Though winter's a good way off for most of the country -- we can't forget last week's snowfall at Glacier National Park -- it might not be a bad time to start planning your winter national park vacation. And the folks at the Yellowstone Association Institute have come up with nine new reasons to look to Yellowstone National Park for that escape.

To its already lengthy list of winter programs, the association has added the following for this coming winter:

* Natural History With a Camera

* Painting Yellowstone in Winter

* Discover Your Sky: Observing Techniques for Backyard Astronomers

* Snowshoeing the History of Yellowstone

* Digital Photography and Workflow: Winter in Yellowstone

* Winter Landscape Photography

* History of the Military and Fort Yellowstone

* In Search of Yellowstone's Pine Martens

* Cougar Ecology and Verification

Of course, there are other reasons to visit the park in winter, whether you want to enjoy the geyser basins in winter, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, or simply the solitude.

For a complete list of the association's winter offerings, head over to its website.