It was dark when we arrived, but we were excited and eager to explore. Since the half moon reflected off the snow provided enough light to see by, we decided to go for a walk and get our bearings. We quickly found the ice rink outside the lodge, the visitors’ center, and the boardwalk beyond it. We still had lots of time before our dinner reservations, so we started to walk the boardwalk. It was a beautiful night. The warm light from the lodge cast a comforting glow in the distance, but we were alone in the moonlight. The evening was peaceful and quiet. Suddenly I hear a gurgle and a splash. Then another. Then another. The sounds were becoming louder and more jumbled together. As I looked up above the tree line, I could see indistinct glimmers as the moon reflected off sprays of water, and that was when it hit me. Old Faithful was erupting. And we were the only two people there. How many people can say that?
I first struck upon the idea of going to Old Faithful when I was looking for somewhere to go for Pete’s birthday. With the weirdly snowless winter we had this year, I was looking for somewhere to go where we have a true winter getaway, if only for a weekend. And snow coaches into Yellowstone (most of the park is closed to regular vehicles during the winter) quickly caught my attention.
I was intrigued by the idea of going to Old Faithful, because despite my long and varied history with Yellowstone (I grew up in Cody WY, just outside of the East Gate, and my family has a cabin in Emigrant MT, 30 miles north of the North Gate), Old Faithful is somewhere I almost never go. While that might seem odd, given it is one of the icons of the park, there is one simple reason I avoid going there:
Old Faithful is always crawling with tourists.
Yep. Due to its international fame and regular eruptions, EVERYONE who visits Yellowstone (particularly those on a once-in-a-lifetime trip) wants to come see Old Faithful. While visiting with one of the park rangers, we learned that an average of 15,000 people come through Old Faithful PER DAY in the summer!! Impressive though watching a geyser erupt is, that does not sound like my idea of a good time.
If you are like me and feel that being packed in like lemmings is not how you prefer to enjoy the natural world, don’t worry. There is another option: visit Old Faithful in the winter! In the wintertime, Old Faithful is only accessible by snow coach or snow mobile, and the average daily visitors are a much more manageable 1,000-1,500.
What to Expect When Traveling By Snow Coach
Note: There are a variety of options for snow coaches in Yellowstone, including both day trips and overnights, run by several different companies and from multiple locations. We opted for a weekend trip with Yellowstone National Park Lodges/Xanterra (the same company that runs all the hotels in the park) that left from Mammoth, so our information will be specific to that tour. If you are interested in exploring other options, you may find this website helpful. Also, because space is limited, all trips should be booked in advance.
Our snow coach did not depart from Mammoth until 1:45pm, so we had plenty of time to walk the beautiful Lower Terrace Boardwalk and enjoy some hot chocolate (the patron drink of wintertime adventures) in the Map Room of the grand (and recently renovated) Mammoth Hotel. We checked in at the front desk at the hotel, where we received our tickets and luggage tags. Our tagged luggage needed to be out front at the loading area half an hour prior to our departure so it could be loaded into a separate luggage coach. Each person is allowed 2 bags–we had a securely closed cooler as one of our bags–and optional skis or snowshoes, as well as a small carry on to ride with them in the snow coach. For more specific packing and general snow coach information, click here.
Once we got our luggage dropped off and met our tour guide–a wonderful woman named Clara about whom I cannot say enough good things–we were off! The trip from Mammoth to Old Faithful takes about four hours and includes a number of stops, some planned and some impromptu (such as for wildlife spottings). Each snow coach holds 10-12 people, although ours never had more than 8, plus the driver. The coaches are heated, but prone to fogging up, so drivers tend to leave the top hatch cracked, which can make it a little chilly, so dress in layers.
On our trip, we stopped at Roaring Mountain, Beryl Spring, and Gibbon Falls, as well as the warming hut in Madison, which had heated bathrooms, a vending machine, warm drinks for sale, and a tricky daily trivia question. Clara chatted with us along the way, providing a wealth of fun facts, anecdotes, and witty commentary that made the journey quite enjoyable.
Our ride back to Mammoth departed at 7:45am two days later, and we stopped at Fountain Paint Pots, so the ride back was not exactly the same as the ride down. Those who were interested got out and walked around for a bit here, so again make sure you have your warm layers.
*While Xanterra has upgraded their snow coaches to the more comfortable buses on large low-pressure tires pictured above, a company in West Yellowstone still operates the old snow track bombardiers, if that is more up your alley.
Old Faithful Snow Lodge
The snow coach dropped us off at the lobby of the Snow Lodge–the only accommodation open at Old Faithful in the winter. After we checked in, we used a plastic sled to haul our luggage to our Frontier Cabin. The Snow Lodge also has rooms in the lodge itself as well as newer and larger Western Cabins, but we were very happy with our cabin, which had two double beds, a table and chairs, a counter top area with a coffee maker, a sink, and a small bathroom with a stand-up shower.
Be aware, while there is wi-fi for hotel guests and generally decent cell service at Old Faithful, Xanterra specifically does not include any televisions at their accommodations. I personally think this is a good thing, as it helps to take a step back from all our technology and spend more time in the natural world.
We spent quite a bit of time at the Snow Lodge itself, which has plentiful seating, warm yellow lighting, a fire place, and a generally cozy and inviting atmosphere (we happened to visit the first weekend of January, when the Christmas decorations were still up, which only added to the winter lodge atmosphere). They also had a bar–The Firehole Lounge–to provide drinks and appetizers! We were very happy!
Other eating options at the Snow Lodge include the Obsidian Dining Room–which is open all day but does require reservations for dinner–and the Geyser Grill. We ate primarily at the dining room (or lunch foods and snacks that we had packed), but did discover that the grill was a perfect place to go if you were craving cocoa and cheesy fries after being out in the cold all morning.
For more details on Old Faithful’s Snow Lodge, click here.
What To Do at Old Faithful in the Winter
1–Watch Old Faithful Erupt
This seems like it should go without saying, but in case I still need to say it, make sure you plan time to watch the historic geyser erupt. Old Faithful erupts approximately every 90 minutes, and the next predicted eruption time is always posted at the lodge and visitors’ center. Or you can use the GeyserTimes App (more below), which one of our fellow snow lodge guests introduced us to. The app shows predicted eruption times for all the park’s geysers, not just Old Faithful. Even without the crowds you should still plan to arrive a little early, as Old Faithful is a natural phenomenon, not a subway, and can’t be expected to be precisely timed.
We ended up seeing Old Faithful erupt four different times during our day and a half stay (including the first eruption we saw at night shortly after our arrival), and each time was unique and amazing!
2–Hit the Visitors’ Center
I’m not going to lie. I do love to nerd out. And while my first nerd love will always be history, I have a soft spot in my heart for science as well. And thermal features sitting on top of a giant volcano is some pretty cool science. If you, like me, enjoy learning the science behind why super heated water periodically shoots up into the air (or bubbles up from the ground or steams through vents in the rock), definitely carve out some time to come wander through the Visitors’ Center.
The park rangers who operate it are happy to answer any questions you might have, and it is a good place to stop for trail or geyser information. Just off the main lobby (which also offers an excellent view of Old Faithful, if you aren’t quite feeling up to braving the elements) is a room filled with interactive displays with videos and models showing just how all of Yellowstone’s array of thermal features work. And there’s even a little park history too, for those of you who are strictly history buffs.
Here are some “Old Faithful Fun Facts” we learned at the Visitors’ Center:
- Upper Geyser Basin is the world’s largest concentration of geysers; there are more than 500 active thermal features in Yellowstone Park
- The other countries containing concentrated areas of active geysers are Russia, Chile, and New Zealand
- There are 4 main types of thermal features: geysers, hot springs, fumaroles (steam vents), and mud pots
3–Go Hiking (Or skiing, or snowshoeing…)
As you know, Pete and I find somewhere to hike everywhere we go, and this trip was no exception. There are tons of options around Old Faithful, but we opted to simply walk the boardwalk to Morning Glory Pool which is the only trail option that does not require skis or snowshoes. I say simply, because we didn’t need any equipment, but in reality it was anything but simple. We saw all sorts of different geysers and pools–some still and others bubbling away–on our five mile loop along the Firehole River.
This walk would be a great time to have the GeyserTimes App. Not only does it give you predictions for Old Faithful, but it predicts some of the other geysers in the area. Another couple we met on our hike was able to use the app to see Riverside Geyser, which erupts every 5-7 hours, go off. Next time we come, we will definitely take advantage of the app to see a few lesser known geysers erupt.
Along with thermal features, we were also treated to some wildlife. American bison, or buffalo, like to winter near the thermal areas where the ground is warmer and their food is not buried in snow (although unfortunately, the minerals from the springs that get absorbed by the plants are not that healthy for the buffalo). We were lucky enough to see a small group of young buffalo playing along the boardwalk, although it did mean that we had to skip part of the geyser hill loop.
*Remember: NEVER approach wild animals. Yellowstone is their home, and for their wellbeing and your own safety, you should give them a very respectful distance.
For those of you interested in skiing or snowshoeing, you can still do the boardwalk, but there is a wide range of side trails available to you as well. For longer excursions, you can book a shuttle to drop you off at one of the neighboring basins so you can ski or snowshoe back. Don’t know how to ski or snowshoe? There are also lessons and guided tours available. Nor do you have to have your own equipment. The Bear Den Ski Shop (part of the Snow Lodge’s gift shop) has plenty of rentals available.
4–Go Ice Skating
Neither Pete or I are big skaters, but I did find the little ice rink outside the Snow Lodge to be enchanting. We did have a lot of fun watching some kids have a grand old time out there while we were warming up with some snacks at the grill.
If you are an ice skater, rentals are available at the Bear Den Ski Shop, so don’t miss out on this opportunity to enjoy your favorite winter pastimes at one of the coolest places on Earth.
5–Take a Tour
Xanterra offers a wide variety of snow coach tours (based both out of Mammoth and Old Faithful) that allow visitors to experience Yellowstone in the wintertime. Some have a specific focus like wildlife viewing or photography, some travel across the Great Divide or over to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and some even offer the opportunity to ski or snowshoe.
We opted to take the nighttime tour, offered only at Old Faithful: Steam, Stars, and Winter Soundscapes. While I am not nearly a good enough photographer to have gotten any good pictures from this excursion, it was far and away my favorite part of our trip. Experiencing the thermal features by moonlight reflected off the snow was simply incredible!
The Steam and Stars tour is offered nightly at Old Faithful, and departs the Snow Lodge at 6:45pm. One of the coolest things about the tour is that it is limited to 20 people (between two coaches) and is the only group allowed to operate in the park at night. The two coaches also go to slightly different stops (or in different orders). That means that members of your group are the ONLY people you will encounter during your tour. That almost never happens at these popular stops in Yellowstone. The human silence makes it so much easier to appreciate the sounds of the park.
The afternoon before our tour had been cloudy and snowing, so we weren’t holding our breath for a good weather experience. But by some miracle, when we left our cabin to go meet the snow coach, the storm had stopped, the sky had cleared, and the stars were out in a way that can only happen miles and miles from the glow of civilization. We were lucky enough to get Clara as our driver again, and throughout the tour she used her laser pointer to point out different constellations, as well as to tell us different stories about the constellations from different cultures.
Our first stop was Kepler Cascades, were we listened to the sound of the waterfall as we watched the moonlight reflect off its spray. Between the moon and the snow, we didn’t even need our flashlights to get around, although they are provided. Next we went to Biscuit Basin, were we watched Jewel Geyser–a smaller but more frequent geyser than Old Faithful–erupt in the dark. We also explored the plethora of other fumaroles and hot springs in the basin. Our last stop was Black Sand Basin, where we sat in silence and listened to the chorus of the babbling creek, the bubbling spring, and the hissing fumarole.
The tour wraps up with a complimentary travel mug of hot chocolate, which Pete was quick to augment with a little Peppermint Schnapps!
6–And, of course, curl up by the fire with some cocoa and a good book
Of course it is great to get out and enjoy a winter wonderland like Yellowstone, but it can be equally as great to come inside and find a cozy spot to warm up and take a break. The Snow Lodge has plenty such spots, and we were able to spend several very pleasant hours hanging out by the fire with a hot drink (or a beer, or a cocktail, or whatever floats your boat).
Conclusion
So, to all my fellow solitude enthusiasts who have always given Old Faithful a wide berth on account of all the people, consider giving it a try in the wintertime. There is so much to do and see and learn, and the snow only makes the place all that more magical!
Where do you all like to go on your winter retreats?