Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks Guide - Part I
The handsome bull Elk:
Bull Elk - Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
This bull Elk was a first animal that I stopped for to photograph on my first day in the “Winter Wonderland” - the Yellowstone National Park.
As I’m finally getting into post-processing my photographs from my Winter 2018/19 trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, in upcoming weeks, I will be sharing information on various topics regarding this trip. Just keep in mind that these will be my personal observations from only 2 weeks spent there. At no means this information is meant to be a substitution for a workshop with a guide that lives there. Not at all. I simply want to share my experience from my leisure trip that I was lucky enough to take during the Christmas break. For those that would like to do a similar trip, I hope you will find this information useful in planning your trip. In upcoming weeks, I will be sharing information on how I was able to fly and stay at the hotels for free, how and where I was able to find the wildlife, winter clothing tips and other useful information. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments below.
Is the Yellowstone and Grant Teton National Park open in winter months?
For years, I wrongfully thought that the Yellowstone National Park can be accessed only on a guided tour for a large fee. As you probably know, I prefer traveling and photographing on my own schedule, often at minimum cost. Therefore, I never looked more into the winter possibilities in the Yellowstone NP. Until, I spend few days there in the Summer 2017 (when I fled the Glacier National Park due to the wildfires and drove to the Yellowstone for few days). At that time, I learnt from the rangers that park is actually opened for visitors in Winter. I knew right away that I will be back 😋 Just to be honest here, it was actually my wife’s idea 🙈😬
Both parks are opened during the Winter but with limited access.
Yellowstone National Park allows private vehicles access only at the North Entrance. From Gardiner to Cooke City. This road is frequently plowed. During my visit, despite the government shutdown, there was a plow spreading salt and “widening” the road every morning, even if there was no significant snowfall the night before.
Other entrances, especially West Yellowstone, can be accessed only via a snowmobile or guided snowcoach. Most of the visitors opt-out for a commercial guided tours there. It is possible to rent a snowmobile and enter the park on your own (?) but you will need a permit. More information can be found, here: https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/ncgsap.htm I will write a separate post on the West Yellowstone.
more information on the road closures at Yellowstone NP: https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/parkroads.htm
Grand Teton - the 191 road stays opened with the road near the Jenny Lake and Antelope Flats closed. More information can be found, here: https://www.nps.gov/grte/planyourvisit/winter.htm I will also write a separate post on this part of my trip.
After landing in Bozeman, getting the rental car and quick stop for the groceries, with only 2 hours until the sunset, my wife and I decided to drive straight to the Yellowstone National Park passing by our hotel. This gave us a great heads up on the wildlife situation in the park for the next morning. For the first 30 minutes of our drive we were simply admiring the winter landscape. Until we noticed this bull Elk feeding near the road. Luckily, there was a small pullout to park the car. I quickly grabbed the camera and decided to take few shots. I would like to say “just a few'“ but you know exactly how it is when shooting a cooperative subject. You think that you spent only 5 minutes and took only 20 shots. Truth to be told, I spend about 30 minutes with this animal. Changing lenses, cameras, taking photos and videos 🙈 Ahh, the life of a wildlife photographer 😬
As it happened, just 5 minutes from this location, there was a stake out area for watching wolves! This is exactly the reason why we came here! At this point, even though we were tired after a long day of travel, we knew exactly where we will be heading first thing in the morning. After a quick chat with a group of wolf researchers, we decided to head back to the town and check in into the hotel. It was already getting dark.
Quick note:
In late December/early January sunrise is at 8:00AM and sunset is at 4:45PM - https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/@5653731?month=12&year=2019
Yes, it is not a mistake. Sunrise is at 8AM! An hour later than in NJ. It was a relief for us, as we could easily spent the rest of the evening unpacking, preparing food and getting the well deserved sleep.
Winter gear tip:
From the moment we landed, to the very last day of our trip, the most worn piece of clothing on this trip were our Eddie Bauer Guide Pro Lined Pants https://www.eddiebauer.com/p/12951203/men's-guide-pro-lined-pants?sp=1&size=&color=Black (men’s and women’s options available). These pants are simply incredible! These are my go to pants every Winter since 2016. I despise wearing long underwear and these pants do incredible job in protecting against the wind and mild cold. What bring these pants to the next level is the fleece liner that feels very comfy against the bare skin. I highly recommend these pants! In colder temperatures, or when standing for prolonged time in one spot, I wear additional pair of ski pants over these. This combination is much more comfortable for me. Eddie Bauer has frequent discounts/sales on these pants.
In the next post I will share how I was able to book hotel stays, and fly for free in the most traveled time of the year! - Part II - https://www.greggard.com/blog/2019/11/yellowstone-grand-teton-winter-wildlife-photography-guide-free-hotel-stay
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