The Yellowstone National Park is located in the United States, mainly in the far northwest corner of Wyoming, stretching slightly into Montana (to the north) and Idaho (to the west). This vast park occupies much of the Rocky Mountains region.
Yellowstone National Park: Top Sights
In Yellowstone National Park, winter transforms the landscape into a photographer’s dream. From the safety of a snow coach, you can spot bison calmly grazing, photograph wolf pups at play, and observe their interactions as they track bison searching for winter grass. Night tours in the snow coach provide incredible opportunities for stargazing under unpolluted winter skies.
The first National Park in the United States offers 800,000 hectares to explore in winter—it’s truly stunning! Steam rises from hot springs, geysers, and fumaroles; bison roam across endless snowy plains and drink from ice-crystal-laden streams. Old Faithful puts on its spectacular show for guests of the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. Visitors can soak in the scenery comfortably aboard a snow coach, by snowmobile, on skis, or even on a winter walk. Yellowstone Park maintains kilometers of marked cross-country ski trails, with brochures available at the visitor center and seasonal hotels. Shuttle services transport guests to various trails, and gear rentals are available directly inside the park.
For snowmobiling, the West Yellowstone area—just outside the park’s west entrance in Montana—offers a wealth of cross-country and skate skiing routes on the Rendezvous Ski Trails system. Numerous operators based in West Yellowstone organize snowmobile excursions, letting you freely explore hundreds of miles of groomed trails through America’s national forests.
Yellowstone National Park: What to Do
On Saturday mornings in West Yellowstone, snowmobiles outnumber cars on the streets. The town’s businesses—bars, restaurants, lodging, and shops selling souvenirs and winter gear—cater to visitors drawn by its perfect location for exploring Yellowstone and Gallatin National Forest. The town’s proximity allows for day trips inside Yellowstone by snowmobile or snow coach, right up to Old Faithful. A must-see attraction is the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center, a nonprofit wildlife park where you can admire bears tussling and wolves roaming in search of prey.
Inside Yellowstone National Park, snowmobiles are allowed on specific roads only as part of guided tours. Xanterra, which manages park accommodations, offers snowmobile packages including an overnight stay at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, followed by a 144-kilometer snowmobile journey to the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel the next day. If you want to fully experience winter in Yellowstone, consider splitting your stay between the Old Faithful Snow Lodge and the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. While neither is luxury accommodation, both are very comfortable, entirely non-smoking, and offer much lower winter rates compared to the crowded summer season.
These are also the only two hotels open inside the park during winter.
Wake up at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and you’ll likely spot elk grazing just outside your window. Meanwhile, from the Snow Park Lodge, you’re only a five-minute walk from witnessing Old Faithful—it’s always worth checking with reception for the timing of its next eruption.
