No matter when you have the opportunity to visit Yellowstone, it’s a trip well-worth taking. Here, both nature lovers and scenery seekers alike will find reasons to relish in their one-of-a-kind surroundings from the moment they set foot within its parameters. Yellowstone is packed with amazing wildlife, gorgeous landscapes, and mesmerizing geothermal features across its two million acres of terrain, making every visit a unique experience. That said, the time of year you arrive here can certainly affect what you’re able to do and how long you can spend exploring the places you’re more interested in seeing for yourself. The following is a month-by-month breakdown designed to help you and your traveling crew decide when is the best time to visit Yellowstone this year.

Make It a Winter Journey to Remember

If you don’t mind the snow and cold and you’re up for some bundled-up seasonal fun, visiting Yellowstone in the wintertime could be your ideal time of year to travel this way. December officially kicks off the cold-weather season here, and many of the snow coach and snowmobile tours that thrill-seekers can book through the park begin on or around the 15th. While you won’t have opportunities to drive your own vehicle through the park as freely as you would in the summertime due to multiple feet of snow and closed roadways, December is a time of year that’s well adapted to snowshoes in Yellowstone instead. The team at Yellowstone Safari Company begins their guided snowshoe outings this month, and there’s a good chance you’ll spot some incredible elk along the way if your route takes you to higher elevations.

January and February Are Ideal for Those Who Enjoy Off-Season Adventures

Winter is a terrific time to head to Yellowstone when you want to avoid crowds, and you’re willing to pack the extra gear needed to make the most of the great outdoors. January is a particularly popular month for taking in the scenery, as it’s covered in frost and ice. Yes, it’s bound to be frigid, but if you have your hat, boots, thermal gloves, multiple layers, and parkas readily available; there’s no reason you can’t head out in insulated covers and enjoy a stroll through the snow. The average high this time of year is typically around 28 degrees Fahrenheit, which keeps some visitors away, but it is a great time for those who are looking to spot wildlife like wolves, which are easier to spot in the distance against the white snow.

By February, things warm up slightly across Yellowstone’s fascinating ecosystem, but you’re still going to need to pack warm apparel if you want to head out and make the most of winter wildlife watching. February is a great time of year to spot bison sporting their thickest seasonal coasts moving around Mammoth Hot Springs, and it’s also a prime season for spotting coyotes, gray wolves, and red foxes as they begin to emerge in the name of an early breeding season in Yellowstone. If you head this way this time of year, you’ll likely find yourself in the company of dedicated wildlife photographers intent on capturing these snowy shots of amazing creatures at their finest.

Spring Brings New Life, Color, and Adventures to Yellowstone

March marks the beginning of the spring season in Yellowstone, and travelers who are looking to enjoy slightly warmer temperatures at the park compared to winter will be thrilled to find daily highs typically linger around 39 degrees Fahrenheit. That means a bit of snow will start melting away, but not enough to completely thaw out the terrain. Waterproof boots are still very much necessary here in March, and snowmobile tours are typically one of the most popular routes to relishing the scenery with ease alongside a local and knowledgeable guide. If you’re here to see elk, it’s a unique time of year to travel this way because it’s when elk begin to shed their seasonal antlers across Yellowstone. These grow back within 150 to 170 days, but if you happen to see one shedding its antlers in real-time, it’s an incredible scene you won’t soon forget.

By April, more visitors will be making their way to Yellowstone as things warm up, but it’s still very much considered a shoulder travel season in the area. If you decide to lace up your boots and hit the still slightly snowy trails, there’s a good chance you’ll notice melt-off beginning to create noticeable streams along the way. The West entrance of the park opens in April, and more routes are open to four-wheel-drive vehicles this month as well. Wildlife watching only gets better and better by April, as elk and deer alike make their way back to familiar grounds.

May Is a Must for Bear Watching

If you’re someone who has a true passion for spotting bears in the wild, the grizzlies who call Yellowstone home begin coming out from hibernation by May. Many consider this the “true” start to spring, and the viewing opportunities from a safe distance abound. From under the snowy terrain, visitors will also begin to notice spots of green as vegetation makes a seasonal reappearance across the park as well. May is also the month for baby bison to begin making their way into the world at Yellowstone, and their orange coats stand out strikingly in the herd. If you’re traveling to Yellowstone in May and intent on seeking out wildflowers, some of the early bloomers to expect this month include Glacier Lilies, Biscuitroot, Spring Beauties, and Arrowleaf Balsamroot as well. Finally, many visitors this time of year are delighted to find that roads that were closed all winter and early spring are now open for travel. Early May sees the East entrance of the park open up to the public, while mid-May welcomes travelers to use the South Entrance once again. By the end of May, Dunraven Pass to Tower Falls is accessible as well, making the park a place where you can more easily customize your entrance and exit points when planning your trip.

Spend Summer Embracing Amazing Surroundings in Yellowstone

By June, summer is officially in session across Yellowstone, but because some schools let out a bit late, you can possibly still avoid the mid-summer crowds that are guaranteed here by July. Daily highs hit the low 60s this month and there’s typically plenty of sunshine to go around which inevitably melts off any remaining snow at a faster rate. Still, if you want to cool down, hiking higher elevation trails in Yellowstone this time of year comes with access to fresh powder. At lower elevations, wildflowers are in bloom and among the lupine and Indian paintbrush, you’ll likely see baby deer, moose, and elk roaming.

By July, temperatures are typically at their warmest across Yellowstone, reaching upwards of 90 degrees by midday. The snow has long since gone from the trails so if you’re a hiking enthusiast, this is the time of year to find yourself here with gear in hand. Lines at entrance stations are bound to be significantly longer by July, so planning your entrance times is a must. A good way to ensure your place is to book your spot on a wildlife or nature tour so you can not only avoid crowds but perhaps set your sights on areas you might otherwise overlook. July is a terrific time to get up close to the park’s many geothermal features as well, because higher temperatures dissipate steam, which can block your view in the winter season.

August brings summer to a close with temperatures that still linger in the upper 80s and plenty of sunny days to enjoy. The one disadvantage to an August visit is that the park doesn’t typically see a lot of rain this time of year, so if you’re looking for options to cool off among all that heat, you’re a bit out of luck. As a result, there are also strict fire restrictions in place to be aware of no matter where you roam. That said, August visitors to Yellowstone will be right on time to witness the bison breeding season, which sees competing males putting on an incredible show of strength if you’re lucky enough to witness these matches in real-time.

Fall in Love with Yellowstone This Autumn

With school back in session and summer fading into fall, autumn is a great time to enjoy cooler temperatures across Yellowstone and fewer crowds too. Daily highs in September average around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, with the one disadvantage being the increased chances for storms. The cooler weather does come with more active wildlife during the daytimes as opposed to what you might see in the summer, and bull elk and moose will be putting their impressive antlers to use showing off their strength and skills to attract a mate. Grizzly bears are on the hunt for local berries this time of year as they ramp up for an oncoming hibernation once again, and while the daylight time you can set aside to explore Yellowstone is shorter, it’s equally impressive.

It’s fair to say that October is a fan-favorite time of year in Yellowstone among those who have a passion for leaf peeping. Deciduous trees like cottonwood and aspen are the first to turn yellow, while the first week of October typically encompasses the very best time for spotting the most drastic change in hues. You will want to check on road status ahead before heading into Yellowstone in October, because while it’s not a guarantee, a pop-up storm or snowfall can cause some access points to close earlier in the season than originally anticipated.

November brings fall to a close in Yellowstone, and the 7th of the month typically marks the final opportunity for travelers to take full advantage of exploring the park’s roads on their own in a standard highway vehicle. After that, many routes are closed for the wintertime in the name of safety with the exception of the North and Northeast entrance. Of course, even if you arrive later in November, you can simply take a winter-style approach to visiting and plan a snow tour with a guide or head in on foot on your own. Places like the Lamar Valley are extremely active with bison and elk well into November, and bighorn sheep breeding season gets underway this month as well. Long before the largest snowfalls of the year happen, November presents a wonderful chance to explore geothermal features without having to contend with snow on the boardwalks or surrounding trails.

Book a Stay within Easy Reach of Yellowstone Through Sweet Home Montana

The best way to make sure you make the most of your Yellowstone experience, no matter what month or season you arrive, is to book inviting and conveniently located accommodations that keep you close to the fun and living in style! That’s exactly what you can expect and more when you partner with Sweet Home Montana for your rental the next time you’re here. We live where we work, and our team of property professionals always pairs incredible rental options for our guests with exceptional and insightful customer service standards as well. We can just as easily help you find the right home away from home for your stay as we can advise you about local events, activities, and attractions to check out that are sure to make your stay even more memorable. We offer terrific lodging options in every season and know where to go whether the snow is falling or the sun is up and temperatures are on the rise across Yellowstone.

No matter when you arrive, how long you have to spare in the name of vacation fun, or how many others you’re traveling alongside, we’re ready and waiting to help you enjoy your journey in comfort, convenience, and style. Reach out today to learn more about our portfolio of property options in West Yellowstone and how we can help you customize the details of your accommodations and trip that matter most to you. We’ll handle the details while you focus exclusively on the fun ahead and we very much look forward to seeing you in Yellowstone soon!

The annual fall break is beginning to reach levels of popularity that heretofore were only met by summer or spring, but when you choose to travel to West Yellowstone over Halloween, there may be some members of your family that take issue with the trip. Of course, we are talking about your tiniest travelers, the ones who start anticipating next Halloween’s goodies and costumes before they have even completely looked through this year’s stash, and when they ask, “What about trick-or-treating?” you can answer with complete assurance that the Halloween hijinks will not have to be skipped. We at Sweet Home Montana have created this guide to the best places to trick-or-treat in West Yellowstone, while also offering ideas on how to celebrate for the whole family.

Trunk or Treat, Date TBD, Povah Community Parking Lot

The information isn’t complete as of yet, but in previous years, the Povah Community Parking Lot has held a trunk or treat event guaranteed to thrill the kiddos. Generally held the Friday before Halloween, (that would be October 25^th this year) they offer all the fun of Halloween while allowing parents to feel safe as their kids race from trunk to trunk begging for the candy they crave. Costumes are key to the fun, so be sure to bring your kiddo’s along for the trip, or if you forgot, you could always pick up something at our local stores. In any case, this fun Halloween activity offers candy, hot chocolate, (it can get cold at night this time of year) and family photo opportunities that will provide the most amazing souvenir of your West Yellowstone vacation.

Neighborhood Trick-or-Treating in West Yellowstone, October 31

West Yellowstone is a small town located at the edge of Yellowstone Park, and unlike larger towns, there aren’t a lot of Halloween events, but we have kids too, and we invite you to join in the neighborhood fun. We love the small-town closeness of neighbors who are always looking out for each other, and your kids will be safe too as you make the door-to-door trek that brings them joy. Even better, your Sweet Home Montana escape will be located close to where you are trick-or-treating, and parents won’t have far to trudge when returning with exhausted toddlers in their arms or on their shoulders! And after you get them in bed, they will be sleeping so soundly, they won’t hear when you sneak some candy from their goody bags. With the guide to candy and wine pairings listed below, we can promise your night of spooks, thrills, sweets, and fun will be one you never forget.

Candy and Wine Pairings for the Parents

Whether you chose to dress in your own costume or simply donned coat and sneakers to chaperone your little goblins and ghouls, you too deserve a little treat (but no tricks!) in the form of stolen candies paired to perfection with your favorite wines. We have listed a few of our favorites below, but a simple tip to remember when choosing a wine, chocolates pair best with red wines and fruity candies pair best with white wines.

• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups – Reese’s is always going to taste best when paired with either a dark cabernet sauvignon or a rich merlot, again sticking with chocolate and red as the theme of the pairing.
• Snicker’s – Yep, you guessed it, a rich and smooth cabernet sauvignon will bring out the highlights of this nougat and peanut rich candy bar. Hopefully some of the neighbors are overachievers and will provide the full sized ones so you can sip, sample, and savor in style on All Hallows Eve.
• M&M’s – It’s a red again for the treats that melt in your mouth and not in your hands, but because there are many different types of M&M’s, you may want to sample the reds you have on hand to try and determine which goes best with which. For your standard M&M’s we highly recommend a pinot noir, for peanut butter ones we suggest a cabernet sauvignon, and for all the others, well, as long as you stay in the red category you should be just fine.
• Starburst – The blast of fruit enjoyed in every piece will best be accompanied by a glass of bubbly Moscato with this treat being one that carries over into real life!
• Candy Corn – This last candy is for the traditionalists out there; a chilled and crisp chardonnay enhances the waxy sweetness of this sugary blast that has been around for over 100 years.

Your Halloween Hideaway

After the trick-or-treating has completed and you have sipped and sampled your way through your kiddo’s goody bags, the best night’s sleep will be had in our Sweet Home Montana Halloween hideaways. Reserve your favorite today!

Every traveler deserves that one perfect vacation spent exploring someplace wonderful, a place that offers peace, serenity, and a natural landscape that will make them long for simpler days in their own hometowns. And if that vacation happens to fall during a season that isn’t usually considered tourist season, a time when traffic jams are rare and wait times in restaurants are shortened, the only thing that could make that vacation even better is knowing that it is West Yellowstone your airplane and rental car are pointed in the direction of, and realizing that every night you will be able to rest your heads on the most comfortable pillows in the state of Montana, simply because you chose Sweet Home Montana for your vacation accommodations. This guide to a West Yellowstone vacation that occurs in the midst of our quiet season is destined to speak to your soul.

The Quiet Season Starts Soon

As summer draws ever closer to its natural conclusion, travelers are returning home in droves, lured by the siren’s song of back to school bells and the realization that the end of the year holidays are almost here. And although you may be tempted to do the same, you also know that your soul needs a few extra days where your responsibilities are few and your free moments are many. You want to sleep in late, greeting the day on your own time schedule and you need to find the moments so serene and peaceful you can tuck them away in your heart to be explored at a later time, perhaps when real life gets too harsh. In West Yellowstone, those quiet days can be found in the months of September and October—April too, but that’s a story for another day! Don’t take that quiet for boredom, however, especially in the fall months when the sounds of elk calling out for a mate may ring through the countryside, and when the call is answered, you too can sleep peacefully knowing the bull has found his cow, and when spring rolls around, new babies will be frolicking in our beautiful landscape.

Faithfully Yours

There are other geysers in Yellowstone National Park, but the first one named is the most famous of all and in the tourist season, Old Faithful can be a little more difficult to access as all the crowds want to witness its predictability. Officially known as a cone geyser, the geyser has erupted every 44 minutes to two hours since the year 2000, with the boiling water reaching heights of up to 125 feet, creating a sensation every time. Enjoy a leisurely walk along the boardwalk that takes you to other, less predictable geysers, springs, and pools known for their beautiful colors and extreme heat and feel as if the entire park belongs to you as you will encounter very few thrill seekers during your adventures. (The Biscuit Basin Interpretive Trail is currently closed due to a hydrothermal explosion, but there are still areas you can enjoy during your visit.)

Play in the Snow

Yes, you read that correctly. Although we can’t predict exactly when, the snow often starts falling sometime in September and October, and although it is chilly, we firmly believe you haven’t lived until you have seen the landscape of West Yellowstone blanketed in the white stuff. For families living in warmer areas, these early season snowstorms can be the first opportunity your children will have to make snow angels and build snowmen, creating memories they will never forget.

Delicious Meals, Little to No Waiting

Parents traveling with young children understand the frustration that can accompany long waits at restaurants, the kiddos are hungry and they don’t care who knows it, but during your late summer or early fall visit, the wait is shortened, and the hearty meals served at places such as Old Town Cafe, 128 Madison Ave, can be quickly devoured, perhaps even before the little tykes realize they are hungry. Also offering lower prices during this quiet season of wonder, your bank account is sure to thank you for visiting West Yellowstone during this most beautiful time of the year!

West Yellowstone Vacation Difference

The quiet moments spent in your Sweet Home Montana seasonal sanctuary will be the ones that help fortify you for the crazy times that lie ahead. Relaxing on large decks that overlook the West Yellowstone countryside where views of trees dressed in their autumn finest or meadows blanketed with snow remind you that it’s the simple things that can provide the largest impact on your peace of mind. Sleep late every morning, play games with the kiddos, and let the peaceful ambience of your Montana home away from home fill you with joy. Our homes will be where you make your most meaningful memories—reserve your favorite escape today!

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Experience the charm of West Yellowstone with a stay in our inviting 2-bedroom vacation rentals, perfect for a cozy retreat, or upgrade to a spacious 3-bedroom rental, ideal for families and small groups seeking adventure and relaxation.