Yellowstone Winter Vacation

We reserve the right to alter our listed itinerary based on current snow conditions, to maximize your enjoyment!

DAY 1

Your guides will meet you around lunchtime in Bozeman, Montana, where we begin and end our adventure. We’ll transfer from there through the Paradise Valley to Wonderland Lodge, our basecamp in the small town of Gardiner for the week, about 75 minutes away. We’ll have a brief orientation, pack some energy food, and dress for the weather before heading out for our first afternoon of snowshoeing at Mammoth Hot Springs (Yellowstone’s headquarters). After a short instructional snowshoeing clinic (probably the easiest sport in the world to learn!) we’ll set off to explore the groomed 1.5-mile loop around the upper terraces. 

The terraces are unique from other thermal areas of the park. As hot water rises through the limestone from below it interacts with hot gases and forms an acidic solution that dissolves the rock and ultimately deposits a white chalky material known as travertine, which forms beautiful terraces on the side of the hill that we can walk among. Because we are at a lower elevation than most of the Park, the snow depths here entice wintering elk and deer to stick around and you’ll probably see many of them at Mammoth.

Tonight your guides will host a happy hour and casual dinner in their lodge room in front of a roaring fire.

Snowshoe Mileage: 1.5 miles (with the option for an extra mileage for those who want it)

DAY 2

After breakfast in our lodge, we'll pack our trail lunches and return to Mammoth Hot Springs, giving you time to explore the visitors center, the historic Mammoth Hotel, and perhaps walk the terraces below yesterday’s snowshoe trail. Our snowcoach (a van fitted with either gigantic snow tires or special treads similar to a snowmobile instead of wheels so it can easily cross the snow-covered roads) will take us out to Indian Creek before dropping us off at the start of the trail that wraps around Bunsen Peak (Yes, that Bunsen! - named for German chemist Robert Bunsen who studied geysers and invented the Bunsen Burner). We’ll strap on our snowshoes and walk on a gentle trail through rolling timbered terrain with panoramic views of the glorious peaks of the Gallatin Range, before reaching an overlook of Osprey Falls and continuing downhill back into Mammoth. 

We’ll have dinner at the excellent Wonderland café before lights out. Another exciting day awaits us tomorrow!

Snowshoe Mileage: 6 miles

DAY 3

Today we head straight into the Park’s interior via the Grand Loop Road, closed to traffic for the winter!  We’ll have a private snowcoach transport* us for the day. Our first stop is Norris Geyser Basin, the hottest, oldest, and most dynamic of Yellowstone's thermal areas and home to Steamboat Geyser, the tallest geyser in the world -- when it erupts it can go up to 400 feet in the air (more than twice the height of Old Faithful)! There are over two miles of boardwalks and trails here to experience the hundreds of densely packed geothermal features in one of the most extreme environments on earth: geysers, pungent odors, hot springs with all the colors of the rainbow, microscopic life, and hissing steam.

From there, our snowcoach trundles along, likely experiencing a few “buffalo jams” (Yellowstone’s version of traffic jams) before arriving at our next destination: the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. This 20-mile long canyon carved by the gorgeous Yellowstone River features a colorful stone interior (including the “yellow” stone for which the park was named) and a couple of waterfalls that will knock your socks off. We’ll get out and snowshoe along the rim overlooking the falls before returning to Mammoth the same way we came.  

After dinner, we’ll don our warm clothes and walk guided by starlight, moonlight (or headlamp) to the iconic Roosevelt Arch to toast the world’s first national park. 

Snowshoe Mileage: approximately 5 miles

*NOTE: Private vehicles are not able to travel to the interior of the Park in the winter. However it is very much worth the high price to rent a private snowcoach to take us in to see more geothermal features, wildlife and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Equally as important, we will have these areas almost all to ourselves! The cost for a private snowcoach will be split among your group members and added to the tour price. So, for instance, if your group size is 6, this cost is $365 per person and if your group size is 8, this cost is $275.

DAY 4

This morning a hearty breakfast is in order, as we’ll be out -- and very active -- all day. We’ll tuck our lunches into our packs and head toward the park’s northeast entrance and the Lamar Valley. Our first hike takes us on a wide trail to the end of the Yellowstone Canyon and the Tower Fall overlook, where Tower Creek drops 132-foot into the Yellowstone River. The steep, columnar basalt cliffs on the opposite side of the river from the overlook are remnants of an ancient lava flow and will wow even those who are not into geology.  

Our next hike starts at the Lamar Buffalo Ranch and follows Rose Creek up to one of three wolf acclimation pens built for the controversial reintroduction of wolves in the park in 1995. Three wolves transported from Canada were housed in this historic pen until they would acclimatize and not run back north. The pen was opened after several months and the three wolves began their new life in Yellowstone. 

We’ll continue to drive further into the Lamar Valley, keeping our eyes open for bison, bighorn sheep and bald eagles as we venture further into the park. Wildlife in the valley is abundant in the winter. You may see bison, elk, deer, moose, coyotes, fox, bald eagles, wolves, and an occasional river otter along the way today. In fact, the Lamar Valley is now famous among wildlife observers as probably the best place in the world to view wild wolves, specifically in winter when they follow the ungulates (elk, deer, etc) down from higher terrain.

If there is enough time today, you'll have the option this afternoon or evening to soak in the natural mineral waters of Yellowstone Hot Springs. Relaxing in the outdoor pools is the perfect way to soak up the natural beauty of Yellowstone surrounding us.

Tonight's dinner is again downstairs at the Wonderland Cafe. You’ll be happy to relax with a glass of wine or hot chocolate next to the fire and regale one another with stories from the day.  Your well-used muscles will appreciate how comfy and warm your bed feels tonight!

Snowshoe Mileage: up to 8 miles

DAY 5

This may be our last morning, but there is still fun to be had for those who want it!  We'll get up early to enjoy one last snowshoe down the old stagecoach road from Mammoth all the way back down to our hotel in Gardiner, with beautiful vistas of towering snow-covered peaks, herds of bison and elk, and the glittering waters of the Yellowstone and Gardiner Rivers below us. You’ll have time to shower and pack up before we check out and return to Bozeman, where you can choose to extend your vacation (we think a couple days of downhill skiing in Big Sky is a great idea!) or return home.

Snowshoe Mileage: 4 miles