YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — A group of veteran volunteers in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) has been highlighted in a short documentary-style film shared recently by YNP’s nonprofit partner Yellowstone Forever.

Veteran Volunteers: Corrals, Cabins, and Camaraderie in Yellowstone is a short video that shares a bit of the program’s history and interviews veterans who have participated as volunteers in the park. According to Yellowstone Forever, these volunteer teams have worked on projects ranging from restoring backcountry ranger cabins to reconstructing corrals for horses and mules. In 2025, the crew worked to replace the roof on the Crevice Mountain Patrol Cabin. According to YNP, the backcountry cabin was built in 1912.

  • Photo: Yellowstone Forever
  • Photo: Yellowstone Forever
  • Photo: Yellowstone Forever
  • Photo: Yellowstone Forever

“The resilience, teamwork, and dedication veterans bring to projects in Yellowstone is tremendous,” Yellowstone Forever President and CEO Lisa Diekmann told Buckrail in a statement. “Their volunteer service not only provides essential support to the park, it also strengthens Yellowstone’s future and reinforces our shared commitment to stewardship and community.”

Yellowstone Forever told Buckrail that for over 20 years, a generous donor has supported high-priority projects in the park by partnering with veteran groups to bring volunteer workers to YNP each summer.

In 2000, co-founder of ARCH Venture Partners Clint Bybee was working to clear trails in YNP when he thought it would be a good opportunity to bring his employees to volunteer as a team-building exercise. When that turned into a success, the group connected with Wounded Warrior Project and Disabled Sports USA (now called Move United). Brett Miller, a U.S. veteran who served in Iraq, joined as a volunteer in 2009 and was tasked with expanding the effort and inviting other veterans to participate.

Miller went on to found Warfighter Outfitters, a nonprofit organization that provides disabled veterans with no-charge hunting and fishing trips and service projects throughout the country. Miller and Bybee have continued to lead and work on projects in YNP, and ARCH Venture Partners funds the programs through grants to Yellowstone Forever.

Monica is a Staff Reporter who studied journalism at Syracuse University and has been in the valley since 2015. She loves writing about the local food and bev scene, especially craft beer. When she’s not on the clock, you can find her paddle boarding, sewing, or whipping up a new recipe at home.