Destination: West Yellowstone, Montana

The town of West Yellowstone, Montana continues to be one of the premier snowmobile destinations in the world. Located at an elevation of 6,667 feet, it receives on average 153” of snow per year and basks in 184 days of sunshine. Completely bordered by three national forests and Yellowstone National Park, it is surrounded by 600 miles of groomed snowmobile trails that link to three states, many of which are groomed nightly. It is home to the famous “Two Top Trail”, the very first groomed United States Forest Service snowmobile trail in the U.S.

A layer of snow is left on most roads in town so you can legally and safely ride your snowmobile on city streets, allowing access to fuel, lodging and services as well as being able to ride directly from your hotel to the trail system. Off-trail riding opportunities are plentiful in the surrounding national forests, making this one of the premier snowmobiling destinations since the 1960’s. SnowTech editors have been there snowmobiling EVERY year since 1966, a testament to the reliable snow and epic riding opportunities.

One of the main attractions to West Yellowstone is the ease of getting there. Located about two hours south of Bozeman, Montana, it is easily reached by Interstate 94/90 from the east, so many Midwestern riders can drive there in a single day. Although the town sees almost three million visitors each year, less than 5% of them come during the winter months. These days, many of them are visiting Yellowstone via snow coach, although limited numbers of snowmobilers do still enter the park. This means the town has plenty of lodging, places to eat and things to do in the winter, and with the monster grooming equipment and constant nightly grooming, trail conditions are always maintained.

Another of the reasons so many snowmobilers enjoy the area is the stunning scenery. Frosty landscapes create the perfect white canvas for spotting wildlife. Some days bring brilliant blue skies, while other days bring the steady, silent decent of snowfall, often times heavy and deep. Just what snowmobiles love, a blanket of fresh snow to go out and play in!

To help plan a snowmobile trip to West Yellowstone visit the official West Yellowstone Chamber website at www.DestinationYellowstone.com. Here you will find lodging info and up-to-date grooming information. Most years they will be grooming earlier than most anyone else, and at the end of the season are often times grooming later when all of the trails have been closed back home. Even when the grooming stops, excellent riding opportunities continue on the forest roads well into April and off-trail riding can continue at the higher elevations well into May and even June on good years. We’ve done it many times over the years!