Nick87
Well-known member
Anyone ever done the winter tours? Not ideal but the weeks of Christmas and new years are usually shutdown weeks for work. Opening up my schedule, so I couldn't help but wonder.
Yellowstone winter tours?
- Thread starter Nick87
- Start date
We've done the Snowcoach tours. They are pretty cool if you haven't been to the park, and still ok if you have. The park looks a lot different in Winter. One year it was negative temperatures with lots of wind. That was pretty brutal. You need a face covering to be out for any time at all. The other year it was low teens with almost no wind, and that was pretty nice. You won't see all kinds of wildlife, but the terrain is still pretty.
You might also want to try the snowmobile tours in the park or outside the park. Or cross-country tours or downhill if you do that.
Outside the park, you can visit hot springs like Chico Hotsprings, the Discovery Center for Wolves/Bears, and maybe take sleigh ride. You can also drive from West Yellowstone to Jackson or do the tours of Yellowstone from the Tetons.
You might also want to try the snowmobile tours in the park or outside the park. Or cross-country tours or downhill if you do that.
Outside the park, you can visit hot springs like Chico Hotsprings, the Discovery Center for Wolves/Bears, and maybe take sleigh ride. You can also drive from West Yellowstone to Jackson or do the tours of Yellowstone from the Tetons.
I invited my niece up to visit Montana from Texas for a winter Yellowstone trip last Xmas. She has spent her whole life inside, so she was so excited to see snow and animals!
There was no snow at all in the northern part of the park, only wee smatterings of slush could be found further south and east, and the wildlife was scattered about all over the place, because autumn never ended. The elk and pronghorn who live right outside of Gardiner were in their usual places, so we got to have those close-up opportunities, but that was pretty much it for wildlife viewing. I live next to a huge herd of wild bison so the few cows and calves near the Grand Loop road weren't real impressive (nor was the drowned one being eaten by ravens in Blacktail Pond). We still had fun though - she had never been in a snowball fight, and did not understand they're different than slushball fights. That first hard icy one that went whizzing past her face at 40 mph had her forfeiting pretty quick.
Anyway, I usually like Yellowstone in the winter, but the experience definitely varies by year. The snow coaches seem fun, though not sure if they're worth the price. Yellowstone Forever folks are pretty cool to have around and talk to if you can make that happen.
Oh yeah, and so, so much of the auxiliary fun stuff outside the park is closed in the winter. We went to the Discovery Center thing in West Yellowstone, and drove past a big sign advertising full-auto machine gun shooting range in town. Her eyes lit up briefly, and then the brightness vanished as she saw that it was closed, along with basically everything else in town. Gardiner is mostly the same, but more places to eat and drink beer tend to stay open.
You should still go, probably. The sheer lack of crowds make its pretty nice - you can get up to Cooke City pretty easy and hang out there. Take a young person, if you can!
There was no snow at all in the northern part of the park, only wee smatterings of slush could be found further south and east, and the wildlife was scattered about all over the place, because autumn never ended. The elk and pronghorn who live right outside of Gardiner were in their usual places, so we got to have those close-up opportunities, but that was pretty much it for wildlife viewing. I live next to a huge herd of wild bison so the few cows and calves near the Grand Loop road weren't real impressive (nor was the drowned one being eaten by ravens in Blacktail Pond). We still had fun though - she had never been in a snowball fight, and did not understand they're different than slushball fights. That first hard icy one that went whizzing past her face at 40 mph had her forfeiting pretty quick.
Anyway, I usually like Yellowstone in the winter, but the experience definitely varies by year. The snow coaches seem fun, though not sure if they're worth the price. Yellowstone Forever folks are pretty cool to have around and talk to if you can make that happen.
Oh yeah, and so, so much of the auxiliary fun stuff outside the park is closed in the winter. We went to the Discovery Center thing in West Yellowstone, and drove past a big sign advertising full-auto machine gun shooting range in town. Her eyes lit up briefly, and then the brightness vanished as she saw that it was closed, along with basically everything else in town. Gardiner is mostly the same, but more places to eat and drink beer tend to stay open.
You should still go, probably. The sheer lack of crowds make its pretty nice - you can get up to Cooke City pretty easy and hang out there. Take a young person, if you can!
rmyoung1
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- 2,801
I really like YNP in the winter. The price to get around in the park interior in wintertime is pricey these days, but so is everything else, I suppose. The geyser basins are impressive that time of year with the temperature differences creating really amazing steam clouds and everything. Staying a night at Snow Lodge in OF would be neat. You’ll see bison on the roads. And lots of elk at the north end if you come in through Gardiner/Mammoth. Not sure what you want out of your trip but West has amazing snowmobiling that time of year with in-town rentals. Cooke City does, as well, though the options are fewer than in West. And when you get back to your car, driving out to Lamar in the early morning or late afternoon can produce lots of wildlife sightings, including wolf packs. And tons of memorable cross country skiing opportunities if you guys XC ski.
Southern Elk
Well-known member
West Yellowstone is really cool in the winter. Assuming we actually get snow this year. They ride snowmobiles right in town. Lots of places rent them. You need a guide to go into the park. Not sure how old your boys are, but there’s also a sledding hill and skating rink at the city park.
Nick87
Well-known member
8 and 6.
Southern Elk
Well-known member
Perfect age for sledding and skating in West Yellowstone. You can rent skates at the local hardware store. They also sell cheap sleds.
Nick87
Well-known member
Cool. Good info
MTLabrador
Well-known member
The Mammoth hotel is a pretty cool place to stay in the winter as well. Go take a drive through Lamar in an afternoon and look at some big bulls and sheep.
It's hard to get to both of those places once they close the roads.
Southern Elk
Well-known member
Lamar Valley is on the road to Cooke City. It is open year round. I can’t speak to the amount of wildlife there in the winter.
Yep, it's open but to get to it from West Yellowstone or Tetons is a pretty long drive. I think you have to go all of the way to Gardiner outside the park before you get to the road to Lamar Valley. Of course, it's a two lane road in the park, so not a nice drive to me.
Southern Elk
Well-known member
That is correct. You would have to start out in Gardner to make that drive. The west entrance is closed during the winter except for over the snow guided activities.
Lmartin5
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- Dec 23, 2025
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Great information...following.
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