Your thoughts on driving to Yellowstone in winter?

If you have not already booked the tour from Bozeman and want to go on from Yellowstone to visit your son in WA. check on the tours out of West Yellowstone, MT either by snowcoach or snowmobil into the park.

As far as driving from eastern NE I would and have gone this way I think it was in Feb or March to West Yellowstone I-80 to I-84 to I-15 to US-20 at Idaho Falls to West Yellowstone.

I asked too soon. Found out today the tour starts in Bozeman and ends in Jackson Hole. That just about forces you to fly, evidently. I have a kid in WA, so good to know I can take my TC out there any month. Thanks.

The mountain state DOTs have good websites with current information, and web cams, of conditions on the passes.

realter wrote:
Should have been more specific. Driving to Bozeman and taking a tour into the park. (Thinking about it). Leaving my TC at home, would use the truck or Jeep Wrangler, or, gulp, Delta Air.

Usually not bad, Bozeman pass (I-90) is usually clear, I knew people that drove into the campus, across that pass, every day.

The road south through the Gallatin canyon to West Yellowstone is also usually fine.

Ya I used to live in the area, I've visited the park every month of the year.

Should have been more specific. Driving to Bozeman and taking a tour into the park. (Thinking about it). Leaving my TC at home, would use the truck or Jeep Wrangler, or, gulp, Delta Air.

Opening/closing interstates in the mountain states is just like in the flat ones - they try to keep them plowed and only shut things down when the snow fall is so heavy that the plows can't keep up.

Chains get used more in the mountains, especially on large vehicles. You may even be required to carry them.

Sometimes they close passes for a while for avalanche control. In Washingon (I90) that occurs a couple of times a season, and only for a few hours at a time.

It's pretty clear from the closures discussions, that the best access to Yellowstone at that time of the year is from I90 to the north. There's a modest pass between Billings and Livingstone, and a higher one west of Livingstone. More along the MT/ID border, and one in the Washington Cascades.

I think the mixed "open/shut" answers above are due to misunderstandings.
the snow lodge may be open all year, but only to snowmobiles and snow cats in winter.
the only road open for rvs (maybe) and autos is the Gardener to Mammoth and over to Cooke City MT. that is plowed all winter.

donn0128 wrote:
Most highways will be open most of the time. If there is a heavy snow storm, a road may close for a few hours until the plows can get to them. Biggest problem is here in the mountain west chains may be required. That include drag chains for trailers.

Have supplies for more than a few hours. We got stuck in an unexpected blizzard north of Las Vegas NM one year and spent over 20 hours on the highway miles from the nearest city. We weren't the only ones stranded. Its happened more re than once in that area. Mountain areas can often be worse.

Naio wrote:
Check DOT websites, and look at their webcams to see the condition of the pavement.

x2

The closest campground that is open is probably Bozeman Hot Springs.

It's already deep winter there, the roads (except for the north road they try to keep open year around) are all closed. This is the only part of the park currently "open", the rest re-opens Dec 15, and then access is by snow-coach, snow-machine, ski and snow-shoe only. Other then the north entrance the closest you can get to the park is the parking lots outside the park.

The predicted high at Old Faithful today is 15(F) with up to an inch of new snow, up to another inch is predicted tonight with a low a 7(F)