Why You Should Book a Winter Trip to Yellowstone National Park

"It might take extra planning and effort, but a winter trip to Yellowstone can be a memorable and uncrowded experience. You can explore the popular destination during the off-season on skis, snowshoes, or a snowmobile, or by taking a snowcoach tour. Limited lodging is available inside the park so you'll need to book your stay as far in advance as possible."

"Yellowstone, one of the country's most popular national parks, draws more than four million visitors each year to witness spewing geysers, steaming pools, and incredible wildlife you won't find anywhere else in the U.S. The park's expansive wilderness is home to treasured megafauna, from bears and wolves to herds of bison and elk, all of which visitors regularly spot. Yellowstone's landscape is big and beautiful, with dramatic river-cut canyons and towering mountains."

"More than half of the world's geysers are found here-including Old Faithful, which typically erupts every one to two hours-along with a supervolcano, the Yellowstone Caldera. While summer is by far the most popular time to visit Yellowstone, all that beauty and wonder doesn't go away when the snow begins to fall. The park evolves into a quiet winter wonderland between December and March with minimal crowds and plenty of open space."

Yellowstone draws more than four million visitors annually to see spewing geysers, steaming pools, and wildlife such as bears, wolves, bison, and elk. The park contains dramatic river-cut canyons, towering mountains, more than half of the world's geysers, Old Faithful, and the Yellowstone Caldera supervolcano. Between December and March the park becomes a quiet winter wonderland with minimal crowds and open space. Winter travel requires different planning: snow covers roads, avalanche danger exists, and most roads close to regular vehicles. Only the road between the north and northeast entrances remains open year-round with limited services. Winter activities include skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and snowcoach tours; on-site lodging is limited and should be booked well in advance.

Read at Travel + Leisure