2017-11-09 04:29:44
The nation’s first national park becomes a fascinating landscape of fire and ice during the winter months. Hiking past steaming springs against the backdrop of pristine snow-covered forests of pine and Douglas fir is an otherworldly sight, and snowmobiling and skiing are activities that have drawn visitors to Yellowstone in the winter months for decades. Discover why cold temperatures bring out the best of this beloved destination. GETTING TO YELLOWSTONE Many visitors reach Yellowstone National Park by air and two small regional airports service the park. Yellowstone Regional Airport near Cody is approximately 50 miles from Yellowstone’s east entrance, and Jackson Hole Airport located at the edge of Grand Teton National Park is approximately 50 miles south of Yellowstone. Gallatin Field Airport in Bozeman, MT, is about 90 miles north of the park and is near Yellowstone’s northern entrance in Gardiner, MT — the only one open to car traffic in the winter months. All three airports have car and shuttle services to nearby towns and hotels. ONCE YOU’RE THERE See the backcountry in silence by snowshoeing or cross-country skiing on groomed trails specially prepped for wintertime visitors. Gear is available for rent from local outfitters, and if you’d prefer to not go it alone, there are authorized guides who can show you the sights as well. For a faster ride, check out Yellowstone’s portion of the Continental Divide Snowmobile Trail with an authorized commercial guide or with a Non-Commercially Guided Snowmobile Access Program Permit, which are awarded annually through a lottery system at recreation.gov. A limited number of snowmobilers are allowed access to the trails each day and advance reservations are recommended. Browse outfitters on p. 132, or find a list of authorized snowmobile and snowcoach tour companies at nps.gov/yell. REST EASY Wintertime visitors to Yellowstone have two options for lodging inside the park itself: Old Faithful Snow Lodge and Cabins and Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. Both have dining facilities and visitor centers that are open year-round. There are also numerous hotels and bed and breakfasts in the towns near the park. Browse our lodging listings starting on p. 107 or visit TravelWyoming.com/places-to-stay. A PRO PHOTOGRAPHER’S TIPS FOR VISITING YELLOWSTONE IN WINTER “Yellowstone in the winter is one of the coolest things about the park,” says Jacob Frank, a photographer and Yellowstone’s audiovisual specialist. “When a geyser goes off, it just generates so much steam. Usually the sounds are muffled, so you can actually hear the thermal features better in the winter than in the summer. There are fewer people and all of that ambient noise is absorbed by the snow.” Be prepared for the cold: temperatures well below freezing are common, particularly at higher elevations, so cover up as much skin as you can. Always be ready to take photos: have your camera’s long lenses ready to capture a wildlife sighting. Protect your gear: keep your camera and batteries warm (Frank always keeps his camera against his body under his top layer for safe and easy access). Chase the morning light: animals are most active in the morning, when lighting is prime for great photos and there’s also less traffic.
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