Winter Weekend in Yellowstone: Wildlife & Snowy Adventures
If you’re dreaming of frozen lakes, snowy landscapes, and geysers erupting into crisp winter air, a winter weekend in Yellowstone might be exactly what you need. This itinerary takes you from Salt Lake City to West Yellowstone, with scenic stops, cozy stays, and an unforgettable snowmobile tour to see Old Faithful in its glory.
Evening arrival & Road to West Yellowstone
We landed in Salt Lake City on Friday evening after a delayed flight. After picking up our rental car and grabbing a quick bite, we hit the road for the 5-hour drive to West Yellowstone, Montana — one of the few winter-accessible entrances to the park. The weekend we went was terribly cold – it dropped down to -38ºF (it’s almost the same in ºC). Fortunately, there was heating in the car!
Day 1 – Enjoy a drive around the Lakes & Wildlife
Scenic lake drive near West Yellowstone
After a long drive and a quick sleep, we were ready to explore the city! We asked in the tourist information office what was the best thing to do in West Yellowstone in winter, and after getting some options, we opted for driving a road along several lakes: the Henry’s Lake, the Earthquake Lake, and the Hebgen Lake.
The Earthquake Lake has a tragic story associated to it. It was formed during a 7.2 earthquake in 1959. The earthquake produced a lot of destruction and a landslide that killed several people. It also formed the lake we can see nowadays.
Because of the cold weather, while driving around the lakes, we could spot a rare atmospheric phenomenon in the sky called sundog. You can see it in the image – while the bright spot may look like it’s the sun, it’s not. The sun is to the left of the image, behind the mountain.
Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone
Another cool stop we did was the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. This small refuge rescues wolfs, grizzly bears, and otters, and you can visit them during opening hours. Because bears are living a rather comfortable life, they don’t hibernate, so you can also see them during winter times. They had several groups of bears scheduled to go on walks at different times. We had to wait a bit until we saw some, but they are really impressive, especially from such close distance!
The center is relatively small. There is a field where the wolfs live, and in front, separated by a road, you can see the bears. Further along is the area with the otters, who have a river-like swimming pool built for their live.
Day 2 – Snowmobile Tour of Yellowstone National Park
This was the highlight of the trip. We booked a guided snowmobile tour into Yellowstone, one of the only ways to access the park in winter since most roads are closed to private vehicles. After a quick orientation and gear-up session (snow suit, helmet, gloves), and a brief introduction on how to drive a snowmobile, we followed our guide into a snow-covered Yellowstone. The landscape was unlike anything we had seen before — bison plowing through snowdrifts, frozen rivers, and steaming geysers creating plumes against the cold sky.
Old Faithful in Winter
Of course, the star of the show was Old Faithful. While the Visitr Center has a great building from where you can see the eruption, we opted for viewing it from the outside. The weather was less cold than in the morning, so viewing the eruption was quite pleasant. Due to the low temperature, the steam didn’t go as high as it can in summer – the vapor started to freeze, forming a cloud mid-way. Nonetheless, it was an impressive view!
Something you usually don’t see in the winter is the Grand Prismatic. Due to the clash of temperatures, there is a lot of evaporation that is accumulated close to the surface, which stops you from seeing the Prismatic. However, we did make a stop to see some hotsprings on our way back from Old Faithful. While it was interesting, they must be much more impressive in summer, as we barely could see them.
Idaho Falls Stop on the Way Back
After a brief sleep, we headed towards Salt Lake City again to catch our flight back to San Francisco. On the way, we did a brief stop to see the Idaho Falls. The falls were partly frozen, creating a beautiful wintry scene.
Is Yellowstone in Winter Is Worth It?
Yellowstone in winter is a completely different experience from what you might expect in summer — fewer people, surreal landscapes of steam and snow, and extreme cold. If you’re able to tolerate the cold, it’s a really cool experience!
How to reach Yellowstone?
Yellowstone is not close to any major cities, so visiting it requires some preparation. The most common route is to drive from Salt Lake City, an approximately 5 h scenic drive. However, there are other options. West Yellowstone has its own airport, only active during summer months and far from cheap. The other airports that are driving distance are Cody and Jackson, WY (1:10 h away); Bozeman and Billings, MT (1:45 h away), and Idaho Falls, ID (2 h away). If coming in winter, be aware that only the North Entrance at Gardiner is open the whole year.
Practical tips
- Book snowmobile tours in advance (they fill up fast!)
- If you don’t feel comfortable driving a snowmobile, book a tour with a snowcoach.
- Dress in layers and bring hand warmers
- Drive cautiously in winter — check road conditions before you go
- Give yourself extra travel time in case of snow
- Things get cancelled more often in winter. Bring something to entertain you in case this happens