Why Driving a Snowmobile Is the Best Way to See Yellowstone
Eric Parker
Gliding past a pair of adventure seekers with cross country skis on their feet and trekking poles in their hands at 35 miles per hour on a 900-cc Ski-Doo, it quickly becomes clear that the best way to see as much of Yellowstone National Park as possible over the long winter season is by snowmobile. And you should definitely be interested in seeing Yellowstone in the winter. Last year, nearly five million people visited the world’s first and America’s fourth most-popular national park, and almost all of those nature lovers chose to see the sights between the months of May and October.
In February of 2025, a scant 44,143 people entered through one of Yellowstone’s gates. Put simply, the cold winter months offer an excellent opportunity to experience Yellowstone’s most exciting attractions, with the added benefit of a completely different look and feel from the sweltering summer. If you’re the type who thinks snowmobiling through the park sounds like fun—and you’d be right, it’s a blast— you should know that Ski-Doo is the only brand that makes sleds that are approved. There are a couple models to choose from, all with clean-burning four-stroke engines that meet emissions and sound regulations, plus smooth-gliding skis and treads that ride quiet and don’t tear up the slick surface. Our Grand Touring sled boasted heated grips and a very comfortable back seat that would have been useful had we invited a passenger along for the ride.
The majority of the nearly 8,000 snowmobiles that entered Yellowstone last month were rented from operators that offer guided tours of the park. We came in through the West Entrance gate, which is the park’s most popular entrance and the one you’ll likely want to enter through if you’re planning to make it to Old Faithful and back out in a single day. We meandered our way over more than 60 round-trip miles, entering and exiting before the sun dipped below the horizon.
The only entrance that’s open year-round to wheeled traffic is the North Entrance at Gardiner, Montana, that leads to Mammoth Hot Springs, but the park cautions that four-wheel drive along with snow tires or chains are required. Massive tour coaches with comically large high-flotation tires are occasional sights on the park’s other roadways, but snowmobiles are much faster and more exciting mounts that allow unfettered views of the stunning park vistas and wildlife. The speed limit for the big-wheeled buses sits at 25 miles per hour. Snowmobiles are allowed to go 35 mph.
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Image Credit: Eric Parker It’s almost impossible to take a trip through Yellowstone without coming face to face with a pack or two of bison. Though the nickname buffalo is used interchangeably, the scientific name is, interestingly enough, bison bison bison (really: that’s the genus, species and subspecies). The nomadic herbivores travel in herds and are the largest land-going animals in North America with some older and well-fed bison weighing more than two tons. And they don’t get out of your way regardless of your method of travel. Our guided trip on Ski-Doos bunched as closely together as we could and a young bison still managed a slow gallop from one side of the road to the other, breaking our single-file line of snowmobiles in half. It’s an odd sensation being atop a 600-pound Ski-Doo with 95 horsepower at your beck and call while still feeling tiny in comparison to the surrounding wildlife under the big sky of the Yellowstone region.
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Image Credit: Eric Parker All of the Ski-Doo models that are approved for use in Yellowstone are available for sale to the general public. The Grand Touring Sport model starts at $11,349 with a 62-hp 600cc engine that gets 28 miles per gallon. The more powerful 900cc engine bumps the price to $12,599 and achieves around 22 mpg. The Grand Touring LE adds additional creature comforts and a high-tech rear suspension system for $15,049 while an optional Platinum Package adds a 10.25-inch color touchscreen display with built-in GPS and the ability to use the BRP Connect technology that works with a smartphone and built-in GPS.
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Image Credit: Eric Parker Ski-Doo’s Skandic utility sled that’s designed for hauling and towing loads is also approved for use in Yellowstone in certain configurations. We also got some seat time aboard the Ski-Doo Expedition that’s designed as a crossover that works well for trail riding and off-trail exploration. It’s a bigger beast than the Grand Touring models that most tour operators favor, but potentially useful for owners that want to do real winter work on their own property while still enjoying the ability to travel through the park.
True daredevils of the snow may prefer one of Ski-Doo’s ultimate direct-injection turbocharged two-stroke screamers. We hit 96 mph on a 180-hp MXZ X-RS with the 850 E-Tec Turbo R engine and there was plenty of room left for more speed. Those high-performance machines aren’t allowed in Yellowstone, but offer adrenaline-addicts the dopamine dose they crave.
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Image Credit: Eric Parker If you have even a passing interest in visiting Yellowstone, you should certainly consider seeing the sights and hearing the sounds from the saddle of a snowmobile. Get up close to the bison, catch a glimpse of a coyote tracking its prey alongside the warm currents of geothermally heated waters. And by all means keep an eye on the clock so you don’t miss the steamy spew from Old Faithful. Pack up your Ski-Doo and you’ll be back to the cozy fire of your lodge in time for a perfect dinner. You should know that Bison is on the menu at pretty much every restaurant within driving distance of the West Entrance. And yes, we tried it and it’s good. Just be sure not to make eye contact as you glide past the herd the next time you’re at the park.
