GARDINER GUIDED TOUR FIELD GUIDE
Into Cougar Country: A Full-Day Tracking Expedition from Gardiner
A private, full-day (6–8 hour) guided tour in Yellowstone led by an expert who has tracked and filmed cougars for over a decade, focused on finding tracks and learning cougar behavior and ecology.
Into Cougar Country: A Full-Day Tracking Expedition from Gardiner.
This is a day spent in the raw, steep country at the edges of Yellowstone where cougars live out their secretive lives. Guided by an expert tracker and naturalist, you’ll move off-trail into rugged terrain to search for tracks and other sign, learn to read footprints and stories left in the snow and soil, and hear the ecological and geological context that shapes this predator’s world.
Highlights
Outing Highlights
A decade of field experience
Your guide has spent more than ten years tracking and filming cougars in the Yellowstone area, bringing deep knowledge of tracking techniques, cougar behavior, and current research to a private, full-day experience.
Reading tracks and signs
The goal is not necessarily a face-to-face sighting but to find and interpret cougar tracks and other signs—learning how to read movement patterns, territorial marks, and the ecological clues those signs reveal.
Rugged, steep backcountry
Expect off-trail travel across steep, uneven ground—sometimes on snowshoes depending on conditions—through some of the most beautiful and remote landscapes cougars call home.
What the day feels like
What the day feels like
A private, full-day outing (approximately 6–8 hours) blends vehicle transfers into cougar country with prolonged periods on foot—hiking or snowshoeing off-trail over steep, uneven terrain—to search for tracks and sign; along the way your guide shares fieldcraft, natural history, and context about the landscape while you use high-quality optics to scan and interpret the environment.
Suitability
Who it's for
Who this trip suits — and who should reconsider.
Practical planner
Details to review before reserving
Bring your park pass, warm layered clothing (avoid cotton), warm winter boots, insulated water bottle, field-friendly lunch, sunglasses, sunscreen, hand- and toe-warmers, camera and backpack. Snowshoes and trekking poles may be required depending on conditions and can sometimes be borrowed on request.
The full-day private tour (approx. 6–8 hours) includes a private expert naturalist guide, transportation in the touring vehicle, high-powered binoculars and spotting scopes, hot beverages, and light snacks.
Temperatures can range dramatically in winter—from around -20°F up into the 30s°F—so bring layering options from lightweight long underwear up to heavy down parkas and warm socks; avoid cotton.
Review cancellation policies before reserving.
Frequently asked questions
Planning Your Outing
How long is the tour?
This is a full-day private tour lasting approximately 6–8 hours.
Will we see a cougar?
Sightings are unlikely; the tour’s goal is to find tracks and other sign and to learn how to read and interpret those signs rather than to guarantee a visual encounter.
Are snowshoes provided if needed?
Snowshoes may be required depending on conditions and may be available to borrow upon request.
What safety measures are in place regarding predators?
Guides follow best practices for travel in cougar country, are trained in first aid, carry bear spray (effective on mammals), and will brief participants on safe travel throughout the tour.
Is a park pass required?
Yes. You must bring your park pass for entry.
Is gratuity included?
No. Gratuity is not included in the tour price and may be offered at your discretion to recognize guide service.