CODY, WYO. — Heavy spring snowfall this week caused Yellowstone National Park managers to temporarily close some entrances, and motorists in parts of the park were told snow tires were required for entry. But having the right tires for snow in Yellowstone isn’t just an unexpected issue for some spring travelers—it’s also shaping up to be one of the biggest changes to winter travel in the park in years. The 2016-17 winter season was the fourth year the National Park Service has allowed snow coaches to use large, low-pressure tires instead of tracks, and the first winter with enough heavy snow to truly test how the tires perform in the most challenging conditions. With a majority of Yellowstone snow coaches using tires instead of tracks this past winter, the tires are getting favorable reviews from visitors and tour operators, said Christina White, a concessions management specialist for Yellowstone. Continue Reading →
snowmobiles
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‘Snow Tesla’ project could bring electric snowmobiles to Yellowstone
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CODY, WYO. — There is no surer sign of the end of winter in Yellowstone National Park than the crews currently working 12-hour shifts to clear snow from more than 300 miles of mountainous roads that traverse the park. But it’s not the aging behemoth snowplows that locals are buzzing about this spring. Rather, it’s a new mystery machine of unknown origins that some say could forever change winter travel in Yellowstone, and eventually revolutionize a $25-billion-dollar industry ripe for disruption from a bold startup with deep pockets. Despite what has become an open secret widely discussed in gateway communities around Yellowstone, National Park Service officials are sharing scant details of what some theorize is a “secret project” to bring electric snowmobiles to the world’s first national park by December of this year. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Yellowstone, elon musk, snowmobiles, tesla, yeti toe
Reservation period begins for self-guided Yellowstone snowmobile trips
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The week before Labor Day hardly seems like the ideal time for contemplating a winter trek through Yellowstone National Park. But Tuesday, Sept. 1 is a key date for anyone planning to travel through Yellowstone by snowmobile as part of a self-guided group. That's the first day to submit applications online for the lottery system that allocates spots in the self-guided tour program. Under a newly implemented winter-use plan, last winter was the first season since 2003 that allowed sledders to tour Yellowstone without a commercial guide. Despite relatively warmer temperatures and sparse snow, winter recreational visits park-wide increased by 14 percent over the previous year. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Gateway Towns, Plan Your Visit, Yellowstone, snow coaches, snowmobiles, sylvan pass, toursim, winter use
Yellowstone seeks comments on winter-use plan
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A year after managing winter travel by snowmobiles and snow coaches under a newly adopted program, Yellowstone National Park is seeking public comments on proposed revisions to the plan. Park managers said discussion about the draft Winter Use Adaptive Management Plan is part of an effort to continually improve the management of winter use in the park using the best available science and public input. The draft plan will be available for public review and comment until August 21, 2015. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Yellowstone, snow coaches, snowmobiles, winter use
Melting snow means no snowmobiles from West Yellowstone
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A long stretch of above-normal temperatures and limited snowfall in Yellowstone National Park have resulted in a dramatic reduction in the snowpack on road segments linking West Yellowstone and Old Faithful. That has left many areas along the road from West Yellowstone through Madison Junction to Old Faithful with large portions of exposed pavement visible, requiring the National Park Service to change how vehicles may access the park in that area. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Yellowstone, snowmobiles, west yellowstone, winter use
Yellowstone east entrance open to snowmobiles
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Commercial and non-commercially guided snowmobiles and all types of snow coaches may now travel from the park’s East Entrance over Sylvan Pass to Fishing Bridge Juction. Due to various road restrictions in place, travelers should consult the current road conditions online.. Road status can change with little warning due to adverse weather conditions which could require temporary road closures to all oversnow travel. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Yellowstone, east entrance, snowmobiles, sylvan pass
Yellowstone opens more routes to snow vehicles
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Yellowstone National Park is opening additional groomed roads after seeing snowfall every day this week. Commercial and non-commercially guided snowmobiles and commercial snow coaches with rubber tracks or large tires may now travel all the way from Mammoth Hot Springs south through Norris to Madison, and from Norris east to Canyon Junction continuing south all the way to West Thumb. Snowmobiles and all types of snowcoaches may travel from the park’s South Entrance through West Thumb to Old Faithful. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Yellowstone, snow coaches, snowmobiles, traffic, winter, winter use
Yellowstone taking permit applications for self-guided snowmobile tours
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For the first time in more than a decade, winter visitors to Yellowstone National Park will have a chance to tour the park by snowmobile without using a commercial guide. The National Park Service announced this week that it is accepting applications for non-commercially guided snowmobile trips. The program will be run as a lottery through a federal public lands website where prospective visitors may select their preferred dates and submit an online request. Continue Reading →
Filed under: News, Plan Your Visit, Yellowstone, self-guided, snowmobiles, winter use
New contracts bring changes to Yellowstone winter tour business
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The business landscape for winter tour operators in Yellowstone National Park saw a shake-up this week as the National Park Service awarded a series of concessions contracts that will remain in effect for the next decade. Some longtime snowmobile and snow coach operators were selected to continue guiding winter visitors into Yellowstone, while many others with decades of experience were not among those awarded new contracts. Continue Reading →
Filed under: News, Yellowstone, concessions, snow coaches, snowmobiles, winter use
Yellowstone and Grand Teton open for winter season
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The winter season kicks off today in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, as entrances open to snow coaches, snowmobiles, skiers and hikers along the snow-covered roads through both parks. A mix of travel and recreational activities are allowed on different roads and trails in both parks. Visitors are reminded to come prepared by carrying personal emergency survival equipment in their vehicles and dressing appropriately for outside activities in extremely cold weather. Continue Reading →