700

Learn More/Book     

Guided Day Hikes Outside Yellowstone: April - November

Explore around Gardiner, Emigrant, Pray or Paradise Valley in the Gallatin National Forest OUTSIDE of Yellowstone. Join us for a day hike in beautiful reaches of Gallatin National Forest - start times, duration and difficulty are all flexible. We can take you on an easy stroll to a waterfall or up into stunning high country with views you'll hope remain in your memory for all time. In Our Nature Guiding Services is an authorized permittee of the Gallatin National Forest. Guided day hikes are private and available for groups of up to 10 people.

  • Departures: from 7 am
  • Duration: variable
  • Price: from $450

Learn More/Book     

 

Llama Day Hikes

Llama hikes are among the many incredible adventures available in Yellowstone OR Paradise Valley and Gardiner area, on Yellowstone's fringe. You're lucky to have multiple ways to join Susi from Yellowstone Llamas, who can answer all of your questions about the llamas. Susi also has in-depth knowledge of Yellowstone National Park and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, its wildlife, history, and geology.

 

  • Departures: depend on location and duration booked
  • Price: from $300 per person (min. 4)

Learn More/Book     

Backpacking in Yellowstone & Surrounds: May - October, 2023

Backpacking & Backcountry Cabin Trips

 

Get off the beaten path and enjoy parts of the park others rarely see on a Yellowstone backpacking trip. We offer fully custom, private backpacking trips throughout Yellowstone with a duration and difficulty level just for you. Backpacking is a great way to recharge your body and mind, meet your own challenges, or just relax and ponder the wonders in front of you.

Learn More/Book

Availability & Booking

Book using the form below or contact us at 406-579-3838 or info@in-our-nature.com for more information.

About Us

In Our Nature Guiding Services is a small, woman-owned, community-minded, sustainable business operating in Yellowstone National Park, founded in 2015 by Cara McGary. She settled in the tiny town of Gardiner at Yellowstone's northern gateway with a vision to create personalized, educational and fun tours for visitors from all over the world, while committing to sustainability and a respectful way of life on the edge of a wild and fragile ecosystem. Today, In Our Nature is a successful custom tour provider offering exceptional wildlife watching tours, day hikes, multi-day backpacking trips, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, as well as custom adventures in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. Our team of experienced local biologists, naturalists and environmental educators is looking forward to guiding you through Yellowstone and providing you with exciting journeys and unforgettable nature experiences.

We operate year-round out of Yellowstone's north entrance in Gardiner, Montana. No matter where you're staying in or around Yellowstone, we can meet you at a central location for our tour. Choose from wildlife watching trips, day hikesovernight backpacking trips, cross-country skiing & snowshoeing, or make your own custom adventure.

 

In Our Nature Guiding Services LLC is an an equal opportunity provider and Authorized Permittee of Yellowstone National Park. We operate under Special Use Permits in Shoshone and Gallatin National Forests. 

We live and operate in Yellowstone National Park, or as the Apsaalooke refer to it, Land of Steam. This is a traditional shared homeland for dozens of Nations for at least 13,000 years including the Blackfeet, Shoshone, Salish, Kootenai, Pend d’Orielle, Nez Perce, and Northern Cheyenne. The Sheepeaters-Shoshone were known to live in what is now the park year-round. We honor, with gratitude, the land itself and the people who have stewarded it throughout the generations.

Check out our reviews!

What others have to say about their experience with us....

  • star rating  Where do we even start?! Mike, our guide, was phenomenal. We booked a custom tour of Yellowstone - we wanted to see Old Faithful, The Grand Prismatic, and The Grand... read more

    CMG, doc
    August 25, 2021

    star rating  We just got back from a trip of a lifetime to Yellowstone National Park with ten of my family and friends. In a week of the highlights spending the day... read more

    Bob G
    August 27, 2019

    star rating  My daughter and I hired Cara for one day to watch wolves in Yellowstone over the Winter. And watch we did. Cara delivered and we saw an amazing scene of... read more

    avatar thumb stephendN355CQ
    January 25, 2023
  • star rating  My wife and I recently hired In Our Nature for a day long tour of Yellowstone. It was our first visit to the park so the goal was to use... read more

    avatar thumb 672JoeP
    October 9, 2018

    star rating  Our family of 7 adults (2 generations) loved the day we spent with Audra. She showed us two moose (mother and baby), bison, ducks, hawks, osprey, a badger, coyote,... read more

    Roving535513
    August 14, 2019

    star rating  We LOVED this! Booked the Snow Sampler for our first morning in Gardiner/Yellowstone. Met our guide, Matt Herger, promptly at 9:30am, He was great - got us... read more

    Terri C
    February 23, 2021
  • star rating  Because we had people visiting from out of state, my husband and I wanted to show them Yellowstone in winter in an up close and personal way. I'd never... read more

    avatar thumb Barbara S
    February 2, 2019

    star rating  We were lucky to spend an entire day with Cara last June on our first ever trip to Yellowstone. Book early as she is in high demand! We... read more

    avatar thumb KentuckyFamilyof5
    December 13, 2018

    star rating  Tour guide Cara provides a great view and education of Yellowstone. We were fortunate and had sighting of wolves, moose, bison, deer and coyote. Cara is very knowledgeable... read more

    avatar thumb bconley8262
    January 15, 2019
  • star rating  Where do I begin? First, Cara was such a joy to work with. I reached out to Cara to inquire about quite a few of their services and she was... read more

    Colleen
    September 1, 2021

    star rating  This was a once in a lifetime experience! Anyone can go see some animals in Yellowstone but to really see all of the amazing animals in the park you need... read more

    Kendra W
    June 1, 2021

    star rating  Great trip. Cara is awesome. We had a group of 8 and Cara took very good care of us. We watch 17 wolves for over an hour.... read more

    Travel139554
    October 7, 2020
  • star rating  This was a once in a lifetime experience! Anyone can go see some animals in Yellowstone but to really see all of the amazing animals in the park you need... read more

    537kendraw
    June 2, 2021

    star rating  We spent a day with Cara in early August and had such a fantastic time! It was the perfect way to start our trip as we got a great overview... read more

    exploreforaliving
    August 22, 2020

    star rating  We had a fantastic time in Yellowstone courtesy of In Our Nature Guiding services. We actually spent two days with them: one watching wolves and wildlife and one snoeshoeing... read more

    wess699
    March 15, 2022
  • star rating  Without Cara our trip would have been a BUST! Cara was instrumental in making our trip a 10 out of 10. Her knowledge of the wildlife, environment, and... read more

    Vacation820603
    April 12, 2021

    star rating  Literally, the best way you can spend a day in Yellowstone. Cara took us around to all of her favorite spots and of course, we saw grizzly's, a wolf pack... read more

    jeffreys857
    August 23, 2020

    star rating  We did a wildlife tour with Hannah in late December. She was absolutely amazing. Our daughter is a biology/ecology major, and Hannah was a fantastic source of information (she is... read more

    avatar thumb Go46056986961
    December 30, 2022
  • star rating  Cara rocked it! Our family was able to see amazing wildlife that would not have been possible without her keen knowledge and fantastic scopes. In addition, her appreciation... read more

    Navigate802764
    September 24, 2020

    star rating  We were so fortunate to book with Cara for our private wildlife tour! She was a wonderful guide in every way, and the 8 1/2 hour day flew by for... read more

    dec38647
    August 5, 2020

    star rating  Our guide, Audra, spent two days with us in the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone. Her goal was to find us a wolf sighting. What she ended up finding... read more

    ALeigh75
    October 18, 2019
  • star rating  Absolutely stunning Experience!!!
    My wife and I spent the day with Cara our guide who knew everything there was to know about Yellowstone !
    She told us all about... read more

    ChistooherT
    April 15, 2021

    star rating  Outstanding day. My skiing buddy and I added a day to our trip to Big Sky so we could see some winter wildlife in Yellowstone. Cara... read more

    I36IPthomasm
    March 20, 2021

    star rating  Our day long tour with Cara made our Yellowstone trip rich and fascinating. Her skills at finding Animals are exceptional. We learned a ton of interesting details about the Park's... read more

    eb3b
    October 29, 2021
  • star rating  We had booked this tour months ago prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cara was very proactive and reached out to us once the lockdown was in place and kept us... read more

    Spuranam
    June 27, 2020

    star rating  This was our first time in Yellowstone in winter, and it was incredible. We came for animal watching and a little skiing. We booked Cara, the owner of... read more

    philmI5895AO
    January 19, 2020

    star rating  Cara and Audra were excellent guides for our eight-person group. They were well-equipped with binoculars and scopes as well as hot drinks and snacks to ensure we got the most... read more

    avatar thumb takashigibbons
    January 11, 2019
  • star rating  Nancy was an excellent guide and was very knowledgeable about the birds in the area. We saw so many new birds.would definitely r

    LizStak
    September 1, 2021

    star rating  We had the best afternoon with Mike! He took us on a gorgeous trail where we only encountered 5 other people in 4 hours. We learned about the geology, topography,... read more

    DeborahGR
    September 1, 2021

    star rating  Amazing wildlife spotting with Audra who made the whole day enjoyable.We had great views of Grizzlies, Wloves, Coyotes etc and plenty of birds including Sandhill Cranes, White Pelicans and numerous... read more

    mikehoward6993
    August 7, 2019

Meet Our Team

Owner: Cara McGary MS Biology

On a winter visit to Yellowstone, Cara was smitten by the wonder of this "American Serengeti". As a result, she decided that she wanted to spend her life helping others develop and feed their fascinations with the natural world in Yellowstone. Cara is a qualified biologist (B.S. Aquatic Biology and M.S. Biology). Before settling in Gardiner MT, she worked extensively in the forests of Redwood National Park, the outback of Western Australia, and the jungles of Papua New Guinea. When not in Yellowstone, she likes to explore places where there are likely good tidepools or snorkeling.

Naturalist Guide: Ben Buescher

Ben developed his passion for wildlife visiting and working as an educator for the zoo in his hometown of Saint Louis, Missouri. He later moved to Fort Collins to earn his bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology at Colorado State University where opportunities opened up for him to study in South Africa, Baja California, and CSU’s satellite campus in the Rocky Mountains. At school, he worked as a technician for an acoustic ecology lab where his love for communicating and weaving together the stories of ecosystems blossomed. After graduating, he spent a year as a park ranger and educator for the national wildlife refuge system in Kauai. Landing in Bozeman following his move back to the mainland, Ben is now excited for the opportunity to work as a guide in Yellowstone, using his background in conservation biology and environmental education to share the world-renowned stories of Yellowstone National Park with our guests.

Biologist Guide: Hannah Beroske

After earning her bachelor’s degree in wildlife sciences, Hannah quickly ventured west to Yellowstone National Park where the wildlife is abundant. She fell in love with the Park’s natural wonders and surrounding forests. With 5 years’ experience as a wildlife research technician, she has worked with many animals such as wolves, cougars, birds, and more. She spends most of her time exploring and appreciating everything that nature has to offer. Hannah finds joy in sharing her passions with guests and hopes to facilitate a memorable experience and inspire action. She is especially eager to work with young minds that are ready to learn and have fun!

Snowshoe & Ski Guide: Kody Marr

Kody first visited Gradiner, MT back in 2016 while on a 10-day backcountry fly fishing adventure and once he laid eyes on this stunning small town he was hooked, he moved out of his home state of Colorado the following summer and hasn't left since. Kody learned to ski about the same time he was potty trained as he grew up in a ski bum family with his mom being a member of the US Ski Team through his childhood. He now spends his time guiding fly fishing trips during the summer months and guiding over snow activities during the winter months. When Kody isn't in the field you may find him scouting the local mountains for wildlife or traveling the Rockies looking for exotic trout species.

Contact Us | 406-579-3838 | info@in-our-nature.com

Connect With Us | instagram | facebook | review us 

PO Box 501, Gardiner MT 59030