Yellowstone National Park: Winter in Yellowstone
Blanketed in four feet of snow between November and April, Yellowstone takes on a whole new appearance in winter: a silent and bizarre world where waterfalls freeze in mid-plunge, geysers blast towering plumes of steam and water into the cold, crisp air, and buffalo, beards matted with ice, stand around in huddles. Only the road from Gardiner to Cooke City via Mammoth Hot Springs is kept open (the Beartooth Highway is closed), and you can only stay at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel or the Old Faithful Snow Lodge (accessible by snowmobile).Winter vacationing in Yellowstone took off in a big way in the 1960s. Amfac/TW Services (tel 307/344-7311, ) runs snowcoach tours of the park from West Yellowstone, Flagg Ranch at the southern entrance, Old Faithful and Mammoth Hot Springs ($110-130). Yellowstone Alpen Guides (tel 406/646-9591 or 1-800/858-3502) runs slightly cheaper excursions out of West Yellowstone ($100). Snowmobile rental, generally cheapest in West Yellowstone, costs around $120 a day (note that snowmobiling is likely to be banned from the park by 2004). Much less expensive is cross-country skiing ; several miles of groomed trails explore the park's west side. Call 307/344-7311 for full details.
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