Yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park in the Winter — My Yellowstone Adventure

Nick Morris

Nick Morris

— 2 min read

Exploring Yellowstone National Park in the Winter

Januray 2014

Photo by Author — my previous visit to Yellowstone National Park — Yellowstone in the summer
Photo by Author — my previous visit to Yellowstone National Park — Yellowstone in the summer

In August 2010, I visited Yellowstone National Park for the first time, and I was blown away by its beauty. I spent some time exploring the park by car and on foot and then went for six wonderful days on a guided horse trek. It was magical.

But I wanted to see the park in winter. So in the winter of 2013/2014, I returned to the area for two weeks of skiing, exploring and a four-day guided tour of the park.

In winter, access to the park is tightly controlled as the conditions are extreme, and you can only enter the park as part of a guided tour — we had decided to take the Old Faithful Winter Expedition.

The trip started at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel before moving on by snow coach to the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. From the Lodge, we then explored the surrounding area. The itinerary for the trip was as follows:

  • Day 1 — Welcome and orientation: Arrived at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. We had a review of the programme and a clothing and equipment check. Plus a question and answer session.
  • Day 2 — Geyser Basins and Wild Rivers: We travelled through the park on a snow coach from the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel to Old Faithful Snow Lodge. On the way, we stopped at Norris Geyser Basin, Madison Warming Hut (that was needed!), and Fountain Paint Pots.
  • Day 3 — Snowshoe/Walk through the Upper Geyser Basin: This was my favourite day on the trip, as I love snowshoeing, and we had the best weather. On day three, we explored the Upper Geyser Basin, Geyser Hill, Morning Glory, Biscuit Basin, and Black Sand Basin. It was amazing. When I visited the park in the summer of 2010, I watched Old Faithful erupt with about 1,000 other people. This time it was six people and me.
  • Day 4: Yellowstone Lake and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone: We did the Lower Loop tour, West Thumb Geyser Basin, Fishing Bridge, and Hayden Valley. Before returning to the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. We also visited the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and Upper and Lower Falls.

It was a fantastic trip and a great experience. But before that, time for some exploring and skiing.

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