This small pulloff on the east side of N Entrance Rd caught our attention because we liked the…read moreglimpse of Slide Lake. There are several more pulloffs just north of here, but this was the view we got the best photos from. Pro tip: Lift your camera higher to get more of the lake in the frame.

Just north of today's Mammoth Post Office, we came across an old log cabin. Quite a lovely rustic…read moresite. Built in the mid 1890s, it was a stop-over point for mail carriers between the railroad station in Livingston MT, to Cooke City. It's the only 1800s log structure still standing in Mammoth Hot Springs. It was modified several times in the 1900s, and was also used to manage the concessions in Yellowstone National Park. Right in front of the cabin in a scraggly tree, the sharpest-eyed among us spotted two black-and-white Black-billed Magpies with their distinctive diamond-shaped tail that was at least as long as their body. I felt i was meeting the 1946-1971 cartoon celebrities, Heckle and Jeckle :-). We waited quietly and were rewarded with their repeated sharp ascending call, and the sight of one of them flying off. (Jul 2026)

This appears to be a new tour option in Gardiner and it is a welcome one. I had been on Segway…read moretours in Washington DC and occasionally had a bit of difficulty with hitting curbs. I was a bit apprehensive at trying out segways in the wild. Not to worry, the segways had tires specifically for off-roading. Our tour began, as is usual with Segways, with orientation on how to drive the segways. Then we were off to the hills of the adjacent Gallatin National Forest. We had to stop at one point because an elk took too much interest in us, so we hid in a nearby street until he sauntered off and up the hill. Rain began as we reached the top, so we had to pull off and put the machines under safe shelter, but we were at the top and the views were magnificent. When the rain stopped, we resumed. Most of our tour was on unpaved roads, but the huge tires handled it easily. My guide expertly led us and stopped at particularly scenic areas.

What a fantastic day we had touring the lower loop of Yellowstone National Park with Yellowstone…read moreTouring Company / Wild Trout Outfitters. Arranging the tour on the phone was easy and quick. We had the choice of having pickup at our condo in Big Sky or meeting at the storefront on Highway 191. We chose to meet at the store to maximize our 10 tour time which starts end ends when the driver leaves the parking lot. Check in was simple. Each participant had to sign a waiver and then we were off. The Sprinter van was clean and very spacious with seating for 10 although we had a private tour for 4. Pricing for private tours are flat rate and we chose the 1-5 participants. Our tour guide, Mat, was amazing. He kept us entertained on the way to the park with stories and factoids. In addition to showing us the "usual suspects," took us to places that are not listed in the guidebooks. He varied the route a bit at times to accommodate the geyser schedules and spend as little time as possible waiting for eruptions. All the time, he was filling our heads with area info. He was terrific at spotting wildlife for us as well. When we found ourselves with a little extra time at the end our our tour. He stopped at two additional sites that people normally drive right by. We were thrilled with his service. While this tour does not supply food, they have a cooler on board with plenty of ice, soft drinks, bottled water and space for the food that we brought. We packed a lunch and Mat found us a table at the edge of Yellowstone Lake were we stopped and ate on a checkerboard tablecloth - courtesy of Mat. If we were to come back, we would absolutely arrange for the Upper Loop tour with this company and possibly even a fly-fishing trip. Thanks to Mat and YTC for a great day.

Last week my family and I vacationed in Big Sky for our first trip to Montana and Yellowstone…read moreNational Park. Since our time was limited and the park so large we decided to hire a tour guide for one day. Upon researching the options I discovered there are a lot of ways to tour Yellowstone, however having the disability of chemical sensitivity I found it challenging to choose one. Ultimately after many phone conversations I talked with J.D. Bingham at Yellowstone Touring Company/Wild Trout Outfitters. Based on our telephone conversation I was confident that J.D. understood my special needs and would be able to accommodate our party of nine persons, which included children and elderly. On the day of the tour our guide Paul picked us up at or rental house in Big Sky right on schedule. That was no small feat in itself as the house was VERY out of the way on the side of a mountain at 8200 feet. The vehicle was clean, spacious and comfortable for all of us. More importantly, per my request for my chemical sensitivity, both Paul and the vehicle were completely fragrance free. Paul asked us questions about what we were looking to get out of the tour, and then designed our day around our specific requests. It could not have been any better. He was knowledgeable not only about Yellowstone but about where we were staying in Big Sky. He was patient with both the children and the elderly. He is an excellent driver and we all felt quite safe in his hands the whole time. The sights that he chose for us were perfect. He knew everything from which rest rooms were most likely to be cleanest, (very important for the ladies), to where to find the bison. All in all, I cannot say enough about our tour with Paul from Yellowstone Touring Company. I would do it again in a heartbeat, and recommend him to anyone. Also after our interactions with J.D., I would also imagine his fishing guides from Wild Trout Outfitters to be as special and would have tried that also if we'd had more time.

Yellowstone was closed due to the floods and mudslides. We had to pivot and reorganize our…read moreroadtrip, and so we decided to visit Earthquake Lake and its visitor center. What a haunting surprise. Super informative, eerily beautiful and full of history. Also, the drive to the landmark from West Yellowstone was peacefully stunning. Definitely check it out if you need a break from Yellowstone or can't get in.

In 1959, a quake hit this area and transformed it from a camping destination to a disaster area,…read moreall within 20 seconds. Quake Lake was formed when a rock slide of horrific proportions filled the valley, blocked up the Madison River, and formed a lake. More than 20 people lost their lives. The visitor center pays tribute to those folks, the survivors, and the emergency workers and community. It's a beautiful drive to the center, the views are sweeping, and the displays and video were interesting. Hearing the recorded survivor stories while looking out at the slide, lake and rock pile was sobering.

Wonderful 4 day tour with MacNiel. He accommodated our requests for wildlife viewing, sight seeing…read moreand hiking in Yellowstone National Park. We saw all of the big mammals in the park, the key geologic features and many beautiful sights. MacNiel is a well educated tour guide with impressive knowledge of animals, geology, history, ecology and botany. He kept us out of the crowds and took us on beautiful walks. On our final day we had a wonderful cross country trek into a beautiful valley that we enjoyed in solitude. If you want a teacher who is passionate about the greater Yellowstone ecosystem this is your guy. You and any children will learn while being in awe. MacNeil has taught me observe and see more with every step. Basic benefits are great and plenty food, avoiding the stress of driving and the local knowelege to have you avoid the crowds and get the most of your days.

We spent two days with MacNeil this spring and had an incredible experience touring Yellowstone!…read more We learned about the park and the animals, we heard wonderful stories about MacNeil's experiences as a naturalist and guide, and we found all the animals we hoped to see -- and more! I hope to return to Yellowstone again one day and will certainly book another guided tour with MacNeil because he knows how to find animals and custom designs his tours based on what you want to see in the park! Thank you, MacNeil!

I stayed here for July 4th without making a reservation for camping and no problem finding a nice…read morespot by the river. Although the price went up a bit, I stayed here second time. Aside from the mountains, camping spots are beside a bridge and the wide peaceful river. Most include a picnic table. The Northern entrance to Yellowstone National Park is only a few miles away. There's WiFi located around the main office and showers with individual shower stalls and curtains are only a few miles away.

Nice quiet place to setup. Our site was very level. No hookups available, just potable water and…read morea shower house. The river is very peaceful. Rate was extremely reasonable.

Nice rest stop I didn't even know it was here and it was nice that there's LTE also lots of…read morehistorical plaques with interesting fact about the local sights. Clean restrooms big parking lot

Nice rest area! Clean and spacious. 90 minutes away from Yellowstone which was convenient as well.read more