Yellowstone · Winter
The warm way into Yellowstone’s winter interior: a heated over-snow vehicle with a guide at the wheel. Where snowcoach tours start, and how to book.
Photo: YellowstoneNPS · Public domain
Snowcoaches are vehicles with tracks or large, low-pressure tires built for groomed snow roads. From West Yellowstone they leave daily for Old Faithful or the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Some companies also run photography tours, or snowcoach trips combined with skiing or snowshoeing, and you can book a single seat or a private coach. Destination Yellowstone
Quick facts
The busiest starting point: daily tours to Old Faithful and the geyser basins, or to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Book directly with local operators. When we checked, Viator and GetYourGuide listed no West Yellowstone snowcoach tours.
The park lodging company runs a snowcoach twice a day between Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Old Faithful Snow Lodge, narrated by its guides. It also runs a daily shuttle from Bozeman’s airport for guests booked at Mammoth or the Snow Lodge.
Snowcoach tours to Old Faithful through the South Entrance. A multi-day winter tour from Jackson with a snowcoach day to Old Faithful is bookable on GetYourGuide (below), but Jackson is a separate trip from Bozeman.
| Snowcoach | Snowmobile | |
|---|---|---|
| Comfort | Heated cabin, out of the wind | Open air; heated grips on many sleds |
| Who it suits | Families, older travelers, photographers | Adventurous adults and teens |
| Driving | Your guide drives | You drive in a guided group (valid driver’s license required) |
| Reaches | Both reach Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone | |
See our West Yellowstone snowmobile guide or Old Faithful in winter.
Bookable online: a multi-day winter tour from Jackson, Wyoming, with a snowcoach day to Old Faithful
A guided multi-day winter trip with an elk-refuge sleigh ride and a snowcoach day to Old Faithful from West Yellowstone.
See prices & availability
Check availabilityAffiliate links: if you book through Viator or GetYourGuide we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. Affiliate disclosure.
Starting in Bozeman? Book a winter wildlife day instead
Look for wolves, bison and elk in the snow with a naturalist guide and spotting scopes.
Good for: Wildlife
See prices & availability
Check availabilityA guided winter day in the park’s Northern Range: Lamar Valley, Mammoth Hot Springs and wildlife with spotting scopes.
Good for: Wildlife
See prices & availability
Check availabilityAffiliate links: if you book through Viator or GetYourGuide we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. Affiliate disclosure.
A heated over-snow vehicle, usually a van or small bus on tracks or large low-pressure tires, driven by a guide on Yellowstone’s groomed winter roads.
Mostly from West Yellowstone, Montana. There’s also twice-daily snowcoach service between Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Old Faithful Snow Lodge, and tours from Jackson, Wyoming through the South Entrance.
The over-snow season is December 15, 2026 to March 15, 2027 on most groomed roads, weather permitting. A few interior roads close earlier in March.
When we checked in October 2026, Viator and GetYourGuide did not list any snowmobile or snowcoach tours that start in West Yellowstone. Book those directly with an authorized local operator. The one Old Faithful winter tour we link online is a multi-day trip from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on GetYourGuide.
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