“Am I Ready To Be A Guide?”: A Peek Inside Training the Yellowstone Wild Team

There comes a time in every guide’s life when they look themselves in the mirror, strap their binocular harness to their chest, and ask themselves one question: am I ready to be a guide?

As the saying goes, if you have to ask, you already know.

The four new guides at Yellowstone Wild, supported by the existing YW team, recently did just that. In a spring bloom that focused on both classroom and hands-on learning, they spent nearly three weeks downloading America’s first national park into their bones. So what exactly does that process look like? Allow us to take you on that journey…

New Yellowstone Wild naturalist guides learning the secret spots! From L to R: Matthew W., Mads B., Jordan W., and Jesse G.

Naturalists Mads, Jesse, and Matthew learning the thermal features  of the Upper Geyser Basin from Lead Naturalist Matt D.

Lead Naturalist Aleksa B (middle) oversees new naturalists Mads and Jesse as they learn the correct vehicle pre-tour inspection points.

To maximize our nearly three week training window, managers and lead naturalist guides began developing outlines, activities, and mentorship opportunities last winter. It was a labor of love, laughs, and lots of drafts. Rolling out our efforts was about as seamless we could hope for as the more seasoned staff imparted the tips, tricks, and knowledge that only come with experience.  A proverbial “passing of the binocs,” if you will.

YW training crew putting together spring 2026 training. From L to R: Erik B, Emil M, Aleksa B, Laura L, Matt D, Tyrene R., and Hannah W.

The newest YW team members arrived in the last week of April. With backgrounds ranging from kayaking guide in the Everglades, to outdoor educator in Glacier National Park, to leading whale watching tours off the New England coast, to volunteering for Maryland State Parks as a naturalist. Despite their vastly different touring experiences, they all had one thing in common: Yellowstone was calling.

(That’s one way you might know you’re ready.)

Training began with some necessary classroom days (learning from a chair), ensuring our guides have the skills to bring you the safety, comfort, and professionalism to maximize the joy and discovery of a tour. Critical to know? Absolutely. Fun to learn? No so much. By the end of the “inside” learning, the guides were itching to exchange the four walls of the YW space for the endless expanses of  theYellowstone “classroom.”

(That’s another way you might know.)

Lead Naturalist Laura L teaching the ins and outs of pre-trip prep

We then transferred our studies to the field. We applied real-life scenarios (and real-life bear spray!) to make sure each guide felt comfortable not just presenting knowledge to our guests, but also providing an environment of safety and care. We hiked off the typical paths to find secluded viewing locations, away from the crowds and road noise, for bears, wolves, and everything in between. This wasn’t just a successful way to learn, but a successful way to bond. After only a few days in the field, we felt like a real team — like we had been together for years.

(Now we’re getting somewhere…)

Yellowstone Wild team heads out for Day 1 of field training.

Founder Emil McCain demonstrates hands-on teaching techniques using the materials Yellowstone puts in our path.

Lead Naturalist Laura L. uses visual aids to teach the volcanic history of Yellowstone.

Once we got a taste of the sweet stuff, it was time to come back to Gardiner and soak our little sponge brains in the Yellowstone Guide Academy. The Guide Academy, an intense learning experience spanning 10 days and including both classroom and field components, is offered by our friends at Yellowstone Wildlife Profiles. Designed to teach guides and guides-to-be nearly every aspect of Yellowstone, this course offers something for all levels of Yellowstone experience. That’s right — the learning doesn’t stop just because you have years of guiding under your belt. It only blossoms.

This year, local experts taught classes on topics including wolf and bear biology, thermal features, climate change, fire ecology, regional Native American history, and more! All of our guides — returners and newcomers alike — came away armed with an abundance of new Yellowstone insights to share with guests.

YW Naturalists practice the art of digiscoping to capture footage of wildlife for guests on their phones.

YW Schools Group Co-ordinator & Educator Melissa D. points out ephydrid flies thriving in Yellowstone’s thermal runoff channels.

Lead Naturalist Matt D., explains the fascinating story behind the construction of  the Old Faithful Inn.

Finally, to really cement the start-to-finish process of leading 5-star Yellowstone excursions, our first-year crew spent several days shadowing the lead naturalists on their tours. Sure, you can learn how to give guests a great Yellowstone experience through classes and reading, but nothing beats observing how our tours run in real life! How do you handle unexpected bathroom breaks? The post-lunch sleepies? Learning how to integrate all the games and activities that teach kids (and adults!) how much fun nature is? Staying under the speed limit while racing to catch that grizzly sow and her cubs? It’s one thing to know everything about Yellowstone. It’s another to know how to be a guide in Yellowstone. And thanks to our annual spring training…

Our guides know they’re ready.

And when you book a tour with us, you can rest assured that each and every one of our naturalists has been trained to ensure your experience is designed to be the highlight of your trip. We can’t wait to spend a day (or more) with you and discover how your curiosity is engaged!

Blog written by Lead Naturalist Aleksa B, Guest Service & Tour Ops Manager Hannah W.,  & Co-owner  Tyrene  R.