Yellowstone Geology Tours

For the geyser gazers out there, to address your curiosities for Yellowstone dynamic geological wonders we can certainly venture to some amazing hot spots found throughout the park.  There are locations mentioned in your travel guidebooks, but keep in mind, Yellowstone is home to over 10,000 thermal features!  Many are lesser known, each with unique stories all to themselves.

For this tour option, we would designate our tour time between the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Norris Geyser Basin and the Mammoth Hot Springs areas.  Depending on your level of curiosity, we could take a short hike on a designated trail to see some of the lesser-seen wonders.

We recommend that you visit the Old Faithful section of the park on your own.  With many predictable geysers, you can easily inquire with park staff in that location to plan your time accordingly. With that said, we can certainly discuss a personal guided experience into that region of Yellowstone!

Tour Times

Your guide will plan to meet you early allowing us to be out before the heat of the day and crowds build on the boardwalks!

Summer Season Only – 7:00am
Winter Season – this tour option is not offered during winter months when much of the park roads are closed to wheeled vehicles. Mammoth Hot Springs can certainly be part of another tour option at this time of the year!

Sample Itinerary

Your personal and private Geology Tour begins during the cool hours of morning and in advance of the midday thermal basin boardwalk crowds. We will meet you at your lodging or another pre-determined location.

During a typical one day Geology Tour, we will illuminate the treasures of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the one-of-a-kind wonders of Norris Geyser Basin.

There are interesting stories behind many of the individual thermal features.  From the indigenous tribes who encountered these curiosities to the mountain men and exploring parties, we will share with you some of their insights. From the colorful microbial communities in the hot spring run-off channels to the underlying, natural ‘plumbing system’ of geysers, we will unearth a great fountain of information.

Depending on our starting location, we could spend some time at Mud Volcano situated south of Hayden Valley or Mammoth Hot Springs on the park’s north side.  Both can complement our time spent in Norris Geyser Basin and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

If time permits and you are interested, we could take a short hike on a designated trail, away from the crowds and observe a backcountry thermal basin full of fumaroles and acidic mud pots. Just ask your guide for more information.

Choose a single day tour to focus in-depth on one topic, or select a different subject for each day of a multi-day tour.

INCLUDED

  • door-to-door guide service
  • an upscale continental breakfast
  • beverages
  • binoculars (Nikon & Bushnell)
  • high-powered spotting scopes (Swarovski and Nikon) managed by your guide.

NOT INCLUDED

  • gratuities for your guide
  • Yellowstone National Park entrance fee
  • airfare
  • transportation to/from airport
  • hotel accommodations
  • rental car

Watching nature bubble up to the surface and breathe out plumes of steam is one of the most magnificent sights to enjoy during your trip to Yellowstone. Walk along the Grand Canyon rim and see what some might even call the 8th Wonder of the World.  Venture with us over the edge of the hot spot that is classified as a Super Volcano.

Get inspired by scrolling through our gallery, or click on a photo to learn more!

Tour Rates


Children under 5 are free!

ONE-DAY TOUR RATES

1-2 people = $850.00
3-4 people = $1,050.00
5-6 people = $1,250.00

MULTI-DAY RATES

Additional days after the first will be discounted at the amount of $50 per day.

Ready to book your yellowstone experience?

Testimonials

 

Wow, Wow and Wow!

“We used Yellowstone Insight and had the best day.  After the tour my grandson said , I learned more today about history than I’ve learned all year in school I think that sums it up. If you are thinking of calling MacNeil - do it! You will not be sorry.”

Kerry
Scottsdale, Arizona

MacNeil Lyons, The Best Yellowstone Guide Ever!

This guy is a master at coordinating a three-generation Yellowstone trip! In August our family, including grandchildren ages 14,11, and 9, spent two fabulous days learning about Yellowstone with MacNeil. He turned the geology of Yellowstone into a science lab, on a walk we "discovered" a Bison carcass, and all of this plus plenty of fun and a great breakfast to meet the needs of all ages. He is a smart and funny charmer. Don't even think about going to Yellowstone without talking to MacNeil first!

Jim P.
Bainbridge Island, WA

Exceeded our expectations by a wide margin!

Beth and I wanted to let you know how great our tour was. You did an outstanding job for us and it exceeded our expectations by a wide margin. We really enjoyed the time we had together and it was the highlight our trip and a fabulous wedding anniversary present for Beth. It was very memorable and only gets better in the retelling...!

J. Levine
Australia

MacNeil is an excellent guide, ranks up there with the very best!

MacNeil is an excellent guide, I've spent some time with wildlife guides both at home and  abroad and he ranks up there with the very best.

Dan and Hazel

The best day ever spent in nature! Thanks for making a magical experience!

Wow. Simply wow! Nancy and I are still reverberating with all we saw and learned on Sunday.  It was the best day, by far, that either of us has ever spent in nature, so many thanks for making it such a magical experience. He's an amazing naturalist and guide...I've taken a series of Sierra natural history classes with "experts", but MacNeil was by far the best.

Ellen
San Francisco

Better than advertised…guys like you make trips to Yellowstone, Lifetime Events!

We had a fantastic time with you! Better than advertised and would highly recommend you to anyone considering a great adventure in Yellowstone. We are all very impressed with your knowledge of the area and its wildlife, and your story telling. Guys like you make trips to Yellowstone ‘lifetime events’ that won't be soon forgotten.

Vicki & John
Houston, Texas

The most memorable visit I have ever had!

Thank you MacNeil for an absolutely fabulous trip and for your patience and expertise which made this one of the most memorable visits I have ever had, anywhere! I do hope to be able to come over to see you all again before too long.

David, Doha, Qatar

Thanks for providing a customized & memorable adventure for us!

Thank you so much for a phenomenal three days. Your vast knowledge and excitement  about Yellowstone brought so much more depth, meaning, and life to our experience than we could have gotten on our own. With your photography expertise and use of scopes, we were all able to come away with amazing photos. We greatly appreciated your attention to detail, thoughtfulness, and hearing about your experiences in the area. Thank you for going out of your way to provide a customized and most memorable adventure for us.

Bob, Sandy, & Shari
Maryland

Worth Every Penny!

My family was able to visit Yellowstone in September.  We hired MacNeil and were truly impressed by his knowledge of the park and wildlife.  The kids were able to experience a once-in-a-lifetime, bull elk fight beside a mother grizzly bear and her 3 cubs.  The kids are still talking about the experience months later and always ask when they can see MacNeil again!  I think we will have to schedule another trip to Yellowstone just for MacNeil. The guided experience was worth every penny.  I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who would be in the area. You would never realize how much you have missed on your own in the park until you have spent a day out with MacNeil.

Beth H.
Missouri

Appreciated the geology, botany, history and current political dilemmas!

We thoroughly enjoyed our day with you. We saw so much and learned so much about so many different aspects of Yellowstone while you made our day comfortable, safe and fun. Pretty amazing that we were able to see so many animals in a day. Wolves, grizzly, fox, coyote, bison, mountain goats, big horn sheep, elk, raven (I probably left something out). I appreciated the geology, botany, history, and current political dilemmas. Thanks so much for guiding us, and for all you do on behalf of Yellowstone and it's creatures.

The Wilson's
Portland, OR

Being able to see the places you hold dear to your heart made us enjoy Yellowstone even more!

From the first moment, you made our journey enjoyable. We all benefited from your upbeat personality and vast amount of knowledge. You showed us the wolves in their natural habitat and how to detect different animal remains... Being able to see the places you hold dear to your heart really made us enjoy Yellowstone even more. Once again, thank you for taking us on a journey we all immensely enjoyed!

YSD High School
Denver, CO.

Both our boys are on the autism spectrum, yet with your help, you engaged them the whole time!

You were very knowledgeable and personable and we all learned a lot from your time with us.  The time and preparation you put into having things for the boys was so appreciated! Both of our boys are on the autism spectrum, so we knew the tour would be a real stretch for them... We hoped to keep them a little engaged and make it through at least a few hours... Instead, we made it almost the whole time with your help...  It was a wonderful experience for our family.

The Robbins
Houston, TX