Yellowstone in Winter

Are you planning a winter getaway? Instead of heading south to escape the snow, embrace it and spend your winter vacation in Yellowstone National Park! Winters in Yellowstone are a unique time to explore the park, spot wildlife, and enjoy the best of the great outdoors.

“Yellowstone offers miles of cross-country ski trails that lead past frosted woods, steaming hot springs, and snow-packed meadows.”

Winter is beautiful in Yellowstone National Park. Blanketed by snow, the 2.2-million-acre park exudes a mythical beauty. The abundance of warm-weather visitors that make Yellowstone the fourth most visited National Park are gone, and the wildlife and world-famous geysers, as well as the bubbling mudpots, hissing fumaroles (steam vents), and hot springs remain.

Still not convinced about visiting Yellowstone in winter? Here are nine great reasons to start planning your winter vacation in Yellowstone.

1. Experience the park as few others do.

In winter, with only two hotels open and park access primarily by guided over snow transportation, experiencing Yellowstone’s canyons, woods, wildlife, and hydrothermal features can be a much more intimate experience. During the winter, you can truly escape from it all and enjoy a quieter side of the park. Give your smartphone and laptop a rest and connect with nature and the great outdoors instead.

2. See the geysers against the snow.

The contrast of the grayish-white steam of the geysers against the white snow and the stunningly blue skies creates a heightened sense of the earth’s powerful forces. In winter, when Old Faithful, a geyser that regularly shoots sprays of water more than 100 feet in the air, erupts, the near-boiling water hits the chilly air, forming “geyser rain.” Watch as these tiny icy crystals and flakes fall to the ground.

3. Spot animals easily.

Against the snowy background, the elk, bison, wolves, and other animals become relatively easy to spot. You can also find their tracks more easily in the snow.

4. View bison with winter coats.

In winter, huge balls of snow dangle from the bisons’ beards, especially in geyser basins, where they get a frosty covering from the wet steam that freezes into rime frost. Thick brown winter fur coats, combined with the beasts’ breath hanging in the frigid air like fire, make the formidable animals look even more impressive in winter.

5. Snowshoeing, ice skating, and cross-country skiing.

Outdoor activity options are endless. If you enjoy an active vacation, you’re in luck. Yellowstone offers miles of trails that lead past frosty woods, steaming hot springs, and snow-covered meadows.  You won’t soon forget gliding within sight of a bison herd or striding near elk tracks. Explore a trail on skis or snowshoes, such as the Lone Star Geyser trail that starts at Old Faithful Snow Lodge and is a total of nine miles roundtrip. You can learn about the wildlife and the winter ecology on guided snowshoe and cross-country tours. Guided snowshoe tours are available daily from Old Faithful Snow Lodge, and private ski tours and instruction are available from both winter hotels. Equipment is available for rent at Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Old Faithful Snow Lodge Bear Den Ski Shops.

6. Take a snowcoach tour.

So, how do our winter visitors travel around the park? By snowcoach, of course! Equipped with tracks or four oversized low-pressure tires, the snowcoach moves on top of the snow and offers passengers great views of park scenery from large windows, heated comfort, and a guided tour of Yellowstone during the drive. Most park roads are closed to private-public vehicles from the first of November through the middle of April.  When the roads become covered in snow, around mid-December, snowcoaches and snowmobiles provide the only transportation to the park’s interior. Snowcoaches can be booked for day trips and transportation to and from Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Old Faithful Snow Lodge.

7. Go on a winter photo safari or package tour.

The contrasts of clear blue skies, snow-blanketed fields, steamy geysers, and woolly animals make for memorable images. Shoot these striking scenes on your own or go on a guide-led photo safari to learn tips that improve your technique. Or choose from other exciting winter Yellowstone packages. Book the Frosty Fun package, our base package offering value and convenience for those who want to chart their snowy course. Our Winter Couples Adventure Package takes you into the heart of Yellowstone to experience a winter wonderland with stays at both Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Old Faithful Snow Lodge. Or dive deeper with a Yellowstone Forever field educator on our lodging and learning packages, the Old Faithful Winter Expedition and the Winter Wolf Discovery package.

8. Enjoy the Mammoth Hot Springs area.

The travertine terraces formed by the hot springs bubbling through the limestone look like frozen waterfalls year-round. With fewer visitors, take your time admiring the formations, and then ice skate for free at Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel’s rink. Mammoth Hot Springs is also the perfect home base for trips into the Lamar Valley for wildlife watching and a chance to glimpse wolves known to over-winter in the valley. The road between the north and northeast park entrances is the only road open to public vehicles in winter. So, if you have your car, you can get out at dawn to spot these elusive animals. If you’d rather leave the driving to us, take our Lamar Valley Wildlife tour.

9. Book lodging on shorter notice.

Not everyone can plan nearly a year in advance. For summer, it’s not unusual for certain dates in Yellowstone’s lodges to be booked many months in advance. Except for Christmas week, winter is the one time of the year when you can find rooms on short notice. We have two lodges open in winter to keep you cozy where you can sit in front of a warm fireplace with a good book or play a board game with your family. The Old Faithful Snow Lodge and Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel provide cozy public spaces, great dining, and gift shops packed with memorable souvenirs.

Ready to start planning your Yellowstone winter vacation? Explore the many ways you can experience winter in wonderland. There are so many things to do in Yellowstone in winter!

Contributors to this article include Candyce H. Stapen.

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