Though the park stays open year-round, most park roads are closed to normal vehicles in November, giving priority to over-snow vehicles. But that just makes a winter visit to Yellowstone even more of an adventure. Here are only a few of the ways you can experience Yellowstone in winter.

Snowshoe Guided Hike

Rangers work year-round to help visitors understand the wilds of Yellowstone. During winter months, rangers take to the snow to lead guided snowshoe walks and other programs out of visitor centers like West Yellowstone, Mammoth and Old Faithful, which stay open through the winter.

Snowcoach Ride

Even though you can't drive your personal vehicle through the park in winter, the snowy season brings something even better: a journey by snowcoach. These strange-looking contraptions carry plenty of visitors to some of the most famous sites in the park, like Old Faithful, even when cars can't pass. In some cases, it's the most comfortable way to see these stunning sites when the crowds disperse for the season.

Wildlife Spotting

While the famous Yellowstone bears hibernate through the winter, visitors may see everything from wolves to bison, elk, coyotes, foxes, hawks, otters, eagles, marmots, bobcats, weasels and more. The benefit of traveling through the wilderness over snow is that even if you don't spot the critters themselves, you still have a high chance of finding tracks and other signs of their movements.

Cross Country Ski

Cross country skiing is a great workout that requires far less skill than shredding on double black diamonds at the ski slopes. But it still gives you a chance to see more of the winter wonderland of Yellowstone than you would on foot, and you get to maintain the peace and serenity of moving through the forest without an engine. You can rent skis in any of the nearby towns, or work with an outfitter to go on a guided ski trip.

Snowmobile

If you like the idea of spending some time up close with the environment and you want an adrenaline rush to go along with it, snowmobiling is your perfect option. It can be challenging to get private permits to snowmobile the park since they're doled out by lottery, but you can sign up with an outfitter-guided trip to experience the park from the comfort of heated seats and handlebars as you fly over the snow.

Drive from Gardiner to Cooke City

The road from Gardiner, through Mammoth and the Lamar Valley, to Cooke City stays open and plowed through the winter, so standard vehicles are typically able to pass. This is a fun day's drive for wildlife spotting and taking in the scenery. Good tires, four-wheel drive, and a clear weather report in hand are always a good idea, of course.

Winter brings an element of quiet serenity to this captivating park. It's well worth a trip to experience it in a way most other visitors never will.