Yellowstone’s winter season starts Dec. 15
by Yellowstone National Park
December 15, 2015
Yellowstone National Park will open to the public for motorized oversnow travel as scheduled on Tuesday morning, December 15.
Beginning at 7:00 a.m., visitors will be able to travel the park’s interior roads on commercially guided snowmobiles and snowcoaches from the North, West, and South Entrances. Visitors who have proper permits can also participate in the Non-commercially Guided Snowmobile Access Program (learn more at http://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/management/ngsap.htm ). Travel through the park’s East Entrance over Sylvan Pass is scheduled to begin December 22.
The road from the park’s North Entrance at Gardiner, Montana, through Mammoth Hot Springs and on to Cooke City, Montana, outside the park’s Northeast Entrance is open to wheeled vehicle travel all year.
The Geyser Grill, the Bear Den Gift Shop, and the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center open for the season on December 15. The Old Faithful Snow Lodge and Cabins and the Obsidian Dining Room open on December 20.
The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, dining room, and gift shop will open for the season on December 18. The Yellowstone General Store, medical clinic, campground, post office and the Albright Visitor Center at Mammoth Hot Springs are open all year, as are the 24-hour gasoline pumps at Mammoth Hot Springs and Tower Junction.
Communities surrounding Yellowstone are open year-round, and local businesses offer a wide range of winter recreation opportunities. Extensive information and assistance for planning a visit to Yellowstone during the winter is on the park’s website at http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/visiting-yellowstone-in-winter.htm.
Park staff members will continue to monitor road conditions and weather forecasts that can have an impact on roadways and guided oversnow travel operations. Weather during the winter season is extremely unpredictable in Yellowstone and road closures or delays can occur with little or no warning. Visitors should come prepared, carry personal emergency survival equipment in their vehicles, and dress appropriately for outside activities in extremely cold weather.
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