An outstanding time with Yellowstone Hiking Guides. They are top-notch guides and humble about it. I feel fortunate to have found them, and would love to join them again. They offer an experience of Yellowstone without the crowds: beautiful grand vistas, wildlife, trees and flowers, and an opportunity to gain a “locals” connection to the Park.
I booked two hikes. My hope when booking was to have an opportunity to get away from the roads and crowds, learn a few things about the Park, and be out with a guide with knowledge about how to be safe around bison and grizzlies. Their guiding provided all of those things, but much, much more. These folks have a greater in-depth and broader knowledge of the natural history of the area (wildlife, plants, geology) as well as human history, than I had expected. I learned a great deal. They have years of experience guiding in various locations. I learned that Josh Mahan has lived and guided in the area for years, following in the footsteps of his parents. Like any great guiding company, Yellowstone Hiking Guides achieves a good balance of fun, safety, and professionalism. They are friendly, down-to-earth people who provide an enjoyable time.
Josh led the hike in Lamar Valley, and Zach to Bunsen Peak. The pace of both hikes allowed enough time for picture taking, and resting when needed. Josh spoke about wolves, bison, plants, the fire history and much about the Park in general. He answered questions on a variety of topics. He knows a great deal about wildlife in general, leading me to think he had a degree in biology (I was surprised to find out that he does not). Josh’s friendliness and approachability made this hike feel like I was reconnecting with an old friend who just happened to be an expert on Yellowstone. The Lamar Valley is an amazing place to wander off trail and see wildflowers as far as the eye can see…no people or roads to crop out of photos! We got great views of bison, pronghorn, and sandhill cranes.
Zach is also very personable. He has a background as a science teacher, which explained his attention to clear descriptions. Zach shared knowledge about (among other things) fire ecology, tree species, local mountain ranges (including the Grand Tetons, which were visible more than 100 miles away), and historic and Native American use of the area. His explanation of how a volcanic intrusion forms was so clear that I “got it” immediately. He made a great find of a Dusky Grouse, followed by suggestions about traveling up the trail at a pace that allowed us pictures of the grouse at multiple spots as it moved too. Getting close to wildlife takes skill, and Zach has those skills. Zach also conversed with clients about their plans and interests while they were visiting the Park, and made individualized recommendations and offered tips to help those plans work out!
Why the lengthy review, apart from enthusiasm? Yellowstone Hiking Guides are modest about their experience level when I thought about what I could remember from website—modest, in my opinion, almost to a fault. At the end of the hike, Josh mentioned, only in the course of conversation on another topic, that he would be leading a multi-day tour for National Geographic in Yellowstone and adjacent areas. After my experience, I can see why an organization with a reputation like National Geographic would hire Yellowstone Hiking Guides for their trips.
Later in our Yellowstone trip, we encountered tour groups from other companies who were stopped at pullouts in Lamar Valley. I was so glad to have had the opportunity to go beyond the “pullout tour” and enjoy the beauty of Yellowstone in the trail-less meadows. Thank you, Yellowstone Hiking Guides, for two days of wonderful opportunity!