PRACTICAL WANDERLUST
While most people tend to think of Yellowstone National Park in its green, summertime beauty, Yellowstone is a fantastic — and entirely different — place to visit in the winter.
Many of Yellowstone’s main attractions — wildlife, geysers, and hot springs — are very much part of the winter experience. With all of the snow and ice, the scenery (and opportunities for snowshoeing and skiing) add to the magic.
December, January, and February are all excellent months for winter travel in Yellowstone. While snow can fall any month of the year and winter can creep in as early as October, the true winter travel season in Yellowstone doesn’t start until mid-December.
The only road that does get plowed is the stretch from the North Entrance to the Northeast Entrance (from Gardiner to Cooke City). This means in order to explore the rest of Yellowstone, you’ve got to travel over the snow — by snowmobile, snowcoach, snowshoe, or ski.
If you’re not piloting a snowmobile or nestled warm and snug in the back of a snowcoach, skis and snowshoes are your only hope of getting anywhere when there are five feet of snow on the ground.
Spending a day just driving around Yosemite National Park is the best way to see as much of the massive park as possible. The snowfall makes it even more magical.
Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley is considered by many to be the best place in the world to see wolves in the wild, and winter is undoubtedly the best time of year to see them.
All the effort it takes to get there is well worth it, because you’ll never experience Old Faithful as quiet as it is in the winter!
Yellowstone National Park is home to more than 10,000 thermal features – the highest concentration of thermal features on the planet.
There might not be anything more wintery than riding a sled pulled by a team of dogs through the snowy, scenic mountains.
Swipe up for more epic winter activities in Yellowstone National Park!