There are still plenty of opportunities for you to get out and enjoy the vast wilderness of Yellowstone National Park, even during the winter and during a pandemic!
Yellowstone Tour Guides is pleased to offer a variety of ski trips for visitors. These trips have been specially tailored to be suitable for COVID-19 safety, including social distancing and trips to highly remote areas.
It’s an especially excellent opportunity to see a different side of the park at a time of year when there are far fewer visitors. Most of Yellowstone is closed during the late fall to allow the snow to accumulate for the snowmobile and snowcoach season, which begins on December 15.
About our ski trips
During the COVID-19 pandemic, people are understandably looking to avoid some of the more crowded areas while they head out for their Yellowstone ski trips. The good news is that Yellowstone Tour Guides offers some great ski trips out to some “mom and pop” ski resorts in more remote areas. We use smaller SUVs to shuttle people out and carry up to four skiers per vehicle with the gear. Only up to 12 people are allowed on every trip, ensuring it’s a small, easily distanced occasion for you to enjoy.
During this ski trip, you will have the opportunity to visit some areas of Yellowstone National Park and Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, without having to worry about any of the crowds you might encounter in normal circumstances or other seasons!
Throughout Montana and Wyoming you’ll encounter a wide range of remote roadways, and some ski areas that may only be accessible via steep mountain passes that may be intimidating for most drivers. Our guides have been highly trained in driving through wintery conditions even on some more precarious roadways to safely bring you to your destination, allowing you to enjoy some wintertime adventures away from the hustle and bustle of the more crowded ski resorts.
Rates for our Yellowstone ski trips include ground transportation, lodging and lift tickets. When planning your excursion, please remember that some of the areas to which we take our guests are only open and available two to four days a week, so you may need a bit of flexibility with your scheduling, especially if you want to hit more than just one of them.
If you love exploring the outdoors, there’s a good chance that this experience will prompt you to reconsider visiting major, often-crowded skiing resorts in the future, even after the pandemic subsides. Remote ski areas mean fewer people to deal with, no lines for lifts and a better overall experience. Plus, there’s something unique and special about being practically alone out in the wilderness.Interested in learning more about our Yellowstone ski trips? We encourage you to contact the team at Yellowstone Tour Guides with any questions you have about any of the excursions we offer. We’re happy to provide you with further information and look forward to getting you scheduled for your upcoming wintertime adventure!
One Saturday in October, a few tour companies from Gardiner, Livingston and Big Sky went into Yellowstone National Park with some locals and photographers for the very first Tour Company litter pickup in the park.
We hope this becomes a regular occurrence, and that our tour guides continue to come together to keep our park clean and looking great! We encourage all guests in the park to spend some time picking up any trash they see, and to leave their campsites clean for guests who arrive after them.
The Trash Pickup
The tour guide trash pickup was first developed by Cara McCary from In Our Nature Guiding Services. It quickly picked up steam, because it was such a great natural way for guides from the local companies to come together, spend some time in their favorite areas of the park and give them a little TLC.
Our very own Jim Holstein hopes to help Cara organize the next iteration of the event, and to add some companies from every side of the park. With just four days’ notice this year, we still managed to have a really impressive turnout. We’re hoping that by making it a regular occurrence, we’ll be able to have a veritable army of volunteers out in the park to pick up trash.
We also want to recognize the more than 50 local photographers and Gardiner residents who also came out to help pick up litter in the park. There was one lady from Georgia who decided to jump in to help when she saw one of the crews picking up litter.
It was a great day and such a great idea. We’re hoping that next year we can have an even bigger turnout to make for a great ice cream social afterward!
How Guests Can Help
In the meantime, we encourage all guests of the park to keep cleanliness and trash pickup a priority. Make sure to properly dispose of all trash at your campsite and leave it clean for the next person. Do this regularly the entire time you’re at your campsite so trash doesn’t get blown away or stolen by animals.
Additionally, when you’re out on the trails, do not leave trash lying around—put it back in your pack and have a special bag with you to collect your trash so you can easily dispose of it when you exit. There aren’t going to be any trash cans in the backcountry, so it’s on you to make sure you’re doing your part to keep the wilderness safe and clean.
Interested in learning more about how you can help to keep the park clean and preserve it for future generations? Contact us today at Yellowstone Tour Guides. We’d be glad to tell you more about 2020’s tour guides trash pickup, as well as anything you want to know about planning a visit to Yellowstone National Park. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
It can be quite difficult for some residents of the ridgelines around Yellowstone National Park to get into town to vote. Some of those who live in Big Sky Mountain Village, for example, will have some of the longest drives in the country just to be able to vote, as the nearest polling place for Madison County residents is located in Ennis. Even though residents of Big Sky Mountain Village are able to see some of the county’s towns from up top at elevation, actually getting there can be a challenge, and may take a 90-minute to two-hour drive. This year, just like in every election for the last 19 years, Yellowstone Tour Guides is providing a free voting van for residents to make the trip to vote. The van stops at several bars along the way, including the Norris Bar in Norris, Stacey’s in Gallatin Gateway, the Cameron Bar in Cameron and the Den or Happy Hour north of West Yellowstone. In most years it is an opportunity not just to get down to town and cast your vote, but also a great opportunity to socialize along the way. There is a great group of “regulars” that makes it a point to use this service.
A few changes for the 2020 bus
With the COVID-19 pandemic, the trips to the bars were canceled for this year, but Yellowstone Tour Guides is still providing the van, with mask use required on board.
In addition, with Madison County being all mail-in ballots for the election this year, some people might not have gotten their ballots out in the mail in time for them to be counted. As such, they would need to travel to Virginia City to drop off the ballot in person at an official drop box to make sure the ballot gets counted on election day. The voting van provides that as a stop this year, so people can submit their absentee ballots in person.
Some seasonal employees at the Mountain Lodge may also wish to register to vote in the area. The voting van makes it easy for these employees to get to their registration location and get registered to vote so they can cast their ballot legally.
Registration for the voting van is simple—prospective users should simply call 406-995-2399 or email [email protected].
Don’t worry, the 2020 election isn’t the last time this service will be provided! It makes for a fun and efficient way for people to get into town to cast their votes without having to drive down the mountain roads themselves. If you’re interested in learning more about this service and the elections for which it is used, we encourage you to contact Yellowstone Tour Guides today with any questions you have.
Plan your vacation
Once you’ve joined us for voting, you may start thinking about planning an excursion in Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone Tour Guides is pleased to provide a variety of high-quality experiences in the park, along with tips for those who are looking to do some exploring off the beaten path. Reach out to learn more.
Of all the incredible Yellowstone National Park attractions, there is none more famous than the Old Faithful geyser.
Old Faithful has been featured in all kinds of pop culture, and has been reliably spouting since its discovery. It was the very first of the nearly 500 Yellowstone geysers to receive a name, during the 1870 Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition (which eventually led to the establishment of Yellowstone National Park in 1872).
Just about everyone can agree that Old Faithful is an absolute must-see attraction during your Yellowstone visit, no matter how many people you might have to contend with.
A world-famous landmark
Old Faithful gets its name from the reliability with which it erupts. Eruptions occur at approximately 90-minute intervals, so it’s easy for you to plan your visit to ensure you see an eruption.
It is important to be patient—there are times where it might erupt a few minutes later than expected. However, when it happens, the eruption is large and long, giving you plenty of time to get some great photographs.
Keep in mind that the world-famous nature of the landmark means it will always be busy, without any exceptions. No matter what time you come, expect to have a lot of other people around you hoping to get a good look at the geyser in action. Its fame, combined with its scheduled eruptions, means there will always be people concentrated in the viewing area in the time leading up to the eruption.
There are benches in the viewing area, and if you want to get one of the best spots, you should plan to arrive at least 20 or 30 minutes ahead of the next scheduled eruption. Of course, you can always stand elsewhere in the viewing area and still get a great look at the eruption when it occurs. You will be able to see it from a distance just fine.
If you only wish to stay for the geyser eruption, you might wind up only spending half an hour at the site. However, if you wish to explore the Upper Geyser Basin area, you should set aside two or three hours for a visit, as there are other sites worth seeing in the area. There are plenty of amenities in the area for you to enjoy as you wait for the eruptions, including a visitor center with bathrooms, a gas station, shops and restaurants.
You have probably seen a video of the eruption at some point, but trust us—there’s nothing like seeing it live. There’s a reason why it’s one of the best-known geysers in the world, and the most-visited by far in Yellowstone National Park. It’s large and satisfying, and a great “touristy” attraction to add to your trip that the entire family will enjoy.
Looking for more specifics about what to expect at the Old Faithful geyser site, or for more tips about how you can get the most out of your Yellowstone excursion? Contact Yellowstone Tour Guides today and we will be happy to provide you with all the info you need about Yellowstone National Park attractions.
Are you planning a trip to Yellowstone National Park at some time in the near future? If so, be sure to check out Grand Prismatic Spring while you’re there. While there are plenty of famous sites that are must-sees (Old Faithful comes to mind), this spring is right up there in terms of beauty and fascination—and as the largest hot spring in the United States (and third largest in the world), it is considered one of the planet’s most unique features and one of the most-photographed Yellowstone National Park attractions.
Experience the natural beauty of this hot spring
What’s truly awe-inspiring when you see the Grand Prismatic Spring for the first time is its sheer size. The pictures cannot do it justice—when you’re actually standing there in person, you realize the sheer scope of it. It’s a spring that’s larger than a football field, and deceptively deep—deeper, in fact, than a 10-story building.
The spring is also more colorful than many people might expect. Even if you’ve seen professional photos of the site before, you’re bound to be surprised at just how vibrant it is in person. The hot springs get their colors from various species of bacteria that live around the spring and thrive on the heat it creates. Deep in the center of the spring you’ll see blue colors, and then there are green and yellow tints. As you get to the cooler outskirts of the springs, you’ll see warmer yellows and oranges.
If you do decide to go to the Grand Prismatic Spring during your Yellowstone trip, make sure you plan ahead. You may want to visit early in the morning or late in the evening, as this is going to be one of the more crowded sites in the park. If you go closer to the middle of the day, you can expect a lot of tour buses and lots of other travelers who have come to check it out for themselves. By visiting outside of the peak hours, you can avoid the rush.
Of course, there are times when the colors might be most vibrant when there is a lot of bright sunshine on warm days, so going in the middle of the day does have its benefits. Consider also that on cooler days, the early morning hours and evening hours can have steam that covers the spring, which can make it difficult for you to see just how beautiful it is. And on cloudy days, you can expect the colors to be duller all day.
But no matter what time, what type of weather and what conditions you’re dealing with, you can expect to be blown away by the sheer beauty and grandeur of the Grand Prismatic Spring. Of all the hot springs found in Yellowstone National Park, this is certainly the most impressive.
For more information and tips about planning your visit to the Grand Prismatic Spring or other Yellowstone National Park attractions, contact the team at Yellowstone Tour Guides today!
