It’s no secret that I love Yellowstone National Park. I do believe it’s the best National Park and I will fight anyone who disagrees. If you don’t love it, you didn’t do it right or you hate nature. Those are the only options. I have been to visit Yellowstone more times than I can remember starting from when I was just a baby.
Fun fact: I actually took my first steps in Yellowstone! I was a late bloomer and had sisters always willing to pick me up. But that’s not really the point. The point is that I love this National Park and it breaks my heart when others don’t. There is so much to see and I do believe it’s one of those places that deserves more time.
However, if you only have a day, you can still see a lot, you just need to know what to do and be efficient! I would never tell you to skip Yellowstone. I recently got to visit Yellowstone for the first time in the winter with a a photography group led by Amy Ames Photography. It was amazing and different from any other trip I’ve taken there, but also had a few similarities that I did not expect.
After the trip I was really reflecting on my favorite trips to Yellowstone and why they were my favorite. It also got me thinking about what you can see in winter that you can’t see in summer or fall or spring and vice versa.
So here I am sharing what I learned. Hopefully at the very least it will help you decide you must visit Yellowstone and you must do your research before hand. If you need an overview of Yellowstone, head to this post for all the key areas or download the free map below.
Download the Free Map to Visit Yellowstone
This post may contain affiliate links. Which means I get a portion of the sales if you make a booking through my link at no extra cost to you!
Top Travel Resources
After decades of traveling, there’s 3 companies I tend to use over and over and recommend to everyone:
How to Visit Yellowstone National Park During Each Season
Before we compare fall vs winter in Yellowstone, let’s talk about each season and how you can see it. Because this matters and your expectations need to be set for whatever time you decide is best for you.
Spring In Yellowstone
Spring in Yellowstone is a great time to visit and probably ranks third on my list. The bears start to get back out of hibernation so they are moving around more and the weather is pretty pleasant. However, you may get snow still. Which can also cause road closures.
Summer in Yellowstone
If you want to visit Yellowstone in the summer be prepared for crowds. To be fair, everywhere is crowded in the summer, but Yellowstone is more crowded because of the limited roads. Anytime there’s an animal spotting you can expect huge delays. I’m not saying not to go in the summer but it ranks fourth on my list and you’ll definitely need to
Fall in Yellowstone
Fall is probably tied for first for me when it comes to visiting Yellowstone. It’s why I’m going to compare and contrast it for you below with winter. I love both of these seasons: winter and fall but for very different reasons.
If you go in the fall, it’s a great time for all wildlife. You’ll most likely see bears, both black and grizzly, wolves, bison, and the elk are doing their mating. Some say fall is the busiest time of year in Yellowstone but that wasn’t my experience. Maybe it’s because the weather is so nice that I didn’t care (compared to summer when it’s hotter). I’m also a big fan of getting up for sunrise when I travel so that helps beat the crowds. I also don’t mind the road jams because I want to see that wildlife too.
Now, if you can go when schools are in session, that will help with the crowds as well. Avoid the holidays if you’re wanting to avoid the crowds.
Winter in Yellowstone
Aw winter in Yellowstone. If you visit in the winter you will experience something completely unique. The crowds will be incredibly minimal, the weather possibly brutal, and the park transformed. It’s a special time to visit the national park and definitely something that I recommend to all nature lovers.
There’s basically two ways you can see the park in the winter: by bus on big huge wheels and on a snow mobile. You can drive yourself to the Lamar Valley but to get to Old Faithful, and around the main parts of Yellowstone, you have to take a tour. This is to protect the wildlife and nature by limiting the amount of noise in the park that time of year.
The main thing to know is that you need to plan for a tour, don’t go thinking you can drive yourself everywhere, because you can’t.
Comparing Winter & Fall to Visit Yellowstone
I’m only comparing fall and winter and not summer or spring because honestly, when it comes to key points, fall, spring, and summer will be similar in your visits. It’s winter where things get crazy different. And since fall is my second (or even tied for first) favorite time to go, let’s talk fall and winter.
Key Differences When You Visit Yellowstone in the Fall vs. Winter
Crowds
First up, the crowds are definitely different between winter and the rest of the year. However, it honestly didn’t feel as empty as I thought it would when I was there in the winter. Sure, there was always parking and certainly a lot less people but it still felt like there were plenty of people around. This probably has to do with it being done by all tours.
Getting Around
When you visit Yellowstone during summer, spring, fall, you can drive yourself everywhere. However, always check road closures, that happens a lot. In the winter, you basically have to take a tour. You will be in one of the slowcoaches like the photo below or you will be on snowmobiles (brrrrr). You will essentially leave from West Yellowstone and can go as far as Old Faithful.
If you want to head to Lamar Valley, you can actually drive yourself there (or take a tour as well). Personally, I’m a big fan of driving myself so I do so whenever I can. I’ve listed a few of the tour companies below to help you find the right one for you.
Winter Yellowstone Tours:
Hotel Yellowstone
Yellowstone Vacations
Off the Beaten Path
National Park Lodge
Wild Tours
Big Sky Montana
Yellowstone Forever
Places to Stay
Accommodation in and around Yellowstone is not the best. The places in the park are pretty small and old but they get the job done. My favorite place to stay (not during winter) is near Canyon. They have the most food options and it’s very central to everything.
In the winter, there are even fewer places as most are not open. Inside the park, there are two places that are open in the winter: Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel (great if you want to do Lamar Valley) or Old Faithful Snow Lodge. You’ll have to take an overnight tour if you want to stay at Old Faithful as you cannot drive yourself there.
What You’ll See
This is the ultimate difference between Yellowstone in the winter vs. any other time of year, obviously. The biggest point to make is that if you want to see elk in the winter, you have to go up toward Mammoth. You probably won’t see bears unless something is wrong (since, you know, hibernation).
The second major difference is that in the winter, the amount of hot springs you can see is limited. While the wildlife is amazing and the snow covered park is very special, the hot springs and other thermal activity are the entire basis of the park. Don’t expect to see the Grand Prismatic in the dead of winter. The cold mixed with the temperature of the thermal activity makes too much steam.
You can, however, see Old Faithful which is pretty special. There’s also other thermal activity, like the mud pots that are super interesting in the winter. No matter when you decide to go, it’s worth it. In the winter, the animals are easier to spot and you’ll see tracks everywhere which is unique in its own right.
Winter in Yellowstone
Fall in Yellowstone
Final Considerations to Visit Yellowstone
Yellowstone takes a bit of planning. Trying to wing it will probably end up in disaster. its very big and there’s a lot to see but you have to know where to go and plan your time as there’s some walking involved as well. It is not a “drive though” park but I do believe you can make any amount of time worth it with just a little bit of planning. Lucky for you, I’ve got itineraries for a variety of days in this post.
Get the Complete Yellowstone Guide
