We prioritize the health and well-being of our guests, guides and partners. There are handicap accessible vehicles upon notification at time of booking only, subject to availability.
Wildlife Expeditions is committed to providing our guests the most flexibility due to these uncertain times. We will provide a 100% refund for cancellations more than seven days prior to tour start date. Within seven days, guests can choose a full tour credit valid for up to one year or receive a 50% refund.
What to Expect
We visit the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem’s best wildlife viewing areas, guided by the interests of the group and recent sightings in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks and the surrounding National Forest areas. Our guides are knowledgeable about variable animal behaviors, such as seasonal feeding grounds and rest requirements and, as such, there is no set route. In Yellowstone National Park, we also strive to see as many geological highlights as possible, which are established stops along the way.
While we may visit remote areas, we do not go off-roading as it is detrimental to wildlife habitat. All of the areas we frequent are open to the public, so you can return to those places on your own and observe animals after your trip with Wildlife Expeditions.
There is variability in what animals we may see based on seasonal migrations and hibernation. We often see bison, moose, elk, mule deer, coyotes, trumpeter swans, and bald eagles throughout the year. We typically see pronghorn antelope in spring, summer, and fall, and bighorn sheep in winter and spring. The Jackson Hole area is home to a wide variety of mammal and birds species and on any given day we may see bison, moose, grizzly bears, black bears, mule deer, elk, pronghorn antelope, foxes or bighorn sheep.
Currently, Wildlife Expeditions is only offering private tours to allow for our COVID-19 protocols and to ensure the health and wellness of our guests. Private tours can accommodate up to nine guests. Every seat in our customized Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans offers great viewing opportunities.
We hope to resume public tours and multi-day days in the future.
Tour departure times vary based on actual sunrise and sunset times. In the winter months, wildlife tours typically leave at 7:30 am and 1:00 pm. The snowcoach tour has a 6:30 am start.
During the summer season, departure times for full day tours and sunrise tours vary between 6 am and 7:30 am; and departures for the sunset tour vary between 1 pm and 5 pm. For example, in the long days of June, we leave at 6:00 a.m. for the sunrise tour and 5 p.m. for the sunset tour. Please contact us for exact departure times.
Yes! We encourage our guests to bring video/cameras and smartphones to record their experience. Sometimes wildlife will be very cooperative and close to the vehicle, and more often than not, they will be outside of camera range. Your guide will recommend safe and acceptable distances to take photos of certain species.
Other Tour Details
All Wildlife Expeditions tours include snacks and beverages, spotting scopes/binoculars, and transportation in a customized Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van. Full day tours also include light breakfast and a picnic lunch.
National Park passes and guide gratuities are not included.
National Park passes can be purchased at the Park entrances while on the expedition, or you can purchase them in advance online. (Please plan for at least one week for delivery for online purchases.) Park passes are valid for the pass holder plus three additional people.
Typically, Summer tours start May 1st and operate through early December. Winter tours start mid-December and operate through April. Tour start dates may vary due to road openings and closures set by the National Park Service.
Wildlife Expeditions is based in the town of Jackson and most of our tours will start and end here. If you are staying in the town of Jackson, Wilson or Teton Village, we are happy to arrange a complimentary pick up at your place of lodging. If you are staying in the National Parks or outside the immediate area, we can meet you in the town of Jackson at the Home Ranch Welcome Center Public Parking Lot. Please note: The drive time for your pickup and drop off will be factored into the total time on the tour.
We welcome all ages of participants from infants to seniors. Our small group sizes ensure a personalized experience for all members of the group. Wildlife Expeditions guides will tailor the tour to your interests and actively engage children and adults. Based on your family’s needs, our guides can change the pace of tour and provide special activities for kids such as journals and activity packs.
According to Wyoming State Law, all children ages eight (8) and under must travel in a child safety restraint system. We do not provide child seats, so please plan on bringing a carseat or booster for all children who require one. Our vehicles have lower connector latch anchors, and anchors behind the seats for tether straps.
Traveling to Jackson Hole
There is an abundance of lodging options in and around Jackson to fit your budget and desired amenities. Our staff can provide suggestions based on your parameters and we highly recommend utilizing the wealth of information available at the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce website.
There are many other seasonal activities available in the Jackson area. Our staff would be happy to recommend a few, but the greatest wealth of information can be found at the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce. We also have partnerships with local organizations and offer several discounts: Wyoming Stargazing
Definitely! Add memories from a Wildlife Expedition tour to your winter vacation. Choose a full-day tour on your off-day from the slopes, or select a half day tour after a morning of skiing and riding.
Wildlife Expeditions welcomes all travel trade partners. We have commission and affiliate rate structures available when you book individual guests and groups on our tours. Please contact us via email or phone at 877.404.6626 to learn more about how to offer Wildlife Expeditions tours with your guests.
Alex Patia
Hometown: Springfield, IL
Favorite Animal: Great Gray Owl
Alex was born and raised in Springfield, IL and grew up reading field guides whenever he wasn’t out looking for turtles and frogs. He can still vividly remember
the first Great Blue Heron he saw and it was this modern day dinosaur that sparked his interest in birds. He moved to Olympia, Washington to study ecology at The Evergreen State College where his love of natural history continued to grow. While studying abroad in Chile Alex discovered a passion for sharing his love of natural history as well as getting into birding as a hobby. Straight out of undergrad Alex attended Western Washington University to obtain a Masters in Environmental Education, which included a yearlong residency teaching and writing curriculum at the North Cascades Institute. In the ten years since finishing grad school he has worked naturalist and outdoor education jobs in Oregon, California, Maine, and back to Washington. For two years he managed education and outreach programs for the New Mexico Wildlife Center. There he delivered live raptor programs, cared for non-releasable birds, mammals, and reptiles as well as assisting in the rehabilitation of injured wildlife.
Alex came to Jackson Hole in 2022 to join Wildlife Expeditions as a Guide and loves sharing the magnificent wildlife and scenery of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem with visitors. When he’s not guiding, Alex can be found birding, cross-country skiing, or hiking with his adopted husky, Mia.
Hometown: Huntington Beach, CA
Favorite animal in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: The Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis)
Whitney (she/her/hers) has a passion for helping people connect with the outdoor world through a scientific lens and for promoting stewardship to protect the places we all love. She has both a Master’s degree in Ecology and a teaching certificate, which she has used as a wildlife guide, the curriculum designer and instructor of the University of Wyoming’s Guide Certification program. Whitney has an extensive teaching background both in and out of the classroom. As the Director of Wildlife Expeditions, Whitney provides our guides with mentorship, continuing education experiences and professional development to ensure that we offer the best guides in the industry. In her free time, you can find Whitney somewhere on the river, hiking with her husband and toddler, or examining scat with more interest than many would find normal.
David Howk
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
Favorite animal in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: Moose
Born and raised in the Texas hill country, David grew up hearing stories from his parents of the majesty of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. While earning his degree in Biomedical Sciences from Texas A&M University, David assisted in the care of captive elk, lynx, and white-tailed deer, some of the animals found in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. After realizing that he couldn’t safely own a pet moose, he decided to move to Jackson so he could see them daily. Since arriving, he has thoroughly enjoyed sharing his passion for the parks by creating memorable experiences for his guests while also inspiring love for our beautiful planet and its creatures. The fact that Jackson Hole has 3 more seasons than Texas is an added bonus. When not guiding, David enjoys hiking with his dog, skiing and snowboarding, reading, and gazing up at the Teton range.
Samantha Fogel
Hometown: Southern New Hampshire
Favorite animal: Bison
Samantha grew up in southern New Hampshire, skiing and hiking in the White Mountains. After graduating from Hamilton College with a degree in Philosophy, she returned to New Hampshire to work for the Appalachian Mountain Club in their backcountry hut system. Samantha then turned her enthusiasm for outdoor education into a position at a local Waldorf school in the White Mountains. She moved to Jackson in July and can be found exploring on her bike, hiking in the mountains, or getting mildly lost in the side streets of town square.
Logan Edgeman
Hometown: La Fayette, Georgia
Favorite animal in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: Great Grey Owl
Logan (he/him/his) grew up in southern Appalachia which connected him to the outdoors and natural world from an early age. While obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in Outdoor Leadership from Young Harris College in Northeast Georgia, Logan immersed himself in as many outdoor experiences as possible to better connect himself with outdoor places and communities. After working many seasons as a guide and field instructor, Logan began working with private and public colleges in the State of Georgia coordinating outdoor programming with an emphasis on introducing inner-city and underprivileged students to outdoor initiatives and sustainable practices while recreating outdoors. Logan‘s model for facilitating outdoor programs is to introduce, educate, inspire, and create an everlasting and expanding relationship with the natural world and diverse communities around us.
Dylan Klinesteker
Hometown: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Favorite animal in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: Bison
Dylan grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Summer road trips introduced him to the National Parks and the mountains of the American West. After graduating college with a degree in Environmental Education, he has gotten an opportunity to live and work in some of the most amazing places in the world, including Mt St Helens National Monument, Redwoods National and State Parks, Death Valley, North Cascades, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone National Parks. Outside of work, Dylan enjoys photography, travel, biking, hiking, and watching movies.
Helen Lewis
Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Favorite animal in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: Osprey
Helen grew up exploring northern Wisconsin’s forests, lakes, rivers and bogs. She attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she earned dual degrees in Conservation Biology and Environmental Studies. There she had the opportunity to study marine and terrestrial tropical ecology in Ecuador, and she focused her studies on alpine plants in high Andean grasslands called páramos. Throughout her time in school and after graduating, Helen led 9 to 45-day canoeing, sea kayaking, and backpacking expeditions focused on leadership development amongst groups of young women. These trips led her from the Great Lakes Region to the tundras of the Canadian subarctic in Nunavut and Northwest Territories, where she developed a love of hardy plants and animals thriving in cold, dry places. In 2019, Helen moved to Jackson and began working for Teton Science Schools as a Field Instructor, marrying her passions for science and the natural world with her experiences leading in outdoor education. With this unique landscape and its wild inhabitants in the foreground, she has since had the opportunity to connect with hundreds of visitors in this spectacular ecosystem. When not out inspecting nooks and crannies of high alpine environments for hidden wildflowers, Helen enjoys trail running, cooking colorful meals, backcountry skiing, and learning about the ever-evolving intersections between people and the environment in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
AnnaLisa Mayer
AnnaLisa first began to develop a love and enthusiasm for the practice of Natural History from a childhood spent immersed in the Northwoods of Vermont. With studies completed in Ecology and Environmental Humanities at Sterling College, AnnaLisa has since served with nonprofit environmental education organizations in diverse ecosystems across the country, worked as a college field instructor, and most recently as an NPS Wilderness Education Ranger. Passionate about experiential learning and the confluence of art, culture, and ecology, AnnaLisa enjoys getting to know the things that are sometimes overlooked and sharing them with others. In addition to flipping through field guides, she can be found playing music, riding her bike, and embarking on extended backcountry expeditions.
Keith Moore
Hometown: Jupiter, Florida
Favorite animal in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: Great Grey Owl
Keith grew up in Jupiter, Florida where he spent most of his time exploring the ecosystems in and around the Everglades. At a young age, Keith was exposed to many national parks and public lands around the southwest and Rocky Mountain regions. Keith went on to earn a degree in environmental studies with minors in geology and interdisciplinary studies at Florida Gulf Coast University. After graduating, Keith worked as a Geoscientist-in-the-Parks intern at Bryce Canyon National Park. This led to a seasonal position as an interpretative park ranger with the National Park Service. Keith has worked several seasons at Bryce Canyon and two seasons at Grand Teton National Park. When he’s not guiding, Keith can be found photographing wildlife, backpacking, bird watching, fly fishing, or playing guitar.
Samantha (Sam) Strauss
Hometown: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Favorite animal: River otter
Born and raised in Michigan, Sam spent her childhood dreaming of the mountains and vast deserts of the American West. As an adult, she moved to California to study at the University of San Diego. During that time, Sam began teaching wilderness skills and leading outdoor adventure trips throughout the Southwest.
Sam went on to work as a naturalist in Southeast Alaska’s temperate rainforest ecosystem, guiding river trips and leading backcountry expeditions throughout the The Last Frontier State and Canada.
The next stop on Sam’s journey was Wyoming, where Sam moved in 2018 for a dream job with Teton Science Schools. She has since become an active volunteer Firefighter & EMT with Jackson Hole Fire/EMS.
Sam is passionate about experiential education, backcountry medicine, and science communication. She loves to share those passions with others, including sharing her love for the GYE!
In her free time, you can find Sam writing, trying to finish a crossword, or exploring a national park.
Jeff Mulligan
Hometown: Franklin, MA
Favorite animal in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE): Grizzly bear
Jeff grew up exploring the forests, mountains, and coastlines of New England and graduated with a degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation from the University of Massachusetts. He began his outdoor career track working with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the National Park Service. Jeff moved to Jackson in 2015 to work with the Teton Science Schools and has worked as a field instructor and wildlife guide. During the summer season, Jeff works for the National Park Service, having worked at parks in Boston and Colorado, as well as both Grand Teton and Yellowstone. In his free time, Jeff enjoys fly-fishing, hiking, skiing, and wildlife photography.
Callie Lajza
Hometown: Gainesville, FL
Favorite animal in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: Beaver
Callie graduated from William & Mary in 2018 and from the University of Central Florida in 2016. She originally moved to Jackson to work for the Bridger-Teton National forest and continued her time in the area with Teton Science Schools Field Education. Currently, Callie spends a lot of time on the water as well as pursuing hiking and climbing in the Tetons!
