Traveling

It's never too early to begin planning for that winter trip to Yellowstone National Park, as the nonprofit Yellowstone Association Institute announced its lineup of winter Field Seminars.

 
A visit during the winter season shows a completely different -- and refreshing -- side of the Park. Parts of the Park are dormant, as many species retreat into dens and nests for hibernation. But other parts seem even more majestic than during the summer months.

Even before the city was founded, the Billings area already had a history of people nearby, as it was used and settled by Native Americans for land and hunting grounds. The Lewis and Clark Expedition passed through Billings (the area at least), and is a scant 30 miles away from Pompey’s Pillar, a 200-foot-high rock formation considered a landmark by …

By Sean Reichard When someone mentions Idaho, what is the first thing that comes to mind? If you’re like me, it’s potatoes. Mountains and mountains of potatoes, piled so high they block out the sun. Is that what you think when you hear the word Idaho? Well, stop it. There are more things in Idaho than potatoes. Idaho Falls is …

By Sean Reichard John Bozeman isn’t someone who will be remembered as an important figure in Yellowstone National Park history, especially since he died before it was established. In fact, history doesn’t remember John fondly at all. He abandoned his wife and children in 1858 to make a fortune as a miner before deciding it would be a better business …

WINTER SEASON 2007-2008 Greater Yellowstone Region Road Map: Updated 1/3/2008 – SEE DETAILS BELOW THE MAP. WINTER ROAD CLOSURES 1. Yellowstone Park West Entrance: Closed to vehicle traffic. Snowcoach and snowmobile only. Restrictions apply. South Entrance: Closed at Flagg Ranch to vehicle traffic. Snowcoach and snowmobile only. Restrictions apply. East Entrance: Closed at Pahaska Teepee to vehicle traffic. Snowcoach and snowmobile only. Restrictions apply. Mammoth …

While a major figure in American history, Buffalo Bill Cody is also a secondary figure in the history of Yellowstone National Park proper. Both are regarded as centerpieces of the original Wild West, and while there’s little evidence Cody actually spent a lot of time in the Park, some of his many entrepreneurial endeavors involved the Park in some manner. …

The Lamar Valley is one of the least-visited parts of Yellowstone National Park, but it’s one of our favorite areas for a day trip when combined with a short jaunt to Cooke City, Montana. The Lamar Valley is one of the best places to view wildlife in the Park: grizzlies, antelope, wolves, and the ubiquitous bison can be spotted more easily there than in most of the rest of the Park, especially early in the morning. And while you’ll need to worry about hitting traffic spots clogged with animal watchers, they tend to be less frequent than those found in the rest of the Park, even at the height of tourist season.

Poor, poor Wyoming. Even though it has one of the largest land areas in square miles in the United States — 97,100, to be exact — it is the least populated state in the United States, with only 509,294 residents. By that estimate, Wyoming isn’t a very nice place to live in, and definitely not a very nice place to vacation …

Updated Monday, March 3, 2008 [See details below the map]  ROAD CLOSURES Early Spring Road Closure 1. Yellowstone Park West Entrance: Closed to all traffic from March 9 until spring opening. South Entrance: Closed to all traffic from March 9 until spring opening. East Entrance: Closed to all traffic until spring opening. Mammoth Hot Springs: Closed to all traffic from …