How to See Old Faithful in the Winter

Seeing Old Faithful in winter is one of those Yellowstone experiences that feels almost unreal. Snow-covered boardwalks. Steam rising into icy air. Fewer people and absolute quiet between eruptions.

But winter in the park comes with one big catch: you can’t just drive everywhere.

While that’s part of the magic of the season, it also means more opportunities for things to change. We learned that lesson the hard way during our Christmas trip to Yellowstone. What started as a carefully planned snowcoach surprise for Jon’s parents turned into a crash course in how winter transportation inside the park really works.

If you’re wondering, can you drive to Old Faithful in the winter? How does the snowcoach to Old Faithful work? How do you reach the Old Faithful Snow Lodge? Here’s everything we learned, plus a realistic look at how winter plans can change (and how to pivot if they do).

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Can You Drive to Old Faithful in the Winter?

Short answer: No.

In winter, most Yellowstone roads are closed to regular vehicles, including the road to Old Faithful. These interior roads are open only to over-snow travel, such as snowcoaches or snowmobiles.

What is open for self-driving in winter?

The North Entrance at Gardiner to Mammoth Hot Springs, and the road from Mammoth through the Northeast Entrance near Cooke City, are open year-round, weather-dependent. Everything else, including Old Faithful, is accessible only by snowcoach or snowmobile.

So if you’re Googling “can you drive to Old Faithful in the winter” and hoping for a loophole, unfortunately… there isn’t one. But don’t worry! This is part of what makes visiting Yellowstone in the winter such a special and unique experience.

How to Get to Old Faithful in the Winter

There are three ways to reach Old Faithful in winter:

1. Snowcoach tour

2. Snowmobile (tour or self-driving, if you have a permit)

3. Snowcoach transportation to the Old Faithful Snow Lodge

Snowcoach Tours vs Snowcoach Transportation

Most people think of snowcoach trips as full-day guided tours with stops along the way for wildlife spotting and scenery. And that’s exactly what most snowcoach tours in Yellowstone are! You can book these tours out of Gardiner (at Yellowstone’s North Entrance) or West Yellowstone (Yellowstone’s West Entrance).

There are also tours that run from Yellowstone’s two winter lodges, Old Faithful Snow Lodge and Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel.

But there’s a third option that’s less talked about: snowcoach transportation. Snowcoach transportation in the park is designed primarily for guests staying overnight at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. Snowcoach transportation runs daily between the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, and is actually the only way you can reach the Snow Lodge in the winter.

However, here’s what surprised us: Snowcoach transportation can double as a tour if you book it round-trip the same day. That’s exactly what we ended up doing after our snowcoach tour was cancelled.

Snowcoach Transportation to Old Faithful

We had planned to surprise Jon’s parents with a snowcoach tour from Gardiner to Old Faithful. Less snow than usual meant snowmobile tours were canceled, but we figured snowcoaches would still run. Unfortunately, even with decent road conditions on the Northern Range, the park closed interior roads due to ice.

When these roads are closed, not even snowcoaches can get through.

Since park officials were closing roads on a day-by-day basis, we learned our Christmas Eve snowcoach tour to Old Faithful was cancelled the day before, around 3pm. Disappointed, I checked Yellowstone’s official winter transportation options. There were no additional tours available for the days we were in town, but there were seats on the snowcoach from Mammoth Hot Springs to Old Faithful.

So we tested a theory.

Can Snowcoach Transportation Work as a Day Trip?

Yes, with some caveats.

We booked:

• 7:45 a.m. departure from Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel

• 1:45 p.m. return from Old Faithful Snow Lodge

• Date: December 30

That gave us:

• A scenic snowcoach ride through Yellowstone’s interior

• Wildlife and geothermal stops along the way

• Arrival at Old Faithful around noon

• About 90 minutes to explore the area and (hopefully) catch an eruption

• A second snowcoach ride back with more stops

While it’s not a guided tour in the traditional sense, snowcoach transportation still includes:

• Scenic winter landscapes that you simply cannot access any other way

• Wildlife sightings (bison, elk, occasionally wolves)

• Geyser basins and thermal features along the route

• Stops for photos and bathroom breaks

Visiting the Old Faithful Snow Lodge in Winter

The Old Faithful Snow Lodge is open in winter and feels like a cozy outpost in the middle of nowhere.

If you’re not staying overnight:

• You can still warm up inside

• Use restrooms

• Grab food and drinks

• Walk the snow-covered boardwalks

• Watch Old Faithful erupt with far fewer people around

For winter visitors, it’s one of the most special places in the park.

Important Winter Snowcoach Realities (Read This)

Winter access to Old Faithful comes with a big asterisk. If the National Park Service closes interior roads in Yellowstone, your tour may be cancelled. Cancellations can happen the afternoon before (we were notified around 3 p.m.).

For snowcoach transportation, afternoon departures often get prioritized for overnight lodge guests. Round-trip day travelers are the first to be shifted or canceled if conditions worsen.

There are a handful of people who successfully do snowcoach transportation as a round trip, but it’s never guaranteed. (A heads up about snowcoach tours, too: They will try to rebook you if there are openings on other days you’re in town, but if they’re fully booked, your tour will be cancelled with a full refund.)

If you want the most reliable experience:

• A full snowcoach tour is better than snowcoach transportation, but staying overnight at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge offers the most flexibility and reliability

• Later in the winter (January and February) is usually more reliable than earlier (more snow = better conditions)

• Always build backup plans into your winter itinerary (driving the Northern Range, going to Yellowstone Hot Springs near Gardiner, and wildlife watching are some of your best bets)

Is Winter Still Worth It?

At one point, my mother-in-law said, “I don’t want you paying for something we can just do in the summer.”

But that’s the thing. You can drive to Old Faithful in summer. You cannot experience Yellowstone’s interior like this any other time of year.

Snowcoaches. Frozen geyser basins. Steam drifting through snow-laden air. Winter Yellowstone is a completely different park.

How to Tour Yellowstone in the Winter (Quick Tips)

• Base yourself near the North Entrance if you want to self-drive

• Stay for at least one night in Old Faithful Snow Lodge for best Old Faithful access

• Snowmobile tours run out of West Yellowstone

• Drive the Northern Range on clear days

• Use snowcoach tours or transportation to reach Yellowstone’s interior, including Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

• Expect plans to change

• Book everything early, especially around holidays

Seeing Old Faithful in winter takes more effort, but the payoff is huge. If you’re willing to work within Yellowstone’s winter rules and roll with last-minute changes, it’s one of the most memorable ways to experience the park.

If you want help planning a winter Yellowstone trip, this is exactly the kind of stuff we love helping with. Check out our All-Seasons Yellowstone Travel Guide!

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