Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SLEEPING
Although competition for campsites and lodging may be fierce, there's nothing quite like
falling asleep to the eerie sounds of bugling elk and howling wolves and waking to the sul-
fur smell of the earth erupting and bubbling in the area.
You can make reservations for park accommodations and five of the park's 12 camp-
grounds through the park concessionaire
Xanterra
( 866-GEYSERLAND,
307-344-7311;
www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com
;
Jun-Aug 7am-6pm, other
months 8am-5pm)
. Online bookings are now possible for both hotels and campgrounds.
YELLOWSTONE'S WINTER WONDERLAND
Winter is a magical time to visit Yellowstone. The falls turn to frozen curtains of ice, the geysers spurt taller and
steamier than normal and surrounding 'ghost trees' turn into surreal frozen steam sculptures. The warm thermal
areas around Old Faithful, Norris and Mammoth become winter refuges for elk and bison, and the thermally heated
(and thus still flowing) rivers attract plenty of waterfowl.
The winter season runs from late December to mid-March, and activity centers on Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel
and Old Faithful Snow Lodge, the only two accommodations open in the park. Independent travel is more difficult
in winter, and most people sign up for a lodging and activity package, which often works out cheaper than arran-
ging things yourself. The
Yellowstone Institute
(
307-344-2294;
www.yellowstoneassociation.org/institute
)
runs some particularly good winter programs.
Accessing the park is an adventure in itself. The only road open year-round is the northern Mammoth-Cooke
City road via Tower-Roosevelt Junction, plus an extension to Mammoth's Upper Terraces. The long-term future of
Yellowstone winter use lies in mass-transit snowcoaches. During the season,
Xanterra
(
307-344-7311
) oper-
ates one-way snowcoach tours once daily between Old Faithful and Mammoth ($70), West Yellowstone ($57) and
Flagg Ranch ($70). There are also three express runs a day between Old Faithful and West Yellowstone ($55). Most
other snowcoach companies offer only return day trips from West Yellowstone.
Trips inside the park include day snowcoach tours to Canyon from Old Faithful ($130) and Mammoth ($125),
half-day tours to Norris from Mammoth ($57) and three-hour tours from Old Faithful to the Firehole Basin
($32.75).
Winter Facilities
Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Old Faithful Snow Lodge and their restaurants are the only places open, though
there is limited (and cold!) winter camping at Mammoth Campground. In theory, you can snow camp anywhere in
the park (including in the vicinity of Old Faithful) with a backcountry permit, but winter camping conditions are for
specialists only.
Both hotels rent snowshoes, cross-country skis and winter attire, and they also offer skiing instruction and snow-
mobile tours. After a day on a snowmobile you'll need a dip in Mammoth Hotel's hot tubs or a massage from the
Old Faithful Snow Lodge.
