Our Tour Guides

We are passionate about our wild surroundings and the animals who live there. The commitment our guides have to sharing these beautiful national parks makes us the best in the business. On each and every tour, our intention is to awaken your senses to experience this natural environment, share the excitement and leave with a deep, memorable connection to nature, the earth and each other.

Matt Fagan

OWNER/GUIDE

Buffalo Roam Tours was created from my core belief that we as humans have a direct relationship with everything around us—from the plants and animals, to the trees, rivers and mountains.

This all forms our environment, creating a friendship, a relationship, an effect on our perception of this magnificent world.

The seeds of this relationship with nature were first planted in me and my three brothers as kids. I was a Connecticut Audubon Society Youth Volunteer and in the Boy Scouts. These seeds grew into a lifelong pursuit to understand the natural world around us.

Later, a university degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism granted me a passport to work and travel the world. This first-hand business experience exploring how people of many different cultures enjoy and share the planet’s natural beauty, lead me to create a company that teaches and protects the natural environment we visit.

I’m a graduate of The Yellowstone Association Naturalist Guide Program, member of The National Association of Interpretation, Leave-No-Trace Trainer and trained as a Grand Teton National Park Volunteer Interpreter.

You can find me hiking, biking, skiing, fishing and exploring the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem with my wife Margaret in my free time.

Margaret Thompson

OWNER/MANAGER

I’ve lived in the Jackson Hole Valley for twenty years, and have had many adventures hiking, skiing, biking and exploring Grand Teton and Yellowstone Parks.

Building Buffalo Roam Park Tours with Matt, my amazing husband, has been such a wonderful experience—we make a great team and share a passion for the wilderness and National Parks we call home. Creating a business whose vision is to connect people deeply with these wild places is a dream come true. My expertise and experience are in marketing, business and project management, so I spend my days running the business and leave the guiding to Matt and our incredible team of guides.

Although I don’t spend workdays out in the park, most times I’m the first point of contact with guests, and this is incredibly rewarding—to connect with people who are passionate about visiting and experiencing the wonder of this area. When I’m not working on Buffalo Roam projects or talking to guests, you can find me teaching yoga and meditation classes, and playing outside with my husband on his rare day off in the summer!

Steven Babbitt

GUIDE

I was born in the Pacific Northwest and it was there where I first discovered the joy of exploring wild places. My family first visited Yellowstone in 1995, and we all decided then and there to make Yellowstone our home.

We moved to Bozeman, Montana for easy access to the park and our trips to Yellowstone became a frequent family outing. As a kid I became a Junior Ranger in both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and wore my badges with pride! Growing up in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem allowed me to form a deep connection to this unique and beautiful place. Now as an interpretive naturalist guide, I enjoy helping visitors connect in the same way to our unique national parks.

I also have a keen interest in the international arena. I have a university degree in Political Science with focus on International Relations. I spent several years during and after college working with and mentoring students in international politics and affairs including the Black Sea Economic Council and Model Arab League. We received several awards for our delegations at these national competitions and this experience sparked my interest in teaching, and later, guiding student trips in the United Kingdom. Eventually the call of the Rocky Mountains brought me back home, and I began my career guiding in Yellowstone and Grand Teton Parks.

My certifications include Wilderness First Responder & PSIA Level 1 Ski instructor. When I’m not guiding, you can find me skiing, hiking, and hunting around Jackson Hole.

Allen Clausen

GUIDE

I was raised in the central Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, I could see Yosemite from my deck. I fished, hiked, skied and explored an amazing high elevation playground.

It is there I grew to appreciate wild places. From there I went to college in San Luis Obispo California and studied Ecology earning a B. S. and M. S. During my time in school I worked in Gardiner Montana for the United States Forest Service. During this precious summers I fell in love with the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

After graduation in 1998 my wife and I moved to Seattle and taught community college. In 1995 we decided living in a city was not want we wanted for ourselves and our 6-month-old boy Sam. We gave up our tenured jobs and moved to Victor Idaho. I have done many things since our move but the one constant in my life has been enjoying the surrounding wild places. Whether it’s hiking, biking, skiing, boating, or exploring, everyday reminds me of how special of place I get to live.

I want to share this special place with all who come to visit. I want visitors to feel the wildness the area provides. I want visitors to feel what makes this place special and unique to myself and others. I hope you can come and join me with Buffalo Roam Tours in this special place I get to call home. I am certified in CPR and First Aid. I am a level 200 USSA alpine ski coach. In the summer you can find me on my mountain bike with my two boys and wife and in the winter you can find me coaching the aspiring Olympic ski racers at Snow King Mountain and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.

Frank Bell

GUIDE

Frank was raised in the Denver area then worked for the Town of Jackson during the 1970’s and 80’s. In 2021 Frank retired from his 50-year career in local government in several western resort communities and returned to western Wyoming.

Frank was raised in the Denver area then worked for the Town of Jackson during the 1970’s
and 80’s. In 2021 Frank retired from his 50-year career in local government in several western
resort communities and returned to western Wyoming. Over the years he has seen the
emergence of the Jackson Hole area from a summer stopover on the way to Yellowstone to a
world class, year-around destination resort. In addition to the unique environmental education
focus of a typical Buffalo Roam experience, Frank’s tours may also incorporate historical and
cultural anecdotes from an entirely different era in Jackson Hole and the Greater Yellowstone
Ecosystem. Frank and his wife Linda currently reside in Star Valley, Wyoming.

Connie Owens

GUIDE

I was born and raised in upstate New York, the Fingerlakes and the Adirondack mountains. Along with dairy farming, I learned to hunt, fish, hike, swim and boat at a very early age.

Growing up with four brothers kept me outdoors most of the time and I loved it!

I graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison with a Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology. I was offered a job in Yellowstone National Park upon graduation, but life and family never let me go, until now. I finally fulfilled that dream four years ago with my first trip to the area with my daughter (my heart and my inspiration), and now I can’t stay away. I have worked as a Naturalist in Grand Teton National Park for the past two years. Winters I enjoy many hours of Nordic skiing, snowshoeing and sledding. The park is a Summer and Winter Wonderland!

My previous careers as Park Ranger, Zookeeper, Police Officer and Veterinary Technician have cultivated in me a dedication to protecting and appreciating our National Parks, wildlife, and a keen sense of public service. My love of the mountains and wildlife has brought me to Jackson Hole, and I am super excited to share this beautiful country with Buffalo Roam Tours guests!

Current associations and accreditation include: Grand Teton & Yellowstone Association, Foundations of Interpretation, Carhart Wilderness Training for Commercial Services, National Association for Veterinary Technicians (NAVT), First Aid and CPR/AED certification.