Browse Through the Traveler Content

The lexicon built around enjoying the winter season in Yellowstone National Park grew this year when park officials coined "transportation events" to help define the impacts of snowmobiles and snowcoaaches. But that phrase has even Environmental Protection Agency officials scratching their heads over exactly what it represents.

A winter-use plan for Yellowstone National Park being promoted by park staff would "make a bad situation worse," according to the viewpoint of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees.

Yellowstone National Park officials said Thursday they need more time to finalize a sound, sustainable winter-use plan for the park and will continue for another winter of temporary guidelines while doing more studies.

Yellowstone National Park's latest attempt to devise a reasonable, and manageable, winter-use plan needs some substantial tweaks.

The state of Wyoming and one of its counties are seeking an avenue to sue the federal government over the reduced number of snowmobiles allowed in Yellowstone National Park on a daily basis.

Although only a fraction of the snowmobile traffic that enters Yellowstone National Park comes in through the park's East Entrance, the Wyoming county that is the gateway to that entrance has sued the National Park Service over limits on how many snowmobiles can enter the park.

As expected, National Park Service officials Thursday approved a winter-use plan for Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks that reduces snowmobile numbers in Yellowstone from past years. The intent is that this plan remain in effect for two winters while Park Service teams develop yet another environmental impact statement on winter recreation in Yellowstone.

While there are many, many more cars, trucks, and motorcycles traveling through Yellowstone National Park in summer than snowmobiles in winter, the summer traffic is not quite as polluting, according to park studies. Indeed, a greater problem with air quality in summer stems from forest fires.

Jon Jarvis found himself navigating a tricky path Tuesday during his confirmation hearing as the next director of the National Park Service when questioned about recreational snowmobiling in Yellowstone National Park.

With a new administration in Washington the pendulum on snowmobile use in Yellowstone National Park is swinging back towards fewer machines. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on Thursday directed the National Park Service to follow a course that could limit recreational snowmobile use in Yellowstone to 318 machines per day for each of the next two winters.

Yellowstone National Park officials, having had their initially preferred winter-use plan shot down by a federal judge, are back with another proposal. This one would allow up to 318 commercially guided snowmobiles, and up to 78 commercially guided snowcoaches, into the park each day.

Officials at Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, concerned about a judge's ruling that blocks recreational snowmobiling and snow coach use in the parks, are searching for a way to get around that ruling.

Preliminary numbers show rising interest in snowcoach tours of Yellowstone National Park in winter and slightly declining interest in snowmobile tours.

Yellowstone National Park officials met earlier this week with several representatives from Wyoming to discuss the options at their disposal for bombing snow-covered mountain slopes in our nation’s first national park. Why? To keep it clear of avalanche danger for the handful of snowmobiles and snowcoaches that enter the park through Sylvan Pass on the park’s east side each day during the winter season.