Yellowstone Winter Vacation: An Unforgettable Experience

Planning a Yellowstone winter vacation is a once in a lifetime experience!

It’s surreal to see the park covered in a blanket of snow with billowing steam and mist from the geysers. And that snow, frost and mist that cover the landscape and wildlife result in amazing Yellowstone winter photography.

Use our Yellowstone National Park travel guide and the information below to plan a winter trip.

We share what to pack, where to stay, things to do and services available in the winter at Yellowstone.

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WHAT TO PACK FOR YELLOWSTONE IN THE WINTER

READ all about packing for a winter vacation in Yellowstone!

• Insulted boots – Baffin boots are amazing!!
• Heavy wool socks – we LOVE Darn Tough Socks!
• Base layers – it’s all about wicking and quick-drying base layers.
• Fleece jacket – Columbia fleece jackets are our favorite!
• Insulated jacket – you’ll need a warm Insulated jacket to layer atop the fleece jacket for the cold mornings and evenings, trust us!
• Winter hat – it gets cold in the morning and evening during the fall so an insulating hat is always a good idea!
• Winter gloves – put some winter gloves in your pocket just in case!
• Rechargeable hand warmers – and our favorite new find are rechargeable hand warmers in addition to the gloves!
• Neck gaiter – when the wind blows, it will be cold so a soft fleece neck gaiter or buff will help keep you warm.

CHECK OUT OUR Winter Clothing Guide and Winter Photography Gear List

WHY YOU SHOULD PLAN A YELLOWSTONE WINTER VACATION

Check out our guide for finding the best time to visit Yellowstone National Park. Each season and month of the year will have different activities and services available.

Here’s a breakdown of what to expect each month during the winter at Yellowstone:

• Yellowstone in December
• Yellowstone in January
• Yellowstone National Park in February

Yellowstone in the Winter is a Unique Experience

Winter in Yellowstone is not your ordinary vacation.

Vehicles are not allowed in the park around the first week of November, except from Mammoth Hot Springs through the North Entrance.

In mid-December, the roads open to oversnow travel only via snowmobile, snowcoach, snowshoe and cross-country ski. 

We enjoyed traveling along Yellowstone’s snow-covered roads in a bomardier snowcoach. There were no streams of cars, RVs or tour buses crowding the roads. If you’ve ever been to Yellowstone in the summer, you know this is a welcome change.

Can you imagine a better setting than Yellowstone to enjoy fun winter activities to explore the park by snowshoes, skis, snowmobiles or snowcoaches?

→ BOOK A SNOWCOACH OR SNOWMOBILE TOUR

Quiet and Solitude in the Winter at Yellowstone

Not many people visit Yellowstone during the winter.

Finding quiet in the summer months is hard. During the winter months, Yellowstone offers miles and miles of solitude in a landscape that is unmatched by any other.

It was a welcome change to stop at popular locations like Grand Prismatic and the only sounds we heard were the flowing river and bubbling hot pools.

If you enjoy a destination that offers quiet and solitude, Yellowstone in the winter should be at the top of your bucket list.

Yellowstone Winter Photography is Spectacular

The winter landscape at Yellowstone is covered in a blanket of snow. There is frost on the trees and mist rising from the geysers.

As you can image, taking pictures of the Yellowstone landscape in the winter is a unique adventure for any nature photographer.

We recommend you book a snowcoach that offers photo tours where there is flexibility to stop and take pictures at any time.

One of our favorite stops in the park was visiting Grand Prismatic where we captured the reflection of the winter landscape and rising steam in the water.

We were awestruck by the ice formations on the trees near the areas with hot pools and steam.

You’ll capture images that you can only get when photographing Yellowstone during the winter months.

Wildlife at Yellowstone in the Winter

The animals who call Yellowstone National Park home are even more exciting to watch in the snowy landscape.

BISON

During the winter, we love to photograph the contrast of the white snow against the dark hair of the animal. You’ll see the bison plow away the snow with their massive heads.

Be patient and wait long enough for them to look at you and you’ll get that awesome shot of snow all over the bison’s head!

WOLVES

Photographing the wolves in Yellowstone is pretty tough.  You’ll see wolves, but they are usually too far away to get a good photo. Most of the photos of wolves in Yellowstone are shot through spotting scopes with cell phones mounted to the eyepiece to get a snapshot.

We were lucky to see wolves ‘near’ the road when we were there. Even with the 500 mm telephoto lens we had, it was hard to get an image where the wolf fills the frame.

We didn’t get the perfect photo where the scene is sharp due to the bad light and weather, but wow, being able to see about 8 wolves in close proximity was amazing. 

Coyotes and Fox

During the winter Coyotes are fun to watch mousing. They sneak around the snow to hear noise from a mouse.  When they hear it, their whole body stiffens up and they suddenly spring into the air and dive head-first into the snow to grab the mouse.

Elk, trumpeter swans, river otters and other animals can also be seen in Yellowstone during the winter.

Yellowstone Waterfalls in the Winter

Yellowstone waterfalls are one of our favorite things to photograph in the park.

During the winter, the snowy landscape provides a unique setting to showcase the photos of these waterfalls.

A snowcoach can take you to see the Firehole Falls on your way to Old Faithful, or you can see the Lower Falls on a trip to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

Keep your eyes open for wildlife along the rivers. We saw trumpeter swans, elk and bison as we ventured through the park.

PLANNING A WINTER TRIP TO YELLOWSTONE

Hopefully we’ve convinced you to visit Yellowstone in winter. Here’s all you need to know to start planning your winter trip to Yellowstone.

Always check the National Park Service website for the latest information about specific dates and services in Yellowstone during the winter season.

• Yellowstone’s winter season runs from mid-December to mid-March.
• Mammoth Hot Springs and Old Faithful are the only two areas of the park with facilities open in winter (lodging and dining).
• The only road that is open to private vehicles runs between the North Entrance in Gardiner, Montana, to the Northeast Entrance in Cooke City, Montana, via Tower Junction. (While the road is “open” to cars, it may close temporarily due to weather or other reasons.

How to Get to Yellowstone

The Yellowstone Regional Airport is just outside of Cody, Wyoming and about 50 miles from the park’s East Entrance. It offers service from Salt Lake City and Denver.

Jackson Hole Airport, on the edge of Grand Teton National Park, is about 50 miles south of the park and offers service from Salt Lake City, Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago, Atlanta and Denver.

Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport in Montana, is about 90 miles from the park’s north entrance, which is the only entrance open to car traffic in the winter.

Car rentals and shuttle service to nearby towns and hotels are available at all of the airports.

What to Expect at Yellowstone in the Winter

Cell service in and around Yellowstone can be spotty in some parts and non-existent in other parts.

If you stay in park lodging, there are no televisions, radios, or Wi-Fi at the hotels in order to provide guests the most authentic wilderness experience. Check out our list of Yellowstone winter lodging ideas.

Because cell coverage is not reliable, it is a good idea to make proper preparations ahead of time. Print directions and reservations information prior to departure, or save them on a device that can be accessed offline.

→ Day Trips in Yellowstone

YELLOWSTONE TOURS AND DAY TRIPS

• Yellowstone Tours
• Day Trips at Yellowstone
• Outdoor Activities at Yellowstone
• Attractions at Yellowstone