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Yellowstone
National Park is one of the world’s most popular
natural areas. Every year, millions of visitors from
around the globe flock to the park to view its
scenic grandeur and abundant wildlife. And every
summer, the park’s hotels, trails, campgrounds, and
roads get clogged with gawking tourists. For the
serious nature photographer, it is often difficult
to get even a little elbow-room, let alone to find a
spot to set up one’s tripod.
Personally, I am
never comfortable photographing in such situations.
I prefer a little bit of solitude to allow me to
explore my personal vision, and a healthy dose of
discomfort doesn’t hurt either; in such
circumstances, you increase your chances of
experiencing something unique. If you feel the same
way—or if you are simply a hard-core masochist (and
let’s face it, all serious nature photographers are
indeed just that)—then winter in Yellowstone is for
you.
Snow-covered bison
Winter in
Yellowstone is a time of year when the pace slows,
when tourist travel diminishes to a mere trickle,
and only the brave (or foolish) set out with camera
and tripod in the hopes of capturing unique images.
It is a time of struggle for wildlife, of countless
epic battles for survival between predator and prey,
the outcome determining who lives another day, and
who starves to death in the frozen waste. It is a
time of deep snow and mercilessly cold temperatures
that wreak havoc on equipment, batteries, and
appendages. And above all, it is a whale of a good
time!
What to Photograph
Yellowstone
offers a myriad of choices when it comes to
photography, even in winter. In terms of wildlife,
you will have the opportunity to photograph bison,
bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, and coyote. Bald
eagles, river otters, and trumpeter swans are also
often seen during the winter. It you are lucky, you
may spot wolf or even a mountain lion, but these
species tend to avoid people and are difficult to
get close enough to photograph. Although grizzly and
black bears hibernate during the winter, winter
sightings are not unheard of; grizzly bears will
sometimes drive wolves away from a kill and claim it
for their own.
Grizzly guarding kill
In terms of
landscape photography, Yellowstone’s many thermal
features are especially appealing in winter, as the
warm moisture rising from heated pools and vents
turns to heavy steam in the cold air. Snow and ice
features can make interesting subjects, although
many of the thermal-warmed streams, rivers, and
waterfalls in the park stay ice-free year round.
High elevations and clear, cold nights make for
excellent astrophotography conditions.
Star trails over Old Faithful Geyser
Auto Access
Adding to the challenge
of photographing Yellowstone in winter is the fact that most
of the park is inaccessible to auto traffic. Only the
50-mile stretch of road between the park’s North and
Northeast entrances is plowed during the winter; access is
possible only through the town of Gardiner, MT, just outside
the North entrance. Of course, this road passes through some
of Yellowstone’s prime wildlife habitat, including Lamar
Valley. Bison, elk, and coyote are commonly seen along the
drive. The park’s several dozen wolf packs also favor this
part of the park. The most significant scenic feature that
is road accessible is Mammoth Hot Springs, which contains
several thermal pools, terraces, and mounds.
When driving in the park,
make sure your car has snow tires, a good battery, and a
proper antifreeze mixture—not having any of these can leave
you stranded and possibly in trouble. Jumper cables or a
back-up portable battery to get a dead car battery started
are also a good idea, as well as winter survival gear in
case you get stuck and need to wait a while before help
arrives. Rangers regularly patrol the road so if you do have
problems you shouldn’t have to wait too long, but it is
better safe than sorry.
If
spending a few days photographing along the road, there are
lodging options in Gardiner (just outside the park) and
within the town of Mammoth, which is just inside the park
below the hot springs.
Bighorn sheep
Interior Access
If you want to
photograph some of the famous Yellowstone icons
during winter, you will need to travel by snow coach
or by snowmobile to access the park’s interior. As
of this writing, snowmobile traffic inside the park
is limited to groups or individuals traveling with a
licensed guide. Snow coaches are vehicles with
tracks or skis allowing them to travel the unplowed
roads within the park’s interior.
Castle Geyser at night (flash exposure)
If you wish to
lodge within the park’s interior, your only option
is the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. This, of course, is
not a bad option at all, as it puts you in the heart
of Yellowstone’s most famous scenic area. Snow coach
tours depart from the towns of West Yellowstone and
Mammoth to the Snow Lodge and back on a regular
basis. Consider staying a few nights at the Snow
Lodge so that you may explore and photograph the
Upper Geyser Basin—home to Old Faithful as well as
countless other geysers and thermal pools—to your
heart’s content. Snowmobile and snow coach tours
depart from the Snow Lodge on a daily basis to some
of Yellowstone’s other scenic areas. Cross-country
ski and showshoe rentals are readily available at
the lodge gift shop.
During the
beginning of winter, wildlife is most concentrated
in the northern part of the park, but as winter’s
cold and snow deepen, wildlife moves south and
congregates around the park’s thermal areas. This
can make the Snow Lodge an especially appealing base
camp, allowing for an unrivaled opportunity to get
both great landscape and wildlife images.
Special Considerations
As frequently
noted above, Yellowstone in winter can be a very
cold and snowy place. Make sure to bring appropriate
clothing and gear. Snowshoes or cross-country skis
may be necessary to travel Yellowstone’s many trails
(rentals are available both outside and inside the
park). Fingers and toes can get very cold when
standing around photographing wildlife or the
landscape; insulated boots, wool socks, and thick
mittens are a must. Keeping fingers warm is often
most difficult, as while photographing you must
strike an appropriate balance between warmth and
dexterity. I always wear a pair of gloves that are
thick enough to provide some insulation but thin
enough to allow me to operate tiny camera buttons
and dials, stuffing my hands into thick insulated
mittens whenever I can. Chemical hand and toe
warmers can also be used to take the edge off of the
cold. Dress in layers to that you may easily
increase insulation when standing still and decrease
insulation when moving around.
Coyote on Lamar River ice
Cameras may have
numerous problems in winter. Cold temperatures can
quickly suck the life out of batteries. Always
brings spares, and if possible, keep batteries in a
warm pocket until they are needed. Shutter curtains
sometimes freeze open or shut; if this happens, warm
your camera as soon as possible until normal
operation returns. Mist rising from thermal features
can collect and freeze on tripod legs, cameras, and
lenses, and mist and blowing snow can get inside
cameras when changing lenses, so be especially
careful. When returning indoors after being out in
the cold for while, make sure you keep your
equipment covered to prevent condensation caused by
the sudden change in temperatures.
The Yellowstone
backcountry can be an especially dangerous place in
winter. If venturing far from the road or from the
park’s well-traveled thermal features, make sure you
have the skills, equipment, and physical fitness
necessary to survive sudden harsh conditions. Leave
an itinerary with someone before heading out. Avoid
the temptation to get close to wild animals you
encounter; bison, elk, and bear in particular can be
unpredictable and highly dangerous, and they run
much faster than humans. Better to keep your
distance.
For more cold
weather photography tips, see Marc Adamus'
article on
Winter Photography.
Final Thoughts
Although winter in Yellowstone can be challenging, the
benefits outweigh the hardships. You will have the
opportunity to photograph the park in a way that few ever
see. Winter sharpens everything, reducing the landscape to
graphic shapes, and adding a haunting poignancy to
wildlife’s everyday struggle to survive. Don’t miss it!
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