When people tell you visiting Yellowstone National Park in winter is a magical experience, you’d better believe them. Things change once snow blankets the landscape. It’s quieter, but at the same time, you hear the steam issuing forth from geysers, hot springs, and fumaroles more clearly. Temperatures change, ranging from 0oF –to 20oF (-18 C to -7 C) and dropping into the negative numbers at night. Even the colors of the hydrothermal features change. Only one road remains open in the park, so that cuts down visitor numbers.
From summer to winter, even the colors change in Yellowstone National Park / Rebecca Latson
Winter is an amazing season in this park, but to visit it, you need to plan.
Getting To Yellowstone In Winter
You can fly in to Bozeman or Billings, Montana; Idaho Falls, Idaho; or Cody or Jackson, Wyoming and then rent a car. However, the only road open in Yellowstone during winter is the road from Mammoth to Cooke City, Montana, so landing anywhere other than Bozeman or Billings will greatly increase drive time reaching the park.
Where To Stay In Yellowstone In Winter
Planning a little winter camping in Yellowstone? Mammoth Campground is the only campground open year-round. Located five miles north of Gardiner, Montana, it’s at the edge of park headquarters in Mammoth Hot Springs. The pull-through sites are usually cleared of snow, but not always the tent pads. So, bring a shovel to clear that tent pad, or set your tent on top of the snow. During the winter, total vehicle length cannot exceed 30 feet (9.1 m). Sites are first-come, first-served from mid-October to late March and go for $25 per night. Senior/Access passholders receive a 50 percent discount.
In-park lodging is closed in the winter except for Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Old Faithful Snow Lodge, reservable through Yellowstone National Park Lodges, operated by Xanterra. You can reach Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel via your car or a shuttle from Bozeman Airport, but you can only reach Old Faithful Snow Lodge by snowcoach or snowmobile.
Accommodations at Mammoth Hot Springs range from $241 for a cabin with a hot tub to $464 for a suite in the hotel, taxes included. Old Faithful Snow Lodge range from a deluxe lodge room to cabins ranging from $185 to a little over $300 per night, taxes included. Check for any discount specials offered and note that prices are subject to change depending upon the day and month. Traveler’s Note: When making a reservation, instead of typing in your exact dates of stay, choose “Flexible Dates” and the month you intend to stay to see pricing and availability listed for each day of that month. Click on a particular day and you’ll see the range of room options available to you.
Over-snow transportation is required to reach Old Faithful Snow Lodge during the winter season. Seating on snowcoaches is limited and pets are not allowed. Snowcoaches can be booked online or by calling 307-344-7311. Average price one way is about $162 per person.
Ready to roll, snowcoaches at Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, Yellowstone National Park / Rebecca Latson
If you are thinking of renting a snowmobile to get to the lodge or for just a tour, there are a number of rental operators in the Yellowstone area also offering guided tours. Speaking of snowmobiles, if you are hankering to explore the park in the snow on your own, you can apply to the 2024-2025 winter lottery for permits to snowmobile in Yellowstone without a commercial guide.
What To Pack For A Yellowstone Winter
Depending upon the winter month you visit, you might have snow … or not. You will have ice. So, pack a pair of boot traction devices like Yaktrax or Kahtoola for negotiating those icy spots on the boardwalks or pavement. Just remember to remove them prior to entering your lodging and ask your snowcoach driver if it’s ok to keep them on during transportation.
Boot traction devices are handy to have when walking the snow-and-ice-packed boardwalks in Yellowstone National Park / Rebecca Latson
Bring along snowshoes or your cross-country skis or rent them at the Bear Den Ski Shop at both Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Old Faithful Snow Lodge. For more about snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in Yellowstone, check out this page.
Hand warmers (and boot warmers, for that matter) are pretty “handy” for those cold winter days and nights in the park. Commercial airlines allow air-activated hand warmers in both checked and carry-on luggage.
It goes without saying, pack plenty of layers: baselayer top and bottom, fleece, insulated jacket, hat, gloves, and socks. You might wish to include some face protection like a balaclava or ski hood. Bring along a pair of sunglasses to protect against snow glare.
Don’t forget your water bottles. You might not feel like you are losing moisture during the height of a cold winter, but every breath you exhale means you release moisture, and you’ll sweat along the trail during your extended snowshoe or cross-country ski.
Remember your camera. Winter in Yellowstone produces not only magical landscapes, but the opportunity to photograph rime-iced trees, steamy hot springs, wildlife footprints in the snow, and maybe a snow-and-ice-crusted bison or some other wildlife out there. Pack extra batteries/chargers and memory cards, too. For tips and techniques and ideas about winter photography at Yellowstone, click here.
The colors of the hydrothermal features like Chromatic Pool at Upper Geyser Basin really stand out against the bright, white snow, Yellowstone National Park / Rebecca Latson
What To Do At Yellowstone In Winter
In addition to snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, why not take a winter photography tour, a winter wildlife tour, or snowcoach or snowmobile tour of some of the geyser basins not open to vehicular traffic. Yellowstone National Park Lodges offers a variety of winter tours from which to choose, but you’ll need to make your reservation(s) early – even months prior to your trip to ensure a spot on a snowcoach. Here is a list of NPS-authorized snowmobile and snowcoach companies offering organized tours in Yellowstone.
Feel like a little bit of ice skating? During the winter, there's a small ice rink right next to the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. You can rent a pair of skates and dance on the ice, which is especially pretty at night with all the colorful lighting.
A night out on the ice rink at Old Faithful Snow Lodge, Yellowstone National Park / Rebecca Latson
Pull on your boot traction devices and walk the boardwalks of Mammoth Hot Springs travertine terraces or Upper Geyser Basin. Take your camera with you. Viewing and photographing these hydrothermal wonders never gets old, and you just might spy a bit of wildlife while on the boardwalk. If you do see wildlife, remember to stay at least 100 yards (300 ft / 91 m) from wolves and bears, and at least 25 yards (75 ft / 23 m) from everything else. Use your telephoto lens or setting to get those wildlife close-ups, or include the wildlife at a distance in your landscape shots. And yeah, you might see a bear in winter – it’s usually quite rare since bears generally hibernate during that time, but Yellowstone biologists have received reports of bear sightings every month of the year.
Frosty-faced bison, Yellowstone National Park / Rebecca Latson
