Yellowstone National Park is an amazing place to visit in the summer. But what about in the winter?

YES! Yellowstone National Park is AMAZING in the winter! For starters, it’s not Disneyland crowded.  The park monitors the noise and traffic of the park way better in the winter than it does in the summer. The reason behind this is because they are protecting the animals that are hibernating because it is thought that if they wake up early, it could lead to more animal fatalities.

Second, only guided snowmobile tours and snowcoaches are allowed in. Almost nobody gets in the park without a valid permit and a knowledgeable guide.  

There is still wildlife in the park in the winter. 

Wolves don’t hibernate. Elk don’t hibernate. Bison don’t hibernate. Coyotes don’t hibernate. Therefore you have a high chance of seeing wildlife without the disruption of a ton of tourons and their cameras. It’s quite wonderful.

Patrick and I did the Old Faithful tour from West Yellowstone, Montana on snowmobiles.

The company that we went through and recommend is called Alpen Guides. The tour was amazing. Cold, but amazing. They gear you up with a helmet, one piece snow suit, and a snowmobile. You definitely need to wear layers though. West Yellowstone is above 6,000 ft and so is Yellowstone National Park. It get’s cold and you can get frostbite. 

We showed up at Three Bear Lodge to check in and get our gear before heading to get on the snowmobiles. Check in was prompt and we quickly got on our way. You drive through town for a minute before getting to the West Entrance. 

It is 14 miles before the Madison Junction where you turn right on the south loop of the park towards Old Faithful. Before we even got to the junction we saw four Bison and a coyote! Up close and personal. 

At the junction, the tour stops for a little break at a hut that you can buy hot drinks and snacks to warm up. 

Our first official stop was at my favorite place in Yellowstone National Park; Fire Hole River.

The guide let us get off the snowmobiles and look at the river. I love this place because it was my favorite part of my childhood summers spent in West Yellowstone. 

The next stop is the Fountain Paint Pot hot spring board walk. 

These are beautiful hot springs made magical by the snow. The walk around the pots was disrupted by a big ole’ bison keeping warm in the steam. 

After that, we hopped back on the snowmobiles to go to Old Faithful!

Old Faithful, the most famous attraction of Yellowstone National Park. As it should be for its majesty. We arrived right after an eruption and she typically erupts every 45 minutes +/-15 minutes. Patrick and I went to the lodge, ate some lunch and then gathered on the shoveled boardwalk to watch her go!

I have been to Yellowstone National Park almost every year since I was born.

Thus I have seen Old Faithful almost every year since I was born. But I had never seen them in the winter and I thought it was so much cooler. The area wasn’t overwhelmed with crowds and noise. All you could hear were a few people and the sound of the water shooting through the air! An experience I had previously only had when I went to Old Faithful at night. 

Hardly ever can you have such a personal moment with such a famous place. 

After Old Faithful died back down, we met with our group, loaded up and drove back. By then I had a wind burn on my face from the cold and couldn’t feel my hands, but it was worth it. 

That night, we sat by a fire in my cabin in the woods drinking tea and reminiscing of what we got to experience. 

HAPPY TRAVELS!

Pssst If you don’t know what to pack for your trip to Yellowstone National Park in the winter, I have made you a basic packing list already. Click HERE to start planning your trip!

PSSSSSSTTTT!!!! If you are coming in from the east side of Yellowstone National Park, check out this super awesome lodge you could stay in!