Take a guided tour of wintry Yellowstone. Unsubscribe anytime by clicking the link at the bottom of your email. The North Entrance is the only park entrance open to vehicle traffic in the winter. As you hike and your body heats up you will want to shed a layer or two and the ability to do so helps keep you comfortable during your outing. As soon as Hwy 191 meets with the Gallatin River that flows from the northwest point of Yellowstone National Park we really start focusing our spotting efforts on the river in hopes of catching an otter rising out of the water and playing on the frozen ice that covers most of the river this time of the year. Limits aside, snowmobiling will continue to be one of the favorite ways to see Yellowstone's winter landscape, and with good reason. It boasts the largest collection of dinosaur fossils in the nation, including the largest Tyrannosaurus skull ever discovered. Those craving a more exciting Yellowstone adventure can enter the park from the South Entrance (40 miles north of Jackson, Wyoming), East Entrance (50 miles west of Cody, Wyoming) or West Entrance (3 miles west of Montanas Yellowstone Airport) via snowmobile or snowcoach. Before you pack your bags and head out the door, here are a few things you should know. Dressing with layered clothing to accommodate cycles of getting into and out of your vehicle when wildlife is spotted is very important. As the story goes, the calf was born in 1961 and lived for three weeks. Yellowstone is open to visitors year-round, but getting into the park during the winter months might require booking a one-of-a-kind experience. Youll Love these Nearby Hidden Gems, 9 Incredible Wyoming Mountain Biking Destinations, Non-commercially Guided Snowmobile Access Program, current road conditions, opening dates andclosing dates, Non-Commercially Guided Snowmobile Access Programpermit. Do Not Approach or Feed Wildlife 1 - Closed Thanksgiving Its also an affordable place to ski since its a locally owned non-profit. Miles of trails winding through the vast wilderness are open for exploration on foot. Explore the park, but plan on spending time in Montanas charming, authentic towns and ski areas that surround the park. 2. Jackson Hole Airport, on the edge of Grand Teton National Park, is about 50 miles south of the park and offers service from Salt Lake City, Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago, Atlanta and Denver. Cooney Reservoir State Park is a walleye and rainbow trout hot spot where youll find hardcore folks ice fishing after dark. Grab your binoculars or spotting scope. Twice every year, most of the entrances to and roads within Yellowstone National Park close. The Gallatin Field Airport in Bozeman, Montana, is about 90 miles from the parks north entrance, which is the only entrance open to car traffic in the winter. Planning is crucial to a good summer visit, as this is the time when most people come to the park. As you enter the park through the North Entrance you enter Big Horn Sheep range and the chance to see the majestic and powerfully built animals on both sides of the hills that border the road to Mammoth Hot Springs. Connect with travelers planning a visit to West Yellowstone Montana. Pet-friendly trails, trails through Yellowstone National Park, trails along the Madison River, wide skating lanes and diagonal sidetracks. Recently in the running for one of the top 10 cross country ski areas in North America by USA Today. Youll walk through a stone-like archway to enter that bears a striking resemblance to the stone archway at the North Entrance to the park in Gardiner, Mont. Its most iconic peak is Lone Peak, a towering snow-capped mountain that stretches 11,167 feet into the Montana sky. For a day off, try dog sledding with Yellowstone Dog Sled Adventures or Spirit of the North. This makes for a great adventure if you like to get out and enjoy viewing wildlife in this unique setting and we do. 2. For ski enthusiasts, Big Sky Resort is arguably the closest you can get to heaven on Earth and its about an hours drive from Bozeman. Permits are open to anyone 18 and older, with lottery applications accepted August 1-31 and permits awarded mid-September. In mid-December the west entrance opens to over snow vehicles (snowcoaches and snowmobiles). For us, the boots with which we protect our feet and toes are Columbias Bugaboot 600 grams of insulation. Hotels, inns, traditional motels or vacation condos take your pick. Animals always have the right of way. 10. Sure enough, located atop a high hill were, by our count, 16 wolves laying around doing very little beyond a brief get up and move about before settling down again. (Where is Yellowstone National Park Located?). Subscribe to our newsletter to received exlusive specials and travel deals! 1. Enhance Your Experience Find the peace and serenity of this marvelous town that lies close to many popular national parks and forests. Car rentals and shuttle service to nearby towns and hotels are available at all of the airports. Kids can pump up a geyser, look through binoculars on a fire tower, fish at a miniature version of Yellowstones iconic Fishing Bridge and more. Once at Livingston we jump on Hwy 89 driving south down through scenic Paradise Valley before reaching Gardiner, MT, a drive of about 52 miles. For this night we chose the Cowboys Lodge and Grill which specializes in BBQ entrees and thoroughly enjoyed the food and the service. Old Faithful Snow Lodge and Mammoth Hotel are open during winter. And, because we are usually engaged in picture taking, we like gloves that are mittens for warmth and can also have the top pulled back exposing the fingers for the needed dexterity of working the many functions on a camera. Head and face covering: A significant amount of heat is lost from the head and exposed ears are very subjective to getting cold and making your experience uncomfortable. The hot springs is open on some weekends during the winter months. Find current road conditions, opening dates andclosing dates. Lodging & Guided Wildlife Tours around Silver Gate, Wildlife Tours outside NE Entrance of Yellowstone. Yellowstone National Park doesn't allow private, unguided snowmobile and snowcoach trips within the park, so be sure to go through a commercial tour company or hire a professional guide. Once you arrive at the turnoff area you are in territory that has an abundance of Big Horn Sheep that can be easily seen on surrounding hills and on the roads as they often come down to lick the salt from the road. Download the free National Park Service app (and offline content) before you arrive. Find more places to snowmobile in Wyoming. Then continue toward Yellowstone National Park where a string of fantastic hot springs locales await along the way. Since Yellowstone National Park closes its East Entrance along with many roads and services each fall, travel into and around the park requires more planning this time of year. You have the option of upgrading to a snowmobile instead of the snowcoach on both days. We prefer to take our own vehicle, as compared to snowcoach tour, so we can get out and hike and seek for those unique opportunities to capture wildlife photos and the adventure that is the whole process of such an experience. Surrounded by pristine and unspoiled wilderness areas, Big Sky is one of Montanas most popular resort communities. Depending on the temperature and other environmental circumstances, we like our Carhartt hats and underlying face shields. Check current conditions for updates and changes in park operations. 8. Travel to West Yellowstone through a small section of Yellowstone, and spend the next two nights there. Snow-packed boardwalks can be slippery, especially near thermal areas. At night, enjoy dinner at Mountain Village, but be sure you head to Lone Mountain Ranch one evening to take a horse-drawn sleigh to an elegant prime-rib dinner in a snow-covered cabin in the forest. Red Lodge may be the coolest ski town youve never heard of, where youll enjoy big mountain fun without big mountain crowds, prices or lift lines. That makes wildlife viewing prime. Connectivity is Limited Expect to encounter bison and other wildlife on park roads. 5. Return to Big Sky less than 24 hours from when you left. Yellowstone is seasonal. Yellowstone offers lots of different ways to enjoy winter. Its world-class skiing without the world, says Colin Bonnicksen, a Montana local. 2 - Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Do not stop, stand, or walk in the road. There are also some groomed trails in the area around Old Faithful. 1 - Vending machine snacks available 24 hours a day Ride in a snowcoach through Yellowstones geyser basins to the Upper Geyser Basin and Old Faithful the next day. While big engines make some people happy, others come to Yellowstone National Park seeking the quiet peace and otherworldly silence that can only be found when the ground is covered with a blanket of white snow. With 5,850 skiable acres and 36 lifts, including North Americas first 8-person lift, you can spend days at Big Sky and not ski it all. Most facilities are closed during winter. An extension of the Continental Divide Snowmobile Trail, the trails of Yellowstone may be explored only with an authorized commercial guide or with aNon-Commercially Guided Snowmobile Access Programpermit. Or, head to Hyalite Reservoir and catch cutthroat, arctic grayling and brook trout. In mid-December, roads closed to traffic open to oversnow travel. The wildlife photo opportunity part of our trip had officially begun, and our excitement elevated. | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy. Snowmobiling through Yellowstone National Park is a popular winter adventure its increasing popularity has led to recent reductions in daily limits of snowmobiles in the park. 4. If you want to stay inside the park, two concessionaire-operated lodges (Mammoth Hotel and Old Faithful Snow Lodge) stay open during the winter, but most people end up staying at one of the entrance towns (Gardiner, Cooke City/Silver Gate or West Yellowstone, MT) or one of the nearby towns (Bozeman, MT or Cody or Jackson, WY). Beginning in mid-December, the other Park entrances and main roads open (except for the East Entrance which opens a week later) for snowmobile and snowcoach travel, as well as other winter activities like cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Drink and Snacks. Fly Fishing guided trips and lodging packages. All opening and closing dates are subject to change based on future conditions, staffing levels, or public health guidance. With 75 uncrowded trails on 2,000 acres, it offers everything from beginner slopes to extreme terrain. The cozyOld Faithful Snow Lodge & Cabinsis open from mid-December through late February. During our Yellowstone winter adventures we are in the park before sun up and leave the park after sun down. Backcountry winter camping (brrr) is also allowed, but permits are mandatory. Most of the roads in Yellowstone, including the one road into the park from West Yellowstone, are closed to vehicular traffic in winter, but dont let that stop you from experiencing the park this time of year. These are still tentative, and may change as the season approaches. Over the years we have stayed at motels in Bozeman, Livingston, and Gardiner. If snowmobiles aren't in your bag of tricks, look into a snowcoach tour these large, heated vans have had their tires swapped out with giant snow-tracks. Yellowstone has miles of trails for the adventurous skier and snowshoer. Once at Livingston we jump on Hwy 89 driving south down through scenic Paradise Valley before reaching Gardiner, MT, a drive of about 52 miles. The North Entrance, which is about 90 miles from the Gallatin Field Airport in Bozeman, Montana, is the only entrance open to traffic during the winter. Hit up one of the local delicatessens or pizza places for lunch. more information on current conditions Visit our keyboard shortcuts docs for details, Canyon Service Station (Credit card fueling for snowmobiles available 24 hours), Fishing Bridge Service Station (Credit card fueling for snowmobiles available 24 hours), Mammoth Service Station (credit card fueling available 24 hours), Tower-Roosevelt Emergency Phone (Between service station and restrooms), Tower-Roosevelt Service Station (credit card fueling available 24 hours), Old Faithful Service Station (Credit card fueling for snowmobiles available 24 hours), Grant Service Station (Credit card fueling for snowmobiles available 24 hours), West Yellowstone Visitor Information Center. Steaming hot springs surrounded by cold winter air, snow-covered bison lying in huge herds and the magic that winter casts over a landscape make Yellowstone in the winter a place you won't forget. Our trip requires that we travel through Idaho Park, ID in route to West Yellowstone, then head north up to Bozeman, MT, then east to Livingston, MT, where you turn south again dropping down through Paradise Valley in route to Gardiner, MT and the North Entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Glad we chose to explore different areas as the wait for these wolves did not pan out for the photos we would have liked to snap. Give us a follow if you want to be kept up to date about whats happening! It seems as though this part of our drive is usually filled with discussion of previous winter adventures and the experiences we had and the hopes for similar, or different, adventures with this trip. Youll also find resident eagles and migrating ducks, plus other birds that can be viewed year-round in Yellowstone Country, like the gray jay, redbreasted nuthatch, American dipper and mountain chickadee. Sub-zero temperatures are common, especially at night and at higher elevations. This hoteloffers equipment rentals, guides and tours. Time is precious so we come prepared with a cooler with plenty of water bottles or Gatorade, snacks, and pre-made sandwiches. 6. To get to West Yellowstone from Big Sky, Montana, you get on US 191 to US 20 directly into the center of West Yellowstone. Prepare for cold air, deep snow, and slippery boardwalks. While most trails are ungroomed, West Yellowstone at the West Entrance of Yellowstone National Park has an abundance of excellent skate and classic ski trails. Travel to Yellowstones north exit, and take in Mammoth Hot Springs, on the way to the north east entrance, and the wildlife of the Lamar Valley. Get a free Yellowstone trip planner with inspiring itineraries and essential information. Please take a look at how the pandemic may affect your tour! Return to Big Sky less than 48 hours from when you left. Warm up from the cold by spending time soaking in Bozeman Hot Springs on the southwest side of town. WY Services are very limited between Mammoth Hot Springs and Cooke City, Montana. One would tend to think that the only time the animals are not out and about is when you are driving through the area. This 15-mile-long lake sports a solid foot of ice during the winter and plenty of brown and rainbow trout. Sit back in comfort as you roll through snow-covered forests on your way to Yellowstone highlights like Old Faithful, an even more spectacular in the winter. Many authorized companies offer snowmobile and snowcoach tours and shuttles. Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are both great ways to experience Yellowstones backcountry in the winter. Along this route you will come to a sign for Corwin Springs located 8 miles north of Gardiner, MT and the North Entrance to Yellowstone National park. Non-guided snowmobile trips into and around Yellowstone National Parkare only available to those who acquire a permit through the parks Non-commercially Guided Snowmobile Access Program. Get inspired with tips about where to go and what to see on your national park vacation, delivered right to your inbox. If you want to rough it and steer clear of hotels and lodges, Mammoth Campground is the only campground in Yellowstone National Park open during the winter. You can get warm in the Snowflake Warming Hut on the mountain and break for lunch at the Jim Bridger Lodge.