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.
Winter Yellowstone Adventures
Wolf & Wildlife Watching Tours in Yellowstone
Join one of our Biologists on a Wildlife Watching tour in Yellowstone's intact ecosystem we premium spotting scopes. Our expert local ecological knowledge will help you see the wildlife you're interested in. Winter is the best time and this is the best place in the world to see wild wolves. We often see otters, moose, red fox, bighorn sheep and scores of bison, elk and pronghorn.
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.
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.
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
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
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
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
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 $250 per person (min. 4)
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.
Availability & Booking
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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.
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....
- lucky171717
Our family of 5 went on an all-day wildlife watching tour with Cara and it was worth every penny. We saw a ton of wildlife, including a black wolf, we... read more would have never seen without her expertise and scopes. The videos and photos from it are a wonderful memento of our trip to Yellowstone. Cara has a wealth of knowledge and encourages questions so we and our kids got a great education above and beyond YS app. Truly marvelous experience. Highly recommend. We hope to return to take a guided overnight camping trip with her.
July 24, 2020mikehoward6993 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 birds of prey. Audra was very knowledgeable regarding both the wildlife and history of the park. We all agreed that this was the highlight of our holiday. Would definitely recommend.
August 7, 2019Renaii777 My 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, 2021 - peter31414 Cara 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, 2022VoyagerFTR 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, 2019856myrah We saw so many animals Grizzly, Mountain Goats, Wolfs, Buffalo, Pronghorn, Bald Eagle, and another special bird. We had brunch in a very special place near a river. Cara... read more knows so many interesting facts about the animals and Yellowstone. The tour was everything we hoped for plus. Cara truly cares about Yellowstone and it’s animals and all the Wonders it has to offer and she is more than willing to share her love for the Park with everyone.
September 23, 2020 - oldracer y July 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 When you travel to a national park like Yellowstone to view wildlife in their natural environment, you need a professional biologist to make that happen. To find those animals that... read more are the most allusive like the wolves and tap into all of the knowledge a...More Cindy G
February 14, 2019Pamela 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, 2021 - dandP3306ZC My wife and I had an excellent snoeshoe trip with Cara! We got to see amazing views and learned so much from Cara. Can't wait to go again! Highly recommend... read more booking a trip.
April 5, 2022NKB122 We had an amazing day with Cara. We had 3 kids (one is a baby) along with us... She had so much patience with us and still made it possible... read more for us to see everything we had hoped for and more! We saw a grizzly, a pack of wolves, coyotes, bison, elk, mountain goats, and went on a great hike that was doable for our whole family where we even got to see trout in the lake. So knowledgeable about the animals and the area.. we learned so much in one day. We will definitely be back!
October 12, 2020lucilachicago We spent a full day with Cara hiking on a beautiful trail in Yellowstone that she chose for our skill level. She brought us to a beautiful lake for our... read more lunch break (she took care of lunch and snacks AND carried them for all 8 of us!) Even though this hike was not a wildlife tour per se, Cara was able to point out lots of wildlife through sight (and sound) that we would have never known were there. Our teenage kids peppered her the whole time with questions and she answered them all! Great learning experience for all.
August 13, 2020 - ALeigh75 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 was an AWESOME wolf sighting with eight wolves, old and young, play with each other along a...More
October 18, 2019 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 our time wisely. The booking process was seamless and we were contacted promptly to work...More 672JoeP
October 9, 2018I36IPthomasm 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 McGary, owner of In Our Nature, was a perfect guide for this adventure. A trained biologist with international experience and a deep knowledge of the Park, Cara is an extremely knowledgeable and entertaining guide.
Cara met us early, prepared with binoculars, excellent tripod scopes, and tasty breakfast snacks and lunches. Over the next seven hours – driving and walking – she showed us many wolves, three beautiful fox, coyotes, a mountain goat, and of course lots of elk and bison. (“They’re not buffaloes!”) Throughout the day, Cara was engaging, answered all our questions, and attended to all needs and interests.
If you’re headed to Yellowstone Park, really “see” it with In Our Nature Guiding Services.
March 20, 2021 - My wife and I along with our 2 kids spent the Christmas break over at Yellowstone National Park. One of the days we were there we did a half-day snowshoeing... read more trip with Cara. Considering that this was the first time we were doing snowshoeing we...More smanikoth
January 27, 2019MtnGorillas What an AMAZING day we had out in the Serengeti of North America! Our guide, Cara, was absolutely super! Her passion and knowledge of the area and the... read more wildlife was excellent! We had such a fun time going from one location where wildlife was spotted and on to the next. It was really exciting and we saw so many animals...the wolves were astounding to watch...they really “cooperated” for our wildlife viewing pleasure, it was a real highlight! I would highly recommend Cara as a guide. You will not be disappointed...she was such an interesting, fun and professional guide - we cannot wait to come back again!
July 19, 2020Renai S My 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 1, 2021 - LizStak Nancy was an excellent guide and was very knowledgeable about the birds in the area. We saw so many new birds.would definitely r
September 1, 2021Laura H We 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, 2021KALC Nancy & Mike were fantastic & very personable guides who went all out for us. We were able to see bison, elk, pronghorn, black bears, and osprey (each with young... read more ones!) with the naked eye, and they found a mama grizzly with cubs, a wolf! sandhills cranes, coyotes on the chase, bighorn sheep, and a mountain goat in their scopes for our group of 8 to see. They even found some tracks and showed us how to take pictures of tracks. Scopes were were set at all heights for our 3 generation group. They never tired of our questions, and we learned so much. They took great care of us, and were patient and accommodating with our daughter who uses a walker as well as our very talkative and sleepy youngest. They even know which bathrooms to avoid 😉 Highly recommend! A day very well spent! …
July 25, 2021 - CKNC11 Cara's wildlife tour is a day NOT to skip in your plans to visit Yellowstone. We viewed the famous Junction Butte wolf pack, elk, pronghorn, bison, eagles, osprey, magpie... read more and mountain goats. Lunch was wonderful. Covid precautions were followed. This one day was my favorite, on a 3 week trip to see 5 parks.
September 28, 2020Climber37165216272 Kody Marr was a wonderful guide. He picked a hike that was exactly what we were looking for- deep snow and not many people. He is very knowledgeable about the... read more park. It was a great trip and I would recommend Kody and Our Nature Guiding Services.
February 15, 2022U1035AUjamesm Our guide, Cara, did an amazing job during difficult circumstances. We contacted her at the last minute about leading a trip as we were passing through Yellowstone in November. ... read more Most of the roads had just closed and the weather was unexpectedly harsh. On top of everything else, the one road that should have been open was closed due to an accident. Despite all of this, she was able to give our family, including our two girls, a wonderful Yellowstone wildlife viewing experience. Cara's expertise and positive attitude made for a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our family. We will certainly seek her out again on our next visit.
November 15, 2020 - JoeReadingPA An absolutely wonderful experience. Cara really cares about giving here clients the best experience possible. She knew exactly where to find 5 wolf pups who we spent an hour watching.... read more We saw moose, elk, bison, eagles, a peragrine falcon, and pronghorn.
We also learned a lot about animal behavior. If you engage Cara you will find that she is very funny as well as a very interesting person. She provided a nice gluten free lunch ( I am celiac) as well as making us “field mochas” out the back of her van. She has done many interesting things in her life and can relate her experiences in an entertaining way. We learned so much.
Cara is also a leader in the protection of Yellowstone’s wolves and the business that they bring to her local economy in Gardiner. She and her company are exactly the kind of people we need to support. Absolutely recommend!
September 22, 2022Glal6909 Wonderful trip with experienced guide. Finding animals and stopping, turning around. Answering lots of questions and helping understand the balance of nature in the region.
September 16, 2022Navigate802764 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 for the park and its inhabitants is deeply felt. Cara was wonderfully patient with my overly eager nature loving children. Our trip to Yellowstone would not have been the same without Cara. Oh, the lunch/brunch was also awesome. So glad we shifted out Yellowstone tour to match Cara's availability. If you can, book In Our Nature Guiding Services!
September 24, 2020 - I highly recommend In Our Nature Guiding Services. My family enjoyed spending the day looking for wildlife. Cara made it so much better than going out on our own because... read more she knows where to find specific wildlife and she knows a lot about their habits....More lauraah51
June 7, 2019 Hired 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 I had a great day out with Audra exploring Yellowstone and all it’s surprises! She told me a lot about the animals and the nature, and showed me some amazing... read more views. We were very lucky, because we had already seen wolves and moose before 9...More HannekeJ45
June 4, 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: Claire Lacey
Born and raised in Alaska, Claire developed a passion for wildlife ecology and environmental studies leading her to Montana in 2017 for the opportunity to study the wolves of Yellowstone National Park. Her curiosity prompted a three year, self-directed undergraduate research project, which she finished in 2020 while earning her Bachelor of Science in Fish & Wildlife Ecology and Management from Montana State University. She has spent hundreds of hours watching wolves and studying their interactions with each other and with other species in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Claire continues to follow her passion by inviting clients to share the same incredible experiences in Yellowstone that captivated her during her research.
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.