Jan 27 - Feb 2, 2025
Starting at
3,999
Wyoming
Heart of the Winter in Yellowstone
Program No. 21771RJ
Witness Yellowstone National Park in winter as veils of snow create a stunning backdrop for bubbling hot springs, thermal pools, pristine landscapes and the region’s unique wildlife.
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We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more
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800-454-5768
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Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Feb 17 - Feb 23, 2025
Starting at
3,999DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Jan 27 - Feb 2, 2025
Starting at
4,549Feb 17 - Feb 23, 2025
Starting at
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7 days
6 nights
17 meals
6B 5L 6D
1
Check-in, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Bozeman, Montana
2
Yellowstone Overview, Mammoth Hot Springs
Gardiner, MT
3
Winter Wonderland by Snow Coach, Canyon, Old Faithful
Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park, WY
4
Upper Geyser Basin, Old Faithful
Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park, WY
5
Fountain Paint Pots, Norris geyser basin
Gardiner, MT
6
Yellowstone's Northern Range, return to Bozeman
Bozeman, Montana
7
Program Concludes
Bozeman, Montana
At a Glance
Witness snow-dusted buffalo, boiling geysers and all the wonders of Yellowstone National Park cloaked in its winter glory. It’ll feel like you have the park to yourself, as you traverse forests, open fields and geyser basins at a time when the park interior is accessible to only a few over-the-snow vehicles. Amid this transformed landscape, encounter winter wildlife as a naturalist interprets their long vigil for the return of spring food sources and witness the surreal spectacle created by the play of icy winter air with steaming thermal features bubbling and erupting from the earth.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Getting on and off snowcoach, with high steps and challenging conditions. Outside walking on snow & ice in below-freezing temperatures with stairs. Must be able to walk with balance and stability in winter conditions.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Photograph wildlife and winter landscapes accompanied by professional naturalists across the snow in warm, comfortable snow coaches with large windows.
- Experience unique geologic and thermal features of the park that are even more spectacular in winter.
- Witness a “bison-jam” and watch herds of these animals exhale vaporous breaths as they lumber across the ice and snow.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Leslie Stoltz
Raised and educated in the Finger Lakes region of New York, Leslie Stoltz now lives in Big Sky, Montana, surrounded by the wild places that she loves. Her decade of work for the National Park Service in Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks in the areas of research and education provided a wonderful foundation for her career as a teacher and park expert. Since the early 1990s, Leslie has worked for a variety of companies and non-profit organizations, teaching classes and leading trips in national parks and wild areas throughout the American West. Farther afield, she has led educational trips to Nepal, Bhutan, Tanzania, Botswana, Ecuador, and Mexico. Leslie also runs a non-profit with a mission to keep kids connected to the outdoors though scholarship opportunities for outdoor learning experiences.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Leslie Stoltz
View biography
Raised and educated in the Finger Lakes region of New York, Leslie Stoltz now lives in Big Sky, Montana, surrounded by the wild places that she loves. Her decade of work for the National Park Service in Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks in the areas of research and education provided a wonderful foundation for her career as a teacher and park expert. Since the early 1990s, Leslie has worked for a variety of companies and non-profit organizations, teaching classes and leading trips in national parks and wild areas throughout the American West. Farther afield, she has led educational trips to Nepal, Bhutan, Tanzania, Botswana, Ecuador, and Mexico. Leslie also runs a non-profit with a mission to keep kids connected to the outdoors though scholarship opportunities for outdoor learning experiences.
Andrea Saari
View biography
Andrea completed her bachelor’s in Ecology and went on to work as a bird field biologist in the summers and a ski-bum in the winters. She has been in Big Sky since 2003 working as a ski and snowboard instructor, as well as a naturalist guide in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. These days she can be found on the trails within the Gallatin National Forest and Yellowstone National Park, interpreting how everything in the ecosystem works together and the important role humans play as stewards.
Zack Baker
View biography
Zack Baker attended high school in Livingston, Montana, 52 miles north of Yellowstone. His love for the park started while snowshoeing and observing wildlife. At Montana State University in Bozeman, he earned a B.S. in plant science, but it was Yellowstone’s mammals that grabbed his interest. He led private wildlife watching, hiking, and photography trips, and drove snowcoaches in the winter. He joined up with Road Scholar in 2017 and is now the Program Director for Road Scholar at the University of Montana Western.
Suggested Reading List
(12 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Heart of the Winter in Yellowstone
Program Number: 21771
Knowing Yellowstone -Science in America's First National Park
Presently in Yellowstone there are almost 200 active research permits that involve over 500 investigators, but only a small fraction of this scientific work is reported in the popular press. Furthermore, the results are mixed and frequently confusing to the general public. The intent of this book is to explain both the general issues associated with the region and how science is done to understand those issues, from wolf and grizzly bear research to thermal activity. It further describes how science informs policy in the Greater Yellowstone Region, how scientists from an array of disciplines do their work, and finally, how the nature of that work enables or limits future plans for managing the park and surrounding lands.
Living Colors: Microbes of Yellowstone National Park
A full-color book published by Yellowstone Forever, Montana State University Biology Institute, and Montana Institute Ecosystems that identifies different types of microbes and where to find them in the park. 52 pages-soft cover. 8" x 8"
To Save the Wild Bison: Life on the Edge in Yellowstone
The author brings clarity and revelation to one of Yellowstone's most complex struggles by tracing the history of bison and humans into the 19th century and further into the national parks era. Here's discussion of bison management and park policy - the battle over brucellosis, snowmobiles and groomed winter roads, desires of Native Americans, bison and predators.
Windows into the Earth: The Geologic Story of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks
Find out about the forces that shaped and continue to shape the Greater Yellowstone-Teton region. Illustrations and driving tours of both parks help visitors enjoy and understand the Earth's creative forces in this wondrous region.
For Everything There Is A Season: The Sequence of Natural Events In The Grand Teton- Yellowstone Area.
Dr. Craighead describes and illustrates the hidden patterns he sees in the natural world. For naturalists, this book is a remarkable chronicle of the interrelationships between all living things. For anyone interested in the Teton-Yellowstone area and the entire Northern Rockies, this book opens the door to greater understanding of the natural cycles of one of America's last wild places.
Yellowstone's Ski Pioneers: Peril and Heroism on the Winter Trail
The book chronicles historic army winter ski patrols, wildlife stories and other ski adventures as protagonists tell their own stories. The author interprets the social climate and attitudes of the times to present Yellowstone in the 1870s and 80s when the nearest town was several days travel away and summer tourists were rare. Poachers were the area's primary winter visitors during an era when wildlife destruction was occurring throughout the American West. The book places the role of present-day park management in perspective. It interprets our history and explains how and why park policies have evolved and provides insight into wildlife conservation and policy and winter travel in Yellowstone.
After the Fires: The Ecology of Change in Yellowstone National Park
The ravaging fires of 1988 caused many scientists to predict long-term devastation which did not come to pass. This scientific summary by wildlife biologists, ecosystem and forest scientists and landscape ecologists discusses the many things that changed and did not change in the Yellowstone area. Realize the role of fire in the ecosystem and the resiliency of nature.
Field Guide to Tracking Animals in Snow: How to Identify and Decipher Those Mysterious Winter Trails
Focuses on the animal's track pattern, making windblown and obscured tracks identifiable.
Restoring a Presence: American Indians and Yellowstone National Park
This first comprehensive account of Indians in and around Yellowstone corrects more than a century of ignorance. Here is detailed Yellowstone's native peoples and their story of a long engagement with a remarkable landscape.
Decade of the Wolf, revised and updated edition: Returning the Wild to Yellowstone
Research and storytelling meld to document wolf recovery in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Wolf biologist, Smith, and nature writer, Ferguson, provide an inside look at the Yellowstone Wolf Recovery Project ten years after the controversial decision was made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services to reintroduce wolves into the park. Smith, wolf project leader who has worked with the Yellowstone Wolf Project since its inception, has studied wolves for 25 years. Ferguson, whose writing largely arises from intimate experiences, followed through the seasons, the first 14 wolves released into Yellowstone National Park. Their collaboration offers hard facts and 'impressionistic portraits of individual wolves that reveal their epic lives full of struggle and conquest.' Here is the history of the return of the top predator to Yellowstone.
In the Temple of Wolves: A Winter's Immersion in Wild Yellowstone
When Rick Lamplugh arrives at the historic Lamar Buffalo Ranch on New Year’s Eve, he has one goal: to learn as much as possible about the ecology of the Lamar Valley. All winter he will work and live in this remote corner of Yellowstone National Park, home to some of the best wildlife watching in the world. Winter-hungry elk and bison migrate there to graze. Wolves, coyotes, and mountain lions stalk the grazers while eagles, ravens, and magpies wait to scavenge. The snowy backdrop makes the saga of death and life easy to spot. He has three frigid months to explore on skis and snowshoes, observe with all his senses, listen to and talk with experts. A literary blend of facts and feelings, In the Temple of Wolves celebrates nature’s stark beauty and treacherous cruelty, while revealing Lamplugh’s inner battles with his own human nature.
Searching for Yellowstone: Ecology and Wonder in the Last Wilderness
Eloquent, elegant, truthful and practical - an environmental history of America's best idea, Yellowstone.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
7 days
6 nights
What's Included
17 meals (
6B, 5L, 6D
)
2 expert-led lectures
9 expert-led field trips
An experienced Group Leader
6 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Day
1
Check-in, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Location:
Bozeman, Montana
Meals:
D
Stay:
Springhill Suites
Activity Note
Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m.
Afternoon:
Program Registration: 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. After you have your room assignment, come to the Road Scholar table in the lobby to register with the program staff and get your welcome packet containing your up-to-date schedule that reflects any last-minute changes, other important information, and to confirm when and where the Orientation session will take place. If you arrive late, please ask for your packet when you check in.
Dinner:
Catered by a local restaurant in the hotel conference room.
Evening:
Orientation. In the hotel conference room, the Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. This program is staffed with both a resident instructor who will give lectures and lead field trips and a Group Leader who will deal primarily with logistics. Only “over snow vehicles” are allowed in Yellowstone National Park during the winter months. All of our travel in the park will be via snow coaches — specialized van-type vehicles that travel over snow and ice, moving at slow speed limits (25 mph). During our time in snow coaches, the instructor will provide commentary along the way and at stops to view winter landscapes and wildlife. The snow coaches are heated; however, warm footwear and warm layered clothing are necessary outdoors. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead. Prepare for check-out and transfer tomorrow.
Day
2
Yellowstone Overview, Mammoth Hot Springs
Location:
Gardiner, MT
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Ridgeline Hotel at Yellowstone
Activity Note
Some short walks on snow-packed trails or boardwalks. Walking about 1.75 miles; several hundred stair steps (downhill), elevation change approximately 300 feet.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
Enjoy an introductory lecture given by our instructor. During our morning class time our instructor will put Yellowstone into perspective as we hit the road and discuss some of the geologic processes that have shaped Yellowstone's landscape through the ages. We'll discuss winter ecology, seasonal adaptations as well as tectonic plate movement, the Yellowstone hot spot, and how the Park's unique ecosystem and diverse habitats are a direct result of glaciations, as well as tectonic and volcanic activity. We will check out of our hotel, meet our motorcoach, and transfer to Gardiner MT via the beautiful Paradise Valley.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
We’ll head out after lunch via motorcoach for Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park. We’ll walk among the Mammoth Terraces to observe her ever changing, graceful, travertine beauty. About two tons of travertine (a form of limestone) are deposited daily as hot, mineral-laden water wells up from beneath the earth's crust to add to terraces that began building thousands of years ago. We'll check into our hotel upon arriving back in Gardiner.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure. Our Instructor and Group Leader will be available for questions and conversation.
Day
3
Winter Wonderland by Snow Coach, Canyon, Old Faithful
Location:
Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park, WY
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Old Faithful Snow Lodge
Activity Note
Getting in/out of heated snow coaches; short walks on snow-packed and sometimes icy trails or boardwalks.
Breakfast:
At a local restaurant.
Morning:
We will board the snow coaches and begin exploring the parks interior. Heading South past, swan lake flats, obsidian cliff and norris geyser basin. Our destination for the first day will be the Upper Geyser Basin, home to the most famous Geyser in the world, Old Faithful.
Lunch:
In the Park, we’ll have sack lunches.
Afternoon:
We'll travel along the Gibbon and Firehole Rivers. The Firehole River is lined by several geyser basins which make Yellowstone so famous. Delight in the winter scenery as we traverse the park for the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone before arriving at Old Faithful.
Dinner:
At the Old Faithful Snow Lodge
Evening:
At leisure. You might like to bundle up and take a short stroll outside under Yellowstone's star-filled sky mid mountain-scented, winter air, or relax at the Lodge.
Day
4
Upper Geyser Basin, Old Faithful
Location:
Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park, WY
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Old Faithful Snow Lodge
Activity Note
Getting in/out of heated snow coaches; short walks on snow-packed trails.
Breakfast:
At a restaurant near Old Faithful.
Morning:
We'll gather with the instructor for an optional walk around the geyser basin to explore the wonders of this geologic masterpiece. Join the instructor as they reveal what is sitting under this magnificent landscape.
Lunch:
At the Snow Lodge dining room.
Afternoon:
We'll enjoy a quite afternoon around the Snow Lodge, or explore the geyser basin on your own. There are snowshoes and cross country skis available for the more adventurous. Enjoy the quite of the area, or the lodge.
Dinner:
At the Snow Lodge dining room.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
5
Fountain Paint Pots, Norris geyser basin
Location:
Gardiner, MT
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Ridgeline Hotel at Yellowstone
Activity Note
Getting on and off of the motorcoach. Driving about 95 miles, 4 hours round trip. Stops along the way. Walking up to 1 mile snow-packed and icy boardwalks and paths.
Breakfast:
At a local restaurant.
Morning:
We'll board our snowcoaches and return the trip north to Gardiner MT. There are plenty of geyser basins along the way to explore and enjoy the serenity of winter on the Yellowstone plateau, learning along the way.
Lunch:
Sack lunches in the park.
Afternoon:
We'll continue our exploration of this winter wonderland while returning to Mammoth Hot Springs via Snowcoach. Once we arrive at Mammoth, we will transfer to a motorcoach and continue to Gardiner MT. Check in upon arrival.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure. After a long day of adventure, enjoy some relaxation.
Day
6
Yellowstone's Northern Range, return to Bozeman
Location:
Bozeman, Montana
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Springhill Suites
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus. Driving about 150 miles; approximately 2 hours one way, 4 total. Walking about 1 mile through the day; packed snow and ice on trails, snow-packed parking areas.
Breakfast:
At a local restaurant.
Morning:
We’ll set out by bus for a field trip into Yellowstone's northern range for a half day. We'll try and catch some of the more elusive animals that we may have missed the first day. Enjoy this beautiful and important winter habitat . Bring binoculars in case we are fortunate enough to spot more wildlife in one of the most intact ecosystems in earth's temperate zone.
Lunch:
Sack lunches in the park.
Afternoon:
We will board our bus and head back through Yellowstone's northern range, an expansive valley along the Lamar River, keeping our eyes open for wildlife as we enjoy our instructor’s commentary along the way.
Dinner:
Catered by a local restaurant.
Evening:
In the hotel's conference room we’ll gather one last time as a group with our Instructor who will review our grand adventure in Yellowstone’s winter wonderland. We’ll have time for any final questions and answers. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning. Advance reservations required for airport shuttle (not included in program price).
Day
7
Program Concludes
Location:
Bozeman, Montana
Meals:
B
Activity Note
If you made an advance reservation for the airport shuttle, it departs from outside the hotel at 8:30 a.m. Hotel check-out by 11:00 a.m.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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MEALS
17 Meals
6 Breakfasts
5 Lunches
6 Dinners
LODGING
Lodgings may differ by date. Select a date to see the lodgings specific to that date.
Showing Lodging For:
- Feb 17, 2025 - Feb 23, 2025
- Jan 27, 2025 - Feb 02, 2025
- Feb 17, 2025 - Feb 23, 2025
- Jan 12, 2026 - Jan 18, 2026
- Feb 02, 2026 - Feb 08, 2026
- Feb 16, 2026 - Feb 22, 2026
Participant Reviews
Based on 9 Reviews
Sort By:
We heard and saw a whole pack of wolves howling!
— Review left March 2, 2024
Quintessential Yellowstone in the Heart of Winter experience — every day.
— Review left March 2, 2024
Winter in Yellowstone was an amazing experience. The program leaders were incredibly accommodating and knowledgeable. Glynis and Virginia made every attempt to meet all of our requests in order to make this an outstanding experience for everyone. Seeing the wildlife and natural beauty of the park was refreshing and exciting. We highly recommend this program!!
— Review left February 26, 2023
Wonderful tour. Snow Coaches are very comfortable for the experienced traveler. There were drop down steps to board and assistance by driver and fellow passengers when needed on our tour. Yellowstone weather itself provides the amount of snow and animals. Road Scholar does the rest. Enjoy!!
— Review left February 18, 2023
There are insufficient words to express the wonders of Yellowstone in the winter. Go, experience it, and find out for yourself.
— Review left February 8, 2023
Yellowstone is absolutely fantastic. The leaders Bill and Cathy were fantastic. The drivers were fantastic. The other participants were fantastic. I highly recommend the program.
— Review left January 27, 2020
We loved this trip. The scenery and wildlife were amazing, the tour guides were knowledgeable and entertaining. We learned a lot, and relaxed a lot. Very well planned and facilitated.
— Review left April 15, 2019
Winter in Yellowstone should go on your bucket list if it is not already there! The beauty of the park in the snow is magical. Road Scholar, with the help of Mother Nature, does a great job making sure that every minute of the trip meets or exceeds expectations!
— Review left February 28, 2019
Besides the abundant wildlife and thermal features, this turned out to be something of a spiritual experience. It was among the best of the 6 RS programs I've attended, even though some of the others were in more "exotic" locations. Both Leslie and Charlie (and our snow coach driver, Kristi) were incredibly knowledgeable and enjoyable instructors, and we participants really bonded as a group. This was truly a week of learning and renewal!
— Review left February 13, 2019
