When the Yellowstone snowcoach season runs
Yellowstone in winter has a short window and firm edges. The roads to Old Faithful open to snowcoaches for roughly three months, and each of those months feels different on the ground. The holidays are busy and dear, January is the deep freeze, February often gives the most for your money, and March is mild but closing. The northern road to Lamar Valley stays open to cars the whole time.
A short season with firm edges
In early November the park closes most of its roads to cars. For a few weeks almost nothing moves in the interior while the snow builds up.
Then, from about mid-December to mid-March, the groomed interior roads carry only snowcoaches and guided snowmobiles. That is your one window for riding to Old Faithful in winter.
One road ignores this calendar. Weather permitting, cars can drive it all year from Gardiner in Montana past Mammoth Hot Springs to the Lamar Valley and on to Cooke City. The road tours on this site use it.
| Period | Interior roads | What it is like | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early November to mid-December | Closed to cars, not yet open to snowcoaches | Quiet, snow arriving, no Old Faithful trips | Road tours on the northern range only |
| Late December | Open to oversnow vehicles | Holiday crowds, the dearest weeks | Families tied to school breaks who book early |
| January | Open to oversnow vehicles | Coldest, deepest snow, clear frozen days | Photographers chasing frost and steam |
| February | Open to oversnow vehicles | Longer days, still deep winter | Most first-time visitors |
| March | Oversnow travel ends about mid-month | Milder, softer snow | Late planners and wildlife watchers by road |
The opening and closing dates depend on snow and on the park's grooming, so they shift a little from one winter to the next. Treat the edges as approximate and check the listing before you fly in.
Late December and the holidays
Christmas and New Year bring the busiest weeks of the winter, and the dearest. Hotels in Jackson and West Yellowstone fill early, and the small-group snowcoach tours have only so many seats. Tied to school holidays? Book as soon as the winter dates appear.
Side trips need the same planning. Double H Bar's National Elk Refuge sleigh ride, from ~$43, asks guests to book well ahead over the holidays, and the provider assigns your exact ride time after you book.
Its catch is the snow itself. A thin week puts you on a bumpy wheeled wagon instead. There is no hotel pickup either, so you make your own way to the visitor center lot on North Cache Street.
January, the deep freeze
January is usually the coldest month and the one with the deepest snow. In the park the daytime high often hovers around 0–20 °F (−18 to −7 °C), with mornings far below zero.
What you get back is clear, frozen days, with steam columns towering over the geyser basins and bison walking around with frost caked on their faces and backs. Photographers tend to love it.
The cold cuts both ways. Fingers stop working on camera buttons and batteries drain in minutes, so read what to wear on a Yellowstone winter tour before you pack.
January can disappoint in a dry winter. One BrushBuck guest found the Elk Refuge too bare for a sleigh in a snowless January and rode a windy wagon instead.
February, often the sweet spot
February keeps the deep-winter look while the days grow noticeably longer. That matters on a tour that runs from before dawn until after dark. By now the snowcoach roads are well established, and the holiday rush has gone.
It is also a good month for watching wolves on the northern range, when the packs are active and dark animals stand out against the snow. No tour can guarantee a sighting in any month.
Yellowstone Hiking Guides' winter wildlife tour, from ~$292, runs from February to April according to its listing. It drives the open northern road, not a snowcoach route. So no Old Faithful, but the Lamar Valley gets roughly two hours at the scopes.
Another road option is Good Trip Adventures' private day, from ~$973, with about three hours in the Lamar Valley and a picnic lunch. Being private, it charges per person, so the cost climbs quickly. Our wildlife page explains where each animal tends to be.
Dates fixed, plans not
BrushBuck's four days from Jackson cost ~$2,089 and include a snowcoach day to Old Faithful. Cancel free until 45 days out if you book on GetYourGuide; on Viator the same tour is non-refundable.
March and the end of the oversnow season
March is milder, and the midday sun has real warmth. Softer snow and kinder light suit people who find January brutal.
The calendar is the problem. Oversnow travel ends around mid-March, so a trip planned for late March has no snowcoach day at all, and the only way into the park is the northern road.
Bears begin to leave their dens around this time, but early sightings are rare and nothing on this site promises one. With only March to work with, aim for the first half of the month and confirm the tour's dates before booking flights.
What time the day starts
Winter tours start early, because the drive is long and the light is short. Scenic Safaris' Old Faithful snowcoach day, from ~$550, collects guests from hotels in Jackson and Teton Village at about 6 am and runs for roughly 12 hours.
Yellowstone Hiking Guides starts at 6 am at the West Yellowstone visitor center. Big Sky pickup is at 7 am and Bozeman at 8:15 am, with drop-offs in the same order from about 4 pm. Plan an early night before and a slow morning after.
Inside the park, the hours around Old Faithful are set by the geyser, not the clock. Tours time their stop to the park's eruption prediction, and Old Faithful in winter by snowcoach covers how that works.
How far ahead to book
Further ahead than you would for a summer day trip.
Viator says Yellowstone Hiking Guides' tour is booked about 45 days in advance on average, and it takes six guests at most. BrushBuck's free cancellation window on GetYourGuide is also 45 days, which tells you how the operator plans.
Scenic Safaris works differently. Its listing confirms snowcoach availability only after you book, and your card is charged on confirmation. The booking is non-refundable.
When we compared tours its listing showed "not bookable for now". That is normal for a seasonal trip, so you may find it unavailable until the winter dates open.
For the money side of these choices, see what a Yellowstone snowcoach tour costs. If you would rather have the dates handled for you, multi-day winter tours with a snowcoach day bundle hotels and the snowcoach together, and our guide to the gateway towns helps you pick where to stay.
New to the vehicle itself? Start with what a snowcoach is, and how it rides.