Staying in Yellowstone National Park in Winter
Visiting National Parks in the winter is a whole different experience. They are less crowded and often covered in snow. Winter just adds a whole special element that most people do not get to see at the country’s most popular national parks. Visiting Yellowstone in winter is not as simple as just driving there if you want to get into the heart of the park. The roads close past the entrance gates and you must prebook your stay, but experiencing Yellowstone in winter is definitely worth the extra effort and cost.
To experience the heart of Yellowstone in winter you will need to book a stay at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge inside the park near the famous Old Faithful geyser. We drove from Bozeman Montana to the Mammoth Hot Springs area just past the entrance to the park. Here we parked our car and were picked up in a snow treaded bus to be transported to the lodge. While we waited for our pick up we were able to walk some of the short trails right around Mammoth Hot Springs and get our first glimpses of the park in winter.
The drive took a couple hours and we made some stops along the way to check out some of the parks major sights, such as Gibbon Falls and some small geysers. Getting to the Snow Lodge is definitely part of the experience and a super unique way to see Yellowstone.
The lodge itself is beautiful and feels like a real winter wonderland. There are lots of cozy fireplaces inside and out, a nice restaurant and bar, gift shop, equipment rentals, and a little ice skating rink. The hot chocolates are killer, trust me you want to order one. It is good to make dinner reservations for each night before you even get to the lodge. If the lodge is full then the restaurant can be quite busy too, so you will want to reserve a dinner slot or it may be pretty late before you get served, but don’t worry they will still make sure you get dinner since this is the only restaurant available.
If you have cross country skis or snowshoes I would recommend bringing them, although you can rent them from the lodge. You can explore the trails around the lodge on your own or sign up for a tour. We did one day of skiing with a tour and one day of snowshoeing around the park partially on a tour and partially on our own. We were able to explore the upper and lower geyser basins behind the lodge, Biscuit Basin, and ski around Yellowstone creek.
At the lodge they also rent ice skates and have a small ice-skating rink just outside the lodge, which is a fun place to hang out in the evenings. The staff builds a big fire outside and you can sit by the fire to warm up in between skating. It is a nice way to pass some time in the evenings.
On the way out you also will be transported by the treaded bus and stop and walk one last path through the snow-covered geysers. The guides and park service do an excellent job of making sure that you see all the major sites in the park and take full advantage of the trips in and out of the lodge.
After you return to your car take a quick drive down to the Boiling River to soak the sore muscles after days of skiing and snowshoeing. The access to the river hot springs is just a short snowy walk from the parking lot. It is fun to see the steaming river next to the snowy banks. There are pools built up by rocks that help trap the hot water coming in to the river so you have a comfortable soak.
