Yellowstone Winter Photo Tours and Workshops

Join us for a photo tour or workshop to explore the winter wonders of Yellowstone National Park. With several days spent in a private snowcoach and van, we will cover the park’s top spots for both wildlife and landscape photography.

The park’s snow-covered landscapes are breathtaking, featuring world-famous geysers, bubbling mud pots, steam vents, and hot springs. The contrast of geysers' grayish-white steam against the snow and deep blue skies makes for striking images.

Wildlife sightings are abundant, including bison coated in frost, elk, fox, coyotes, wolves, bighorn sheep, trumpeter swans, owls, and more. We will also visit a hidden location where bobcats are often spotted.

Yellowstone’s canyons, waterfalls, forests, and hydrothermal features offer an intimate winter experience like no other.

We will put you in the best locations for wildlife and landscape photography and make sure you get incredible photos.

Explore Yellowstone’s Winter Wonders

Our Winter Yellowstone photo workshops and tours are professionally led to help you capture incredible photos. Experience the park without the crowds, as we travel in a private, comfortable snowcoach and van, taking you nto the park’s most stunning winter areas.

From December through February, most park roads are closed, and snowcoaches provide most of the transportation. The road from Gardiner to Cook City remains open, which we will cover by private van, allowing us to access prime spots for photographing wolves, winter landscapes, and bighorn sheep. Lamar Valley, a top location, is one of the areas not accessible by snowcoach.

With our combination of snowcoach and van transport, you will have the opportunity to photograph the park’s most iconic winter scenes.

Choose Your Perfect Yellowstone Winter Photography Tour

Both options below offer incredible opportunities to capture Yellowstone's winter splendor—choose the one that best suits your preferences.

Option A: Stay Inside the Park

Pros:

  • Enjoy 24-hour access to Yellowstone

  • Spend your nights at Mammoth Hot Springs and the Yellowstone Snow Lodge. The Snow Lodge is just steps from Old Faithful, while Mammoth provides a unique base to explore Yellowstone’s winter wonders.

  • Experience the park by snowcoach for four full days

  • Optional night photography sessions, just a short walk from your lodging

Cons:

  • More expensive due to extra costs for staying inside the park and one extra day for the snowcoach

  • No TV, but there is internet access

Option B: Stay Outside the Park

Pros:

  • More affordable

  • TV and internet access

  • Stay in the same hotel throughout the tour, except for the first night

Cons:

  • Not staying inside the park—requires a 5-minute drive to the entrance each day adding extra time to your daily travels

  • No night photography opportunities

  • One less day on the snowcoach (three days in total as opposed to four)

Common Questions

Which tour is better for wildlife?
Both of our Yellowstone Winter Photography Tours offer excellent opportunities for photographing wildlife. Whether you stay inside the park or outside, we visit prime locations where wildlife such as bison, elk, wolves, and bighorn sheep are often seen. Each tour provides plenty of chances to capture stunning wildlife images.

What areas do you cover?
We cover all the key winter hotspots using both a private van and snowcoach on both tours.

What is the difference between the snowcoach and the van?
The snowcoach is a specialized vehicle designed to travel over Yellowstone’s snowy, unplowed roads during the winter. It allows us to access areas deep within the park that are closed to regular vehicles, such as the Old Faithful area and other geyser basins. The snowcoach is heated and comfortable, providing a unique way to explore Yellowstone's wildlife and winter landscapes.

The van is used to travel on the park's plowed roads, such as the route from Gardiner to Cooke City, which remains open in the winter. This road takes us through Lamar Valley, a prime location for spotting wildlife like wolves, bighorn sheep, and bison.

By combining both the snowcoach and van, we can explore all the best wildlife and landscape photography spots Yellowstone has to offer in winter.

What do we do for lunch during the day?
On days we’re in the park, we will provide sack lunches, packed and ready for you. We’ll plan our lunch breaks in scenic spots, allowing you to focus on capturing the winter beauty of Yellowstone without the need to find a place to eat.

Do you provide information on what to pack?
Yes, we provide a suggested packing list for both clothing and photo gear. Additionally, our website features several articles with helpful winter photography, clothing, and travel tips. Check out our articles page here.

How many people are in a typical group?
Our groups are kept intentionally small, with a maximum of six participants. This allows for a more personalized experience and plenty of space for photography gear, as well as easier access to prime locations.

Do you cover Lamar Valley?
Yes, Lamar Valley is a key part of our tour. It’s one of the most beautiful and wildlife-rich areas in the park. We spend three full days in this region. While wolves can roam throughout the park, Lamar Valley offers the best chance of spotting them.

Do you cover Paradise Valley?
Yes, we love this area. It’s stunning and offers opportunities to photograph wildlife that we don’t always encounter inside the park during winter.

It fits perfectly into our schedule, allowing us to capture incredible images on Day 2, rather than simply traveling from one hotel to the next.

As we journey from Bozeman to Gardiner/Mammoth, we will stop to photograph several scenic locations along the way, including some hidden gems.

Do you stay in West Yellowstone?
No, we do not stay in West Yellowstone, although it’s a great town with excellent restaurants and plenty of charm. Many tour companies choose to stay there, and it’s easy to see why.

However, we don’t stay there because of its distance from Gardiner and the Lamar Valley area, which is a key focus of our tour. In winter, accessing Lamar Valley from West Yellowstone requires driving around the park, which takes several hours. This would waste valuable time and, in poor road conditions, could become dangerous or even impassable. We want to maximize your time photographing the best locations, not spend it on long drives.

Can it get really cold?
Yes, Yellowstone winters can be cold, but with the right clothing, it’s usually quite comfortable. We provide a detailed packing list to help you dress properly and prepare for the conditions. It’s crucial to respect the weather, as temperatures can drop quickly, especially at higher elevations or in windy conditions. Rapid changes are common, and it can get well below zero.

Unfortunately, every year we see visitors (not part of our group) wearing sweatpants, sneakers, and light coats. They often spend most of their trip sitting in the snowcoach to stay warm. For tips on dressing for winter, check out my article here.

How long have you been photographing Yellowstone?
I have been photographing Yellowstone for over 30 years and leading photo workshops and tours there for more than a decade. Each year, I spend about six weeks exploring and photographing the Greater Yellowstone area, including Grand Teton National Park and nearby national forests. It’s truly one of my favorite places in the country.

This trip will be led by John Slonina, a full-time professional nature photographer and experienced tour guide. With over a decade of experience photographing and leading tours in Yellowstone, John will guide you to the park’s best locations while teaching techniques for capturing stunning winter images. You’ll learn how to expose for snowy landscapes, understand wildlife behavior, and improve your overall photography skills.

John leads photo tours in Yellowstone throughout the year, including January, May, and September, and is an authorized permittee of the national park.

Before the trip, we’ll provide a suggested equipment list and detailed tips on dressing properly for winter conditions. With the right gear, you’ll stay comfortable even in the cold.

Capture award-worthy photos and create memories that will last a lifetime on this winter photography adventure.

Click here to learn more about Yellowstone Winter Photo Tours and Workshops.