Summer, Fall, and Winter in Yellowstone

Summer

When it comes to summertime activities the West Yellowstone area is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise. The long summer days provide visitors unlimited access to explore and play in the splendor of the high country. You can fish blue ribbon trout streams, hike in pristine wilderness, experience real western horseback riding, go whitewater rafting or mountain bike on hundreds of miles of single track and forest service roads.

In addition to regal Yellowstone National Park right next door, with its famous geysers, wildlife, and waterfalls, there's adventure to be found just to the West. Hebgen Lake, with its miles and miles of shoreline offers camping, boating, canoeing and the best still water fishing in Montana. Or, take an afternoon and learn to kayak on this clear mountain lake surrounded by beautiful mountains. Just beyond is Earthquake Lake, formed the night of August 17, 1959 when a 7.5 quake rocked the Madison Valley and a mountain fell.

With summer comes a choice of activities; weekly Wild West Yellowstone Rodeo, the Yellowstone Historic Museum Center, daily Yellowstone Ranger talks, and other programs just for kids like the Junior Smokejumper’s Program.

Don't miss a genuine small town 4th of July, where anyone can be in the parade, listen to live music, enjoy barbecues at the City Park, and end the day with an incredible fireworks display set against a backdrop of mountains.

Must See & Do

Wild West Yellowstone Rodeo

Hold on to your hat as some of the area's top cowboys and cowgirls take on some of the area's toughest stock. Bareback riding, team roping, saddle bronc riding, breakaway roping, barrel racing, bull riding and a special "calf scamble" for kids are just some of the events. Performances happen several night each week at the arena just west of town.

Yellowstone Rod Run

Street rod heaven! Thousands of car fans descend on West Yellowstone for this exciting weekend every August. Some come to see the cars, some come to show their cars. The event includes a cruise through Yellowstone Park, a parade down Yellowstone Avenue, showin' and shinin' in the park with food and music, and much more!

Horseback Riding

There is no better way to see the beautiful country around West Yellowstone, than by horseback. Summon your inner cowboy or cowgirl for a true western experience, on the back of your trusty steed. With rides available year round and from one hour to overnight pack trips, there are options for beginners who have never ridden before up to experienced riders. Explore a scenic mountain trail in the national forests, or ride into Yellowstone Park for the day or an overnight adventure. Families can also choose a short ride on a local ranch or corral rides for kids.

Local ranches and outfitters offer guided horseback rides for any budget from May until early October (weather dependent).

Western Cookouts

Experience the true "flavor" of the old west. Sizzlin' meats, dutch oven cooking, and all of the sides of a western meal in the peaceful beauty of a Montana night! Arrive on horseback, hay wagon, or horse drawn carriage. Enjoy cowboy poetry, stories of the West and live music while you dine.

Fall

Fall brings spectacular scenery and the annual elk mating season where huge bull elk battle for their harems with eerie echoing bugles across wide valleys. Cooler fall temperatures create spectacular photo opportunities at Old Faithful and other geysers in Yellowstone Park. It’s the best time of the year for mountain biking, road cycling, hiking, and photography in Yellowstone and the surrounding National Forests.

Spawning runs of big brown and battling rainbow trout migrate from Hebgen Lake up the Madison, Gallatin and Firehole Rivers. This makes West Yellowstone the prime fishing destination each fall, earning the title as one of the “Top 10 Trout Towns in America” by Forbes Magazine.

Even a rainy fall day is fun with a visit to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. Meet the three wolf packs or different resident grizzly bears, observe the raptors, talk to a Naturalist, and check out the "Keeper Kids Program." Next door the movie, "Yellowstone," plays daily at the Yellowstone Giant Screen Theatre with a six story movie screen.

Late fall features the annual West Yellowstone Old Faithful Cycle Tour. This roundtrip cycle ride circles through Yellowstone National Park from West Yellowstone to Old Faithful and back. With feed stations along the way and a snag wagon to grab a lift if you get tired, it is the perfect family cycling event. Or join the Yellowstone Rendezvous Trail Race – a half-marathon that takes place entirely on forest service trails.

Winter

With an average of 143” of snow every year and 184 days of sun, West Yellowstone has earned its place on the list of “11 Coolest Winter Places in America” (Budget Travel) and one of the “Top Ten Winter Towns” by National Geographic Traveler. It is continuously voted one of the top Snowmobile Destinations.

Outside the park there are millions of acres of public lands for snowmobilers and cross-country skiers to enjoy. Explore over 400 hundred miles of groomed snowmobile trails by West Yellowstone and the State of Idaho in the surrounding National Forests.

Over 50km of groomed Nordic ski trails start from town. The Rendezvous Ski Trail system offers a groomed 35KM trail, usually groomed daily and available from November through April. The Boundary Ski Trail (pet-friendly) and Yellowstone Park’s Riverside Trail also start from West Yellowstone.

If you’re fortunate enough to experience Yellowstone in the winter, you’re in for a rare treat. The snow covered landscape, frozen waterfalls and frosted trees when, contrasted with geysers and other geothermal features, create a surreal winterscape. If you’re lucky enough to venture into the backcountry, you will encounter a quiet calm that for some is a transcendental experience.

West Yellowstone tour companies offer over the snow day-long tours into Yellowstone via snowmobile or snowcoach. Tours begin on December 15th and end on March 15th each winter, weather dependent. Snowmobile tours include all the equipment and clothing that you will need for a day in the park.