Yellowstone
Yellowstone’s winter Wonderland
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5 years agoon
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In the stillness of a frigid early morn in Yellowstone National Park, bison graze, elk feed and a wolf wails his cry. It’s often coldest just before sunrise, and crisp powdery snow sifts like sugar from the trees as a valley breeze ghosts its way through the timber. As the sun bursts over mountains to the east, the snow sings its radiance, welcoming a textbook bluebird day.
Snow has a way of transforming a place like Yellowstone, blanketing a fiery land characterized by rivers that don’t freeze, geysers that cascade frozen mist and wildlife well-adapted to survive the near-polar conditions.
While services are limited in the park during the winter season, there are a number of ways to experience wintertime in Yellowstone. If you do venture out, be sure to check the park’s webpage for current conditions and information on how plan accordingly, as winter weather is far less forgiving than its warmer counterparts.
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Things to do
With the majority of Yellowstone’s roads closed from November to March, skis, snowshoes, snowcoaches and snowmobiles quickly become staples of transportation. The road from Gardiner to Cooke City remains open to wheeled vehicles, otherwise consider booking a snow trip with a winter guide, hitching a snowcoach ride into the park interior, or travel by ski or showshoe on any of a series of trails open to public access.
Stay: Within the park proper, visitors can make reservations at the Mammoth Hotel or Old Faithful Snowlodge, as well as camp out at the Mammoth Campground. For those traveling to the Snowlodge, be prepared for a special treat—you can only get there on one of a number of commercial snowcoaches.
Hit the trails: Whether you spend the night or are just visiting for the day, consider making first tracks on one of Yellowstone’s many trails. Some are even groomed for cross-country skiing, and can be accessed off of the open road between Gardiner and Cooke City, or with the help of a snowcoach shuttle. Yellowstone also offers a select number of permits for snowmobile trips into Yellowstone—book with a guide or try your luck winning a permit—the park takes applications each summer.
Take a soak: While it is not only illegal, but also very dangerous, to soak in the park’s many hot springs, a dip in the warm waters where the Boiling River flows into the Gardner River is allowed. After leaving your car at the parking lot between the North Entrance at Gardiner and Mammoth Hot Springs, walk a half-mile along the Gardner River then pick a spot in the river. If you’d rather treat yourself to a more developed hot springs experience, try the Yellowstone Hot Springs , an established facility located about 7 miles north of Gardiner on Highway 89.
Enjoy the views: From the North Entrance at Gardiner, you can drive all the way to Cooke City, passing through the famed Lamar Valley. This area is called Yellowstone’s Northern Range and is an excellent place to view wildlife. Visitors can also book snowmobile or snowcoach tours aimed to view wildlife, or tour key landmarks in the park.
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2020 Winter Closing Dates
Roads will close to oversnow travel by snowmobile and snowcoach at 9 p.m. on the following dates:
March 1: East Entrance to Lake Butte Overlook (Sylvan Pass)
March 8: Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris
March 10: Norris to Madison, Norris to Canyon Village, Canyon Village to Fishing Bridge
March 15: All remaining groomed roads close
Winter Season Services
Anything not included in this list is closed during the winter.
Albright Visitor Center: Open year-round
Mammoth Campground: Open year-round
Mammoth Clinic: Open year-round
Mammoth General Store: Open year-round
Mammoth Hotel: Dec. 15-March 2
Mammoth Ski Shop: Dec. 15-March 2
Old Faithful Show Lodge: Dec. 16-March 1
Old Faithful Visitor Education Center: Dec. 15-March 15
West Yellowstone Visitor Information Center: Open year-round
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
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Upcoming Events
july, 2024
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CALL FOR ARTISTS: Paint anytime from June 1-28EXHIBITION & SALE: June 29 - July 31Calling all artists and nature enthusiasts! Get
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Event Details
CALL FOR ARTISTS: Paint anytime from June 1-28
EXHIBITION & SALE: June 29 – July 31
Calling all artists and nature
enthusiasts! Get your paintbrushes ready for an unforgettable experience at
Paint Under the Big Sky, a thrilling plein air event set against the stunning
backdrop of Big Sky, MT, Chet Huntley’s “The Last Best Place”. Don’t
miss this chance to unleash your creativity and be part of a vibrant artistic community.
What is Paint Under the Big Sky? PUBS is a plein air event for all painters of any ability (over the age of 16). Sponsored by the Big Sky Artist’s Studio & Gallery and the Big Sky Artists Collective, a non-profit organization whose mission is to foster a strong community of artists in the Big Sky area, the paint-out hopes to introduce painters to our extraordinary landscape for an opportunity to create, meet and have fun. Plein air painters record our landscape for generations to come.
Artists are invited to travel to Big
Sky, MT to paint anytime between Jun 1 – 28, and participate in the exhibition
and sale of paintings from June 29 – July 31.
Come join us! We have a great
place to paint and are welcoming and fun!
Don’t miss out!
Time
June 1 (Saturday) 1:00 am - July 31 (Wednesday) 11:55 pm
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Embrace the freedom and serenity of movement in nature with our rejuvenating morning yoga class on the Mountain Lawn. Allow the fresh mountain air and gentle guided yoga practice
Event Details
Embrace the freedom and
serenity of movement in nature with our rejuvenating morning yoga class on the
Mountain Lawn. Allow the fresh mountain air and gentle guided yoga practice to
invigorate your day of adventure ahead. Complimentary. Weather
permitting.
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June 1 (Saturday) 7:00 am - August 31 (Saturday) 7:00 am
Location
Montage Big Sky
995 Settlement Trail
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Bike Big Sky is a FREE community mountain biking group with BSCO and Gallatin Alpine Sports. Meet at posted locations at 6 p.m. Monday evenings. Visit BSCO.org or swing by
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Bike Big Sky is a FREE community mountain biking group with BSCO and Gallatin Alpine Sports. Meet at posted locations at 6 p.m. Monday evenings. Visit BSCO.org or swing by GAS for ride information.
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June 10 (Monday) 6:00 pm - August 19 (Monday) 6:00 pm
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Bike Big Sky is a FREE community mountain biking group with BSCO and Gallatin Alpine Sports. Meet at posted locations at 6 p.m. Monday evenings. Visit BSCO.org or swing by
Event Details
Bike Big Sky is a FREE community mountain biking group with BSCO and Gallatin Alpine Sports. Meet at posted locations at 6 p.m. Monday evenings. Visit BSCO.org or swing by GAS for ride information.
Time
June 17 (Monday) 6:00 pm - August 26 (Monday) 6:00 pm