Local Yellowstone Guides

Yellowstone Hiking Guides

Joshua Mahan—Owner/Guide

Emily Jo Mahan Yellowstone Hiking Guides

Emily Jo Mahan—Owner/Guide

Yellowstone Hiking Guides owners/operators, Joshua and Emily Jo Mahan, are Yellowstone locals who know the lay of the land as few others do. Josh has 20 years experience as a card-carrying guide in Yellowstone National Park. Emily Jo has been certified as a guide in Yellowstone for 10 years. The Mahan’s and the Yellowstone Hiking Guides know how to cater to the active traveler’s needs. Most of all, Yellowstone Hiking Guides wants your tour in Yellowstone to be safe and fun!

Josh was born in Jackson, Wyoming and grew up in Darby, Montana. His first adventure job was as an assistant trail guide in 1996 for a backcountry outfitter. He became a raft guide on the Snake River in Jackson in 1998. He has degrees in Environmental Studies and Journalism from the University of Montana, 2001. He has penned several hundred news articles and two books, including Best Hikes Near Missoula, 2014. Josh has guided in Idaho, Alaska, Panama, Chile, Costa Rica, and every summer in Yellowstone since 2005. He established Yellowstone Hiking Guides with his wife, Emily Jo, in 2014.

GUIDES

Emily Jo is from west Texas. She was a SCUBA Instructor where her career took her to remote seamounts and deep pinnacles all over the Pacific Ocean, as well as unique holes in the United States and Caribbean. Emily Jo met Josh in a National Park and switched her career from sea to land. Her enthusiasm for exploring the natural world is contagious. Emily Jo has a degree in Sports Media Journalism and Broadcasting from Oklahoma State University. Her favorite football teams are the Cowboys: OSU and Dallas. Emily Jo is an Emergency First Responder Instructor and has her WFA.

Chris is a Missouri native with a bachelor's in biology with an Environmental Science minor, and master’s in education. You can find Chris teaching Science and enjoying hikes or floats throughout Missouri. His most recent adventure took him nearly 400 miles on the Ozark Trail, cutting through the Missouri Ozarks. Chris spent past summers as a whitewater raft guide on Colorado's Arkansas River. While living among the Rockies, he hiked up several 14ers. His passion for outdoor adventures has taken him to multiple outdoor adventure destinations. Yellowstone National Park’s vast ecosystems allow Chris to merge both his science education and passion for the outdoors.

Karlie Allen is an avid hiker and outdoor enthusiast from Atlanta, GA, who currently lives in California.
Over the past year, she's been on a cross-country journey that has taken her through the diverse landscapes of the United States. With a heart for adventure, Karlie has explored over 30 national parks and summited major peaks, igniting her love for the great outdoors. She also loves to run, climb, horseback ride, and more.
Karlie has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Georgia State University with a focus in Entrepreneurship. Karlie is excited for this season as Yellowstone National Park is a very cherished place for both her and her family.

Originally from North Georgia, Michael now calls Southern California home. He is a passionate snowboarder, mountaineer and surfer. He thrives in outdoor adventures where he has conquered major peaks and treasured trails. With three half marathons under his belt, he eagerly anticipates his first full marathon.
Michael has degrees in Psychology and Economics from Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech. Michael's academic achievements compliment his adventurous spirit. Yellowstone serves as his ideal retreat to connect with both humanity and nature.
Michael loves SATCO queso.

Dallas grew up in Northeast Tennessee spending most of his days running, hiking, and biking. He has a Degree in Environmental Science and a minor in Watershed from The University of Tennessee Knoxville.
After working a few years after college, he decided he needed a change. So, Dallas traveled for two summers in his converted short bus. During his travels, he fell in love with the West.
Dallas now lives in Aspen, CO working for the ski company. He spends most of his days off skiing. When Dallas isn't outside, he is probably playing a board game, cooking, or looking at google maps for the next cool place to travel.

Meet Josh, an adventurous biochemist from eastern Pennsylvania, who transitioned from the healthcare industry to pursue his passion for travel and adventure.
His most recent adventures include a cross-country minivan expedition around the United States, trekking through the towering mountains of Peru, scuba diving with hammerhead sharks in the Galápagos Islands and backpacking through the historic cities of Europe.
During his stint as an adventure director for a youth summer camp in Pennsylvania, he encouraged campers to embrace the outdoors and overcome new obstacles with activities such as rock climbing, zip lining and nature hikes.
Beyond his travels, Josh enjoys snowboarding, slacklining, juggling, and cold water plunges.

Josef comes from the flat, rural part of Northern Illinois. He grew up collecting fossils, finding deer antlers, and fishing for bass. This sparked his love for learning, and he became a naturalist to help explain the nature around him.
Josef went to Southern Illinois University where he earned a degree in Zoology and a minor in Wildlife Biology and Conservation.
Josef has turned his adventurous youth in to helping others explore National Parks. He loves hiking, wildlife photography, and now fly fishing for trout.

Nakul is from California. He has a degree in Environmental Science from the University of Texas.
Nak loves to play the bass guitar. Google him for epic riffs!

Annmarie is from Annapolis, Maryland by way of San Diego, California. She studies Environmental Science at Anne Arundel Community College.
Annmarie is the coach of the Womens Annapolis Junior Rowing Team. She’s determined to build excellence…on the water and on the trail!

Austin is 31-years-old from Sacramento, California. For the last four years, he’s adventured all over the world, from jungles in Asia to forests in Canada, and many places in between!
Austin is passionate about his adventures and being able to share them with all that want to explore! He is excited to be in Yellowstone for the summer to keep living his dreams by showing others the beauty and spector that is the great outdoors!

Jessie is a Missouri native with a masters in special education and certifications in coaching archery. She has spent most of her summers at summer camps teaching archery, fishing, hiking, kayaking, canoeing, first aid skills and camping skills.
Jessie has worked making pizza for more than 5 years and running a coffee cart serving baked goods with her students.
Her latest endeavors led Jessie to teaching in the bush of Alaska where she experienced many new challenges from negative temperatures all the way to polar bears! She is looking forward to her next epic adventure!!

Kim is YHG’s pinch hitter! She’s always ready to show Yellowstone to guests with a smile on her face. Kimberly grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia exploring the Jefferson National Forrest on horseback and hiking the Appalachian Trail. She has been an AmeriCorps state park interpretive ranger in VA and a cavern tour guide at Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park in Montana. Kimberly has a degree in Outdoor Adventure Leadership and a paraprofessional certification. Kimberly is passionate about experiential education and enjoys encouraging visitors to be engaged, present and have fun!
Kimberly has her WFR, SAR II, EFR and Swift Water Rescue!

Yellowstone Hiking Guides leads the pack for guided tours in Yellowstone National Park. Our tour guides are experienced naturalists who love to share their local Yellowstone travel knowledge with you! Our guides are certified in Wilderness First Responder or Wilderness First Aid and CPR. Our guides are fun to spend the day with and excited to interpret Yellowstone wildlife, history, and geology on your Yellowstone vacation tour.

Join the team

E-MAIL RESUME & CV

Work while exploring Yellowstone National Park! Share your love for the outdoors with visitors from all around the world. Commute through Yellowstone for your daily drive. Spend your season walking through herds of bison, steaming thermal features and untamed wild lands.

If you're passionate about outdoor education, we're looking for you!

Yellowstone Hiking Guides School

●May 27-31, 2024●

$75/participant

FAQs

●Day Hiking Guides
●Active Van Tour Guides
●Kayaking Guides
●Backpacking Guides
●Office Manager
●Office Assistant
Day Hiking Guides: Day-long interpretive hiking tours in Yellowstone's backcountry and frontcountry: Lamar Valley, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone & Upper Geyser Basin. Five to seven miles hiking.
Active Van Tour Guides: Day-long interpretive Upper & Lower Loop van tours. Up to three miles walking. Up to 10 hours of driving.
Kayaking Guides: Four hour morning paddle on Yellowstone Lake. Trip prep and cleanup can be exhausting. Up to six miles of paddling.
Backpacking Guides: Week-long expeditions to Yellowstone’s remote backcountry. June, July and August departures. Up to 40 miles with loaded pack at elevation.
Office Manager: Daily tasks include trip prep, communication, receptionist work and customer service.
Office Assistant: Daily tasks include trip prep, making lunches and snacks, cleaning gear, servicing and maintenance errands.
●Wilderness First Aid/Response
●Clean driving record
●Ability to hike six to 10 miles
●Ability to drive a 15 passenger van
●At least a year’s experience guiding
●Customer service skills
●Mountain guiding experience
●21 years of age or older
●Yellowstone knowledge
●Good communication skills
●A passion for Yellowstone
●Competitive hourly wages
●Paid time commuting
●Tips are excellent (for good guides)
●Paid training
●Year-end raises
●Days off to explore the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
●Pro Discounts with reputable outdoor companies
●Ability to lead multiple different hikes/activities in Yellowstone National Park
●Ability to work your way up the guide ladder
Learn from Locals!
Yellowstone Hiking Guides School is a five-day training program for first year guides. No experience necessary; passion for the outdoors extremely necessary. YHGS does not guarantee employment, but does guarantee a WFA certification, Leave No Trace certification, Food Handlers certification, and Yellowstone National Park Guide Training.
During this intensive training you’ll learn about primitive travel, First Aid in remote settings, outdoor safety skills, wilderness navigation, local flora and fauna, local history, trip prep, food prep, sanitation, and customer service.
The Driftwaters RV Resort offers tent camping and a bathhouse next to the training facility in Cameron, MT.
Guides who complete the course have preferential employment opportunities. Guides who earn a position on the team will receive paid hands-on training with an experienced guide on the trail/on the road/on the water in Yellowstone before leading tours.
Please send a resume and cv to mahan@yellowstonehikingguides.