Business
Intimate tours of Yellowstone: New Big Sky tour company takes small groups to the park
Published
7 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersBy Jessianne Wright EBS Contributor
BIG SKY – For Big Sky residents Laura Callaghan and Mikala Kearney the best part of Yellowstone National Park is showing it to others.
After seven years guiding tours for outfitters in the park, as well as locations in Montana, Tennessee and North Carolina, Callaghan is leading tours under the business name Yellowstone Scenic Tours this summer. Callaghan and Kearney, her business partner, celebrated a ribbon cutting with the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce on May 13 to kick off their new start-up, having taken their very first tour on May 9.
“I’m excited to be in the park more,” said Kearney, who enjoys watching wildlife and has a personal goal to visit all 58 National Parks in the United States. To date, she has visited 14. “I want to teach people to love the park as much as I do,” she said.
Yellowstone Scenic Tours, which is certified by the Department of Transportation as a woman-owned small business, will offer group or private tours of up to 10 guests, who will pile into a 2017 Ford Transit Passenger Wagon to tour the park’s lower or upper loop.
Alternatively, guests can opt for a fully customized trip that could integrate less driving time and more walking in order to see areas of the park beyond Old Faithful and Mammoth Hot Springs. The small group size allows Yellowstone Scenic Tours to access locations that many tour buses cannot.
The Lower Loop tour takes visitors through the largest geyser basins of Yellowstone National Park, and includes the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Hayden Valley, Lake Hotel, Old Faithful, Fountain and Artist Paint Pots and Grand Prismatic Spring. This tour is approximately 270 miles roundtrip, Callaghan said.
The Upper Loop traverses the northern region of the park. Offered as a private tour option, the Upper Loop highlights Norris Geyser Basin, Mammoth Hot Springs, Lamar Valley, Tower Fall and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.
Tours are scheduled as a full day of sightseeing and are available seven days a week, May through October.
The duo picks up their clients at any location in Big Sky or West Yellowstone, coming directly to their doorsteps, and every trip includes a picnic sack lunch. “Everybody wants to have a picnic in the park,” Kearney said.
Already an experienced guide, Callaghan is excited to be more involved with the entire process, she said. “I’m looking forward to being there at every step of the tour, including booking.”
Prior to the scheduled trip, Callaghan and Kearney will speak with their clients in order to plan a trip that meets client goals and expectations. They have also been doing their homework, so to speak, and are prepared to share stories about the park’s history, attractions and wildlife.
“There’s always something new to learn [about Yellowstone]” Callaghan said. “Most people who come to the park know nothing about it.”
Both women have taken the five-day Yellowstone Forever course, A Guide’s Guide to Yellowstone, which is taught by area experts and covers the geology, wildlife and human history associated with many of the attractions in the park.
Kearney said so far Yellowstone Scenic Tours has been well-received, and while the business certainly isn’t booked for the season, Kearney and Callaghan know that visitors to the area may not book their tours until actually getting to Big Sky or West Yellowstone.
To learn more about Big Sky’s new tour company, Yellowstone Scenic Tours, visit yellowstonescenictours.biz.
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
Upcoming Events
march, 2024
Event Type :
All
All
Arts
Education
Music
Other
Sports
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before 9/10/2024:
more
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
registration process now.
Children
born on or after September 11, 2019: 4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Time
February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
more
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
Tickets are available online at www.vergetheater.com
Time
15 (Friday) 7:00 pm - 30 (Saturday) 8:30 pm
Location
Verge Theater
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
more
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
Time
March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
29mar3:00 pm4:00 pmGood Friday Mass: St. Joseph Catholic Mission3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Event City:Big Sky
Event Details
Friday of the Passion of the Lord St. Joseph Catholic Mission
Event Details
Friday of the Passion of the Lord
St. Joseph Catholic Mission
Time
(Friday) 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm