In the
stillness of a frigid early morn in Yellowstone National Park, bison graze, elk
feed and a wolf wails his cry. It’s often coldest just before sunrise, and
crisp powdery snow sifts like sugar from the trees as a valley breeze ghosts
its way through the timber. As the sun bursts over mountains to the east, the
snow sings its radiance, welcoming a textbook bluebird day.
Snow has a
way of transforming a place like Yellowstone, blanketing a fiery land
characterized by rivers that don’t freeze, geysers that cascade frozen mist and
wildlife well-adapted to survive the near-polar conditions.
While services are limited in the park during the winter season, there are a number of ways to experience wintertime in Yellowstone. If you do venture out, be sure to check the park’s webpage for current conditions and information on how plan accordingly, as winter weather is far less forgiving than its warmer counterparts.
Things to do
With the
majority of Yellowstone’s roads closed from November to March, skis, snowshoes,
snowcoaches and snowmobiles quickly become staples of transportation. The road
from Gardiner to Cooke City remains open to wheeled vehicles, otherwise
consider booking a snow trip with a winter guide, hitching a snowcoach ride
into the park interior, or travel by ski or showshoe on any of a series of
trails open to public access.
Stay: Within the park proper, visitors
can make reservations at the Mammoth Hotel or Old Faithful Snowlodge, as well
as camp out at the Mammoth Campground. For those traveling to the Snowlodge, be
prepared for a special treat—you can only get there on one of a number of
commercial snowcoaches.
Hit the trails: Whether you spend the
night or are just visiting for the day, consider making first tracks on one of
Yellowstone’s many trails. Some are even groomed for cross-country skiing, and
can be accessed off of the open road between Gardiner and Cooke City, or with
the help of a snowcoach shuttle. Yellowstone also offers a select number of
permits for snowmobile trips into Yellowstone—book with a guide or try your
luck winning a permit—the park takes applications each summer.
Take a soak: While it is not only illegal, but also very dangerous, to soak in the park’s many hot springs, a dip in the warm waters where the Boiling River flows into the Gardner River is allowed. After leaving your car at the parking lot between the North Entrance at Gardiner and Mammoth Hot Springs, walk a half-mile along the Gardner River then pick a spot in the river. If you’d rather treat yourself to a more developed hot springs experience, try the Yellowstone Hot Springs , an established facility located about 7 miles north of Gardiner on Highway 89.
Enjoy the views: From the North Entrance at Gardiner, you can drive all the way to Cooke City, passing through the famed Lamar Valley. This area is called Yellowstone’s Northern Range and is an excellent place to view wildlife. Visitors can also book snowmobile or snowcoach tours aimed to view wildlife, or tour key landmarks in the park.
2020
Winter Closing Dates
Roads
will close to oversnow travel by snowmobile and snowcoach at 9 p.m.
on the following dates:
March
1: East Entrance to Lake Butte Overlook (Sylvan Pass)
March
8: Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris
March
10: Norris to Madison, Norris to Canyon Village, Canyon Village to Fishing
Bridge
March 15: All remaining groomed roads close
Winter Season Services
Anything not
included in this list is closed during the winter.
Albright
Visitor Center: Open year-round
Mammoth
Campground: Open year-round
Mammoth
Clinic: Open year-round
Mammoth
General Store: Open year-round
Mammoth Hotel:
Dec. 15-March 2
Mammoth Ski
Shop: Dec. 15-March 2
Old Faithful
Show Lodge: Dec. 16-March 1
Old Faithful
Visitor Education Center: Dec. 15-March 15
West
Yellowstone Visitor Information Center: Open year-round
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
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Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.