YNP Winter Season Begins

The winter season begins this weekend in Yellowstone National Park.  Beginning at 7:00 am Saturday morning, visitors will be able to travel to the park’s interior roads on commercially guided snowmobiles or snowcoaches from the North, West and South Entrances.  Travel through the park’s East Entrance over Sylvan Pass is scheduled to begin December 22nd.  The road from the park’s North Entrance at Gardiner, Montana through Mammoth Hot Springs and on to Cooke City outside the park’s Northeast Entrance is open to wheeled vehicle travel all year.  Spokesman Dan Hottle says all-in-all, the road conditions have shaped up well for the season.  Hottle says they were a little worried at the beginning of the week, but through the week, the Park saw a steady amount of snowfall through the interior part of the park – and although there are some bare patches here and there that are marked for snowmobilers to avoid, the conditions are fantastic.  At the Old Faithful area, Hottle says the Geyser Grill, the Bear Den Gift Shop, and the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center open for the season on December 15th. The Old Faithful Snow Lodge and Cabins and the Obsidian Dining Room open on December 18th.  The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, dining room and gift shop will open for the season on December 20th.   The Yellowstone General Store, the medical clinic, campground, post office and the Albright Visitor Center at Mammoth Hot Springs are open all year, as are the 24-hour gasoline pumps at Mammoth Hot Springs and Tower Junction.