The first snows of the season will be falling on Yellowstone National Park this week, which means it's not too early to think about a winter visit to this magical place. Options are not lacking for how to get there, either.

The one time I visited Yellowstone in winter, back in 2002, my arrival coincided not only with a slow start to winter, but a warm spell. Still, there was enough snow for snowshoeing to the rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and for cross-country skiing the Howard Eaton Trail from Lone Star Geyser back to Old Faithful. Come sundown, a stillness settles over the park, one that summer can't match.

Crowds are far fewer than in summer, thanks to the snow-coated roads and the limited number of beds in the lodges at Old Faithful and Mammoth Hot Springs. At its best, winter can bring heavy snows and temperatures 30 degrees and more below zero, temperatures so cold you can hear the ice groaning on Yellowstone Lake. Those bitterly cold winters can produce shields of ice from geyser spray, and coat bison with icy beards. The park seems more alive in winter than summer, actually, as the snow serves as a great monitor of what passed by in the night or day.

Currently, park managers are working on the latest iteration of winter-use rules for Yellowstone and nearby Grand Teton National Park. The final rules for the next two winters are due by November 15, and the winter season is scheduled to open on December 15. Rest assured, you'll have a couple of options, at least, of how to visit Yellowstone.

In winter, a number of other Yellowstone roads are open only for snowcoach and snowmobile touring between December 15 and March 15, (weather and snow conditions permitting). The East Entrance will open December 22 and close March 1 for snowmobile and snowcoach travel. Travel over Sylvan Pass on the East Entrance Road will be subject to avalanche-related safety delays and closures.

Visitors wishing to visit the park on a snowmobile or in a snowcoach must either travel by commercial snowcoach or accompany a commercial guide on snowmobiles (private, unguided snowmobiles or snowcoaches are not allowed). Best Available Technology snowmobiles are required, and there is a daily limit on snowmobile and snowcoach entries. Off-road use of snowmobiles and snowcoaches is prohibited.

So how do you get into the park's interior in these conditions?

You can head to West Yellowstone, Montana, where there are a number of outfitters who will ferry you into Old Faithful, either via snowcoach or snowmobile. You can head to Mammoth Hot Springs, where you also can board a snowcoach or snowmobile to head down to Old Faithful, or you can join a guided snowmobile trip or snowcoach tour in from Jackson or Cody, Wyoming

For a complete list of National Park Service-approved outfitters, check out this site: http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/wintbusn.htm

One outfitter who heads into Yellowstone from the South Entrance is based at Togwotee Mountain Lodge, which is located not too far east of Moran Junction. While the Togowetee area draws herds of snowmobilers who play in the fluff that falls in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, the lodge also offers snowmobile and snowcoach tours into Yellowstone from Jackson. All of Togwotee’s Yellowstone tours include an interpretive guide, transportation, photographic opportunities, and breakfast in Jackson, clothing, snowmobile, gas and oil, lunch in the park and transportation back.

You also can travel a bit more comfortable via Snowcoach Tours, which is scheduled to operate daily this coming winter utilizing vans equipped with tank-like tracks to maneuver the snowmobile trail into Old Faithful. Visitors can learn from the knowledgeable driver as they travel through the park.

Togwotee Snowmobile Adventures also offers three Yellowstone National Park Snowmobiling Tours:

· The Old Faithful Tour is a classic snowmobiling adventure that provides a one-on-one encounter with the finest beauty that nature has to offer. The tour includes pick-up at the lodge, a buffet breakfast, a hot grill lunch at the geyser and drop-off back at the lodge. Mileage: 90 miles round trip

· The Canyons Tour enters from the south entrance of Yellowstone and travels up to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone on the eastern roads of the park. This tour does not visit Old Faithful, but guests have the opportunity to explore the Canyons and Yellowstone River, travel to the south gate and enjoy a picnic lunch. Mileage: 125 miles round trip

· The Yellowstone Loop Tour enters from the south entrance of Yellowstone and travels up to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone on the eastern roads of the park. After a short stop at the Canyon, this more advanced tour continues on the lower loop of the park to Old Faithful. Mileage: 170 miles round trip

To learn more about Togwotee Mountain Lodge and the winter activities it offers, check out www.togwoteelodge.com, or call (866) 292-6720.