Rachel is an experienced geologist with her BS degree in geology from James Madison University and MS Geology degree from the University of Kentucky. During her masters, Rachel worked as a graduate research and teaching assistant within the Structure and Geodynamics Research Group. Her thesis was on constraining the age of Teton fault motion – creation of the Teton Range, and its relationship with the Yellowstone Hotspot. After graduating from the UKY in Dec. 2018, Rachel moved to Texas in Jan. 2019 to pursue her PhD in geology at Texas A&M University. At that time, her professional goals were focused on being a research geologist in the oil and gas industry. During the summers of 2018 – 2021 she interned with various oil and gas companies. However, she longed to be closer to mountains again and family/friends encouraged Rachel to consider pivoting to a career that would allow her to share her knowledge of natural sciences with the public and inspire peoples connection, deeper understanding, and appreciation of our natural world. This led her to seek a career in outdoor science education. Because of her background knowledge of the Tetons and Yellowstone, Rachel felt the biggest impact she could make in this field was where she studied, the Tetons-Yellowstone. Once moving to Jackson she worked for a year leading science based hikes for middle school and high school groups visiting from all over the US. Rachel has also worked at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort for years, within the mountain operations and mountain sports school departments. Rachel’s bounding passion for this place; its ecosystem; cultural history has led her to join the Guides of Jackson Hole team as a naturalist. Outside of work, Rach enjoys playing outside in the mountains and spending time with her dog Kiwi.
Guides of Jackson Hole’s Rachel Hoar explaining what her guests are seeing in Grand Teton National Park.