Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
You won't have any difficulty finding guides and gear in the town of West Yellowstone.
Among the most respected, and certainly the best-known, is
Bud Lilly's Trout Shop
(39
Madison Ave., 406/646-7801,
www.budlillys.com
)
, which has been outfitting and guiding
anglers for 60 years. Another pretty famous name among anglers is Bob Jacklin of
Jack-
lin's Fly Shop
(105 Yellowstone Ave., 406/646-7336,
www.jacklinsflyshop.com
). Both
outfitters are licensed to guide in and out of Yellowstone National Park, and both carry an
excellent assortment of top-of-the-line gear. Jacklin's Fly Shop also hosts free fly casting
lessons every Sunday evening in summer. Anglers do not need state fishing licenses in Yel-
lowstone, but a Yellowstone fishing permit—available at any of the visitors centers in the
park—is required.
Mountain Biking and Cross-Country Skiing
Sandwiched between Yellowstone and the Gallatin National Forest on a high plateau, West
Yellowstone offers excellent terrain for mountain biking. Because of its high altitude and
location at the top of a reasonably flat plateau, West Yellowstone is also known for its cross-
country ski trails. The town's excellent
Rendezvous Ski Trails
(look for the archway at
the south end of Geyser St.,
www.rendezvousskitrails.com
)
offer roughly 22 miles of gently
rolling terrain, groomed for both skate and classic skiers, which easily converts to a single-
track for mountain bikers when the snow melts. Athletes from around the world have come
to train in West thanks in large part to this trail system. And it should be noted that the prox-
imity to Yellowstone opens up a whole new world of opportunity for both mountain bikers
and skiers.
The best bike and ski shop in town—which also has surprisingly stylish clothes, great
gear, and killer coffee—is the
Freeheel & Wheel
(33 Yellowstone Ave., 406/646-7744,
www.freeheelandwheel.com
). They rent, sell, and service bikes and skis and can offer any
advice you could possibly need on the region's best rides and trails.
Other Winter Recreation
Although snowmobiling inside the park has shifted with the four-stroke engine and guide
requirements along with daily entry limits, West Yellowstone is still considered the snow-
mobile capital of the world for its proximity to the 200 miles of groomed trails in the park
as well as hundreds of miles of groomed terrain in the national forests surrounding West.
There are numerous places in town to rent a snowmobile, and since the park mandates
that all snowmobilers within park boundaries use a guide, several outfits also offer guiding
services both in and out of the park.
Two Top Snowmobile Rental
(645 Gibbon Ave.,
800/522-7802,
www.twotopsnowmobile.com
)
has rentals for self-guided tours outside the
