Jackson, West Yellowstone, Bozeman or Salt Lake City for a Yellowstone winter?

The town decides the park

In summer you can drive a loop through Yellowstone and pick any gateway. In winter you cannot.

Most park roads shut to cars in early November. Between about mid-December and mid-March only snowcoaches and guided snowmobiles may use the interior.

The exception is the northern road, open to cars all year. From Gardiner in Montana it climbs past Mammoth Hot Springs into the Lamar Valley, ending at Cooke City.

So the south and west gateways lead to Old Faithful by snowcoach, and the north gateway leads to wolf country by road. Pick your base by what you want to see.

Jackson, Wyoming

Jackson is the most comfortable winter base. It has its own airport and plenty of hotels, and Grand Teton National Park is next door. Thousands of elk winter on the National Elk Refuge at the edge of town.

Snowcoaches from Jackson head north past Flagg Ranch to Yellowstone's South Entrance and on to Old Faithful. Out and back, that makes a long day.

Two of the main tours start here. Scenic Safaris' snowcoach day, from ~$550, is the day trip, with hotel pickups in Jackson and Teton Village around 6 am and a return about 12 hours later.

BrushBuck's four days, from ~$2,089, start from the Lexington at Jackson Hole Hotel and Suites on North Cache Street. Its price leaves out airport transfers, so plan on an extra Jackson night before the tour and another after it.

West Yellowstone, Montana

West Yellowstone is a small town built around the West Entrance, and in winter it lives on oversnow travel. Most snowcoach and snowmobile companies are based here, because it gives the shortest snowcoach run to Old Faithful, about 30 miles (48 km).

BrushBuck and Horizon Travel Team both spend a night here and run their snowcoach day from this side, following the Madison River in to Fountain Paint Pot before Old Faithful. See Old Faithful in winter by snowcoach for that route.

The town is also the earliest pickup for Yellowstone Hiking Guides' road tour, from ~$292, at 6 am at the visitor center, back at about 6 pm. That tour drives out of the park and around to the North Entrance, so it is a long day from here.

Base yourself in West Yellowstone and you are close to the geysers but far from the Lamar Valley.

Bozeman and Big Sky, Montana

Bozeman has an airport with good winter connections and a lively small city around it. Big Sky, the ski resort town to its south, is a common stop for skiers adding a day in the park.

From here the open road runs south through Paradise Valley to Gardiner, where the Roosevelt Arch marks the North Entrance.

Yellowstone Hiking Guides picks up at Cafe M on East Main in Bozeman at 8:15 am and behind the BASE community center in Big Sky at 7 am.

Its day includes about two hours of scope time in the Lamar Valley. The North Entrance fee of $20 per person is extra unless a park pass covers your vehicle.

Good Trip Adventures' private winter day, from ~$973, also starts in this area, collecting guests at about 8 am from lodging in Bozeman or Gardiner or in Paradise Valley. The catch is a per-person price on a private trip.

Like every tour from the north, it runs by road, not by snowcoach. Neither reaches Old Faithful, since that road is closed to wheels.

For the animals you might meet, see the winter wildlife guide, with the usual warning that sightings are never guaranteed.

Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt Lake City has by far the biggest airport of the four and often the cheapest flights. The trade-off is distance, about 5–6 hours' drive from West Yellowstone in good weather and longer in snow.

Tours from here build that drive into the trip. Horizon Travel Team's three days, from ~$2,249, pick up at the airport or a hotel and drive north to West Yellowstone on day one. Day two is spent on a heated snowcoach, and day three returns via Lava Hot Springs or Jackson.

Being new on GetYourGuide, it has no reviews yet. It also will not run with fewer than four guests.

The other option here is Nomad Unlimited Adventure's five days, from ~$2,780, which adds Grand Teton. It has just two reviews to go on, and the booking is non-refundable.

Driving between them in winter

The interior is closed to cars, so the drive between Jackson and West Yellowstone goes around the park through Idaho rather than through it. BrushBuck makes that drive over the continental divide on day two and comes back through Island Park on day four.

Driving yourself? Use a vehicle with good winter tires or carry chains, and check road reports each morning. Expect closures after storms, since mountain passes can shut for hours. Leave daylight in hand. Winter days are short and the towns are far apart.

Which base suits which trip

• Jackson, if you want comfort, the Elk Refuge and a snowcoach day from the south
• West Yellowstone, if Old Faithful is the point and you want the shortest snowcoach ride
• Bozeman or Big Sky, if wolves and the Lamar Valley matter more than geysers
• Salt Lake City, if flights are cheaper there and you are happy to let a multi-day tour do the driving

Before you pick, check when the snowcoach season runs, since the northern road is open long after the snowcoaches stop. Compare prices in what a Yellowstone snowcoach tour costs, and see multi-day winter tours with a snowcoach day for the two trips that take care of the driving for you.