The first two weeks of the winter season at Yellowstone National Park saw a slight decrease in visitors from a year earlier, but those who did come showed a preference for traveling by snowcoach rather than snowmobile.

According to statistics released this week by the park, overall recreational visitation during the last half of December stood at 17,388, down from 18,107 in December 2009.

The bulk of last month's traffic entered the park through the North Entrance (8,680) near Mammoth Hot Springs, while 6,178 visitors came through the West Entrance at West Yellowstone, Montana,; 2,244 arrived via the South Entrance north of Jackson, Wyoming, and; just 81 came through the East Entrance to the west of Cody, Wyoming.

"The number of automobile passengers coming to the park -- all at the North Entrance -- dipped in December compared with the same period last year. This skewed the overall number of 'recreation visitors' to the park. That figure was off 4 percent in December compared to a year ago," noted Randy Roberson, who runs a business in West Yellowstone that offers lodging as well as snowmobile and snowcoach tours of Yellowstone.

"But the parkwide number of 'oversnow' visitors entering the park on snowcoaches and snowmobiles rose from 9,298 in December 2009 to 9,409 in December 2010, a 2 percent increase," added Mr. Roberson.

While he offers both snowmobile and snowcoach tours, Mr. Roberson believes the growth in snowcoach visitors stems from those visitors seeking not so much a motorized recreational experience in the park, but rather one centered on viewing wildlife and exploring geothermal trails and boardwalks.

Snowcoach tours also are slightly less expensive than snowmobile tours, with snowmobile trips through Mr. Roberson's Yellowstone Vacations company starting at $169.00 per person versus $114.00 for snowcoach trips.

Wildlife so far this winter have been highly visible and diverse, according to Mr. Roberson.

"In addition to our ever-present-and-magnificent elk and bison, many of our visitors have been thrilled to view a wolf pack near Madison Junction, a bobcat and, recently with one of our guides, four foxes in one day," he said.

Lodging availability inside the park seems readily available at both Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, where prices start at $87 per night for a room with two queen beds and a shared bathroom, and the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, where rooms in the lodge run $197 for a room with two queens and bathroom, while those in the surrounding Western Cabins are $143 per night for a room with two queens and bath.

Yellowstone officials, meanwhile, are continuing to work on a draft environmental impact statement examining how best to manage winter-use in the park. That document is expected to be ready for public review this spring.

Yellowstone Vacations is a sponsor of the Traveler. -- Ed.