West Yellowstone

West Yellowstone sits at the west entrance of Yellowstone National Park in Montana. Walk five minutes from downtown to reach Old Faithful, where water erupts 130 feet high every 90 minutes. Nearby, Grand Prismatic Spring displays rings of bright orange and blue created by heat-loving microbes, and the Yellowstone River carves a deep canyon with two waterfalls taller than Niagara. In town, the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center houses bears and wolves that can’t live in the wild, and weathered train depots from the 1900s line the streets. Winters here drop below -60°F, but people still come to ski, snowmobile, or watch bison move through snow-covered valleys.

Accessing Yellowstone’s Geysers and Canyons

West Yellowstone is the closest town to Yellowstone’s most visited geyser basins. Drive 30 minutes east to see Old Faithful shoot steaming water into the air, or walk wooden pathways around Grand Prismatic Spring to feel its heat. The park’s west entrance lets you reach the Yellowstone River Canyon in under an hour, where you can stand at lookout points above 308-foot Lower Falls. Check the West Yellowstone Visitor Center for daily updates on geyser eruption times, such as Castle Geyser’s 20-minute sprays. Book a guided trip to photograph bison herds, hike trails like Fairy Falls, or ride heated snowcoaches to isolated hot springs in winter.

Observing Bears and Wolves Up Close

The Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center cares for animals that can’t survive in nature. Watch grizzlies dig through rotting logs for grubs during scheduled feeding times, or see gray wolves trot across rocky terrain designed to mimic their natural habitat. Staff explain how these predators hunt and communicate, and glass-walled tanks let you view river otters diving underwater. Your entry fee helps fund research on reducing conflicts between humans and wildlife. Afterward, watch Yellowstone-themed movies at the town’s IMAX theater, which covers topics like volcanic activity and elk migration.

Railroad History and Early Tourism

The Union Pacific Railroad built West Yellowstone in 1908 to bring visitors to Yellowstone. The original stone train station now houses the West Yellowstone Historic Center, where you can examine luggage tags from the 1920s and a steam locomotive used until 1960. Family-owned shops like the Eagle Store, open since 1920, still sell camping supplies and postcards on Yellowstone Avenue. When highways replaced trains as the main way to reach the park, motels and gas stations replaced most rail-era buildings. The Historic Center’s photos reveal how tourists once slept in canvas tents and rode stagecoaches past mud pots.

Snow Sports and Frozen Landscapes

From December to March, West Yellowstone becomes a center for snowmobiling and skiing. Groomed trails stretch across nearby forests, with routes like the Two Top Mountain trail climbing 2,000 feet for views of the Tetons. Cross-country skiers glide along the Rendezvous Trail System’s flat loops or race in events like the Ski Festival’s 50-kilometer competition. Though Yellowstone’s west entrance closes to cars in winter, guided snowmobile groups enter daily to see frost-covered bison and geysers steaming against icy backdrops. Rent skis from local shops to explore trails such as Riverside Loop, which follows the Madison River’s snow-edged banks.

Fishing, Hiking, and Summer Events

Summer visitors wade into the Madison River to cast flies for trout, or hire guides to find hidden fishing spots on the Gallatin. Hike the 5-mile Lone Star Geyser Trail, which ends at a cone-shaped geyser that erupts every three hours, or bike the paved path to Mammoth Hot Springs’ terraced pools. Kids can earn Junior Ranger badges by completing activity books about wildlife, and the Playmill Theatre stages nightly performances of Broadway musicals with live singing. After sunset, browse shops selling huckleberry jam and carved antlers, or eat grilled bison meat at diners with checkered tablecloths.

Visitor Resources and Local Support

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