Yellowstone in Winter: Snowcoach Dates and Rates 2026-2027

Yellowstone in winter: what stays open

You don’t visit the park in winter the way you do in summer. The inner roads, the ones leading to Hayden Valley or Old Faithful, are reserved for oversnow vehicles. What stays open to cars is the road linking Mammoth Hot Springs to the Northeast Entrance, near Cooke City, through the Lamar Valley. That’s also where the animals gather. According to Destination Yellowstone, bison, elk and wolves are easiest to see in the morning and late afternoon.

Mammoth Hot Springs, the Albright Visitor Center and the Mammoth General Store stay open all year, according to the Xanterra page on opening dates, updated 22 October 2026. The rooms at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, however, only open on 16 December 2026. The winter visitor centers at Canyon, Old Faithful and the NPS Desk in West Yellowstone open on 15 December, with an end date still to be confirmed.

Highlights

• The road from Mammoth to the Northeast Entrance, at Cooke City, is in principle open to cars all year, weather permitting (NPS).
• The winter visitor centers and the Geyser Grill at the Snow Lodge open on 15 December 2026; the Snow Lodge rooms open on 16 December.
• Lamar Valley is the main winter wildlife viewing area, with wolves, bison and elk.

To watch wildlife without driving on snowy roads, a private winter safari leaves from Gardiner, at the North Entrance. According to the Viator listing checked on 24 October 2026, it lasts 6 to 8 hours. Check the vehicle and the itinerary on the listing before you book.

When to get in, when to get out

The 15 December 2026 opening date appears on the North Entrance permit page on recreation.gov and on the pages of licensed operators. The end dates, however, vary by entrance. The table below sums them up.

Source: recreation.gov, permit 250849 and NPS road conditions, checked on 24 October 2026. Road closures: ypradio, 22 October 2026, which announces 1 November; the NPS has not published a 2026 release that we could check directly.

Highlights

• The North Entrance season ends earlier, on 7 March 2027 according to the indicative date.
• Sylvan Pass can be closed for several hours, or even several days, when avalanche risk is high.
• Xanterra lodging closes on dates that don’t always match those of the shuttles.

Which month to pick

December marks the start of the season: fewer vehicles on the oversnow routes, animals concentrated at lower elevations and short daylight. According to the sources consulted, January has the deepest snow and the fewest visitors, with the lowest minimums (-12.4 °C on average, according to the NPS). March is the end of the season: the North Entrance closes on 7 March 2027 (indicative date), which narrows your options for the final weeks.

The three ways into the park

The NPS only allows oversnow access by licensed commercial guided snowcoaches or snowmobiles, under a 2013 rule (36 CFR 7.13) that governs licensed operators. Snowcoaches and guided snowmobiles are offered by operators listed on the NPS guided tours page. Unguided snowmobiling goes through a lottery. No new rule for 2026-2027 has been published in the sources consulted.

The main drawback of the snowcoach is booking: the Xanterra shuttle requires a Xanterra stay or tour, and the Mammoth to Old Faithful snowcoach requires a night in Mammoth. The guided snowmobile leaves you outdoors, in the wind and the cold, but you book it with an operator licensed by the NPS, whose list is on the guided tours page. Operators in West Yellowstone, Yellowstone Vacations first among them, run trips from the Yellowstone Park Hotel, with published dates (Old Faithful Explorer, every day at 8 am from 15 December 2026 to 15 March 2027; Canyon Explorer, from 15 December 2026 to 9 March 2027), but no price is shown: booking goes through FareHarbor or by phone.

Source: NPS, Ride a snowmobile or snowcoach in Yellowstone, NPS news release 26018, Xanterra and Teton Science Schools, checked on 24 October 2026.

Highlights

• The snowcoach offers the best comfort for a first winter at Yellowstone.
• The guided snowmobile suits travellers who want to ride without handling the logistics.
• The independent snowmobile requires luck in the lottery and a valid licence.

What the Xanterra transfers cost

Xanterra, the park’s concessionaire, publishes the most solid rates of the season: the shuttle between Bozeman airport and Mammoth Hot Springs, and the snowcoach between Mammoth and Old Faithful. These prices include taxes and fees, and children under 3 travel free. The park entrance fee is not included.

Source: Xanterra, « Winter transportation » (link) and « Snowcoach transportation » (link) pages, checked on 24 October 2026.

Three rules apply to these prices. A night in Mammoth is required before the snowcoach to Old Faithful, and you cannot take the Bozeman shuttle and the snowcoach on the same day. Luggage is limited to two pieces, plus one small carry-on bag, skis or snowshoes, and each extra bag or any bag over 50 pounds costs $25. Animals are not allowed on board, except assistance dogs.

For walking tours, Xanterra offers two snowshoe tours from Old Faithful, shown in the next table. The Old Faithful Area Snowshoe Tour is the most affordable, but you need to add the snowcoach transfer from Mammoth.

Source: Xanterra, « Old Faithful Area Snowshoe Tour » and « Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone Snowshoe Tour » pages, checked on 24 October 2026. Times can change depending on the weather.

Highlights

• One night in Mammoth is enough to catch the 7:45 am snowcoach the next day; the Bozeman shuttle reaches Mammoth around 4 pm.
• The Couples Winter Adventure Package bundles nights, snowcoach, meals and tours, with no price published in the sources consulted.

Driving a snowmobile yourself, with a lottery permit

Unguided snowmobiling is the only option that lets you ride alone in the park. Access goes through the NCGSAP lottery, described in the NPS logistics guide, updated 20 October 2026. Applications ran from 1 to 31 August 2026 on recreation.gov. The 2026 results are not in the sources consulted, so we can’t announce a selection figure.

Unclaimed permits have been sold on recreation.gov on a first come, first served basis since 1 October 2026, with no waiting list. A permit allows up to three days, with five snowmobiles maximum per group and only one group per entrance per day. The driver must hold a valid licence and complete the free online course, valid for two years. A refund of the $40 per day is possible 14 days or more before the date. There is no refund for bad weather.

Highlights

• The cost is low for those who drive themselves: $40 per day, shared between the vehicles.
• The online course is free and valid for two years.

Cold at Yellowstone in winter

NPS monthly averages describe a harsh winter: around -1 °C by day and -11 °C by night in December, then average minimums of -12 °C in January. The absolute record, -54 °C, was recorded on 9 February 1933 at the Riverside station, near the West Entrance. The NPS also reports nights that can drop to -34 °C. These are averages: one morning can be much colder, especially on wind-exposed plateaus.

Source: NPS, Weather page, updated 30 September 2025, checked on 24 October 2026. Reference averages, not forecasts.

We don’t quote an annual snowfall total: the official figures we checked don’t match from one part of the NPS page to another. The key point is that the 2025-2026 winter was mild in places, with irregular snow and the West Entrance temporarily closed to snowmobiles in February 2026, according to specialist press.

Gear

• Wool or fleece layers, never cotton, with a hooded down jacket.
• Waterproof, well-insulated boots: Xanterra specifies that hiking shoes are not enough.
• Warm gloves, disposable hand warmers, ski goggles and high-factor sunscreen.