Old Faithful Excursion

What to bring:

• Sack lunch, snacks, and water. A water jug is available for refills and a cooler is provided for storing food items. Hot beverages are included.
• Your Yellowstone Park Pass
• Warm clothes for cooler early morning hours
• Dress warmly so that you can comfortably stand out in the elements during the cold hours of the dawn. Expect the best wildlife sightings to be in the early morning hours when the temperatures are the lowest. You will be at high elevations in the Rocky Mountains, and temperatures will be unseasonably cold. Be prepared!
• Close-toed shoes/hiking boots
• Long pants
• Sweater/sweatshirt
• Windbreaker/rain jacket
• Hat and gloves
• Duffle/backpack to store warm clothing as the day warms up
• Water bottle (reusable) *please remember to drink plenty of water at this high altitude
• Sun hat
• Sun glasses
• Sunscreen
• Lots of questions and curiosity!

Gratuity is NOT included in the price of the tour. Tipping your guide is a common practice in North America, and tips are an important part of their income.

In order to secure your reservation, 20% of the tour total is due at time of booking. The balance of the tour cost is due 7 days prior to the trip date and will be charged to the credit card on file. 

Deposits are 100% refundable up to 7 days prior to the tour date. If you booked online, the fees charged by the third-party booking system are also non-refundable.

Should you need to cancel your tour within 7 days of your tour date, your payment is non-refundable.

Should your tour need to be canceled due to factors beyond our control, including (but not limited to) extreme weather conditions, wildfire, natural disaster, park closure, airline cancellations, government shutdown, pandemic, war, or an “Act of God” we are unable to offer a cash refund. However, a voucher will be issued for the full amount of your tour costs and will be applicable towards the purchase of any tour type.

As a small business, we regret that we are rarely able to make exceptions to our cancellation policy.

We reserve the right to cancel the tour if at least 3 guests have not registered 7 days prior to the tour. We will notify guests immediately if any tour must be canceled due to low registration and full refunds will be issued. Guests will have the option of purchasing the additional seat(s) at full price to ensure the minimum is met.

Yellowstone National Park is a reminder that everything is connected and that its landscapes thrive through balance, diversity, and coexistence – as do all of us.

When the world feels divided, we turn to this wild place for lessons in how to move forward together.

At Yellowstone Wild, we promise to lead by example. We will choose curiosity over judgment, compassion over indifference, and connection over division — both on and off the clock.

We welcome our guests into an environment of shared discovery guided by kindness and curiosity. On our tours, we honor the backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures each guest brings, while holding firm to the expectation of respect for one another and to this place we all care for.

We believe our tours, though limited in time, have the power to establish common ground, form connections, and share experiences that bring us closer together as humans. 

Ethics, Regulations & Responsibility

Yellowstone Wild operates as a licensed Commercial Use Permit holder under the National Park Service (NPS). This means we are required to follow—and strictly enforce—all NPS rules and regulations. Beyond that, as lifelong advocates for wildlife and wild places, we uphold our own ethical wildlife-viewing and resource protection standards.

Our goal is to provide exceptional viewing and photography opportunities without negatively impacting wildlife or the natural fluctuations of ecological processes. That balance is only possible when animals are allowed to move, feed, rest, and hunt without interference, and our geologic features are allowed to function without human tampering.

While on tour with Yellowstone Wild, the following National Park Service regulations apply and are non-negotiable (subject to federal law enforcement). Please note this list is not all-inclusive. You can visit the Yellowstone National Park NPS website for a comprehensive list of all regulations:

• Maintain at least 25 yards from all wildlife
• Maintain at least 100 yards from wolves, bears, and cougars (mountain lions)
• Never approach, follow, or remain near wildlife—including birds—if your presence alters their behavior
• Vehicles must be completely pulled off the road when stopping to view wildlife or load/unload passengers
• Feeding wildlife is illegal
• In thermal areas, travel is restricted to boardwalks and designated trails only
• Throwing anything (including snow or natural objects) is prohibited and may result in fines and/or tour termination

Why These Rules Matter

Wild animals live demanding lives. The ethical responsibility of visiting Yellowstone is to ensure our presence does not add stress, risk, or hardship to theirs. Your guide is trained to read animal behavior, and if an animal shows signs of disturbance, we must increase our distance immediately.

Failure to follow a guide’s instructions—especially regarding wildlife proximity—may result in the immediate termination of your tour, at the guide’s discretion.

Special care must be taken around animals feeding on or resting near carcasses. Approaching these areas can displace animals from critical food sources and may put people at serious risk. Carcasses are often defended by predators and scavenged by multiple species, including grizzly bears. Approaching such areas is strictly prohibited.

Finally, we share this park with other visitors, researchers, and permanent employees. Quiet, respectful behavior ensures the best possible experience for everyone and helps preserve the integrity of wildlife observations and continued preservation of our sensitive thermal features, waterways, and all pristine areas.

At Yellowstone Wild, ethical behavior is an expectation. Meeting these expectations is the foundation of meaningful, safe, and responsible wildlife and wilderness experiences.