garland with acorn lights wrapped around wood beam

Spending Christmas in Yellowstone looks very different than visiting during the summer months. Roads are limited, daylight is shorter, and many services are seasonal. That said, Christmas can be one of the most rewarding times to experience the park if you know what to prioritize and how to celebrate the season properly.

We spent the weeks before and after Christmas staying just outside Yellowstone’s North Entrance in Gardiner, Montana. We grabbed our Christmas tree from the Conoco Gas Station. (Fun fact: You can grab a tree stand at the local market if you’re looking for a last-minute tree like we were!) We rang in the New Year with a trip to the Yellowstone Hot Springs (one of our favorite places to visit, especially during Christmas) and dinner at Wonderland Cafe, one of the best sit-down restaurants in town and one of the few open for dinner in the area.

We explored the park slowly, drove the Northern Range repeatedly, celebrated the holidays locally, and experienced firsthand what works (and what doesn’t) during Christmas in Yellowstone. Below are the best things to do in Yellowstone at Christmas, based on what’s consistently open, worth your time, and realistic for winter travel.

This guide focuses specifically on how to spend Christmas in Yellowstone. For a full breakdown of what parts of the park are open in winter, where to stay, and how to get around, see our Yellowstone in Winter planning guide.

Table of Contents

1. Wildlife Watching Along the Northern Range

During Christmas week, this is the most reliable thing you can do inside Yellowstone National Park.

Yellowstone’s Northern Range runs from Gardiner through Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower Junction, Lamar Valley, and out to Cooke City near the Northeast Entrance. This road is open year-round and is where Yellowstone’s winter wildlife congregates.

The best way to experience it is simple: drive it back and forth. Slowly. More than once.

Bring binoculars. If you can, rent or bring a spotting scope. A scope makes a huge difference, especially in Lamar Valley, where wildlife may be far from the road.

During Christmastime, you may see bison, wolves, elk, coyotes, foxes, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, bald eagles, and more. Snow makes animals easier to spot, and wildlife activity changes throughout the day, so even repeated drives can feel completely different.

2. Stay at a Yellowstone Christmas Cabin

Our favorite way to celebrate the season is inside our Yellowstone Christmas Cabin, an old park ranger hut we’ve transformed into year-round Christmas magic!

Years ago, the cabin was located within Yellowstone National Park, but somehow it found its way to us. It was a charming building from the outset (no larger than a shed), but it had previously been used to store tools and building materials.

After building the Cozy Yellowstone Compound (our Yellowstone rental in Gardiner, MT), we turned our sights on this tiny but magical space, and we’re so happy to share that it’s now available for all of our rental guests to enjoy.

Staying here during the holidays is one of the most festive ways to celebrate Christmas in Yellowstone!

3. Drive the Northern Range Even When You’re “Just Driving”

Driving the Northern Range is not filler time during Christmas in Yellowstone. It is the activity!

Even on days when wildlife sightings are quieter, this drive delivers wide-open valleys, snow-covered hillsides, steaming geothermal features, and very few people. It’s the most consistent thing you can plan for in winter and often becomes the highlight of a Christmas trip.

If you’re staying near the North Entrance, this drive can easily fill multiple days without feeling repetitive.

Bonus tip: Stop in Cooke City Coffee for a snack and hot chocolate before turning around to retrace your steps.

4. Walk Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces and Eat at the Hotel

Walking the Mammoth Hot Springs terraces is another one of the best things to do in Yellowstone at Christmas. The boardwalks remain open during the holidays, and the terraces look especially dramatic against snow and ice.

Plan to spend time walking the lower and upper terraces, then head inside for lunch at Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. The dining room is open around Christmas and decorated for the holidays, making it a warm, cozy stop during a cold day in the park.

You can also stay overnight at Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. It’s one of only two lodges open inside Yellowstone during Christmastime, and the best option if you want to self-drive rather than rely on snow transportation.

dining room decorate in garland and ornaments

5. Take a Snowcoach or Snowmobile Trip to Old Faithful

Seeing Old Faithful erupt in winter is possible (and incredible!), but it requires planning.

The Old Faithful Snow Lodge is the second lodge open in Yellowstone on Christmas. There is no winter driving access to Old Faithful. The only way to reach it during Christmastime is by over-snow travel, including snowcoach tours, snowcoach transportation, or guided snowmobile tours.

Old Faithful still erupts on holidays (Christmas included), and seeing it surrounded by snow and steam is one of the most iconic Yellowstone experiences. We have a full step-by-step guide to how snowcoaches and snowmobile tours work in our Old Faithful in Winter guide.

6. Stay Overnight at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge

If staying inside the park is part of your Christmas plan, your two options are Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Old Faithful Snow Lodge.

Mammoth is best if you want flexibility and easy access to the Northern Range. Old Faithful Snow Lodge offers a quieter, more remote experience but requires snow transportation to reach.

Both offer a very different Christmas experience and are worth considering if availability and budget allow.

7. Enjoy Christmas Dinner and a Winter Drive Through Paradise Valley

For Christmas dinner outside the park, Sage Lodge in Paradise Valley is a great option. They typically offer a Christmas dinner, and the setting alone makes it feel special.

Even if you don’t stop for a meal, driving through Paradise Valley during Christmastime is well worth your time. It’s one of the most scenic areas near Yellowstone and an excellent place for wildlife viewing.

My in-laws have visited us in Yellowstone twice, and both times seeing a bald eagle in the park has been at the top of my father-in-law's wish list. Unfortunately, we've struck out both times! However, he’s seen many, many bald eagles just outside the park in Paradise Valley, so it's worth the drive if you're interested in scenery or wildlife (we often see elk and pronghorn as well). If wildlife is high on your list for your Christmas trip, this drive is a great addition.

If you have extra time, you can continue toward Chico Hot Springs for a soak.

8. Breakfast in Gardiner and a Walk to Roosevelt Arch

One of the simplest ways to enjoy Christmas in Yellowstone is with a local breakfast and a winter walk.

If you’re staying in Gardiner, have breakfast at Tumbleweed Cafe, then take a short walk over the Yellowstone River to Roosevelt Arch. Roosevelt Arch is one of the most photographed landmarks in North Yellowstone and is especially peaceful at Christmastime.

Take as many pictures as you’d like in front of the Arch and the Yellowstone National Park welcome signs… you’re unlikely to run into a line!

9. Snowmobile Tours from West Yellowstone

If you’re spending Christmas in West Yellowstone instead of Gardiner, this is one of the ways you can access Yellowstone’s interior. (There’s no self-driving into the park from West Yellowstone.)

Snowcoach and snowmobile tours depart from the town of West Yellowstone and can take you to Old Faithful or the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Many canyon tours include a stop at Artist Point, which is one of the most dramatic viewpoints in the park (and my personal favorite).

We also recommend the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone, which is excellent for both kids and adults and offers close-up views of bears, wolves, otters, and bald eagles.

If snowmobiling is on your Christmas wish list, we have a full breakdown of what it’s really like, how tours work, what to wear, and whether it’s actually worth it in our Snowmobiling in Yellowstone guide.

10. Snowshoeing and Skiing

Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing can all be part of a Christmas trip to Yellowstone, but conditions matter.

We fell in love with snowshoeing on our first winter trip to Yellowstone in February, but during our Christmas visit, snowfall was lighter than expected. The best snowshoeing conditions we found were near Cooke City, close to the Northeast Entrance, where snow levels were higher than those in Gardiner.

If you’re looking for alpine skiing, plan to visit Big Sky Resort or Bridger Bowl, both located near Bozeman.

For snowmobiling, Cooke City offers excellent trails outside of the park, while West Yellowstone is the hub for guided snowmobile tours inside Yellowstone.

11. Visiting Grand Teton during a Yellowstone Christmas trip

If you’re hoping to combine Yellowstone and Grand Teton during a Christmas trip to Montana and Wyoming, just a heads up: You cannot drive through Yellowstone to reach Grand Teton at Christmastime, and there is no direct winter route between the parks.

You’ll need to take the longer route around (through Bozeman) and monitor weather conditions closely, as mountain roads can temporarily close.

12. Celebrate the Season Locally

If you’re looking for a last-minute Christmas tree while staying in Gardiner, check the Conoco gas station.

In previous years, local students cut trees from a nearby farm and sold them for about $20 each. We picked up a tree stand at the Gardiner Market and decorated our first real Christmas tree while in town! It was a simple, local way to celebrate Christmas while staying near the park.

Is Christmas in Yellowstone Worth It?

Christmas in Yellowstone is not about packed itineraries or nonstop attractions. It’s about wildlife, winter landscapes, and a slower pace.

If you plan around what’s reliably open, stay flexible with weather, and prioritize wildlife watching and winter sports, Christmas in Yellowstone can be one of the most peaceful and memorable times to visit the park.

For more on road conditions and weather expectations, check out our complete Yellowstone in December guide next.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Keep planning a winter trip to Yellowstone:

Want a step-by-step plan for Christmas week in Yellowstone? Our All-Seasons Yellowstone Travel Guide shows you what’s open, where to stay, and how to make the most of winter conditions.

Best Things to Do in Yellowstone at Christmas