Yellowstone’s Hot Winter Deals

Here’s a quick travel quiz: Which of our national parks was the first one? (Hint: It was signed into being by President Ulysses S. Grant in 1872.) Which one is the largest?

If you answered “Yellowstone,” you get a gold star.

Yellowstone is a seething, bubbling wonderland of geysers, hot springs and mud pots; a pristine wilderness packed with furry and feathered sights--bison, elk, grizzlies, you name it; a canyon land nearly as awe-inspiring as the larger Grand Canyon.

But with fame and glory come problems: Yellowstone can be one of the most crowded parks, especially for those waiting faithfully for Old Faithful to erupt at the height of tourist season. So I recommend visiting in the off-season, late May and early June, or late September and early October, if you want to hike, fish and see all the park’s hot spots.

For real privacy, though, the best time to visit is winter. To some, it’s also the most atmospheric time, with hot blasts of water melting falling snow and a sheaf of white covering the landscape.

Moreover, to attract tourists in the slow season, the Yellowstone National Lodges company offers discounts and packages. Many of them target winter-sports enthusiasts, and most enlist naturalists to help turn a sports vacation into a learning experience.

Some examples: With the “Experience Yellowstone: Yellowstone on Skis” package, visitors get four days of cross-country skiing, with daily trips to the Blacktail Plateau, Lamar Valley, Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon or the foot of the Gallatin Range. A naturalist-guide from the Yel-lowstone Assn. Institute and a ski instructor accompany each excursion. Including four nights at the Mammoth Springs Hotel, rates start at $559 per person. A “Snow Card” with this package gets you 10% off meals, in-park transportation and activities. “Yellowstone on Skis” is available Jan. 2 through Feb. 26, Fridays through Tuesdays.

Midweek visitors (Sundays through Thursdays) in the same time frame can go on a snowshoeing adventure, also priced at $559. The “Secret Snowscapes” program takes visitors to the Lamar Valley, Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon and back-country geothermal features.

A naturalist accompanies the hoofers. Again, lodging is included at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, and you also get the Snow Card.

Perhaps the most interesting program this season will be “Winter Wolf Discovery,” giving insight into the reintroduction of wolves to the park. Instructors lead wildlife-viewing excursions through the Lamar Valley.

It’s a shorter package but with a lot included: two nights at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, two breakfasts and lunches, Snow Card, in-park transportation, snowshoe rental, one-hour hot-tub rental, unlimited ice skating and evening programs. The cost is $229 per person.

Mammoth Hot Springs and the Old Faithful Snow Lodge also offer winter lodging deals with extras such as snow-coach tours.

For more information, visit https://www.TravelYellowstone.com or call (307) 344-7311.