Yellowstone Private Tours & Hikes
In Our Nature Guiding Services
Expertly Guided Wildlife Watching Tours & Hikes in Yellowstone & Surrounds
See & Hear Wild Wolves!
Watch Grizzly Bears Safely
Yellowstone Wonder in All Season
Experience Adventure
Choose Your Yellowstone Adventure!
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 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. We can't wait to share it with you!
Experience Winter Wonderland
Winter is one of the best times to visit Yellowstone. It truly is a winter wonderland! We offer wildlife watching tours, snowshoeing trips, and cross-country skiing expeditions throughout the winter months. You can even join us for multiple days, and stay in our exclusive lodging.
Watch Yellowstone's Wildlife
Yellowstone is the best place in the world to see wild wolves and the best place in the lower 48 states to see grizzly bears. Join our biologist guides while they use their expert local ecological knowledge and premium spotting scopes to help you see the wildlife you're interested in. Tours are private and offered year-round.
Explore Yellowstone's Hottest Sites!
Visit geysers, hot springs & mud pots with your own expert guide. Yellowstone sits on top of one of the largest volcanic hot spots in the world. Learn about the chamber of partially molten magma underneath and how it causes all of the fanciful thermal activity in the park. There is no other place like this on earth!
Take A Hike, Escape the Crowds!
Whether you want to take a leisurely half-day stroll or embark on an epic multi-day backpacking adventure; we've got you covered! We have unique access to the most incredible trails in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, with options in Yellowstone, Beartooth Mountains, the Gallatin Range and Paradise Valley.
Private Lodging & Tour Packages
Choose the 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.
Adventures by Season, Location or Type
Need suggestions based on the time of year that you are visiting? Do you have you a certain area of Yellowstone that you want to focus on or plan to stay? Maybe you want to experience a particular activity? Sort below based on season to see what is available. Start planning your Yellowstone Adventure now!
By Season
Sort Tours by Seasons
Need suggestions based on the time of year that you are visiting? Sort below based on season to see what is available.
By Location
Sort Tours by Location
Need suggestions based on an area or interest or near the location that you are staying? Perhaps you would like to focus on a particular area of interest? Use the map below as a guide and sort below it by location to see what is available.

By Activity
Sort Tours by Activity Level or Type
Need suggestions based on your preferred activity type or activity level? Do you need a family oriented trip or one that is adaptable for accessibility? Sort below to see which options would suit you best. Start planning your Yellowstone Adventure now!
Availability & Booking
Book using the form below or contact us at 406-579-3838 or info@in-our-nature.com for more information.
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Reviews
- Pamela D
Cara is amazing! This is our second year of snowshoeing in the park and will definitely be back! She is thoughtful, knowledgeable, and great fun! We truly recommend her as... read more she goes above and beyond. Every trip she exceeds or expectations by showing us something new! This year... Wolves!
March 1, 2021My Wife & I had a full day Wildlife tour on 9-14 with Cara and had an excellent time. She is extremely Knowledgeable and Personable. We saw Wolves, Big Horn... read more Sheep, Mountain Goat, Elk, Bald & Gold eagles, and many Bison and Pronghorn. In our...More
mrokmurphy
September 26, 2018Hired Audra from In Our Nature for a full day guided tour of Yellowstone National Park in late October. She was very personable and knowledgeable about the animals and... read more geology of the park. We saw many animals to include Mountain Goats....I have no idea how...More
dar3150
November 7, 2018 - Chris C
We had an amazing day of wildlife spotting with Nancy in Lamar Valley. She did a great job of explaining the relationships and interactions of all of the various animals... read more of Yellowstone. We felt that her knowledge and insight was extremely valuable and we walked away with a much greater understanding of the wildlife in the region. I would highly recommend this tour!
September 1, 2021George WThe best way to see Yellowstone in winter is with a guide and Cara certainly didn’t disappoint. She is extremely professional, knowledgeable, and created an incredible experience seeing wolves,... read more moose, mountain goats, etc. I would highly recommend hiring Cara as a guide whether summer or winter as you won’t be disappointed with her knowledge and experience. I look forward to coming back again in the summer with Cara as a hiking guide. Thank you Cara for a fantastic day in Yellowstone as it was truly an amazing experience.
January 1, 1970Laura HWe loved our Lamar Valley hike with Mike. He was friendly, professional and knowledgeable. He let us set the pace and went out of his way to make it enjoyable... read more for us. We will definitely reach out when we visit again. Highly recommend!
June 27, 2021 - Colleen
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 very informative and helpful. She sent me up with Nancy for a day of wildlife viewing and another day with a half hike. I also did night photography with Angela. All of these ladies made my trip to Yellowstone the best to date. Nancy was a great partner for the day and a half we spent together. She was very informative, friendly, had a great humor, and was very informative about all of the birds. She also did not take any insult to the fact that birds terrify me and I do not like them 😉 Nancy and I spent most of our day in Lamar Valley for the wildlife viewing -saw deer, elk, bison, bears, lots of birds. The next day we met up for a hike to Beaver Pond. She was very informative about the little hidden treasures and history along the trail. The best part was coming across a young adult black bear. She made me feel at ease and never in danger being in the presence of that bear. She had prepared me before the hike and also again before we got to the wooded area of what to do if we encountered a bear. Given that I am not an avid hiker or the absolute best in shape, she made me feel comfortable, slow down when I needed to, and was just all-around great company. Angela was so fun to learn from. She is very easy-going, hands-on, very open to trying out different locations or settings. I had attempted sky photography before but never really could figure out what I was doing wrong. I came home after my trip and showed everyone my pictures and everyone was floored at my photos of the sky. Thanks to Angela I have a newfound skill. We met up in town in Gardiner, and Angela gave me a rundown of what to expect for the evening. We drove separately but that was never an issue for me. We drove to four separate locations for pictures and they were all at various times, and some had light pollution from Gardiner and Mammoth, so she helped me navigate settings and provided helpful tips for my future night photography attempts. I had so much fun with her, I almost forgot about the freezing temperatures 🙂 I have been to Yellowstone by myself a few times. I really enjoyed having some company this time around, it was also helpful to have someone else drive me around so I could enjoy more of the scenery and the animals. Communication with everyone was great. I never felt like I was forgotten or that I was part of a scripted tour. Whether you are traveling by yourself or with other people I cannot recommend this guide group enough. You will not be disappointed. I cannot wait to go back so I can work with them again
September 1, 2021francescah496I took a trip to Yellowstone in mid-December. I engaged Cara for the Wolf/Wildlife Watching excursion all day. While we saw no wolfs, Cara was well aware of... read more normal siting areas of much of the park's native wildlife, and I was able to view Otters who entertained us for more than a half hour feeding and playing along the shore. We also viewed a red fox, brown eagle, buffalo and elk. My tour also included a short hike around a lake during which Cara identified various vegetation and shared other information about our surroundings. Cara is pleasant, accommodating, and more importantly quite knowledgeable about the park, it's wildlife, and surrounding nature. Well worth the investment and made for a great day.
January 23, 2022Carla46998June 10, 2021
From 5:45am until about 2:15pm, Jim and I were spellbound by up close and personal (via scopes) sightings of Lamar Valley wolves, badgers, bison, pronghorn, viewings... read more we never could have experienced on our own. Cara's wildlife expertise and uncanny ability to spot these sighting in the first place put her, in our estimation, in a 'wildlife Wonder Woman' category! Her mental and physical energy and people skills (and patience) added even more vitality to the the wildlife drama.
June 19, 2021 - dec38647
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 our family of 4. Very knowledgeable about all things Yellowstone --wildlife, wildflowers, park history, etc. We would never have been able to see all we did without Cara as our guide. She provided spotting scopes and binoculars for each of us, an amazing brunch spread, and such knowledgeable commentary. It was such a wonderful experience. In Lamar Valley, we saw -- and heard -- a whole pack of wolves howling, watching as another wolf then came in from the distance to join the rest of the pack. Alongside the wolves the valley was filled with bison, pronghorn, elk, and even a grizzly munching on some flowers. It was so amazing to see all of these animals coexisting in their habitat. That day we also saw three more black bears right next to the road, which we were able to observe from the car for quite a while, along with mountain goats, big horn sheep, coyotes, and countless other animals big and small. The day also included a hike to Trout Lake, which is just a breathtaking, perfect short hike to a beautiful lake surrounded by mountains with, when we were there, an explosion of wildflowers in bloom everywhere. While there, we also saw cutthroat trout swimming upstream to spawn -- so much fun! Throughout, Cara was attuned to our interests, and had such knowledgeable answers to all of our questions. She knew every safe pullout and turnaround spot to ensure we were able to get a closer look at the bears and other animals that came close to the road, and somehow managed to find the specks in the distance and ensured that they came alive to us through the scope as wolves or a grizzly or big horn sheep, etc. She really showed us the best of Lamar Valley. It was a highlight of our trip to Yellowstone.
August 5, 2020Terri CWe 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 rentals for our snow shoes and we followed him into Mammoth Hot Springs to begin our trek. I had never snow shoed before and had an injured knee. Matt was great - helpful and knowledgeable and made the morning truly enjoyable. giving us lots of history and tips for things to see and do during our stay. We saw lots of bison & and the pristine beauty of the park in winter was amazing, We would definitely do a longer tour next time... a great way to see the park in winter. Cara (the owner) was very responsive to our questions prior to booking and after. A well organized and worthwhile adventure!
February 23, 2021Cara is a true professional, we started early and the fog was pee soup. Yeah it was not what anyone wanted, but Cara made it work, and put in... read more serious time with us to not only find wildlife (Badgers, coyotes, cranes, Bald eagles, Running Bisions...More
Phil H
September 4, 2018 - I36IPthomasm
Outstanding day. My skiing buddy and I added a day to our trip to Big Sky so we could see some... read more
March 20, 2021DavidJ882Excellent guide,superbly equipped,knew the place and the wildlife very well.
Cara personifies why a professional guide is needed for spotting wildlife in Yellowstone.Although I'm an experienced wildlife biologist and guide... read more myself,you absolutely need someone of Cara's capabilities and knowledge of the area and it's wildlife to get the best out of a Yellowstone visit.For bears and wolves especially,knowing where they are likely to be and having the right equipment (quality spotting scopes) is essential.Otherwise only luck will get you sightings.Very enjoyable trip with many good experiences. Well done Cara!
May 26, 2021oldracer yJuly 8th 2019. Our group of 4 adults booked Cara 2-3 months in advance,,( after reading her reviews ) We have traveled all over the world together. In Africa we... read more learned the benefit of a top notice guide. Cara proved to be the best any...More
July 30, 2019 - VoyagerFTR
We had an amazing day with Cara spotting wildlife . She pitched it really well for our two teenage daughters and was great company .
July 21, 2019Glenda SOn our trip we were very lucky to see a grizzly bear, a black bear, wolf cubs interacting with bison and mountain goats. This wasn't just down to luck but... read more due to Cara's extensive knowledge of the Lamar Valley and its wildlife and her network...More
November 16, 2019Our 4 person group did a guided 1/2 day snowshoe tour led by Ben. We had a wonderful experience and Ben shared a lot of very interesting information about the... read more area and the wildlife. His knowledge made our trip even more memorable. The trip was well-paced with enough active portions combined with breaks when he would share interesting facts. Highly recommend this group and Ben as a guide.
58sheryls
February 1, 2023 - gordonr1234
This was our first time cross-country skiing and Cara made sure we learned how to properly put on our skis, move, stop and enjoy our selves for the duration of... read more our experience. We did a trail around Mammoth Hot Springs inside Yellowstone by the North Entrance. There was a perfect mixture of geysers and fumaroles that you pass by on the trail. Cara has an abundance of knowledge to share with you about each and everyone you pass. The views of the mountains and the park itself are stunning. Cara was more the happy to take pictures and videos of our trip and even offered to record a video of us skiing. At the end of our guided tour with Cara, she treated us to a hot cup of coffee and coco by on of the fumaroles. After, Cara gave us the option to do a few more laps of the trail on our own with the rented equipment and only asked us to have them back before the store closed at 5pm. If you're new or experienced at cross-country skiing rest assured this trail is both easy to learn and challenging enough should you seek some excitement. The views are absolutely astounding and Cara is a great guide and instructor.
January 24, 2021brianrO8103HECara was great!!! My wife and I hired Cara as a cross country skiing guide in Yellowstone but we got so much more than that. Cara knew were... read more to find a trail with snow (which was surprisingly scarce during our trip) that matched my beginner skiing experience level, she gave great instructions, and she had a great sense of humor while helping me up when I fell. She stopped for some wildlife viewing on the way to the ski trail and we were able to see 4 moose and a coyote very clearly through her spotting scope. She even sent us pictures of the outing, including the wildlife, a day later. She was prepared with bear spray and an emergency beacon and she was very good at wearing a mask and social distancing. We even learned about some of the geology of the park and about a wolverine siting near where we skied. We left with great memories and with a new friend. Hire her. You won't regret it.
December 13, 2020Matt PWe booked In Our Nature Guides for two tours: a 6 mile hike in Yellowstone and the early morning nature viewing. The hike was excellent. Nancy, our guide,... read more is a fountain of information! She also had an amazing eye for spotting tracks and other evidence of animals such as paw prints, markings on trees, and lots and lots of different types of poop. The kids asked questions for 6 hours straight and Nancy fielded them brilliantly! The early morning nature viewing was a very cool experience. We got to see a pack of wolves frolicking in a field, many bison, and mountain goats. Nancy and Cara did a wonderful job managing our party of 8 with the scopes and keeping us moving to keep the kids' attention spans. We would highly recommend this group of guides. In hindsight, we were very happy we didn't try to do it all on our own. It is a much better experience to go with someone who knows where and when to be!
September 24, 2020 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 out of our Yellowstone trip while also remaining comfortable. They were both extremely friendly and...More
takashigibbons
January 11, 2019peter31414Cara was just wonderful! She was knowledgable, friendly and carefully listened to our requests and tailored the trip accordingly. I highly recommend people use her. We plan... read more on coming back in October and using her for a full week, she was that great.
May 5, 2022Mary KBy far this was the best nature experience I have ever had!!! Cara is an excellent guide who has patience, energy,and knowledge of where to scope out wildlife.... read more On our first day she found spots for wolf, bear, bison, pronghorn , coyote and moose viewing on the way into Lamar Valley. On the second day we headed toward Hayden Valley and watched a grizzly near Yellowstone Lake!!! She wanted us to have the best experience and went out of her way to ensure that..!! …
June 7, 2021Great tour. Cara was awesome, fun to hang out with on the full day tour and very knowledgeable about the land and animals. We saw piles of animals, including all... read more of the various hooved animals in the park, coyotes, wolves, mountain goats on high cliff...More
kullen_6
December 20, 2018I highly, highly recommend Cara for an unbelievable tour of Yellowstone. We saw wolves eating bison (she knew of the wolf packs in the area, which ones have survived,... read more they're numbered), unusual beautiful birds migrating and stopping at Yellowstone, pronghorn, osprey nesting, a fox, several...More
BostonLynne
May 9, 2019SpuranamWe 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 posted and gave us options based on the situation progressed. We decided to not cancel our trip. And boy, what a memorable tour it was. We got to see wolves and bears !! Cara came with binoculars for all of us ( 2 adults and 3 kids). She very patiently explained how to use the binoculars and answered all their questions. It was a great day ! Would highly recommend her services to anyone who is interested.
June 27, 2020- Emil V
Wow Cara is awesome! She knows this place like her backyard! Extremely knowledgable about YNP. Best day of vacation by far. Cara was able to find a Grizzly interacting with... read more a Wolf pack. Wolf pups and Adults interacting ! Many Beautiful Mountain goats and ewes...More
September 28, 2019Renaii777My favorite part of the experience was the time and patience Cara took to teach me about wolves and bison, and other wildlife in the park. I wanted to... read more see the wolves and she did everything possible to find them and we did. It was amazing! She is very professional and you can tell she really cares about the wildlife and wildlife conservation. We did a hike around a lake after it snowed and it was beautiful! She educated me on some of the edible plants and I even tried some. I love the outdoors and wildlife and all around it was the best experience!
December 29, 2021My friends and I spent two wonderful days with Cara exploring Yellowstone. She is very knowledgeable and personable. We saw wildlife we would have never spotted on our... read more own. Cara also did a great job explaining the habits of the wildlife and history of the...More
Cheryl B
February 16, 2019

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 hikes, overnight backpacking trips, cross-country skiing & snowshoeing, or make your own custom adventure.
Cara McGary
Owner, Biologist, Guide (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.
Hannah Beroske
Biologist Guide 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!
Elizabeth Mordensky
Naturalist Guide Elizabeth has two main passions in life: Art and the Outdoors. Naturally these two loves have come together, driving her to create art that might inspire others to appreciate our wild animals and wild spaces. Through vibrantly textured oil finger paintings, she brings energy and life into her wildlife compositions, encouraging viewers to take a second look. She wants the viewer to feel connected to the animals, as if they were standing there before them, as she has done so many times.