Best Snowcoach Tours in Yellowstone

From December to March the roads to Old Faithful belong to the snow, and the only way in without a snowmobile is a heated coach on tracks that crawls past bison and steaming geyser basins. Snowcoach trips are scarce on GetYourGuide and Viator, so we read every winter listing for Yellowstone on both and kept four: a four-day trip from Jackson with a sleigh ride and a snowcoach day, the classic Old Faithful run by snowcoach, three days from Salt Lake City, and a wolf-watching day on the one road that stays open. What each costs and covers, and what the small print says.

  • Snowcoach season: mid-December to mid-MarchThe park grooms its interior roads for oversnow vehicles only, and closes them again in March
  • Book well aheadSeats are few, the holidays sell out first, and some listings only open once the winter dates are set

In a hurry? Our top pick for Yellowstone in winter is BrushBuck's four days from Jackson: ~$2,089 with three hotel nights, an Elk Refuge sleigh ride and a snowcoach day to Old Faithful, rated 5.0 from 30+ reviews on Viator. Book it here.

Book on Viator Book on GetYourGuide Compare all 4

Yellowstone in winter at a glance

  • A long day, or severalA snowcoach day to Old Faithful runs about 12 hours from Jackson. The multi-day trips build the drive around the park into the plan
  • Coach or snowmobile onlyCars cannot reach the geysers in winter. Snowcoaches and guided snowmobiles share the groomed roads
  • Four ways inJackson and West Yellowstone for the geysers, Bozeman and Gardiner for the open northern road, Salt Lake City for the airport
  • Below freezing all dayDaytime highs often sit between 0 and 20 °F (−18 to −7 °C). The coaches are heated, the boardwalks are not

If you only have a minute

Which Yellowstone snowcoach tour should you book?

If a friend asked us how to see Old Faithful in the snow, this is what we would tell them over a mug of something hot.

The best Yellowstone snowcoach tour for most first winter visits is BrushBuck's four days from Jackson, from ~$2,089. One guide drives you through Grand Teton and the National Elk Refuge, a horse-drawn sleigh takes you out among thousands of elk, and on the third day a snowcoach carries you along the Madison River to the paint pots and Old Faithful. All 30+ reviewers on Viator gave it five stars, and GetYourGuide lets you cancel for free up to 45 days ahead.

Only have one day in Jackson? Scenic Safaris' Old Faithful snowcoach day is the classic. From ~$550 you get breakfast and lunch, and it is rated 4.8 from 220+ reviews, but it sells on Viator only and opens late. Flying into Salt Lake City, Horizon's three days at ~$2,249 does the long drive for you. And if wolves matter more than geysers, Yellowstone Hiking Guides spends a day on the northern road from ~$292, no snowcoach needed.

None of these trips can promise you a wolf or clear skies. Check what a Yellowstone snowcoach tour costs and when the season runs, see how the winter tours work, then read what the winter listings play down before you pay.

Our pick

The winter tour we would book: BrushBuck's four days

Not a cheap trip, and only one of its days is spent on a snowcoach. It is the booking that shows you the most of the Yellowstone winter for one payment: Teton wildlife, the elk on their refuge, the geyser basins under snow and a guide who handles every mile of icy road.

A red horse-drawn sleigh full of riders crossing the snow behind a group of resting elk Our pick

4-Day Grand Teton and Yellowstone Winter Tour from Jackson, BrushBuck Wildlife Tours

5.0 / 5 from 30+ reviews on Viator · 5.0 / 5 from 9+ on GetYourGuide

You meet your guide and the group in Jackson in the afternoon and head straight out in a heated Suburban or a ten-seat van to look for moose and bighorn sheep (and perhaps wolves) in Grand Teton and along the edge of the National Elk Refuge. Next morning a horse-drawn sleigh takes you onto the refuge itself, where more than 5,000 elk spend the winter, before the van crosses the continental divide and swings around the closed park through Idaho to West Yellowstone.

Day three is the reason most people book. A snowcoach carries the group in from the west entrance along the Madison River (bison and elk feed by the open water there) to the bubbling mud of Fountain Paint Pot and on to Old Faithful, timed to see it erupt. The last day goes past the site of the 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake and back through the deep snow of Island Park to Jackson by mid-afternoon.

Price
from ~$2,089 per person, the same on both sites
Duration
4 days, 3 nights
On the snowcoach
One full day, into Yellowstone from the west
Rating
5.0 / 5 (Viator) · 5.0 / 5 (GetYourGuide)
Start and end
Jackson, Wyoming
Nights
2 and 3 star hotels in Jackson and West Yellowstone
Ages
6 and up
Cancellation
Free up to 45 days on GetYourGuide, non-refundable on Viator
Viator GetYourGuide

Live availability and prices on GetYourGuide

Powered by GetYourGuide

How the four days run

The order below follows the listing. Winter roads and the snow cover can shuffle the stops:

Jackson and Grand Teton

  • Day 1, afternoon: meet in Jackson, wildlife drive in Grand Teton and by the Elk Refuge
  • Day 2, early: horse-drawn sleigh ride on the National Elk Refuge
  • Day 2, later: more Teton wildlife, then the drive over the divide to West Yellowstone

Into the park

  • Day 3: snowcoach from West Yellowstone along the Madison River
  • Fountain Paint Pot and the Lower Geyser Basin on foot
  • Old Faithful, with time to watch an eruption from the boardwalk
  • Day 4: Hebgen Lake earthquake site and Island Park in Idaho
  • Back in Jackson at about 3 to 5 pm, dropped at most local hotels

What the price covers

The ticket buys the guide and the transport. Three nights are in it too, along with both of the big winter rides. Flights and most meals are on you.

Included
  • The Elk Refuge sleigh ride and the snowcoach day
  • Three nights in 2 and 3 star hotels
  • Breakfast on days 2 to 4, snacks and drinks
  • Binoculars for everyone and a spotting scope
  • Park entrance for US residents
Not included
  • Transfers to and from Jackson Hole Airport
  • Hotels in Jackson the night before and after
  • Lunches, dinners and the guide's tip
  • The park surcharge for visitors from abroad

Between us, before you go

A word from one cold-weather beginner to another. Three of the four days happen off the snowcoach, so read it as a winter wildlife trip with Old Faithful in the middle. In a snowless week the sleigh becomes a wagon on wheels, as one January guest found out. The same tour is non-refundable on Viator but free to cancel up to 45 days ahead on GetYourGuide, so pick the site with your plans in mind. The guides, Neil above all, are the reason the reviews read the way they do.

Book a Jackson hotel for the nights before and after, and pack proper winter boots: the company sends a list. Our winter packing guide goes layer by layer.

Why it beats a snowcoach day on its own

A single snowcoach day from Jackson spends hours just getting to the geysers and back. Here the group sleeps in West Yellowstone, so the coach starts at the closest gate and the day goes to the basins rather than the road. You also get the two other things Jackson does best in winter, the sleigh among the elk and Grand Teton under snow, without driving a mountain pass yourself. The multi-day winter tours compared sets it beside the Salt Lake City options.

Who we would not send on it

Anyone with one free day, who should look at the Old Faithful snowcoach day instead. Travelers flying into Utah, for whom Horizon's three days from Salt Lake City saves a flight. And wolf watchers on a budget, who will see more of the northern range with Yellowstone Hiking Guides for a fraction of the price.

Book it if

You want one booking that takes care of the whole Yellowstone winter. The drives on snowy roads and the hotels are covered, and so are the sleigh and the snowcoach, with a guide who carries a scope and knows where the moose stand. You land in Jackson with warm boots and leave the rest to BrushBuck.

Skip it if

Ready for the snow?

Both sites charge the same. A GetYourGuide booking can be cancelled at no cost until 45 days before the start; Viator does not refund at all but carries more reviews. With any doubt about your dates, book on GetYourGuide.

Viator GetYourGuide

The trip itself

How a Yellowstone winter tour works

Every listing on this page comes down to two questions. Do you want one long day or several shorter ones? And which month, from the first groomed roads before Christmas to the thaw in March?

Style · one long day

Out at dawn, back after dark

Scenic Safaris from Jackson, the northern road from Bozeman

8–12 hhotel pickup and meals, with a guide-driver all day

A pickup around 6 am, then hours on snowy roads with the geysers or the wolves in the middle, and a late return. The cheapest way to see the park in winter, if you can sit still that long.

Style · three to five days

A trip built around the closed park

BrushBuck from Jackson, Horizon from Salt Lake City

3–4 dayshotels, the drives around the park, one snowcoach day

The van drives you to West Yellowstone, you sleep near the gate, and the snowcoach day starts where the geysers are closest. You pay for the hotels and the guide, and give up some freedom.

Yellowstone weather and access, month by month

  • How busy the winter tours get
  1. Jan29°F high−2 °C

    Deep snow, frost on the bison, clear cold days

  2. Feb34°F high1 °C

    Longer days, wolves on the move, busy weeks

  3. Mar41°F high5 °C

    Snowcoaches stop about mid-month

  4. Apr49°F high9 °C

    Roads plowed, most still closed to cars

  5. May60°F high16 °C

    Park roads reopen, bison calves

  6. Jun70°F high21 °C

    Summer season, no snowcoaches

  7. Jul80°F high27 °C

    Peak summer crowds at the geysers

  8. Aug79°F high26 °C

    Warm days, cold nights, busy roads

  9. Sep68°F high20 °C

    Elk rut, first snow up high

  10. Oct54°F high12 °C

    Quiet, roads start closing late in the month

  11. Nov38°F high3 °C

    Closed to cars, too early for snowcoaches

  12. Dec29°F high−2 °C

    Snowcoaches start about mid-month, holiday rush

Temperatures are typical daytime highs at Mammoth Hot Springs, the lowest corner of the park; the geyser basins and the high roads run colder, and nights below 0 °F (−18 °C) are common in midwinter. The bars show roughly how busy the winter tours get. Highlighted months are the ones we would pick for deep snow and active wildlife while the snowcoach roads are open. The season in detail.

  1. Pick your gate firstJackson and West Yellowstone lead to the geysers by snowcoach; Gardiner and the northern road lead to the wolves by car. Where to start.
  2. Count the snowcoach hoursA four-day trip may hold one snowcoach day. Check which day it is and where it starts.
  3. Read the cancellation lineThe same tour can be free to cancel on one site and non-refundable on the other.
  4. Dress for zeroInsulated boots with grip, layers, mittens and spare batteries. What to wear.

When the snowcoach season runs goes through the winter week by week, from the first groomed roads to the March thaw.

How to choose

How to pick the right winter tour

The snowcoaches look alike in the photos. What differs is where the trip starts, how many days it takes and whether a snowcoach is in it at all.

Where you land

Jackson for BrushBuck and Scenic Safaris, Salt Lake City for Horizon, Bozeman for the northern road. The gateway towns compared.

Snowcoach or not

Three of the four tours ride a snowcoach to Old Faithful. The fourth drives the northern road, the best wolf country. The ways in compared.

Old Faithful

In winter the geyser erupts into air so cold that the steam can hang for minutes. Only an oversnow vehicle gets you there. Old Faithful in the snow.

Days

Anything from one long day to four days. The longer trips do the winter driving and the hotels for you. Multi-day tours.

Wildlife

Bison and elk are nearly certain, wolves never are. The Lamar Valley gives the best odds. What you might see.

Price

Per person, from ~$292 for the wildlife day to ~$2,249 for three days from Salt Lake City. Tips and the park surcharge for visitors from abroad come on top. Every price in one table.

Everything else to do in and around Yellowstone

The 4 tours

Four Yellowstone winter tours, side by side

We read every Yellowstone winter listing on both booking sites for tours starting anywhere from Jackson and West Yellowstone to Bozeman and Salt Lake City, and kept the four we would book ourselves. Each card gives the price and rating with the operator and the catch, and a button for each site that sells it.

A bull elk with a wide spread of antlers standing alone in a snowy meadow Our pick

4-Day Grand Teton and Yellowstone Winter Tour from Jackson, BrushBuck Wildlife Tours

We'd send our parents on this one, and happily tag along.

A guided winter loop from Jackson: Teton wildlife drives, a sleigh ride on the National Elk Refuge, a night in West Yellowstone and a snowcoach day to Fountain Paint Pot and Old Faithful. Three hotel nights and breakfasts are included.

  • Duration4 days, 3 nights, one snowcoach day
  • OperatorBrushBuck Wildlife Tours
  • RatingViator 5.0 (30+) · GetYourGuide 5.0 (9+)
  • StartJackson, Wyoming
  • StrengthsSleigh, snowcoach and Teton wildlife with one guide
  • Ideal forA first winter visit, couples, anyone who hates icy driving

Good to know: The priciest of the four, with one snowcoach day in four. It is non-refundable on Viator and not for children under 6. Airport transfers and most meals cost extra. The multi-day trips.

~$2,089per person
Viator GetYourGuide
Steam rolling over a wooden boardwalk and snowy thermal terraces on a grey winter day

Yellowstone Old Faithful Snowcoach Tour from Jackson Hole, Scenic Safaris

The classic snowcoach day from the south. Hotel pickup in Jackson is before dawn, and the first stops are Moose Falls and West Thumb on the shore of the frozen lake. Lunch comes with a couple of hours by Old Faithful, and Fountain Paint Pot follows on the return. Breakfast and lunch are included, as are park fees.

  • DurationAbout 12 hours
  • OperatorScenic Safaris
  • RatingViator 4.8 (220+)
  • PickupJackson and Teton Village hotels, about 6 am
  • StrengthsThe only snowcoach day trip on either site
  • Ideal forOne free day in Jackson, Old Faithful above all

Good to know: Viator only and non-refundable. The listing showed as not bookable when we compared, as winter dates open late, and seats are confirmed only after you pay. A very long day. Old Faithful in winter.

~$550per person
Viator
A deep blue hot pool steaming in the snow with frosted trees on the far side

3-Day Yellowstone Winter Wildlife Tour from Salt Lake City, Horizon Travel Team

Pickup at the Salt Lake City airport or your hotel, then the drive north to West Yellowstone. Next comes a full day on a heated snowcoach that visits Black Sand Basin and the paint pots before Old Faithful. A boxed lunch and a short snowshoe walk are part of that day, and a soak at Lava Hot Springs ends the trip on the way back.

  • Duration3 days, 2 nights, one snowcoach day
  • OperatorHorizon Travel Team
  • RatingNew on GetYourGuide, no reviews yet
  • PickupSalt Lake City airport or hotels
  • StrengthsNo winter driving for you, small group of ten at most
  • Ideal forTravelers flying into Utah

Good to know: No track record yet, and it runs only with four or more guests. Five to six hours of driving each way, a single supplement for solo travelers, flights home best booked for the next day. Starting from Salt Lake City.

~$2,249per person
GetYourGuide
Two bison with frosted coats pushing heads together in the snow among sagebrush

Winter in Yellowstone Wildlife Tour, Yellowstone Hiking Guides

A day on the one park road that stays open to cars. It passes through Paradise Valley and the Roosevelt Arch, gives the Lamar Valley about two hours at the spotting scopes, then takes in the Mammoth Hot Springs terraces and the Old Gardiner Road. Six guests at most. Hot drinks and snacks come with a picnic lunch.

  • Duration8–12 hours, February to April
  • OperatorYellowstone Hiking Guides
  • RatingViator 5.0 (14+) · new on GetYourGuide
  • PickupWest Yellowstone, Big Sky, Bozeman
  • StrengthsWolf country, a small group, the lowest price
  • Ideal forWildlife watchers, a first taste of the winter park

Good to know: No snowcoach and no Old Faithful, since that road is closed to wheels. The $20 North Entrance fee is extra, and from West Yellowstone the day starts at 6 am. Winter wildlife.

~$292per person
Viator GetYourGuide

A small heads-up. These are GetYourGuide and Viator affiliate links, so when you book through one we earn a little commission and you pay exactly the same. It keeps this guide going and never touches our ranking or the catches we point out.

Before you go

Eight things about winter tours that no listing puts in big letters

None of these sits at the top of a booking page, and each one decides whether you come home thrilled or wondering why you paid for a van.

What you should know

  1. Snowcoach tours are rare on the big booking sites. Most snowcoach companies sell direct from West Yellowstone. On GetYourGuide and Viator you find a handful, and the day trips appear only once their winter dates open. What a snowcoach is.
  2. "Winter tour" does not always mean snowcoach. A day on the northern road shows you wolves and Mammoth, never Old Faithful. Read the itinerary for the word snowcoach.
  3. A multi-day trip may hold one snowcoach day. The rest is driving around the closed park, wildlife stops and nights in hotels. Good days, but know what you are buying.
  4. Cancellation depends on the site. BrushBuck's tour is free to cancel 45 days ahead on GetYourGuide and non-refundable on Viator. Scenic Safaris on Viator refunds nothing.
  5. Visitors from abroad pay extra at the gate. Non-US visitors now owe roughly $100 each for every park they enter, under a recent rule, and the tours cover the entrance for US residents only.
  6. Wolves are possible, never certain. Bison and elk you will see. Wolves need luck, a scope and the Lamar Valley. What lives out there.
  7. Low snow changes the plan. In a thin winter the Elk Refuge sleigh becomes a wagon, and the snowcoach roads can open late or close early.
  8. The cold is the real catch. Highs between 0 and 20 °F (−18 to −7 °C) are normal, the boardwalks are icy and phone batteries die fast. What to wear.

Everything in one table

Four winter tours, catch included

The four tours side by side. Each row puts a tour's strength next to its catch.

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns →

Tour Ideal for Price Length Starts from Operator and rating Strength and catch Book
BrushBuck four days (our pick) A first winter visit ~$2,089 4 days, 1 snowcoach day Jackson, Wyoming BrushBuck Wildlife Tours
Viator 5.0 (30+)
GetYourGuide 5.0 (9+)		 Sleigh, snowcoach, Teton wildlife. Priciest, non-refundable on Viator.
ViatorGetYourGuide
Scenic Safaris snowcoach day One day, Old Faithful ~$550 About 12 h Jackson hotel pickup Scenic Safaris
Viator 4.8 (220+)		 The classic snowcoach day. Viator only, opens late, no refunds.
Viator
Horizon three days Flying into Utah ~$2,249 3 days, 1 snowcoach day Salt Lake City Horizon Travel Team
GetYourGuide, new		 Airport pickup, hot springs. No reviews yet, needs four guests.
GetYourGuide
Winter wildlife day Wolves on a budget ~$292 8–12 h Bozeman, Big Sky, West Yellowstone Yellowstone Hiking Guides
Viator 5.0 (14+)
GetYourGuide, new		 Lamar Valley, six guests. No snowcoach, no Old Faithful.
ViatorGetYourGuide

About the numbers. Prices are per-person "from" rates in US dollars (the lower one when a tour is on both sites), and ratings are what each site showed when we compared. Dates and group size move them, as do offers. The snowcoach day's price comes from its last bookable winter, so peek at both. The booking page has the final word.

Who went

Reviews from travelers who rode the snow

Fourteen travelers, some under a bluebird sky and some in snow from dawn to dusk, on what won them over and what they would do differently.

★★★★★4 days with a snowcoach day

We booked the four days mostly for Old Faithful and came home talking about the elk. The sleigh went out at first light onto the refuge, and there were so many animals lying in the snow that the driver had to steer around them. Our guide Neil carried a spotting scope everywhere and found us a moose in Grand Teton, bighorn sheep on a cliff and a coyote trotting along a fence. The snowcoach day was long and bumpy and I loved every minute. The hotels were simple, which nobody minded after ten hours in the cold.

RKRachel K. · Leeds, EnglandBluebird sky
★★★★★4 days with a snowcoach day

Bison walked past our snowcoach window, close enough to see the ice in their fur.

TNTakeshi N. · Osaka, JapanSnowing all day
★★★★☆4 days with a snowcoach day

A lovely trip, but there was almost no snow in Jackson the week we went, so the sleigh was a wagon on wheels. The elk did not care and neither did we after an hour. Book the Jackson hotel for the last night early, we nearly forgot.

MBMonique B. · Montréal, CanadaBluebird sky
★★★★★4 days with a snowcoach day

Four days, one guide who never stopped pointing things out, and Old Faithful erupting into air so cold the steam hung there for minutes.

GHGreg H. · Austin, TexasBluebird sky
★★★★★4 days with a snowcoach day

I am not a winter person and I was nervous about four cold days. The vans were warm, the guide had a packing list for us weeks before, and the breakfasts were early but filling. The drive around through Idaho to West Yellowstone took most of a day, which surprised me. We still saw elk and an eagle on the way.

SLSofie L. · Aarhus, DenmarkSnowing all day
★★★★★Old Faithful snowcoach day

Picked up at 6 am in Jackson with a hot breakfast, Old Faithful by lunch.

PWPaul W. · Denver, ColoradoBluebird sky
★★★★★Old Faithful snowcoach day

The coach was older than me and it felt like riding in a yellow toy across the snow. Our driver stopped at West Thumb so we could walk the boardwalk by the frozen lake, and the steam from the pools drifted over the ice. Old Faithful erupted ten minutes after we arrived. A very long day, twelve hours, so sleep well the night before.

ACAna C. · Lisbon, PortugalBluebird sky
★★★★☆Old Faithful snowcoach day

Old Faithful and the paint pots were worth the trip, the twelve hours less so with a cold. Warm coach, good lunch. Bring a book for the drive back in the dark.

JDJonas D. · Hamburg, GermanySnowing all day
★★★★★Old Faithful snowcoach day

It snowed from the moment we left Jackson until we came back, and somehow that made it better. The geyser basins were full of steam and the trees were white. A pair of swans sat on a stretch of open river that the hot springs keep from freezing. Our driver knew where every pull-out was and never rushed us at Fountain Paint Pot. The booking confirmation took a while to come through, so do not plan the rest of the trip around one exact date.

EMEmily M. · Wellington, New ZealandSnowing all day
★★★★★3 days from Salt Lake City

We flew into Salt Lake City and let someone else do the winter driving.

LRLuca R. · Turin, ItalyBluebird sky
★★★★★3 days from Salt Lake City

Our group was only six. The snowcoach day was the highlight: Black Sand Basin, then Old Faithful right on the predicted time, then a short snowshoe walk in the trees. The hot springs on the last day were a perfect way to thaw out before the airport. Order the boxed lunch ahead, as they ask.

HPHannah P. · Rotterdam, NetherlandsBluebird sky
★★★★★Winter wildlife by road

No snowcoach on this one, and I knew that when I booked. What I got was two hours in the Lamar Valley with Josh and a spotting scope, three wolves crossing a white slope, bison steaming in the sun and a fox diving head first into the snow after a mouse. Lunch was better than it needed to be. The 6 am pickup in West Yellowstone hurts, but it is the only way to be in the valley when the animals are moving.

COChris O. · Calgary, CanadaBluebird sky
★★★★☆Winter wildlife by road

Six of us in a Suburban, hot cocoa, elk all over Mammoth. No wolves on our day, which the guide warned us about.

SBSarah B. · Dublin, IrelandSnowing all day
★★★★★Winter wildlife by road

The best value in Yellowstone in winter. We never felt rushed, and the guide pulled over every time someone shouted.

MTMark T. · Melbourne, AustraliaBluebird sky

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Boots laced

Book BrushBuck for your Yellowstone winter

If you have four days and want to see Yellowstone in winter the way you will still be describing it at dinner, we would book BrushBuck's tour from Jackson. A guide with a spotting scope, a sleigh among thousands of elk, a snowcoach to Old Faithful and nobody in the group driving on ice.

It holds a perfect 5.0 from 30+ Viator reviews, and a GetYourGuide booking stays free to cancel until 45 days out. Pack proper boots and a warm hat.

~$2,089

per person · 4 days · from Jackson

Viator GetYourGuide
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 45 days before on GetYourGuide
  • ✓ Three hotel nights and breakfasts included
  • ✓ Sleigh ride and snowcoach day included
  • ✓ Binoculars and a spotting scope on board

Good to know

Why Yellowstone closes its roads in winter, and what you are looking at

Five minutes of reading, and the steaming rivers will make a lot more sense. So will the yellow coaches and the driver's sudden stops for bison.

Yellowstone sits on top of a volcano, and in winter you can see it breathing. Hot water rises through the snow in hundreds of places, rivers stay open where springs feed them, and every geyser basin wears its own cloud of steam. The high plateau also collects deep snow, so from November the park stops plowing most of its roads and grooms them for vehicles that run on top of the snow instead.

01The first national park

Congress set the park aside in 1872, the first national park anywhere. It covers about 2.2 million acres, mostly in Wyoming with edges in Montana and Idaho, and holds about half of the world's active geysers. In summer millions drive its loop roads. In winter only a small share of that number comes, and most of them arrive by snowcoach. Old Faithful in the snow.

02Roads for snow, not cars

Between roughly mid-December and mid-March the park grooms its interior roads for snowcoaches and guided snowmobiles only. The park limits how many go in each day, which keeps the geyser basins quiet. One road stays open to cars all year, from the North Entrance at Gardiner past Mammoth Hot Springs and through the Lamar Valley. Ways into the winter park.

03The yellow coaches

The first snowcoaches came from Joseph-Armand Bombardier's workshop in Quebec, boxy vehicles with skis at the front and tracks behind, and they have carried visitors in Yellowstone since the 1950s. A few restored ones still run beside modern vans fitted with tracks or giant tires. All of them are warm but slow and bumpy. What a snowcoach is.

The moment most winter visitors remember is not the geyser. It is the bison that walks out of the steam beside the coach with frost on its back and does not hurry.

04Who stays for the winter

Bison stay and plough the snow with their heads to reach the grass. Elk come down to lower ground, thousands of them to the National Elk Refuge at Jackson. Wolves follow the elk (they were brought back in 1995 and 1996), and the Lamar Valley is where people with scopes watch them. Grizzlies sleep until about March. Winter wildlife.

05The canyon in the snow

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone half freezes in winter, with an ice cone building at the foot of the Lower Falls. Reaching it takes a long snowcoach day run by local companies, and none of the tours on this page goes there. The canyon in winter.

06Manners in the snow

Stay at least 25 yards (23 m) from bison and elk and 100 yards (91 m) from wolves, and let the animals have the road. Stick to the boardwalks in the thermal areas, where the crust can be thin and the water below is scalding. Feeding any animal is illegal. Your driver will stop for wildlife; that is the moment to keep your voice down.

1872The first national park

2.2 millionAcres inside the park

1950sThe first snowcoaches arrive

1995Wolves return to Yellowstone

Not sure where to start your trip? Our gateway-town guide weighs the four bases.

Questions and answers

Frequently asked questions about Yellowstone snowcoach tours

Twelve questions we hear again and again, with the full answer.

How much does a Yellowstone snowcoach tour cost?

The snowcoach day from Jackson runs from about ~$550 per person including meals and park fees. The longer trips that fit in a snowcoach day cost ~$2,089 from Jackson and ~$2,249 from Salt Lake City, hotels included. A winter wildlife day by road is ~$292. Tips are extra everywhere. Every price and extra is in our cost guide.

Which Yellowstone winter tour is the best?

For a first winter visit, BrushBuck's four days from Jackson. The trip pairs Teton wildlife and the Elk Refuge sleigh with a snowcoach day to Old Faithful. Viator reviewers rate it 5.0 from 30+ reviews. With only one day, Scenic Safaris' Old Faithful snowcoach trip from Jackson is the classic.

When do snowcoach tours run in Yellowstone?

Roughly from mid-December until mid-March, while the park keeps its interior roads groomed for oversnow travel. The roads close to cars in early November and reopen in spring. The northern road from Gardiner stays open to cars all year. The season month by month.

Can you see Old Faithful in winter?

Yes, though the roads to it are closed to cars, so you go by snowcoach or guided snowmobile or on skis. It keeps erupting roughly every hour to two hours all winter, and in cold air the steam column is far bigger than in summer. Old Faithful in winter.

Can you drive into Yellowstone in winter?

Only on the northern road. It enters the park at Gardiner and passes Mammoth Hot Springs on its way across the Lamar Valley to Cooke City. Every other road is closed to cars. Yellowstone Hiking Guides' winter wildlife day uses that road.

What is a snowcoach?

A heated, enclosed coach riding on tracks or very large tires that runs over the groomed snow roads. Some are restored Bombardier coaches from the middle of the last century, others modern vans on tracks. A guide drives and talks. How a snowcoach rides.

Snowcoach or snowmobile, which is better?

A snowcoach is warmer and easier with children, and it lets you look out of the window instead of at the road. A snowmobile is faster but colder and louder. It needs a driver's license and must go with a guide. The options compared.

Will I see wolves on a winter tour?

Maybe. No operator can promise wolves. Your best odds are in the Lamar Valley early in the day with a spotting scope, which is how the winter wildlife day works. Bison and elk you will almost certainly see. What you might see.

How cold is Yellowstone in winter?

Highs of 0 to 20 °F (−18 to −7 °C) are typical by day, and nights drop well below zero. Snowcoaches are heated, but you get out at every stop. Pack insulated boots and mittens, and dress in layers. What to wear.

Where should I start a winter trip to Yellowstone?

West Yellowstone is closest to Old Faithful by snowcoach. Jackson adds Grand Teton and the Elk Refuge. Bozeman and Gardiner lead to the northern road and the wolves, and Salt Lake City has the biggest airport but a long drive. The gateway towns.

Do the tours include the park entrance fee?

BrushBuck and Horizon cover it for US residents, and Scenic Safaris includes park fees. Travelers from outside the US now add roughly $100 each per park on top. On the winter wildlife day you pay $20 per person at the North Entrance unless a park pass covers your group.

Can I cancel a snowcoach tour for free?

It depends on the tour and the site. BrushBuck's four days cancel for free up to 45 days ahead on GetYourGuide but not at all on Viator. Scenic Safaris is non-refundable. Horizon and Yellowstone Hiking Guides cancel for free up to 24 hours before.

Read before you travel

Guides to Yellowstone in winter

Ten questions that keep coming up, each with the long answer instead of the short one.