Montana
B Bar Ranch: Wildlife & Coexistence on the Edge of Yellowstone
Program No. 24096RJ
Explore the wild land in and around Yellowstone National Park while staying at the B Bar Ranch and learning about its sustainable ranching methods.
Enroll with Confidence
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Protecting the Environment
We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more
6 days
5 nights
14 meals
5B 4L 5D
5
Technology & Ranching, Elective Hiking
B Bar Ranch
6
Program Concludes
B Bar Ranch
At a Glance
Yellowstone National Park is a wild land, filled with unspoiled wilderness and animals, such as wolves, grizzly bears and mountain lions. Just beyond its borders lies the B Bar Ranch — a working ranch that fits into this unique ecosystem rather than trying to modify it. Enjoy five nights at the B Bar Ranch while you learn how it manages its herd, tests soil and otherwise operates as sustainably as possible while living among the wild animals of this region. Search for local wildlife yourself as you head into the heart of Yellowstone, making stops at iconic sites such as Old Faithful. Hear from ranch staff and outdoor educators about living and working among nature in one of the most amazing ecosystems in the world.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to four miles total throughout each day on varied terrain; getting on and off motorcoach multiple times daily; travel times vary within the park. Elevations of 5,260-9,000 feet.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Learn about the day-to-day life of the stewards of B Bar Ranch and the organic practices they implement.
- Explore the 98% intact ecosystem of the Ranch through expert-led hikes.
- Head into Yellowstone National Park to view natural wonders like the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, thermal features and learn about its incredible wildlife.
General Notes
Roommate matching is unavailable for solo travelers on this program. NOTE FOR UPCOMING SEASON (2025 DEPARTURES): We are aware of some disruptions within the Park Service and believe our programs in Yellowstone National Park can operate normally with minimal impact. Although the full effects of layoffs and hiring freezes for seasonal workers is unknown at this time, we have minimized our dependence on Park Service for lectures, clean-up and other services. We utilize lodging operated by both the park concessionaire and private hotels outside of the park. Neither are operated by the Park Service and shouldn’t be impacted by layoffs or hiring freezes. Our restaurants are also operated by residents of the gateway communities or employees of the park concessionaire. In accordance with the Leave No Trace Seven Principles, our groups pack out what they pack in and do not rely on Park Service for cleaning up after our visit. Finally, we don’t foresee Visitor Centers or sites in Yellowstone National Park to be closed due to staffing issues. We will of course be monitoring the situation through our partners within the gateway communities, National Park Service and the CUA office.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Zack Baker
Zack Baker attended high school in Livingston, Montana, 52 miles north of Yellowstone. His love for the park started while snowshoeing and observing wildlife. At Montana State University in Bozeman, he earned a B.S. in plant science, but it was Yellowstone’s mammals that grabbed his interest. He led private wildlife watching, hiking, and photography trips, and drove snowcoaches in the winter. He joined up with Road Scholar in 2017 and is now the Program Director for Road Scholar at the University of Montana Western.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Zack Baker
View biography
Zack Baker attended high school in Livingston, Montana, 52 miles north of Yellowstone. His love for the park started while snowshoeing and observing wildlife. At Montana State University in Bozeman, he earned a B.S. in plant science, but it was Yellowstone’s mammals that grabbed his interest. He led private wildlife watching, hiking, and photography trips, and drove snowcoaches in the winter. He joined up with Road Scholar in 2017 and is now the Program Director for Road Scholar at the University of Montana Western.
Suggested Reading List
(6 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
B Bar Ranch: Wildlife & Coexistence on the Edge of Yellowstone
Program Number: 24096
American Wolf: A true story of survival and obsession in the West
Before men ruled the earth, there were wolves. Once abundant in North America, these majestic creatures were hunted to near extinction in the lower 48 states by the 1920s. But in recent decades, conservationists have brought wolves back to the Rockies, igniting a battle over the very soul of the West.
These forces collide in American Wolf, a riveting multigenerational saga of hardship and triumph that tells a larger story about the ongoing cultural clash in the West—between those fighting for a vanishing way of life and those committed to restoring one of the country’s most iconic landscapes.
Montana, High Wide and Handsome
This classic history by one of Montana’s most talented, influential and significant authors was first published in 1943. A spirited, appreciative testimony to the great prairie, its indigenous peoples, geography, climate, turf battles, economy and environment, the book became an unquestioned landmark in Montana’s literary history and is considered by many to be the most influential and evocative work every published about the state’s past. This new edition includes a preface by A. B. Guthrie, Jr. and an introduction by William Kittredge
Searching for Yellowstone: Ecology and Wonder in the Last Wilderness
Eloquent, elegant, truthful and practical - an environmental history of America's best idea, Yellowstone.
Empire of Shadows: The Epic Story of Yellowstone National Park
Consider the history of the exploration of Yellowstone National Park through this "historical account of the origins of America's majestic national landmark." The author's well-documented history is a realistic look at people and political and economic factors; his book is sectioned into Pathfinders, Civilizers, Soldiers, Explorers and Tourists. "He casts Yellowstone's creation as the culmination of three interwoven strands of history - the passion for exploration, the violence of the Indian Wars and the 'civilizing' of the frontier and charts its course through the lives of those who sought to lay bare its mysteries."
Field Guide to the Grizzly Bear
Gain a brief introduction to the ecology, natural history and conservation of the grizzly sponsored by the Great Bear Foundation. A volume in the “Sasquatch Field Guide” series.
Wolf Land
Carter Niemeyer has followed wolves – and captured many – since he helped reintroduce them in the Northern Rockies in the mid-1990s. In his second memoir, Wolf Land, he takes us across the rugged West as he tracks wolves, shares in their lives, and seeks middle ground for these iconic animals, both on the land and in our hearts.
Carter Niemeyer is an Iowa native and a recognized expert on wolves, livestock depredation, and trapping. He is the retired Idaho wolf manager for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Niemeyer wrote his first memoir, Wolfer, in 2010.